Accommodation in London is your guide to hotels in London and other accommodation including B&Bs and Guest Houses. |
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Shopping in London
Along with Paris and New York, London offers probably the best shopping experience of any city in the world. Indeed, visitors to the capital are often overwhelmed by the sheer range of goods available. However, whilst shoppers are spoilt for choice, there's also a feeling (justified to a point) that London stores charge over the odds in comparison to their overseas counterparts. What's more, in recent years debate has raged between retailers, consumer groups and the Government over claims about the country being "rip off Britain".
In truth, while there's some validity to the argument that prices for certain goods are higher than elsewhere (particularly CDs, electrical goods and clothing), if you spend time looking around there are still bargains to be had. In addition, many stores hold sales at various times of the year, offering cut price goods to eager shoppers (pictured above left: Lush Cosmetics Covent Garden).
For major international and British Brands, London's main shopping areas tend to centre around Oxford Street and Regent Street, while Knightsbridge is home to stores stocking even more upmarket goods. Anyone looking for specialist items should head to Covent Garden, whilst those with serious money to spend gravitate towards New Bond Street (home to some of Britain's most exclusive shops). If you're after bargain electrical goods Tottenham Court Road is a must, while Hatton Garden is the place to go for watches and jewellery.
Below, you'll find a summary of what's on offer in London's principal shopping areas. However, if you wish to jump straight to our review pages click here.
Department stores
Concentrated mainly on Oxford Street, although Knightsbridge has two of the most popular in Harrods and Harvey Nichols.
Brand stores/outlets
A large number of these stores are situated in the area around Regent Street.
Designer shops
Heavily populated on Old/New Bond Street and Sloane Street.
Independent/smaller fashion shops and boutiques
Located on the streets around Covent Garden, with an ever growing number also drawn back to London's famous Carnaby Street (which has enjoyed a real renaissance as a trendy fashion destination over the last couple of years).
Traditional British/bespoke tailoring
Centred around Piccadilly, particularly on Jermyn Street and Savile Row.
Music shops
All of the capital's megastores have a presence in central London, although if you're looking for rare cuts, 12" and vinyl then Soho is probably the best place to head (as here you'll find a number of independent shops covering all music genres).
Bookshops
While large bookstores such as Waterstone's and Borders are well represented all over London, other good bookshops (both large and small) are situated on both the Charing Cross Road and around Covent Garden.
Jewellery
For expensive items head to New Bond Street. However, for the widest possible choice its worth travelling further afield to Hatton Garden (near Farringdon), which has a high concentration of long established jewellers offering a staggering array of pieces.
As some of the businesses highlighted on our pages have more than one branch, we've listed what are (or we consider) to be the main/flagship stores. In addition, its worth noting that large department stores, such as Harrods and Selfridges, stock clothing ranges from most leading designers. Where possible, we've also included website addresses for those shops listed.
Hotels Near the Centre |
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For more information on hotels and accommodation in the centre of London
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