Day 5 – Foyles, Charing Cross Road

Today I am opening the door of one of the largest bookshops in London.  A shop filled with more books than many libraries.

“Welcome book lovers you are among friends”

This is the greeting you will see painted in large words as you enter Foyles flagship store on Charing Cross Road. The store houses a range of over 200,000 different titles on four miles (6.5km) of shelves – the equivalent of lining one bank of the river Thames with books from Battersea Power Station to the Tower of London.  It is the largest bookshop to have opened in the UK so far this century. Foyles really is a shop to get lost in.  Each of the four floors are bright and airy and filled with books of every genre. It is big and buzzy and can feel a little overwhelming when you first walk in.  I always go straight to the display tables to get my bearings before I dive in.  There are also helpful staff if you become too overwhelmed with choice.

There is a café tucked away on the top floor of Foyles and this maybe where you want to retreat with your books. However as a word of warning, although very good, it does tend to get jammed with people working on laptops, so finding a seat can be difficult especially later in the day.

This is an exciting book shop to visit but you do need time to really get the best from it.

Nearest Tube: Tottenham Court Road or Leicester Square