Books, London

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I’m assuming that if you’re here on Virtual Tourist that you love travelling, and probably like me also like reading travel books, whether guide books, accounts of adventurous journeys or humorous writers such as Bill Bryson. If so, let me introduce you to one of my favourite London shops: Stanfords. Here are three floors dedicated to books on that single subject, plus maps, notebooks and travel accessories – but mainly books! In fact, it claims to be the world’s largest map and travel bookshop, and I can believe that.

What to buy: The range covers of course all the popular holiday destinations but also more obscure ones, and in a greater depth than I’ve seen anywhere else. For instance, most bookshops will sell a good selection of guide-books to the USA and to the most visited states and cities (a shelf-full on Florida, nearly as many on California or New York), but try looking for most of the other states and you’ll draw a blank – but not here. Maps too – we always come here when we need good road maps for our US adventures, and I saw in a recent advert that they’re now stocking hiking maps for countries such as Tajikistan.

When it comes to travel literature, again the range is very comprehensive, and they often have signed copies in stock which I think make great gifts for travel-mad friends. These will have been signed at one of the regular evening author talks hosted at the store, which are very reasonably priced and well worth checking out - see the website for details of forthcoming events.

What to pay: This isn’t a discount store, so you’ll usually pay the cover price for your book unless there’s a sale on. Yes, you could get it cheaper on Amazon, but you won’t have half as much fun browsing there!

Stanfords in Covent Garden is Stanford's main store,situated on Long Acre.
Their Motto is Explore-Discover-Inspire.
Stanfords is an other amazing place to visit in London and I'm never ever being boring when I be there,always exciting and cheerful..
Very refine maps&Atlases,guide ,travel books,writing&other literature,globes,walking-trekking books,detailed road maps of hundreds countries,and cities..walking and trekking accessories..
Do you want to walk Himalayas or San Gimignano or Nepal..first you should come and visit Stanfords..It gives you amazing inspiration..
opening hours, 9.ooam-7.30pm
sat: 10.ooam-7.oopm
sun:12.oo noon-6.oopm

What to buy: Stanfords stocks a great range of trekking maps and guides for walking of all levels in destinations all over the world and some useful trek kit too..GPS accessories,software units..
waterproof small phone just 17.99 pound
London mini map 1.95 pound-it is the best seller:)
Inca trail-Machu Picchu map 7.95 pound
And,what I bought.. Clare Jones's "Unforgettable things to do before you die" 18.99 pound
The Motto is simple Explore-Discover and Inspire...

Foyles is over 100 years old and is still privately owned. This in itself lends to a unique feel, instead of the usual national chain stores selling books to the masses. There are five floors of books, an art gallery, cafe, lifts and air conditioning! There are many specialist subjects available as well as gifts, stationery.

They are open late six days a week and open on Sundays until 8. The main store is on Charing Cross Road and there is now a branch in the Royal Festival Hall.

Also check out Silvermoon, a specialist area for women's books and interests. There's a link off the main website to their section with online book shopping there as well.

What to buy: Books, gifts

Independent bookshops in London are having a bad time (surprise).
Yes, Amazon and the knock-down prices in supermarkets & big chains like Borders.
Bookseller Crow on the Hill's blog describes how customers will browse for ages in the shop and depart with a blatant ' I'm going to order from Amazon'. However, this place remains in business and Time Out described it "as one of the best.

The shop has an amazing selection for its size and the owners and staff can suggest what you are looking for from just a snippet : "It's that book about a murder.. they find a dead body;" "I think it has a sort of red cover and the author's name begins with an M;" "It's the latest one by whatisname."

They stock a wide range of independently published books too, titles you may never see anywhere else: i recommend 'Lonely Werewolf Girl' by Martin Millar (though I hope that one is widely known elsewhere). They also introduced me to one of the best (funny/poignant) books I have read for a long time 'What was Lost' by Catherine O'Flynn.

They sell a small selection of gifts, like T-shirts ("667 the neighbour of the beast") and cards. Always good music playing ... well, almost always.

They are based in Crystal Palace, a great part of South east London for a day out. Lots of good small shops, cafes and restaurants, almost no chain stores - and a lovely park to explore.

Waterstones is a chain of bookshops, with Piccadilly as its flagship store.

Apart from being my favourite bookshop, it is also HUGE with a fantastic travel section which gets it's own mezzanine and has a very cosy big leather sofa for sitting down to peruse the squillions of great travel/language books.

There are also many lectures and events that take place here (see website for details).

And as if that isn't enough to whet your appetites... there's a double bonus:
... there's an extra fantastic fruit and veg smoothie bar on the top floor! .....if you don't do smoothies, there's a cafe in the basement, and if you MUST have alcyhol, checkout the groovy cocktails in the bar somewhere upstairs (5th floor)... it has a really nice view across london too!!

What to buy: books, magazines, smoothies....

What to pay: whatever your budget, there will be something in here for you...

In their own words, 'Stanfords is the UK’s leading specialist retailer of maps, travel books and other travel accessories, having been established in 1853 by Edward Stanford. Our flagship store in Covent Garden, London, first opened its doors in January 1901 and can justly claim to offer the world’s largest stock of maps and travel books under one roof. '

I love this place!! Stacked full of books, maps and much more for the traveller, travel-lover or dreamer about the w0rld we live in...

What to buy: You can buy maps of all kinds for all over the w0rld, and I've used it for buying many a city map before wandering off on an adventure somewhere (saving time and money when I arrive!)

Also there are plenty of other travel memorabilia here, and it's fantastic for gifts for a fellow lover of travel :)

What to pay: Varies... prices are average, it's the quality of service and range of goods that excel here!

A shop with cook books from all over the World is heaven for anyone who likes food. Sections are divided by country, and now I'm not just talking France, Italy, India and so on, I'm talking Portugal, Sweden, Argentina, Indonesia and all the rest even if the major cuisines are over represented compared to more exotic ones. There is also a categorising by food type so you will find veggie books, breakfast books, whisky books, cooking with children and much more. On top of this, they have a small kitchen where they try dishes out and where you can rest your feet (something you can also do in the cosy sofa in the middle of the shop) with a bite of something. They also run cookery classes so it is worth checking their webpage to see what's going on if you are interested.

What to buy: Well...I got a collection of Central European food so now I've got that Sauerbrat recipe and those Hungarian desserts :)

This must surely be on any VT member's agenda when in London. Not for its featuring in a certain Notting Hill movie but for its content. Shelf upon shelf full of books all about travels :) I'm in heaven when I enter even if I get serious problems with indecisiveness and never buy more than the odd book. They've got lots of the stuff you're looking for, and lots that you never knew you wanted but simply have to have, such as guides to London's odd corners, British traditions, travelogues from far off corners of the former Soviet and more serious things such as books on poverty stricken regions of Africa. Wherever you want to go in the World, there will be something about it here, and you will also get those coffee table books you might want to splash out for, with the gorgeous photos of Italy you love, as well as childrens travel books with stickers of flags and so on.