City Street Markets for shoppers seeking treasures

Under $225 a day

Where
Buenos Aires, Argentina

Why
The city's upscale Recoleta district is the place for high-end fashion. At the opposite end of the urban shopping spectrum is the Sunday San Telmo antiques market in Plaza Dorrego, with nearly 300 stalls (and as many street performers) hawking a wide range of retro goods, from furniture to tango classics on vinyl. In between, both in location and price, is Calle Florida, a pedestrian street lined with a variety of shops, including the silversmith Plata Lappas, at No. 740 (54-11-4325-9568; platalappas.com).

Room
Around the corner from Calle Florida, the classic Claridge is well placed for shopping forays and nightlife. Ale and conversation flow nightly in the British-style pub. The guest rooms are old-fashioned but not without modern touches like Internet service and whirlpool tubs (54-11-4314-7700; claridge.com.ar; doubles, $148–$160).

Lunch & Dinner
Historic Café Tortoni, known for nightly live music, is a good people-watching spot at lunch (829 Av. de Mayo; 54-11-4342-4328; entrées, $4–$11). Of BA's many asadores, the most authentic is La Estancia, where waiters attired as gauchos serve goat, spicy longaniza sausage, and fresh-off-the-pampas sirloin (941 Av. Lavalle; 54-11-4326-0330; entrées, $11–$20).

Tip
The eclectic Recoleta Fair unfolds every Saturday and Sunday (10 a.m. to sundown) in the Plaza Francia and elsewhere around the famed Recoleta Cemetery. Argentine crafts are the market's stock-in-trade, but there are also food stalls offering tasty dishes (the empanadas are out of this world), as well as roving buskers.

Under $300 a day

Where
Tunis, Tunisia

Why
Clustered around the Great Mosque, the atmospheric souks of the Tunis medina, which date from the eighth century, spill over with antiques and rugs, handbags and stuffed dates. In a covered arcade, Souk des Chechias sells traditional Tunisian red felt hats called chechias, while Souk el-Attarine, originally a perfume market, now also offers candles and baskets. Copper, brasswork, and shisha pipes are best found in Souk du Cuivre. Shoppers need only ready cash and a willingness to haggle.