Tourism is one of London’s biggest industries. Considered as the most popular city for international tourists, London earns as much as 15 billion pounds from its vacationers and tourists. But that doesn’t mean that a trip or vacation to London will cost you a lot. There are free things to do in London - lots of them. Here in Travel Guide London, you will learn about the best things to do and places to see in the great city of London. After all, the best things in life are free.

Aside from the art galleries, museums, and parks that have no entry fee, there’s another set of attractions in London that doesn’t charge a pence – street markets. They offer lots of things to do aside from shopping. Here are three of the best London street markets.

Greenwich Market

First in our list is Greenwich Market in southeast London. The specialty in Greenwich is antiques and arts & crafts. Simply looking at these great creations is a treat in itself. The organizers of the market prioritize small scale artists and traders who make their own crafts and merchandise, that’s why there are so many unique stuff in Greenwich Market. Moreover, casual traders are welcome in Greenwich so there’s always something new to find. The market has been around for 200 years, located in the town center called Island Site – which is also part of the World Heritage Site that includes the National Maritime Museum, the Queens House and the Royal Observatory. Although the market itself is open from Wednesday to Sunday only, all the surrounding shops, cafes, bars, pubs and restaurants are open each day of the week. Wednesday is a food market day. Thursdays and Fridays, the market concentrates on selling vintage collectables, antiques, and antique furniture. These two early days are quiet times for the market - a sort of calm before the storm. So if you prefer to relax and spend an afternoon lolling along, this is one of the best markets to visit. Then, everything turns all the way around in the weekend. Hundreds of arts and crafts stalls and food stalls emerge during Saturday and Sunday, and this is when the true beauty of the Greenwich Market emerges. The market is located in the center of Greenwich Village, between College Approach, King William Walk, Greenwich Church Street, and Nelson Road. The best and easiest way to get to Greenwich is by train and bus. 20 minute ride by train to Greenwich station from London: Charing Cross, Waterloo East, London Bridge and Cannon Street. Buses to the Greenwich town center are bus 177, 180, 188, 286, and 386. Although it is recommended that you use the Thames River boat ride for a more scenic experience. It passes by other attractions as well, like the London Eye, St Paul’s Cathedral, Shakespeare’s Globe, The Tower of London and Tower Bridge. Greenwich Market is open from 11:00 am til 7:00 pm on Wednesdays, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm on Thursdays and Fridays, and 10:00 am to 5:30 pm on Saturdays and Sundays.

Portobello Road Market

The Portobello Market is one of the world’s most famous markets. This street market in Portobello Road in Notting Hill (yes, the exact location of the film with the same name) is open six days a week, with Saturday being the antiques and antique furniture day. Portobello is a narrow street that reaches about 2 miles. The entire stretch is lined with antique stores, arcades, galleries, shops and cafes. The Portobello Road Markets (divided into three divisions) have been around for almost 140 years. The oldest of the three is of course the Antiques Section, found at the very top of the street. The antiquities from all around Europe and the entire world are lined up until half a mile down the road. The area is packed with locals and tourists alike, especially on Saturdays. They have special galleries and arcades for really rare items, be sure to check that out when you have a vacation in London. Further down the hill are food stalls that serve the locals with their daily fruits and vegetables. These markets stalls reach up to the Talbot Road intersection, right around the area of the Notting Hill film. Last but certainly not the least is the Flea Market. The traders in this area sell anything from secondhand clothes to jewelry, to books and music. They usually come to the area and set up shop during Friday. While the antiques shops are open mostly on Saturday. Monday til Thursday is the normal day to day function of the food section. The Portobello Market is open from 8:00 am til 5:00 pm, except on Thursday when they close earlier at 1:00 pm. The nearest tube stations to Portobello at Notting Hill Gate and Ladbroke Grove. If you’re heading for the Antique Market on a Saturday go down on the Notting Hill Gate tube station, which is minutes away from the market by foot.

Camden Markets

This is the best of all London street markets. Camden gets a hundred thousand visitors every weekend. Sunday is the busiest for the market while Saturday is known for the nightlife. But all the major shops are open each day of the week. The entire area is divided into six markets in total. The Electric Ballroom Market is open during Saturdays (film and music) and Sundays (clothes market). This market’s traders cater to the eclectic crowd. They sell fashion needs like day & clubbing wear, vintage and retro wear, gothic and punk wear, and lots of unique designer fashion. They have accessories, jewelry, arts, crafts, and leathers. The real drawing power of the Electric Ballroom is their uniqueness. They are proud of their traders who offer more than the mass produced imports scattered around Camden Market. The Electric Ballroom is actually a night club that has been around since the 1950s. It is one of London’s most famous music venue where great names like Sid Vicious, Madness, The Clash, George Thorogood and the Smiths have performed. Recent artists who frequent the ballroom are Hard-Fi, The Killers, The Raconteurs, AFI, Gogol Bordello and Paul McCartney. After a night of shopping you can head to the ballroom on Friday or Saturday for one of the best parties in London. Inverness Street Market has been around for a hundred years and started out as the local fruit and vegetable market. It has since become less of a food market and more of a shopping area for bargain clothes and gift items. Buck Street Market has around 200 stalls and shops selling clothes and accessories. If ever you can’t make the weekend on Electric Ballroom, you can still see some of the designers selling their stuff in Buck Street. People mistake Buck Street (also called Cages because of the metal bars around it) as the main Camden Market – don’t fall for that, there are so much better stuff in the real main markets. Speaking of which, Camden Lock is the original Camden market. It started out as a temporary market when the canal closed to trade but because it was the only market open on Sunday, it has then become the biggest in London. Before, Camden Lock was an arts & crafts market; now it has stalls and shops that specialize in books, clothes (new and secondhand), jewelry, and special gifts. Camden Lock also has quite a number of great food stalls in the outdoor area. The other Camden market, Camden Stables, is the largest market in the whole area. It has 450 shops and stalls that sell unique and classy vintage clothing. Goth fashion is available here, and so is the new fashion called cyber-Goth (PVC and rubber made clothing). There are a few furniture and antique shops, too. This is also where all the best food stalls are located – all 50 of them serve different international foods and cuisine. The last Camden market (Camden Canal) was unfortunately burned by a huge fire in February. It is now closed. Inverness Street Market is open everyday from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm. Buck Street Market is also open seven days a week from 9:30 am to 6:00 pm. The Camden Lock and Camden Stables Markets operate from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. You can alight from the Camden Town tube station to get here. Camden Lock is beside the Regent’s Canal. You can also opt to go straight to the Stables thru Chalk Farm tube station.