Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
London is great for shoppers—and, thanks to the high prices, perhaps even better for
window-shoppers. This chapter will tell you where to get essentials, where to get souven-
irs, where to browse through colorful street markets, and where to gawk at some high-end
stores in this major fashion capital.
Most stores are open Monday through Saturday from roughly 10:00 to 18:00, and
many close Sundays. Large department stores stay open later during the week (until 20:00
or 21:00) and are open shorter hours on Sundays. If you're looking for bargains, you can
visit one of the city's many street markets.
Consider these tips for shopping in London:
If all you need are souvenirs, a surgical strike at any souvenir shop will do.
• London's museums have extraordinarily good shops. The Transport Museum's is one of
sights with great shops include the British Museum (
here
), the Victoria and Albert Mu-
Operating Theatre (
here
).
• Large department stores offer relatively painless one-stop shopping. Consider the down-
to-earth Marks & Spencer (Mon-Fri 8:00-21:00, Sat 9:00-21:00, Sun 12:00-18:00, 173
Oxford Street, Tube: Oxford Circus; another at 458 Oxford Street, Tube: Bond Street or
Marble Arch; see
www.marksandspencer.com
for more locations).
• Connect small shops with a pleasant walk (
see the West End Walk chapter, particu-
larly “Part 2”).
• For flea-market fun, try one of the many street markets.
• Gawkers as well as serious bidders can attend auctions.
Warning:
Refuse any offers to charge your credit card in dollars. This is called dy-
namic currency conversion (DCC), and it's offered by some stores (including Harrods) as
a “convenience.” The very bad exchange rate they use is convenient only for increasing
the store's profits.
