Boy, you'll find shopping opportunities everywhere. Be sure to get to Covent Garden. It's a collection of shops, restaurants and street entertainers that will keep you busy for a couple/few hours. You should make a point to visit Harrods. You might not buy much, it's pricey, but it's worth looking at. Check out the food courts. A nice thing about the hop on hop off buses is as you see a shopping opportunity you can just jump off for awhile.

There's a coffee salon at the Thistle Victoria where my 17 year old niece and I took afternoon breaks. It was really nice.

Thank you for the advice. Soho/Covent Garden was an area I considered for a hotel, just couldn't match up what was available to my price range. If you can think of anything else I should know please let me know.

Take her to Top Shop on Oxford Street. I bought my 15-year-old niece a shirt for Christmas from there and carefully explained to her that it is the No. 1 shop for teens located on the No. 1 street for their shopping and that I braved 9,000 teenagers and horrible music to get it for her.

She claims to love it.

That sounds great! Teenagers......

There is good shopping, including secondhand and clothes, on Fridays and Saturdays at Camden Town, on the Northern line, and in Greenwich, reached by train direct from Charing Cross station.

Cheaper than Thistles Victoria, Trafalgar Square, and Charing Cross is the Royal Albany Hotel, on Villiers Street between Charing Cross and Embankment tube stations. You could check their web site.

Ben Haines

deavs, my 17 year old and I enjoy shopping also. Oxford St. has all of the shops she could ever want, but the crowd, especially at Top Shop was daunting. There are a few other Top Shop locations, including Kensington High Street (near Church), the Strand, and near Victoria Station.

You will absolutely want to check H&M (great styles at great prices). Other chains good for the age: Monsoon, Accessorize, Mango, Oasis, Zara.

I would go to Liberty just for the experience. Beautiful clothes, very expensive. The ground floor has beauty, handbags, etc. There is a floor devoted to the famous Liberty fabric. It is on Regent, and there are lots of upscale shops there and on Bond St. (New and Old). These streets all intersect with Oxford.

As for other shopping areas, Covent Garden has most of the shops we like and the atmosphere there is great. Sloane Square/Kings Rd. has good shopping, and I've heard Kensington High St. also.