There’s nothing quite like a visit to London to get into the spirit of Christmas shopping and find some unique and special gifts for loved ones.

However, it can be an expensive time of year anyway, so to make sure costs don’t spiral out of control on your city break, plan ahead and keep control of the Christmas shopping budget.

Write a list
Make sure you don’t spend two days wandering around the capital on an aimless search by sitting down with a coffee well before your trip and making a list of the people you need to buy gifts for. Allocate an approximate spend per person – there’s no shame in sticking to what you can afford – and then try to come up with a few specific gift ideas for each one.

Work out a shopping route
Armed with your shopping list, browse online to find shops that might sell the gifts you are looking for and then plan a shopping route that leads you from one shop or area of shops to the next in a sensible rotation, so you are not criss-crossing the capital at random.

Remember to include time for specialty markets such as Camden Lock and Portobello Road – some markets only operate on certain days of the week.

Book hotels ahead
Take full advantage of early booking offers at the major budget hotels and lodges by booking a room early. Advance booking can save pounds on London accommodation and it is often possible to snap up a double room for two people in central London for less than £50 a night by booking well in advance.

If it’s impossible to book ahead, remember to check out sites that offer last minute deals on hotels – you probably won’t make savings as good as booking early, but there are sometimes great bargains to be had for very late bookings.

Plan meals and restaurant bookings
Eating out in London can bring a tear to the eye of those on a budget if they don’t plan ahead. The problem is, there are so many restaurants to chose from and knowing where the best deals are takes a little bit of detective work.

Restaurants that are members of an online booking network often promote special offers and fixed price deals, so you can save a few pounds, not to mention lots of shoe leather and time, by checking these out ahead of your trip and making bookings for lunch and dinner to take advantage of special offers and discounts.

You might even find a deal at one of London’s top restaurants, complete with the opportunity to indulge in a little celebrity spotting!

Christmas lights
London is home to some spectacular Christmas lights, with glitzy displays on the busy streets of Regent Street, Bond Street, Oxford Street and Covent Garden.

The best time to see them is naturally towards the end of the day, when it starts to get dark and the lights are twinkling like jewels in the night – the sure way to add some sparkle and pizzazz to your London Christmas trip.

Author Bio: Alison Thompson is a freelance writer who loves eating out and likes to book restaurants online and keeps an eye on London Restaurant Offers.

Category: Travel
Keywords: restaurants, restaurant, online, on-line, booking, London, Christmas, shopping, travel