Where should i souvenir shop in london...

There are souvenir shops all over. On my first trip, I got most of mine at Covent Garden. John Lewis is the 'official' London 2012 store, and has the largest assortment, but I found 2012 stuff at all of the museum gift shops. Cool Britannia is another place that had lots of different things, but I didn't purchase anything there.

There are a lot of street vendors selling souvenirs at Piccadilly Circus. However i tend to buy mine at Museum gift shops. Also Hampton Court, Cathedrals etc. Dont remmeber whether Westminster Abbey has one. Most sidewalk news stands in London also have some as I recall.

You might also want to check Tesco. They have some inexpensive stuff that is kind of fun.

"i want to buy tee shirts, tote bags and some olympic stuff"........For those sorts of items, the shops near Picadilly Circus are cheaper than the museum shops. (Airport shops have very high prices.) However, the museum shops have a larger selection of better quality items and your money goes towards supporting the museums.

thanks i will check out p. circus :)

Museums and other tourist sites are a great source of relatively inexpensive, site specific, tote bags. The Olympic specific shops have nicer things and a more extensive selection, but you pay for it.
Fortnum and Mason have beautiful Diamond Jubilee china should you want to add a few jubilee items to your collection. (I was in London in March and wish I had gotten at least one piece.)

Mel, you'll find lots of places to buy souvenirs.
You could also look in Primark. They are primarily a clothing chain, and they have some really unusual, cutting edge t-shirt and bag designs- and they're really inexpensive.

When in London I always visit the souvenir section at Harrod's....they have a wonderful selection.

Here's a charming idea from Susan Allen Toth's book "England as You Like It." Instead of trinkets and T-shirts, she buys little gifts at...Sainsburys. She looks for items that cater to what she calls "benign English addictions." Like biscuits, or cookies, or candies that you don't find at home, or jams and marmalades. All items should be packaged with "distinctive graphics, certifiably English illustrations", and of course should carry the notice that they are "By Appointment to Her Majesty" - or one of her relatives. This appealed to me so much that we will follow her suggestion when we go to England next month. Happy shopping.

Nancy's idea is a very good one and if you don't come across a Sainsbury's. look for Boots the Chemist.

Yes, Nancy's idea is good- and if you can't find a Sainsbury's there's also Tesco and Waitrose (a bit more high-line) for food souvenirs.

Another great place to find unique treasures when you travel is in thrift shops or consignment stores. I've found funky things for the house, and even scored a brand new Vancouver 2010 Olympics shirt at a Goodwill in Vancouver

Having mentioned Primark earlier, I'll just add that I went into one of their stores today and the entrance is awash in goods with the Union Jack emblazoned on it- cute umbrellas (of course! After all, it's the UK)- T-shirts, canvas bags, cushion covers. With the Jubilee and the Olympics, this will be a good year for souvenir shoppers. Next year may be even better with all the left over stuff. I was so overcome with it all it's surprising I didn't exit the store roaring 'God Save the Queen'.

You can find souvenirs every where....shops..... Westminster Abby, Tower of London~etc. You won't have trouble finding places to buy souvenirs.

Just a note in reference to the jam... I purchased a jar of wonderful papaya pineapple jam in Guatemala a few years ago and put it in my carry on and it was confiscated...something about fruit. (even tho it was sealed ) They also took my handmade candles that I purchased from an a monastary ....

Sounds to me that "they" wanted to have toast and jam by candlelight.

Hi, My favorite is the museum shop at The Tower.
Nice range of quality items and the funky.The museum shops at the Mews and across the street had good selections. Just down the Buckingham Palace Road toward Victoria Station were several junkie shops for cups and ashtrays and the like with a few pubs and cheap restaurants.