Ever since I was a young boy I have wanted to visit the Portobello Road Market. The movie, Bednobs and Broomsticks, bills Portobello Road as the place “where the riches of ages are sold”. It was therefore of great importance to go there while we were in London this summer.
How to Get to the Portobello Road Market
Portobello Road is located in the Notting Hill area of London. The best way to get to the Portobello Road Market is to take the underground to the Notting Hill Gate station. From there your best option is to follow the crowds as pretty much everyone will be going to the market.
If however you happen to be there on a day without a crowd (unlikely) you should look Pembridge Road. Stick with Pembridge Road until you come to Portobello Road. Once there you just walk about a block before you enter the market area.
What You Will See at the Portobello Road Market
The Portobello Road Market is quite large. It stretches on, and on, and on. So will you find the riches of the ages here? You might, there is no telling what you might find. Stalls line the street and people pack in closely all around to see what is being sold (it is a good idea to stay aware of pickpockets in a crowd like this, we recommend an antitheft bag or travel scarf).
Some of the stalls along the side of the road are connected to shops behind them, and some are just stalls. The markets is loosely divided into sections with the first (starting from the South) being the antiques that the market is famous for, then you find the food sellers, then clothes, and at the end there is a flea market type area where people are selling anything.
Some of the sections spill off into side streets, so while we made it all the way up down Portobello Road in about two hours we didn’t even come close to seeing the whole market. We were there on a Saturday, which according to the website is the best day to go because all the sections are up and running. Throughout the week they are not all open on the same days and on Sundays the street market is not open at all.
Most of the shops and stalls in the Portobello Road Market prohibit taking pictures. That is why we don’t have a lot to show, and you will need to visit yourself.
Sum Up
I loved visiting the Portobello Road Market. It is very fun to stroll down the street looking at all there is being offered up for sell. I even found awesome van magnets at one of the first stalls that I bought.
If you are hungry while you are at the market remember that the food is in the second section. There are places in the first section that you can buy food, but the full selection comes after. We didn’t realize this and bought food before we got to the main food area with all the choices.
We did not find any public toilets at the Portobello Road Market. Remember that it gets very crowded, so stay aware and stay with your group.
