And, while the description “flea market” isn’t really used in the United Kingdom, London does have plenty of places that do that job — selling secondhand clothes and goods at cheap prices to reward those who are prepared to rummage!

Brushing up on London market lingo

Knowing a little bit of the language used in London markets will come in handy to treasure hunters. Bits of British vocabulary secondhand hunters should swot up on include “Car boot sales,” “jumble sales” and “bring and buys.” They’re all slightly different versions of the same thing, and, putting technicalities aside, they all indicate there are bargains to be found. It’s always worth trying for a bit of a haggle if you’re buying secondhand at a market. However, it doesn’t tend to result in such drastic reductions as it can do elsewhere in the world!

Market information

Because there’s so much choice across London, we’ve narrowed our cheapo flea market selections down to those found within Transport For London zones 1 and 2 and divided the guide into regions: West, East, North and South London.

West London

Portobello Market

Address: Portobello Rd & Golborne Rd
Train: Notting Hill Gate or Ladbroke Grove
When: Fridays & Saturdays

One of London’s most famous street markets, Portobello Market is also one of the biggest, stretching for about two miles down Portobello Road. Along the road, you’ll find around five different areas of the market — head to the northern end (near Ladbroke Grove tube) for secondhand clothes, while you’ll find the more expensive antique offerings closer to Notting Hill Gate. The market takes place every Friday and Saturday.

Local Tip: Visit on Friday to avoid some of the crowds and increase your chance of finding a bargain.

East London

Brick Lane Market

Address: Brick Lane
Train: Shoreditch High Street overground; Liverpool Street or Aldgate East tube
When: Thursday, Friday, Saturday & Sunday

Head to Brick Lane Market on a Sunday and you’ll actually find a whole host of different markets. Along Brick Lane and surrounding streets, you’ll find the more flea market-style offerings, a range of secondhand clothes and goods. Head inside the Truman Brewery for more offerings — a dedicated vintage market takes place here on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, while the much-loved Sunday (Up)Market is the place to look for up and coming designers while they’re still selling at affordable prices. Add to this great street food options and the whole visual spectacle of the area, and you have a great afternoon that won’t bust your wallet.

Old Spitafields Market. Photo: Craig Nelson

Old Spitalfields Market

Address: 109 Commercial St
Train: Shoreditch High Street overground or Liverpool Street tube
When: Everyday

Just under ten or so years ago, Old Spitalfields Market went under a serious redevelopment. It wasn’t without its controversy, as chain shops moved into spaces previously held by independent retailers. However, there are still some bargains to be found amongst the stalls of the market itself. It’s open 7 days a week with a different focus each day — vintage on a Thursday, for example, and record fairs every other Friday. Visit their website to find out what’s happening when.

Walking near Camden Lock Market. Photo: Craig Nelson

North London

Camden Market

Address: Camden High St
When: Everyday
Tube: Camden Town

With 100,000 visitors each weekend, Camden Market is the fourth most popular tourist attraction in London. It’s an undeniably fun place to visit, but you’ll find that most Londoners are sniffy about the quality of goods on offer — souvenir T-shirts tend to rule the day.

However, those after more flea market finds would be foolish to miss out on exploring the Stables Market section. Housed in and around a former stable and the railway viaducts, there are around 700 vintage traders here every weekend, selling everything from second-hand clocks to coats. And, despite its popularity, the prices are reasonable as well.

Camden Passage

Address: Camden Passage
Tube: Angel
When: Wednesday & Saturday (Main Market days)

Ignore its name – Camden Passage has nothing to do with Camden Market. It’s actually a very cute cobbled street, lined with independent sellers near the Angel tube stop. It’s a fun place to explore any day of the week. On Wednesday and Saturday, it gets even cuter with stalls selling affordable collectables.

Vintage jewelry at Bermondsey Antiques Market. Photo: Ungry Young Man

South London

Bermondsey Antiques Market

Address: Bermondsey Square
Train: London Bridge or Bermondsey Tube
When: Friday, 6 am to 2 pm

This long-running antiques and silver market is clustered on Bermondsey Square, but it’s worth having a wander down nearby streets for other secondhand shops. It’s not as high end as the name might suggest and the dealers are very knowledgeable, so it’s a good place to learn, even if you’re not going to buy. Bermondsey Antiques Market is open every Friday from an early bird 6 am until 2 pm, we recommend heading straight over to nearby Borough Market afterwards to reward yourself with some tasty (and equally good value) food.

Greenwich Market

Address: Greenwich Market
Train: Cutty Sark on the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) or Greenwich (DLR or overground rail)
When: Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday & Sunday

Greenwich’s charming covered market was established in 1787. You’ll need to visit Greenwich Market on a Tuesday, Thursday or Friday if you’re after second-hand collectables — independent makers and designers sell their wares at the weekend.

A booth at the Greenwich Clocktower Market. Photo: Ben Sutherland

Greenwich Clocktower Market

Address: Greenwich High Rd
Train: Cutty Sark on the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) or Greenwich (DLR or overground rail)
When: Saturday & Sunday

For more vintage and retro finds, head to the Clocktower Market that runs every Saturday and Sunday.

Deptford Market

Address: Deptford High St
Train: New Cross Overground or Deptford Bridge rail
When: Wednesday, Friday & Sunday

Probably the least touched by tourists on this list, Deptford Market is also the place to go for real bargains. It takes place on Deptford High Street every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, with a real mix of household goods, clothes and food. Douglas Way is where you’ll find the main second-hand section — you’ll need to get there early (it opens at 9 am each morning) and be prepared to work hard to find any real gems.

Battersea Car Boot

Address: Battersea Park Rd
Train: Battersea Park or Queenstown Road rail stations
When: Sunday

What’s a “Car boot”? Basically, it’s a kind of sale where goods are sold from the trunk of a car — the sellers are more likely to be regular people having a clear out than professional sellers and that makes for cheaper prices and more haggling opportunities. Battersea Car Boot, which takes place every Sunday afternoon, has an excellent reputation. It’ll cost you 50p to get in, but it’s known for the good quality items on offer — that could be anything that could fit inside a car!

Capital Carboot

Address: Lupus St
Tube: Pimlico
When: Sunday

Looking to pick up clothes on the cheap? The Capital Carboot is where to head. It was started by a fashion stylist, which perhaps accounts for the quality of the fashion on offer. It takes place in Pimlico every Sunday from 11:30 am until 2:30 pm and will cost you only £1 to get in.

The post London Shopping: A Guide to London flea markets appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

And, even though Bayswater doesn’t score too highly on actual ‘sights’, its location is pretty fantastic—Portobello Market, upmarket Marylebone and Kensington Gardens are all within walking distance—both saving you the expense of a travel card and making it extra easy to explore the city.

London Bayswater Guide

Where To Stay

The sleek rooms of the Stylotel are a great bargain for this excellent location. Photo: EuroCheapo

Stylotel
160 Sussex Gardens
Doubles from $156

This hotel may look fairly traditional from the outside but don’t be fooled—inside it’s more resembles a spaceship with sleek metallic finishes than the traditional London hotel room. Other than the décor, there are plenty more reasons to stay here—rooms can sleep up to four and complimentary tea and coffee are served throughout the day in the hotel’s lounge.

Royal Court Apartments
51 Gloucester Terrace
Doubles from $74

These apartments offer an affordable alternative to a hotel room. Each of the one to three bedroom apartments has its own kitchen, and are consistently praised for being super clean as well as cheap.

Where To Eat

Mandalay
444 Edgware Road

Edgware Road offers an almost overwhelming number of cheap eateries. It would be easy to overlook Mandalay from the outside, but you’d be missing out on unique Burmese food. The owners describe their food as a combination of Chinese and Indian flavors with a slight Thai influence. With all main dishes priced at under £9, they’re definitely worth trying for yourself. Mandalay is so popular that it’s worth calling ahead to secure one of their ten tables and—in fact—to check they are still open on the Edgware Road, as a move to larger premises is immanent. We’d hate for you to miss out.

Couscous Café
7 Porchester Gardens

With main dishes at around the £15, this might stretch the budget slightly but it’s well worth it for tasty Moroccan tagine and couscous dishes all served within a cute, cozy and atmospheric setting. While the premises might be small, the servings are generous and the restaurant allows you to bring in your own booze—in fact all the ingredients for a great meal.

Patogh
8 Crawford Place

Another cheap and cheerful Bayswater special, this café specializes in Iranian dishes, from the traditional Persian stews to kebab style dishes. Diners are crammed onto communal tables in a tiny room, complete with a busy grill, but it’s worth it for the convivial atmosphere and mains for under £10. It’s also worth noting this is another BYOB (‘bring your own bottle’).

Where To Drink

The Victoria is a neighborhood favorite dating back to 1838. Photo: Matthew Black

The Victoria
10A Strathearn Place

The area around Paddington has some great traditional pubs to discover, with a particular favorite being The Victoria. It was built in 1838 and is so-called because apparently Queen Victoria once stopped here on her way to Paddington station. It’s also known that Dickens also put pen in paper in this establishment. The interior retains its historic interest while having been brought up to 21st century standards, and The Victoria consistently wins fans for its food as well as its friendly staff.

The Monkey Puzzle
30 Southwick Street

The Monkey Puzzle manages to retain a community feel while being a welcoming place for travelers to stop and enjoy a pint, especially if you want to sample some of their award-winning ales that are always on tap. There’s a menu of traditional British pub food, such as fish and chips, and if you are lucky enough to be in London on the one day of sunshine each year, this pub also benefits from a nice beer garden.

Bonus Attraction

Alfies Antique Market
13–25 Church Street

If you like vintage or antiques, Alfies is a definite must. It’s a sprawl of 75 different dealers set over four floors. Each dealer has their own specialty—be it posters or lace—and, although you are unlikely to unearth a complete bargain, it’s a fascinating place to browse and learn from the expertise of the different traders. There’s a relatively unknown rooftop café with the bonus free WiFi, which makes it the perfect place to come and recharge and get a different perspective on this bit of London.

The post A guide to London’s Bayswater neighborhood appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.