Visiting Stanfords: practical information

Address: 7 Mercer Walk, Seven Dials WC2H 9FA

Opening Hours: open daily, standard shop hours

Website: https://www.stanfords.co.uk/

Nearest public transport: Covent Garden (Piccadilly Line), although Leicester Square (Northern Line, Piccadilly Line) is not far and works too.

Café: https://www.stanfords.co.uk/stanfords-coffee-house

Stanfords: then and now

Stanfords started out as a mapmaker and map sellers. Their 1862 Library Map of London was crowned “the most perfect map of London that has ever been issued” by the Royal Geographical Society, and you can still buy it today.

Stanfords is a travel bookshop located in Covent Garden, in the Seven Dials shopping mecca. Although calling Stanfords a travel bookshop is a bit like calling Buckingham Palace a nice house in a nice location. Stanford is not only the best travel bookshop in London, Stanfords – who will be 170 years old in 2023 – is a London institution.

Now they are a treasure drove for pretty much everything relating to travel: maps, books (fiction as well as non-fiction), travel guides, travel accessories, travel gifts, coffee mugs, travel DVDs, world globes, travel related home decor… as well as a few things whose link to travel is somewhat less obvious (“The quotable Winston Churchill”? Cats bookmarks?), not that I’m complaining.

From Alabama to Yucatan, whatever you’re looking for, they’ll probably have it, online if not in the physical shop in Covent Garden (although that is absolutely packed; you could spend days in there travelling the world in spirit!).

Stanfords, travel bookshop, is also the best for London books!

The London section is impressive in its range, and if the London books and maps weren’t enough, you can also buy maps of the London Underground printed on face masks, notebooks with London maps covers or a Routemaster Bus magnet, amongst other things. This is one of the best place to get your London souvenirs.

And if being the best travel bookshop in London wasn’t enough, they also produce podcasts, a travel festival, a travel blog, and celebrate the best of travel writing with the Edward Stanford Travel Writing Award. All that, and there’s a small café (the Stanfords Coffee House).

Psssst… Stanfords is a stone’s throw from the most delicious cinnamon buns in London… The best hot chocolate, too.

And if you’re looking for travel books bargains, you could check out second hand bookshops, Notting Hill Book Exchange in West London, for example, or Crofton books in South London.