Visiting a car boot sale is without a doubt the cheapest way to find second hand clothing, furniture and accessories. If you head to your local car boot, you are unlikely to leave empty handed. There are some real treasures can be found. But how do you know where the best car boot sales in London are?
Choosing to go to a car boot is ideal if you’re not afraid to roll your sleeves up and dig through a whole lot of junk to find a real gem. At Thrifty Londoner we love the treasure hunt of finding a diamond in the rough, so this is why we love car boot sales. But they’re not for the faint hearted!
London has an absolute ton of car boot events, which really surprised me when I moved here as I had assumed that the city wasn’t as likely to hold car boot sales as smaller towns. You seem to find a lot more ‘professional’ car boot salespeople who are selling market stall items and antique items for higher prices. However, on the whole, London car boots are just the same as any other part of the country with people selling dog eared books and questionable china ornaments from the crack of dawn until noon.
So without further ado, this is the run-down of the best car boot sales in London…
- The best car boot sales in West London (and beyond!)
- The best car boot sales in South London (and beyond!)
- The best car boot sales in North London (and beyond!)
- The best car boot sales in East London (and beyond!)
- Final thoughts on the Best Car Boot Sales in London
THE BEST CAR BOOT SALES IN WEST LONDON (AND BEYOND!)
CHISWICK CAR BOOT SALE
Chiswick School, W4 3UN
The Chiswick Car Boot sale is held on the first Sunday of every month from 8am till 1pm. Entry costs £1. I visited here on a wet October Sunday, and I have to say, it can get a little muddy so don’t wear your best shoes if it’s been raining!
There are quite a few professional sellers here, including some house clearance stalls and market stands, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible to find a bargain. Chiswick is an expensive area of London and so the quality of what is available is here could be higher than in other areas in the capital.
A word of warning though- when I visited here I went alone, and on a couple of occasions had some strange men (not sellers) walk up very close behind me and mumble things like ‘what’s your name?’ and ‘hey beautiful lady’ which made me feel pretty uncomfortable. I’m sure this was probably just a one off, but do stay vigilant.
HOUNSLOW HEATH CAR BOOT
Staines Rd, Hounslow TW4 5DS
The Hounslow Heath car boot runs on a Thursday and a Sunday (6am-1pm). If you work weekends, this mid-week car boot could a great option for you. Entry costs £2 before 8:30am, and £1 thereafter.
There is no booking in advance for sellers, so you just turn up and hope for the best! You can find the usual furniture, clothing and accessories here, and the sale is usually very well attended. The site has toilets and catering so no need to worry about that.
SOUTHFIELD CAR BOOT SALE, CHISWICK
Southfield Rd, Chiswick, London W4 1BD
The Southfield Car Boot is definitely on my ‘to visit’ list, it’s held at Southfield Primary School’s school yard on the last Sunday of every month (bar December and January). Entry costs £1 before 8:30am, and 50p thereafter.
It’s a fairly small car boot sale, but again, the sellers at this car boot sale are likely to be Chiswick residents, so you might find some high quality bargains. The bonus of this sale is that all profits go back to Southfield Primary School.
SHEPPERTON CAR BOOT SALE
New Rd, Shepperton TW17 0QQ
The Shepperton Car Boot Sale is a little ways out of London, but is so worth a visit. It opens every Saturday until November (check their website for further details), it opens from 8:30am until 12:30pm. Entry costs £3 before 8:30am, and £1 after.
I recently visited this car boot sale, and despite an unexpected rail replacement service, and an hour wait for a bus- I still think it was well worth the visit! It’s a 25 minute walk from Shepperton train station. I suddenly found myself walking through countryside, a little stream and a meadow to get there!
The car boot is right next to a field of horses which makes a nice change of scenery from the tube. All of the sellers are so friendly- and there are hundreds of them so there is a big chance that you’ll find something fabulous here.
I found a vintage (faux) pearl necklace for £1, a vintage pin cushion for £1, and some threads when I visited this car boot sale, but as I walked in, people were leaving with heaving carrier bags so I’m sure there is something for everyone here.
CALVERS FAIRS CAR BOOT SALE, UXBRIDGE
Park Road, Uxbridge, UB8 1NS
So Uxbridge is right at the very end of the Piccadilly line, but I think this still counts as London, right?! The Calvers Fairs Car Boot Sale is absolutely huge and is located by Middlesex Showground on selected Sundays from March to October (check their website for dates).
This one is an absolute must for a fantastic morning of bargain hunting. The sale opens from 7am, and costs £2 before 8am, and £1 from 8am onwards.
NORTHOLT INDOOR CAR BOOT SALE
SKLPC Centre, West End Road, Northolt, UB5 6RE
The Northolt Indoor Car Boot Sale runs through the winter from November to April. This could be your new go-to when the weather turns greyer and your local car boots shut down over winter. It runs on selected Sundays (check their website for dates) and opens at 7am. Entry is £2 before 8am, and £1 thereafter.
There are usually over 100 stands with all manner of things, from retro furniture to second hand clothing. You will be sure to come away with something unusual.
DENHAM GIANT CAR BOOT, UXBRIDGE
Denham Ct Dr, Denham, Uxbridge UB9 5PG
Another brilliant car boot sale in Uxbridge is the fabulous Denham Giant Car Boot which occurs every Saturday from 11am-3pm. This one starts a little later than your average car boot, so if you’re not from the area it gives you a little time to get there.
Entry costs £2 from 9am, and then £1 from 11am. This is a great old-fashioned car boot, where you can find a real gem if you look hard enough. Literally thousands of sellers rock up to flog their unwanted possessions- you know what they say, someone’s trash is another’s treasure!
HOOK ROAD ARENA CAR BOOT, EPSOM
Chessington Rd, Hook Rd, Epsom KT19 8QG
Hook Road Arena is another car boot sale which is a little bit beyond ‘West London’ as we know it, but by trekking a little bit further west you could be pleasantly surprised with what you might find, and the prices you might pay for it.
This car boot sale runs every Sunday, and costs £1 before 8:30am, and 50p thereafter. The entrance fees are super cheap comparative to other London car boot sales, it’s worth a chance just for that!
THE BEST CAR BOOT SALES IN SOUTH LONDON (AND BEYOND!)
CAPITAL CAR BOOT SALE, PIMLICO
Pimlico Academy, SW1V 3AT,
The Pimlico Capital Car Boot Sale runs every Sunday. It’s central and starts at 10:15am for early bird entry, so you won’t lose your Sunday lie in! Entry is £5 from 10:15am, and £1 from 11:30am, ending at 2:30pm.
Expect to find higher prices here and some more professional sellers- but again, that’s not to say that a bargain can’t be found! There is a particular emphasis on vintage and retro items here, so if that’s your cup of tea, you should definitely check this out next Sunday.
BATTERSEA BOOT
Harris Academy, SW11 5AP,
Battersea Boot is another fairly centrally located car boot sale, and again, starts at 11:30am so you won’t have to get up too early. These central London sales know what us Londoners want! Entry is £5 from 11:30am, £3 from 12-1:30pm, and then 50p until it closes at 5pm.
This car boot sale is extremely popular, and queues can often stretch pretty far- so arrive sooner rather than later to avoid any disappointment. Expect lots of good quality high street and vintage clothing here, but expect to pay ‘London’ prices for them.
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WIMBLEDON CAR BOOT SALE
Plough Lane, London, SW17 0BL
Wimbledon Car Boot Sale is another huge, fairly central event that happens every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. It opens from 10:30am on Wednesdays, 6:30am on Saturdays and from 7am on Sundays. Entry costs £2 for the first hour, and then 50p after that.
Wimbledon Car Boot is another great one if you work weekends, as they have their mid-week car boot every Wednesday as well as at the weekends. You can find all sorts at this car boot sale- I found some 1950s white ice skates here for £2!
A downfall of this car boot is that I did find some of the sellers to be a little unfriendly and not open to haggling. I asked a seller if he would take £5 for a basket and he was really quite mean about it and said it would cost at least £20 brand new…
That said, there are hundreds of stalls and I found a great bargain here so I would still fully recommend this car boot sale if you are in the area!
THE BEST CAR BOOT SALES IN NORTH LONDON (AND BEYOND!)
ST AUGUSTINE’S SCHOOL CAR BOOT SALE
Kilburn Park Rd, North Maida Vale, London NW6 5XA
St Augustine’s School Car Boot Sale is one of the biggest car boot sales in London (run by the London Car Boot Co), and has both an indoor and outdoor area, so don’t let any rain put you off! The entry fee is fairly steep at £5 between 7:30-11am and £1 thereafter. But you will often find great quality second hand designer items here at a serious discount. It opens from 7am every Saturday, so get there early to grab the best stuff before it all goes.
So why is this car boot sale one of the very best car boot sales in London? It has some famous past attendees. This includes Agyness Deyn, who used to shop here to find the best vintage clothing before she shot to fame.
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TOTTENHAM CAR BOOT SALE
701-703 High Rd, Tottenham, London N17 8AD
The Tottenham Car Boot Sale is one of only a couple in London which are exclusively mid-week, it occurs every Thursday from 6am-2pm and entry is free.
If you can make it to Tottenham early on a Thursday, this one is for you. And if you live near Tottenham yourself and are super keen to catch a bargain- it starts early enough that you could even pop by before work.
HOLLOWAY CAR BOOT SALE
Holloway Road, Bowman’s Pl, London N7 6HY (opposite the Odeon Cinema)
The Holloway Car Boot Sale is a real bargain hunters paradise. You’re unlikely to find designer items here, but it’s full of other items to have a sift through. It’s free to enter this sale, and it runs every Sunday from 10am-2:30pm.
Prices are really reasonable here, and some stalls even offer a student discount of up to 20%!
PRINCESS MAY CAR BOOT SALE, STOKE NEWINGTON
Princess May School, N16 8DF
The Princess May Car Boot Sale is another sale run by the London Car Boot Co, so it’s another large sale to spend your Saturday or Sunday morning at. Open every Saturday, Sunday, and Bank Holiday Monday, there are plenty of opportunities to visit this sale. Entry is £3 from 7am, and 50p from 9am.
Expect to find lots of vintage and retro clothing and furnishings at this lively car boot sale- with lots of regular professional traders as well as the young and trendy who are just looking to sell on their clothes from last season!
THE BEST CAR BOOT SALES IN EAST LONDON (AND BEYOND!)
DEVONS ROAD MARKET, BROMLEY-BY-BOW
17 Towcester Rd, London E3 3ND
Devons Road Market is quite the family affair and starts from the very reasonable time of 10am on the last Saturday of the month, entry is £1 for adults and 50p for children.
This car boot sale has lots of things for children to do, and specialises in farm produce and vintage and retro goods- a definite cheap option for a day out with the family!
PICKS COTTAGE CAR BOOT SALE
Sewardstone Rd, Waltham Abbey, London E4 7RA
Picks Cottage Car Boot Sale is set on a 70 acre farm, which sure makes for a change of scenery on a Sunday. It’s almost like going on a countryside break for the weekend! This sale runs every Sunday, from 6.30am – 1pm. Entry is £2 before 8am, £1.50 between 8-10am, £1 between 10-11am, and 50p thereafter.
Judging by the four tier entry pricing, the best bargains will get snapped up early, so make you way there before 8am to get first dips on the best items. The early bird catches the worm, after all.
FINAL THOUGHTS ON THE BEST CAR BOOT SALES IN LONDON
Wow, so many car boot sales and only 52 weekends in a year- how will you decide?! In the past I’ve whittled down my choices based on whether they are closed over winter or not. If it’s summer, head to all of the car boot sales which shut down from November. If it’s winter, don’t get disheartened, head to some indoor or all-weather car boot sales and then wait for summer to roll around.
Finding second hand clothing, furniture and bric a brac at a car boot sale is about as cheap as it gets, so if you’re looking to save money, it’s a great idea to head to the car boot sale most local to you, and see what you find!
Car boot sales are also a fantastic place for any resellers to source stock for resale- you can often get items for 50p-£1 and sell them on for a big profit, just make sure you get down there early to grab the best stuff!
Hope you’ve enjoyed this guide to the best car boot sales in London- tag me @thriftylondoner on Instagram to share your finds!
N.B if you are ever unsure of the weather, call up or check the website of the car boot you want to attend to make sure it’s still running!
