If the prices of the top spots have given you a bit of sticker-shock, don't despair… London has its share of more affordable department stores as well. Marks & Spencer (various locations including on Oxford Street ) is a great all-around store that prides itself on quality at a great value. Locals rave about the underwear here and say you can pretty much find any of the basics that you might need. Selfridges is another good spot with a wide variety of items including stationery, housewares, fashion, and more.

London has always been known for being a trend-setter and fashion with a twist can still be found here. “Swinging London ” (a la Austin Powers) is headquartered on Carnaby Street where you'll find things that are definitely mod, hip, and cool. Plus it's got over a hundred shops, restaurants, and bars so you can definitely plan to spend the day browsing here. King's Road is also a “swinging” and “punk” area and fans of Vivienne Westwood can find her original store here. King's Road also features modern day high fashion including Benetton, French Connection, and more.

Many people might not know it, but London is a great place for Vintage fare. Most vintage clothing can be found in the Covent Garden area in places like Blackout II and The Loft. And speaking of vintage, if you are a serious antiques collector, the best spots to visit are the Bond Street Antique Centre, Gray's Antiques Market, and Philips.

Yet London has a world of great shopping far away from the shops. The street markets and flea markets of London are absolutely fascinating and provide the opportunity to uncover some incredible treasures from affordably priced CDs to steals on furniture. The key, however, to market shopping is that most are only open on Sunday, so you need to get up early and know where you are headed in order to make sure you have plenty of time for browsing. The Old Spitalfields Market near Christ Church does happen to be open weekdays and features over 200 stalls including an organic market. Petticoat Lane (on Middlesex Streeet) is a Sunday-only market which sells primarily clothing. Those who are shopping for antiques cannot possibly pass up the Portobello Road antiques and flea market in Notting Hill which takes place every Saturday beginning at 8 a.m. (a smaller market is there weekdays; however, the Saturday event features over 2,000 stalls). The Pembridge Palace Hotel and the Best Western Paddington Court are both close to Portobello Road and Notting Hill. For handcrafts, consider the Greenwich Market off Greenwich High Road. And for a truly visual market — and a wonderful spot for photography — the Columbia Road Market features flower stalls with topiaries, bulbs, bouquets, and everything having to do with gardening. It is open on Sundays only.