Our Top 5 London Christmas Shopping Destinations

London has been quite rightly dubbed one of the best places to shop in the world.
However its amazingness can be rather daunting for even the most ruthless
fashionistas. It can feel as though you are, to use the phrase, “spoilt for choice”
especially when deciding where to start your Christmas shopping.

Here to help you out is our list of the top 5 shopping destinations in our capital. So
take a deep breath, don’t panic, you’ve still got bags of time, and make sure you
head to one of these top shopping havens to buy all your pressies this Christmas!

Fifth place goes to: Brent Cross Shopping Centre.

If you live anywhere north of Camden and cannot face heading into central then
head a little bit further north for Brent Cross. This indoor shopping centre has all
of the usual high street hits plus two massive department stores packed full of
Christmas gift ideas; John Lewis and Fenwicks. This place is perfect for an all in one
all day shop. You can buy all your family’s presents plus pick yourself up a gorgeous
outfit for the party season too! A bonus is free parking too if you drive. Nearest
Tube; Brent Cross.

In at fourth place it's Portobello Market, a place for the cooler fashionistas out
there! Not only will you most probably spot a few celebs drinking and dining in one
of the bistros and bars but you can also pick up some amazing vintage, quirky and
truly special gifts. Running on Saturdays and Sundays this market does get pretty
packed but is worth it for unique gifts with a little something extra. Nearest Tube;
Notting Hill Gate.

Third place goes to Covent Garden. This is probably the prettiest place to shop in
London. With beautiful buildings and cutesy cobbled stone footpaths this is definitely
the place to take out of towners on their Christmas shopping visits to London. It is
ideal for gift shopping with little independent stores and stallls in the market centre.
Also just a stone’s throw away is Neal Street with lots of make-up branches such as
Benefit and Mac, another great gift destination for mums, sisters and your besties!
Nearest Tube; Covent Garden, but this gets completely rammed on weekends so go
for Leicester Square, it’s only a 3 minute walk away.

Westfields Shopping Centre comes in at second place and if you can’t handle
the crowds this is the perfect place to do your Christmas shopping with relative
peace and harmony in London during November and December. Always opt for an
afternoon, say Tuesday, for the least amount of fuss. The centre also offers a range
of designer boutiques if you want to splash the cash as well as great gadget stores
and a surprisingly wide range of guy stores so if you’re stuck on what to get the men
in your life this is where you need to go. Nearest tube, Shepherds Bush or Wood
Lane.

First place can go to Oxford Street. Ok so it may get completely rammed, and yes
the tourists do like to stand right in front of you but apart from that it really is basically
perfect. You’ve got Selfridges, great for gifts and everyone loves those little yellow
bags! The food hall there too is perfect for the foody lovers in your family. Primark
is a must for cheaper than chips party outfits and let’s not forgot the humongous
Topshop! During December they always hold a weekend of car free shopping too so
there might be a little more room to walk about. Be warned though, we did say a
little! Nearest Tube; Oxford Circus but this tends to shut when overcrowded, Bond
Street station is in the middle of Primark and Topshop, ideal!

By Kelly Hollidge