Apart from all the known high-street fashion labels (GAP, Zara, H&M, Next, M&S, Miss Selfridge, Oasis, River Island…), you have the music store HMV, the easyeverything internet café part of the easyjet empire,the new massive Primark (may be one of the cheapest shops in UK for clothing), shoe shops, cheap suit shops like “The Officers Club”, chain coffee shops and bookshops (Waterstone's & Books, etc.). With most buses coming from all the corners in London, the best option is going there by public transport and walk if you want to avoid being in a traffic jam for ages.

Department stores on Oxford Street include John Lewis, House of Fraser and Debenhams.

The street then culminates in the beautiful Oxford Circus where you will find Top Shop's flagship store and where you can turn into Regent Street, for the Apple store or Liberty (the only Tudor building left in downtown London after the Great Fire). This shop is full of the most wonderful and self indulgent products at very high prices. You can find interesting modern jewellery here and some great hand crafted accessories, high couture fashion as well as beautiful flowers at their inhouse florist.

If you want to find the perfect toy for your kid, younger sibling or nephews and nieces, head to Hamleys and you can spend hours choosing from the biggest range of toys in Europe!

If you want to buy basics at bargain prices, go to Uniqlo, Japanese firm interested in quality not in branding.

And, to Spanish pride, Regent Street is taken by many Iberian brands such as Zara, Mango, Massimo Duti, Adolfo Dominguez and Elena Miro, for all ages, shapes and budgets!

Our advice: Avoid Saturdays as they are like New Year's Eve all year round… Most stores open on Sundays but have shorter opening hours than during the week.

CARNABY STREET
Made legendary by the Beatles and afterwards by Vivienne Westwood when she was related to the Sex Pistols, Carnaby is off Regent Street (just behind Liberty) and it has some of the coolest brands for the rich trend-lovers: Puma, Diesel, Casio… is good to check out for the latest trainers with various shops specialised in the item.

BOND STREET
If you want just the best of the best: Chanel, Dior, Versace, Moschino, Sotheby's, Krizia, Mandarina Duck, Belstaff, Yohi Yamamoto, Vivienne Westwood, Donna Karan, Burberry, Armani, Porsche Design, Lanvin, Bellini… Cartier, de Veers, Pronovias, D&G.. and most of the world's airlines are waiting for you on Mayfair's Bond Street.

In Savile Row you will find some of the most acknowledge suit shops for all those city bankers and for once, a street dedicated to men's items mostly.

You will see beautiful people, amazing cars, impressive restaurants and you can indulge in one of the most expensive shopping areas in the world.

Use Streetsensation to find out all the shops in the area

KNIGHTSBRIDGE
No visitor would leave town without visiting Harrods. With its famous windows displays and an array of extravagant items for sale (like a transparent piano), it is frequented as much by tourists as celebrities. With an amazing food court and truly huge successful sales, Harrods is the core of Knightsbridge. In this area you will find another upmarket department store, Harvey Nichols, with reknown restaurants inside and top brands. But you can also do your high-street shopping here as most chain names have their spot up and down the street. Also, around the corner, you will find again couture brands similar to those on Bond Street.

KINGS ROAD
A short bus ride from Harrods brings you to Sloane Square and the start of Kings Road, where all the major highstreet fashion stores can be found, along with Peter Jones department store & trendy furniture stores Heals & Habitat.

SUITS for MEN
The best made-to-measure suit shops are in Savile Row, there is no doubt about that. And also, behind Fortnum & Mason, around Jermyn Street there are a shops for the boys with ties, shirts or the flagship store for Dunhill.

Specially for shirts with shops all around town:
www.thomaspink.co.uk
www.tmlewin.co.uk
www.ctshirts.co.uk

But if you want a ready-made suit, for a lesser price, head to:
Moss Bross
The Officers Club
Selfridges
M&S
Reiss
Debenhams
Zara

ISLINGTON High St
For European style shopping, with a more relaxed attitude and plenty of cafes to stop on the way, head to Islington. Trendy, young and exclusive without being too expensive. There are a few design gift shops with the biggest brands from Italy, some local designer labels and some of the high street brands.

HIGH STREET KENSINGTON
Similar to Islington but less trendy and posh-er, High Street Kensington is a nice walk from Hyde Park. It has a few good outdoor sports shops for skiing or hiking (including branches of Snow & Rock and Ellis Brigham chains). Quite a few shoe shops and nice restaurants to have a break. Be sure to visit the whole-foods store and browse the fabulous selection of fresh & organic foods displayed over 3 floors. It would be a great place to pick up a picnic to take to nearby Hyde park. If you walk up the Church Street you can find French style breakfast and cake & coffee places that are delicious.

COVENT GARDEN
Suits, shirts, fashion, mountain gear, maps, books.. big brands, medium brands.. is a net of small streets all filled with numerous small jewels. Check out for gym clothes, retro style by the Pineapple Studios in Langley Street. You can even see one of their dance studios from the street! You can find Muji, Reiss, GAP, Diesel, Zara, Paul Smith, Mango, Accessorize, Camper, O'Neill, Ted Baker, Nicole Fahri and a few interesting smaller shops.

Also with plenty of cool bars & restaurants nearby you'll deserve a good reward after the shopping effort.