Bicester Village promises 'an unforgettable Christmas shopping experience'. Not one to pass up an opportunity to shop, I decided to put it to the test and see for myself. The Shopping Day Experience is a VIP package that costs £99 and upgrades your experience at Bicester Village.
This includes return tickets on the luxury coach service from central London. But you can also take the train from Marylebone – just under an hour away and with shuttle bus services from the station to the Village, it's easily accessible from London. I was immediately struck by how wonderfully festive the Village is – with mystical winter animals, larger-than-life story books and Christmassy food pop-ups, it feels truly magical. And the staff couldn't be more helpful – every single person on site is friendly and nothing is too big an ask.
Onto the most exciting part – the shops! With discounts of up to 60 per cent, it was hard to know where to start – Diane von Furstenberg, Vivienne Westwood and Alexander McQueen are a few highlights of the village, but there are so many other boutiques with brilliant bargains. I purchased some ridiculously high but also very fabulous Dolce & Gabbana heels, as well as a Marc by Marc Jacobs bag – and this was all before lunch. The Shopping Day Experience also provides a 10 per cent discount for further saving, which came in handy... Lunch was at French cafe Vilandry – the stone-baked pizzas are to die for and the atmosphere is fun and friendly. Back to shopping, obviously. One of the perks of the package includes a hands-free shopping service – whereby shopping assistants pack your purchases ready for your collection later. This is a great bonus for the big spenders amongst you. After (a lot) more shopping, we finished off the day with some doughnuts from one of the food pop-up stalls before picking up our (many) bags and heading back to London. The Shopping Day Experience package includes: - Shopping Express®: return tickets on the luxury coach service from central London to the Village. - 10% saving: VIP Card providing further savings on purchases in more than 130 luxury fashion and lifestyle boutiques. - Hands-free Shopping Service: Simply indulge in a spot of shopping at your favourite boutiques, then relax while our boutique assistants pack your purchases ready for your collection later. - Two-course lunch or dinner: at either Busaba Eathai, Villandry Grand Café or Carluccio’s. - £50 Prepaid Gift Card: can be used in the boutiques of your choice in Bicester Village. (Gift Card available for Adult packages only). For more information visit bicestervillage.com.