Shopping enthusiasts looking to splash the cash while on weekend breaks in London will not find themselves short of places to shop. The capital is home to a number of captivating markets, so you can be sure that you can always get your hands on a bargain.

Here, we look at 5 of the best London markets to visit during your trip to the nation’s capital.

Petticoat Lane Market

If you’re something of a fashionista, a great place to start is Petticoat Lane Market.

Situated in Tower Hamlets in East London, the market gives you the chance to pick up a wide variety of clothing and household goods.

Consisting of more than 1,000 stalls, you’ll likely find lots of things that catch your eye – who knows, you may even end up leaving the market with a whole new wardrobe! You can be sure of getting a bargain here and you may be interested to know that the Petticoat Lane Market is where entrepreneur Sir Alan Sugar first entered the world of business as a teenager.

There should be plenty of opportunity to stop by Petticoat Lane Market during a trip to London, as it is open from 10:00 to 16:30 every Monday to Friday.

If you’re visiting the capital at the weekend, it is open on Sundays from 09:00 to 14:00, although it is shut on Saturdays.

However, don’t make the mistake of seeking out an actual Petticoat Lane when trying to find the market, as a road with this name doesn’t exist in the capital. You will find it is situated between Middlesex and Wentworth Streets, with Liverpool Street the closest tube station.

Old Spitalfields Market

Alternatively, you may want to head to Old Spitalfields Market. Situated in a 19th-century Victorian market hall in East London, a wide range of antiques and vintage fashion can be picked up here.

The emporium is a particularly good place for arts and crafts and you can buy everything from Venetian masks to handmade wooden toys, as well as contemporary furniture.

If you’re in need of a breather, check out the international food court where you can indulge in a range of organic and fair-trade produce.

The market is open every day of the week, although individual businesses may have slightly differing trading hours.

Like Petticoat Lane Market, Old Spitalfields can be easily reached from Liverpool Street station, although the latter is also a five-minute walk from Aldgate East.

Apple Market

Art lovers should endeavour to visit the Apple Market in Covent Garden. Situated close to the tube station of the same name, the market focuses on supporting emerging talent within the UK arts and crafts scene.

By visiting the emporium, you may be able to purchase high-quality handmade ceramics, jewellery and gifts before stopping at one of the many cafes nearby for a hot drink and a snack.

The market is within a short walking distance of some of the finest hotels in London including the Sofitel St James Hotel and The Savoy so this area may be a great to place to stay during your trip to London

Brick Lane Market

Brick Lane Market in Shoreditch is another market in East London that is well worth visiting.

Open on Sundays, you’ll be able to pick up some fantastic second-hand furniture and watch lively street performers in action.

After you’ve finished shopping for the day, you can head to one of the local curry house where you can be assured of fantastic cuisine to quench your hunger.

Borough Street Market

Why not round off your stay in London with a trip to Borough Street Market? Set beneath the railway viaducts between Borough High Street in South-East London and the Thames, here you will be able to pick up a wide range of domestic and international produce.

The market is open three days a week, from 11:00 to 17:00 on Thursdays, 12:00 to 18:00 on Fridays and 08:00 to 17:00 on Saturdays, with London Bridge the nearest underground station. By visiting on Thursday you may be able to get some ideas about what dishes to cook by watching a demonstration from a chef at the covered Jubilee Market.

With so many markets to visit in London, you can be sure of getting your hands on some fantastic goods at great prices.

For an exciting and bustling City Break, London is the perfect location. There’s so much to see and do, hundreds of shops, restaurants and bars alongside some of the most renowned hotels in the world and the most recognisable tourist attractions.

Getting to London is fairly simple thanks to the location of the London Airports Stansted, Heathrow and Gatwick, which are all connected with Express train services running to the city centre. London is served well by tube services (underground train) and buses within the city, although it is advisable to plan your journey ahead as the tube map can be rather complicated to interpret at times.

Staying overnight in London also isn’t a problem. Accommodation can vary from the prestigious and expensive hotels such as The Ritz and The Hilton, Park Lane, through to travel lodges, bed and breakfasts and hostels with prices ranging from £25 per night up to £1500!

When it comes to entertainment, or dining in the city, the prices again are just as varied. There are very many independent restaurants, lots of curry houses, fast food chains, celebrity chefs restaurants and members only dining clubs such as The Ivy. Money can be saved on eating out in by signing up for a London Daily Deals site ahead of the trip. Savings of up to 90% can be made on 3 course meals, drinks, or experiences such as sushi rolling lessons and wine tasting.

Some top attractions in London include Big Ben and The Houses of Parliament, The London Eye, The Tower of London, and London Zoo. All of these attractions can be reached easily by the tube and are well signposted. Again the chance to save money on entrance to top attractions can be found on a daily deals site such as Kelkoo Select

Most of us are aware that if we book our holiday early we can get a better deal on the price, but few of us carry this thought much further. In fact, pre-booking works with other things too including pre-booking your airport hotel and car parking.

Pre-booking also of course means that your parking space and hotel room are guaranteed for the dates that you want, and for the car park and hotel that will suit you best too. This is quite important as at most major airport parking spaces fill up quickly so if you’re pre-booked, you don’t need to worry about this.

If you’re planning on parking your car at the airport, but hadn’t been considering booking a hotel, it may actually be worth thinking again about this, as combining parking and a night’s stay in a hotel before your flight, can often cost around the same price as parking alone might, and you won’t have to worry about the hassles of delays on the road either.

Many airport car parks like – Heathrow airport parking and Birmingham airport parking offer lower prices on advance purchase bookings, and the earlier you book the more likely you are to find these good deals. When you find a good price, book it because as the date of the parking gets closer, these cheaper prices become unavailable as they’re only offered to people booking well in advance.

The savings you can make by booking in advance rather than just turning up on the day and paying for your parking on the spot, can be as much as 60% of the price which means quite substantial savings for you if you do book ahead.

Watch out for best price guarantees too! Some companies will offer free parking at the airport to people who find the same airport parking elsewhere cheaper within say a 24 hour period, so if you find somewhere that is offering this, its is definitely worth booking it, and then searching hard to see if anywhere does offer better. If they do, you’ll get your parking for free, and if nowhere does, then you can at least be safe in the knowledge that you’ve got a truly excellent price for your parking.

Generally speaking, off-airport parking is the cheaper option, but don’t worry this doesn’t mean it’s necessarily further away, ironically the transfer times can sometimes be less for off site parking than they are for parking within the airport boundary because of the locations, so check out these transfer times too.

Again it’s worth making sure you look at combined hotel and airport as although you might not think it, this can be one of the cheaper option, so don’t discard this option before you look at it. Find out more at Holiday Extras Airport Parking.

Edinburgh is a beautiful city, and an enchanting place for a short weekend break or longer holiday. The city has many places of interest to visit, as well as an excellent menu of events that take place here throughout the year.

Through the year, such events take place as the Linlithgow Folk Festival, the Scottish International Storytelling Festival, The Military Tattoo, Fringe Festival, Film Festival, and many more which means that whatever month you visit Edinburgh there’s bound to be something taking place here.

There is a diverse range of attractions here in Edinburgh. There is of course Edinburgh Castle, high up on the hill overlooking the city. This is Scotland’s most visited tourist attraction, and as well as being home to the National War Museum, is also backdrop to the annual Edinburgh Military Tattoo.

Holyrood Palace stands at the bottom of the Royal Mile (at the other end to Edinburgh Castle), and is the official residence of the monarch in Scotland. It is the setting for state ceremonies and official entertaining, and is open to the public throughout the year unless members of the royal family are in residence.

Princes Street is another of the main thoroughfares in Edinburgh, and is the main shopping street here. The street has virtually no buildings on the south side allowing great views of the Old Town, Edinburgh Castle, and the valley between. What you will find here as well as shops are Princes Street gardens containing the Ross Bandstand (an open-air theatre), a war memorial to US Soldiers of Scottish descent, and a floral clock. The Royal Scottish Academy and the National Gallery of Scotland – two of Scotland’s best known art galleries – are also situated on Princes Street.

For such a large city, Edinburgh is a surprisingly green place, and even in the heart of the city you’ll find open spaces, parks and gardens that you can enjoy.
Edinburgh Old Town and Edinburgh New Town have many buildings which date back quite some way, and just wandering the streets themselves can be a joy if you like interesting architecture, and there are over 4,500 listed buildings here in Edinburgh.

The Edinburgh Vaults are in tunnels built in the 18th century underneath one of the arches of the South Bridge which was completed in 1788. For 30 years or so, the vaults housed taverns, cobblers and other tradesmen, and were a storage space for illicit material including, it’s said, the bodies of people killed by Burke and Hare. The vaults complex was closed down somewhere between 1835 and 1875, though it’s not known exactly when, and was rediscovered in the 1980’s. They were excavated in the 1990’s and now are a popular tourist destination.

http://edinburghguide.org.uk/

When travelling abroad, it can be an absolute risk taking a train, or taxi to get to and from the airport, delays can cost you not just extra money, but at worst your whole holiday experience. So taking the car and parking at the airport is often the best thing to do, it’s much less stressful. The problem is that parking at airports can cost a lot, and if you just turn up on the day, the cost you’re faced with could put a real dampener on that holiday feeling. If you book the parking in advance however, it can be a lot cheaper.

Booking ahead won’t just save you money either, it will also ensure that you get a parking space, and the further in advance you book the cheaper the cost generally is. Policies at airports vary, but some will actually let you book your parking space up to two years in advance.

A good starting place for prebooking your parking is at ParkBCP where you can book parking at many UK airports including – Manchester Airport Parking in addition to London airports where you can get deals on Stanstead Parking and Heathrow Parking.

Another thing to watch out for is that different airports charge different amounts, a Which? Survey reported that many airports in the South charge more than their Northern counterparts. The survey looked at fifteen of the UK’s busiest airports and found that Heathrow was the most expensive at over £85, while Manchester was the cheapest at just under £20 (this was based on seven days of parking not booked in advance). This means, that if you have the option of flying from several different airports to reach your destination, it could be worth considering their parking costs before you book your flights.

Another option is to consider an airport hotel and parking package. This can allow you to combine a night’s stay in a hotel, and the parking of your car while you are away. By staying in a hotel close to the airport the night before you fly, you remove all the horrible worry of whether you’ll get there on time, and if you opt for a fairly basic budget hotel, you may well pay no more than you would if you paid for just the parking alone, and in some cases you might even pay less. Airports that offer this option include Manchester, Heathrow (where there are 31 different airport hotels to choose from all offering parking), Gatwick, Edinburgh, Luton and many more.

Overall, the difference in what you pay if you book in advance, compared to not booking and just arriving on the day of your holiday and paying, could be as much as 70% in some cases, and of course the more you save on parking, the more you have to spend on your holiday.

Oban (“little bay” in Gaelic), Scotland, is a charming harbor town in western Scotland. It is an important ferry port for many of its surrounding islands. Located in the spectacular Argyll countryside, it is known for some of the most magnificent sunsets in Scotland.

Also known as the Seafood Capital of Scotland, Oban boasts of fabulous seafood restaurants and many fish stalls. One of the most recommended eateries is the SEAFOOD TEMPLE. Their freshly caught, simple, delicious and generous portions are incredible. The owner and staff are very friendly and attentive, and the view over the bay is superb. This is such a top-notch restaurant that you have to make a reservation. Also visit the INVERAWE SMOKERY AND COUNTRY PARK with its smokehouse, one of the country’s finest stocked fisheries, nature trails, a shop, and a cafe.

You will find kayak schools and many tours including to the SCOTTISH SEALIFE SANCTUARY with its otters, seals, and other salt water native animals. The SEA FREEDOM KAYAK is a mobile kayak which offers coaching and day trips where you can paddle among the islands and lochs. Also popular is canoeing, climbing, gorge walking, wildlife excursions, and more.

The beautiful Argyll area is known for its glorious gardens, one of which is ARDUAINE GARDENS, run by the National Trust for Scotland, which is a fabulous paradise filled with outstanding plants.

How can a person go to Scotland and not visit an attraction such as the OBAN DISTILLERY? This is one of the oldest sources of malt scotch whiskey in Scotland. An hour tour gives you much information about the process, shows you the distillery at work, and you get a taste or two!

Several castles are in the area including the medieval DUNSTAFFNAGE CASTLE, which is rumored to be haunted. As well as a good history display, there is also a chapel within the woods and a path to a cobbled beach behind the castle.

Another sight to see is the Coliseum-type McCAIG’S TOWER with its Victorian architecture and views of the harbor. Admission is free and was built by McCaig as a mausoleum, giving unemployed stone masons of his day work, which they completed after his death.

The OBAN WAR AND PEACE MUSEUM has free admission and has a wonderful collection of memorabilia, artifacts, and photographs from the war years when RAF Flying Boats operated from this bay.

Fun for the whole family is MITCHELL’S AMUSEMENTS with kiddie rides, video games, pool tables, a candy shop, and a coffee shop.

Top off your Oban adventure by staying at the luxury hotel Barcaldine house close to Oban, which is surrounded by beautiful gardens, mountains, and beaches. Although this country manor is 300 years old and there are many original features to admire, it is modernized and is a nominee for a 2010 Scottish Hotel Award. With just eight bedrooms and six self-catering cottages, it was opened as a hotel in May of 2009. It is pleased to boast about its award-winning restaurant and its Rising Star Chef of the Year 2010. Barcaldine House is also a renowned wedding venue.

With the recent volcanic eruption grounding so many planes, many more people are likely to think about holidaying at home in the UK this season – and to be fair, who can blame them. The scientists reckon that there may well be a further eruption within the next 6 months, and that if that happens it may well ground planes again and make it difficult for holiday makers to enjoy their plans if they’ve arranged to travel abroad.

With all this in mind, here are a few recommendations for places you could look at holidaying within the UK where there is plenty to do and see, and where, if the weather is anything like we’ve experienced over the last few years, you should easily be able to come home with as good a tan as you’d have if you’d holidayed abroad.

The Norfolk Broads
Whether you just like being near the water, or fancy trying a turn or two on the water, the Norfolk broads are a great place for a holiday. There are lots of options from boats with accommodation to suit anything from 2 to 8 people easily available, as well as many lovely cottages and hotels in the vicinity. http://www.broads-authority.gov.uk

Glasgow
If you fancy a few nights in a vibrant city then Glasgow is a great place to go. With a vast array of retail outlets, and a nightlife that will rival any other city in the world, this is a great place for a fast paced holiday.

The Black Country
An area of the country which often gets missed by people looking for somewhere to holiday, there is a lot to see and do here. From the Black Country Living museum where you can see how people used to live and work and spend a good full day touring the different parts including the mine, to one of the country’s biggest zoo’s, castles and traditional museums.

Cornwall, Dorset & Devon
Down in Cornwall, Dorset & Devon you’ll find plenty of interest to see and do, with lovely countryside, and … you could even try staying in the chocolate boutique hotel if you wanted somewhere completely different to try, it’s a grade ii listed building and is the worlds only chocolate themed hotel. There are many beautiful beaches, where you can enjoy sand and see, or go rock climbing or walking along some of the cliff paths in the area to really get some great views of seascapes. http://www.visitcornwall.com

The Alton Towers Theme Park in Staffordshire, England is truly an adventure for “children of all ages”. There are theme rides for the youngest people as well as adults. In 2008 it attracted 3.1 million visitors, which made it the UK’s second most visited theme park.

Alton Towers itself dates back to the 8th century when it was a fortress of many buildings. It was also the Gothic country house of the Earls of Shrewsbury. In the 1970s the building was stripped out and then had concrete floors added so it so it could be opened up to the public. There is an expensive project planned to restore the oldest parts of the house. There are also a number of unusual gardens including a Dutch garden, a Swiss Cottage, a Pagoda Fountain, and more.

In 1980 the theme park was opened, and over the years many sections have been added and some rides moved from place to place. Towers Street is the first area you come to. It has shops and a view of the gardens and the ruins of the Towers. Sometimes at Halloween there is a spooky maze at the ruins.

Planned for 2010 by Merlin Entertainment is the theme of a crypt in a mysterious forest and a special roller coaster.

The newest addition in 2009 was Sharkbait Reef, which has a 20-metre ocean tunnel, and where you can interact with underwater species. Another 2009 addition is Cloud Cuckoo Land for the younger guests and is a fantasy garden full of bright colors, a show in the Theatre, a Charlie and the Chocolate Factory ride, and a play area. A new ride there is called the Twirling Toadstool.

Storybook Land has a “Squirrel Nutty Ride” where the children travel in acorn shaped powered cars.

Old MacDonald’s Farmyard contains a small petting zoo, a carousel, a boat ride, Old MacDonald’s Singing Barn, and a few rides.

Adventure Land is for visitors between ages 5 and 11 with its main ride being a spinning roller coaster.

Mutiny Bay is pirate themed with actors roaming the area dressed as pirates. Battle Galleons is a water ride where guests travel along a track in boats.

X-Sector has the world’s first extra-wide roller coaster with a steep vertical drop after hanging over the edge for three seconds. There is also the world’s first inverted roller coaster and the world’s first roller coaster where the riders’ feet are suspended freely.

Book Alton Towers Tickets here