Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
less pretentious and more boutique
Carnaby Street
has a network of court-
yards and alleys that house smaller chain stores.
•
The
souvenir shops
here are as cheesy and gimmicky as it's possible to be,
with union jacks emblazoning everything from mugs to pillows, and key-
rings to inflatable penises. They're overpriced and everything's made in Ch-
ina anyway. However, it's undeniably funny and tacky. Just don't go buying
anything.
•
£FREE -
The
Convent Garden Market
is housed in a picturesque Victori-
an buildings, and the antics of street performers fill it throughout the day.
The shops are overpriced but the Apple Market in its center is a good place
for handicrafts.
By Convent Garden Underground Station.
•
Somewhat overpriced at £15 but filled with relics to the past, the London
Transport Museum allows you to sit behind a red double decker bus wheel
and explore Underground carriage relics.
At Convent Garden Piazza.
Uncovered Experiences
•
£FREE
- Browse over 200,000 books in England's largest independent
bookshop, row after colorful row of titles filling
Foyles
on
Charing Cross
Road
. The smell of freshly printed paper and its gorgeous interior are worth
experiencing alone. You'll find more independent and vintage book shops
along Charing Cross Road.
•
While the National Gallery manages to attract visitors, the nearby
National
Portrait Gallery
is painfully bad at marketing and promotion. It's usually
near empty, so take the opportunity to wander through the halls of faces and
famous portraits. Check out the chronological journey through UK mon-
archs - it's like staring at a load of confused painted passport pictures.
By
Trafalgar Square,
www.npg.org.uk
.
•
£FREE
- Have a walk through the ramshackle
streets of Soho
and lose
yourself in the labyrinthine collection of vintage stores, bars, and cafes.
Even if you're not up for partying, these streets make for oodles of entertain-
ment and unseen highlights.
