Head to London For Your Christmas Shopping

London is a fantastic destination for your Christmas shopping. As the Christmas season gets into full swing, the biggest stores pull out all the stops to tempt visitors from around the country and abroad. If you want to get all your shopping done in one go, head to London and spend a day visiting some of the most famous shops in the city.

If you're flying into Gatwick Airport, transfers will whisk you right into the centre of the city and you'll be shopping in no time!

For a short visit, here some of the places you can find the best retail opportunities.

1. Harrods

Harrods is one of the most famous stores in the world, so this is a great place to start your hunt for Christmas presents. It is located at 87-135 Brompton Road and Knightsbridge is the nearest Underground station. Don't be too put off by its pricey reputation – Harrods has plenty of smaller and more affordable items that make perfect gifts. The food hall is especially good, and you don't have to spend a fortune to pick up some great gifts. The huge store is a tourist attraction in its own right, so even if you are not planning on spending hundreds of thousands of pounds on the luxury goods, it is a great place to visit for a few hours.

2. Selfridges

Selfridges is another famous London store and it is located at 400 Oxford Street, with Bond Street being the nearest Underground station. It is an excellent option for shopping for Christmas presents and one of the convenient Gatwick airport transfers can drop you right in the heart of the action. It is worth visiting for the Christmas window display alone and inside you'll find a huge range of designer brands, an excellent food hall and a huge cosmetics department.

3. Fortnum & Mason

Located at 181 Piccadilly and reached by travelling to Green Park or Piccadilly Circus on the Underground, Fortnum & Mason is the oldest grocery store in the city. You will find an old-fashioned and glamorous store full of luxury items and it is the perfect place to pick up some Christmas presents. There is also an excellent wine bar to tempt you before you jump on the return Gatwick airport transfers.

4. Hamleys

If it's children's presents you're looking for, Hamleys is the place to go. Located on Regent Street, you can reach it by travelling to Oxford Circus Underground station. It claims to be the biggest toyshop in the world, and you will find five floors stacked full of toys. It's heaven for kids, but they won't want to leave, so it might be best to do this one on your own!

5. Portobello Market

You can reach this famous market by travelling to Notting Hill Gate or Ladbroke Grove on the Underground. You'll find plenty of stalls full of interesting things, making it a great place to look for gifts like antiques, food, clothes or jewellery – you'll find it all here.

London is famous for its shopping, so if you want to get all your Christmas shopping out of the way, consider a day or weekend trip to the UK capital. Once you've arranged your Gatwick airport transfers, plan your day out and include these famous stores to enjoy the best shopping experience in the city.

Lukas Johannes is a driver for Shuttle Direct. If you’re looking for Gatwick airport transfers, Shuttle Direct provide pre-booked shuttles to major destinations all over Europe. Wherever you travel, Shuttle Direct can make sure that you don’t miss your car on your holiday abroad.

Writer and Online Marketing Manager in London.