We've heard this is a great market, esp. on Saturdays when it's an open-air flea market kind of thing. Any opinions on this? Anything in particular that's on sale here for really good prices? Time of day that's best, tho' I guess on Saturdays, it's only part of the day - is that true? Thanks in advance for any thoughts

Marcie, I've heard it's fun if you've never been. I missed it my first time in London, and plan to check it out this year.<BR><BR>It has been recommended to me that if you want to go Saturday (best day to go for all the vendors) then go really early. (I hear some people get there as early as 5 or 6 am!) By mid morning, I hear the place is a zoo.

It"s fun, one long road, I am not an early person.went on a,crowded afternoon and bought a small french binocular with etched figures.. The neighborhood has becme very trendy since then.

Have you watched "Nottinghill" starring Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant? The street he stayed in is part of the Portobello market. There are 2 halves to the market actually , the top half consists of an antique/bric-a-brac/arts and crafts market and also shops and arcades selling similar stuff. The other half is your typical flea market and sells fruits and vegetables - and cooked exotic ethnic foods - as well. Saturday is the day because then the antique market spills into the streets (instead of just being inside the shops) and the 'other' market comes alive when normally they are quiet. Good buys - worn real leather brief cases are best you can find anywhere. Its a haven for impulse buying.

Marcie-<BR><BR>The Portobello Market is lots of fun- GET UP EARLY-- the dealers get there around 4-5am-- if you show up at 8am, you still may get some awesome antique deals--( tho' they may have traded hands a few times)--but you can get a REAL DEAL IF you know what you are looking for--<BR><BR>You can find small silver items,anitque books,pictures,---there is a very small carryable book on the MARKETS in London-<BR>It is available at Borders N Books and also at Barnes and Noble---<BR>The book goes into ALL the markets you may like to partake ---ie.Camden Market, the market in Grennwich ( which when combined with the river ride down the Thames) makes for a great Sunday afternoon.....<BR><BR>Hope this helps=

As the others said - you need to get there EARLY and more importantly - leave before noon. After about 10 or 11 AM it gets just too crowded to be able to see anything - or even walk around comfortably.<BR><BR>So get there by about 6 AM - maybe 7 - get around as much as you can and then get out.

Excuse me for being a bit dense...are there actual street vendors during the week, or only on Saturday?<BR><BR>I had been told that the "flea market" was only open on Saturday, that it is "just" shops during the week. But, reading the posts, I am beginning to wonder if that is incorrect....<BR><BR>Can someone set me straight?

I was just going to ask the same question...we are in London from Sun evening through to Wednesday...flying home on a Thursday...is the market worth going to durng the week? especially considering our limited time<BR>....thanks

The "famous" Portobello Road market is the one people are describing here held on Saturday morning. Otherwise during the week it's an antique district. Worth a visit if you're interested in the shops but not for the street activity.<BR><BR>But there are lots of other great street markets all over London. If you can't get a hold of the book mentioned in one of the posts above, check out LondonTown.com for a brief description of some of the most popular markets and the best days and times to attend.

Portobello Market is definitely worth the trip and really the only day it's fully open is Saturday morning. One end is antiques. The other end is food. I would wander around the beautiful Notting Hill hood too. IMHO, Columbia Road market is the most atmospheric market in London. It's a flower market that takes place on Sunday mornings. Portobello is extremely touristy.

to dmr<BR>londontown.com was a great suggestion for shopping and markets....thanks for the tip<BR>

To answer an earlier question: the stalls won't be out on the street at Portobello Rd during the week, but there are shops and indoor markets whose stallholders may well be open.<BR><BR>To add an extra note: there are several guides to London street markets. I think Time Out does one, and I know London Transport does one that you can also check out online to help you plan:<BR>http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/rl_markets.shtml

We just returned from a visit to Portobello Road on a Friday. Our main purpose in going was to visit the antique shops which were so abundant on our last visit there ten years ago.<BR><BR>Most of the antique shops are gone. In their place is a lot of what we consider to be rather pedestrian stuff. For those of you who have posted that antique shops abound, take another look today. They don't.

Justback I've been going for 30 years...but to have access to all the dealers you do have to go on Saturdays!many have shops in other parts of the UK..my favorite silver dealer only comes into town for Portobello on sat.!

Is this seasonal or are the street vendors there every Saturday throughout the year? I recall a scene in the movie "Notting Hill" and Hugh Grant was walking through a visibly busy market through all four seasons.

Please don't believe everything you see in the movies.

Camden Passage continues to be a great extensive mkt. and is open early am on Weds. Some shops expensive but always bargains on the streets.

If one is unable to go to Portobello Market on the Saturday, another market to go to is the Camden Lock Market on Sundays. There are numerous flea markets as you turn right from the underground station, but persist through the crowd and you shall come to an attractive iron-bridge over a canal and the Camden Market is right across in a converted warehouse. It sells mostly arts and crafts - but a pub next to the canal lock is definately one of the best places in London for people watching. Go on further from the Market, and you will find some temporary antique dealers under a railway viaduct. There are also many interesting stalls and shops around teh area - totally unpredicatble, absolutely charming and a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Just came back from London and did the Portobello Mkt on Sat morn. Got there at 8am- great fun- bought an antique print and book- browsed all the stalls, etc. BUT by 10:30am when I left, the crowds streaming in from the tube down the narrow street were as bad as anything I've seen- so glad I was leaving. I could barely walk to the tube the swarm was so thick. My advice, definitely go but go early.

I was in London this past June and visited Porobello Road Market on Saturday morning, it was my third visit over the past few years and it is well worth the time. Had the greatest lemonade ever at the Nottinghill end of the road. You can start at one end (we got off the tube at Nottinghill and waled to the Camden end and back. It was very crowded, we did not get there early this visit. Some great food vendors. One disappointment this time there were no street muscians or story tellers.