SHOP TILL YOU DROP IN WORLD'S GREAT CITIES.

Byline: Harry Shattuck Houston Chronicle

Forget the malls. Escape claustrophobia. Resist the sterility and sameness of one more food court.

Progress instead to a tree-lined boulevard or a central square and saunter among department stores, boutiques and specialty markets, pausing every so often for sustenance at an open-air cafe or coffee bar.

Here are a handful of popular international travel destinations where shopping equates to more than merely making a purchase, where it becomes an experience unique to the personality of the city. A favorite street or district in each city is emphasized.

London: Diversity is a hallmark of London's shopping districts. Among them are Knightsbridge, where Harrods represents the Taj Mahal of department stores; Oxford Street, home of Selfridges, Harrods' main pretender; eclectic Soho and Covent Garden; Chelsea's elegant King's Road; and Regent Street, notable for its architectural brilliance.

But even these seem mundane compared with a stroll along New Bond and Old Bond streets in fashionable Mayfair.

At last count, 35 Bond Street establishments maintained a single-name relationship with customers. Among them are Valentino, Celine, Cerruti, Hermes, Tiffany, Chanel and Gucci.

At the end of the road - the Piccadilly Street end of Old Bond, that is - stands Fortnum & Mason, the world's most fabulous grocery and takeout center, now almost 300 years old.

Across Piccadilly Street, near the start of New Bond Street, stands the Burlington Arcade, whose three dozen shops exude luxury. Designed in 1819, this is considered the forerunner of today's shopping malls.

Hong Kong: Bargain-hunters and well-heeled shoppers alike consider Hong Kong a Super Bowl of shopping destinations. The Golden Mile of Nathan Road and its surrounding streets and alleys in the Tsimshatsui district on the city's Kowloon Peninsula offer a one-of-a-kind array of sights, sounds, scents and salespeople eager for your money.

The curious can find the highest-quality jewelry and the most creative imitations. Storekeepers sell designer fashions, silks and linens, furs and what seems like millions of photographic and electronic items. In the side streets and alleys, you'll discover clothing markets, food markets, the Jade Market and the Bird Market.

Paris: Paris' best department stores, Galeries Lafayette and Au Printemps, stand side by side on Boulevard Haussmann. The most renowned boutiques are on and near Rue du Faubourg Saint Honore and Avenue Montaigne, and the chic shops on the West Bank offer the most fun.

But the Champs-Elysees, especially between the Arc de Triomphe and Place de la Concorde, long has been described as the world's most beautiful boulevard. Despite a marked decline in its cultural and shopping significance, it still best represents the ``joie de vivre'' of Paris.

The Drugstore des Champs-Elysees has remained a requisite attraction for three decades. Visitors here can buy CDs, sporting goods, toys and jewelry; book theater tickets; and commemorate the occasion over a glass of fine wine. The Virgin Megastore (52-60 Champs-Elysees) is the city's best music store and contains a cafe. Several arcades also tempt along the Champs-Elysees. And almost every side street leads to a new shopping adventure.

Munich:Tourists congregate every day in Marienplatz, Munich's famed central square, to marvel at the spectacular glockenspiel performances in the Town Hall tower. In every direction, Marienplatz opens up a wondrous world of shopping alternatives. Marienplatz and Karlsplatz, also called Stachus, are connected by a 1 1/2-mile pedestrian-only promenade known as Neuhauserstrasse at its western extreme and Kaufingerstrasse to the east.

This walkway, accented by flowers and fountains, is a delight at any time of year for window-shoppers and for those seeking goods as diverse as Bavarian cuckoo clocks, fine crystal and china, precious antiques, toys, perfumes and chocolates. Munich's largest department stores - Karstadt, Hertie and Kaufhof - compete for business with specialty shops and tiny souvenir outlets.

During the holiday season, the promenade is transformed into one enormous Christmas market, with hundreds of vendors selling traditional ornaments and angels, hot beverages and hot roasted nuts even in subfreezing temperatures.

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Photo: Harrods department store in London may be the epitome of traditional British shopping - especially during the January sales.