I am planning a short break in London in mid-July (mid-week) with two teenage girls who would love to browse around markets, shop in “alternative”, punk or vintage shops, etc. Do you have any suggestions on where I could take them? Kate Murphy, Cork, Ireland

Family travel expert Jane Owen responds:

I'm in a particularly strong position to advise you because I've just spent a day with two fifteen year old girls browsing markets and looking for vintage clothes.

We started outside Whitechapel tube where the Whitechapel Market is packed with colourful scarves, beautiful cloth, packs of diamante clusters (£1 the lot), exotic fruit and veg and sparkly slippers.

You can dilute the commericalism with a dollop of art at the Whitechapel Gallery (didn’t have a lot going on while we were there but it’s often full of great stuff). Brick Lane is the next vintage hunting ground (take in Spitalfields Market, too, if you have time) where you should aim for Beyond Retro in Cheshire Street. If you need refreshment head for a drink at the Vibe Bar or grab pie-and-mash in the cobbled yard of the old Truman Brewery.

Search down the side streets around Brick Lane and you’ll find plenty of punk and vintage shops in amongst the over-smart designer shops, including one which sells real Plimsolls for a few quid a pair.

Whatever you do make sure you have a smoked salmon and cream cheese bagel at the famous Beigel Bake which hasn’t changed since I used to go there after clubbing in the 1980s. There’s retro for you.

Head for Carnaby Street (buses run from the top of Brick Lane to Oxford Circus which is just north west of Carnaby Street). Look out for a large vintage clothes shop on Great Marlborough Street and then head down Carnaby Street to Kingly Court which is stuffed with vintage shops. The clothes, watches, hats and shoes are good but expensive and some of the shop assistants snooty (one turned up her nose at my giving her the exact money for a fantastic pink and white striped frilly 1950s bathing costume).

At this stage we could have had a stroll across Regent’s Park and down the canal to Camden Market (Camden Town tube) London's traditional home of punks and punk-dom. It’s now a tame version of its 1980s self but it boasts plenty of vintage clothes stalls and shops. There wasn’t time to do everything and so, instead of Camden Market (my boss Steve Keenan was there this weekend and says that the vintage stuff is good), we went to Notting Hill.

Just north of Notting Hill tube, in Pembridge Road, there are several first-class vintage shops. If you want real bargains (yes, they are still to be found in this area) you'll have to make a return visit on a Saturday - it will be worth it. Head up Portobello Road to the market stall under Westway. Ask for Charlie, in the area under Westway, who sells some stunning vintage clothes at mini prices. I recently bought a black 1950s short-sleeved cashmere jumper from him for £6. The stalls and shops further north and along Golborne Road are even cheaper although the merchandise is unpredictable.

Covent Garden is another area which has some vintage clothes shops but, in my experience, the prices are now too high for normal teens (or me come to that). Ditto Camden Passage in Islington (Angel tube) where the clothes are exquisite in cut, cloth and price..

Finally, it’s probably worth getting the teens to do a bit of online research to check on exactly the kind of thing they’re looking for. This site ‘100 hottest shops’ by Time Out is a good start.

Got a question about family travel? Email our trio of experts at yoursay@timesonline.co.uk - Chloe Bryan-Brown takes care of questions for the 0-6 year olds, Emma Mahony handles the 7-12 age group and Jane Owen the teenage and single mother groups. Please say where you live and give the ages and gender of your children.

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