I knew a Christmas shopping trip to London would be a great weekend, and I knew that, despite the grumbles from my boyfriend Jon about the shops selling Christmas goodies earlier every year, we would enter into the festive spirit and enjoy it. And enjoy it we did.

Bond Street, Oxford Street and Regent Street form the largest concentration of retail in Europe, and together equal four miles of shopping streets. That's a lot of shops.

London's West End has more than 600 retailers, 120 of which are international brands and 176 are flagship stores.

I am, I am told, one of those annoying people who first write a Christmas list, and second tick off all the items on the list by the end of November. I like to be organised, and Christmas shopping in the West End makes life easy.

It is the place to find unusual gifts and unrivalled service such as special gift wrapping and tailored personal shopping services.

Despite having so many stores to choose from, I had ticked off almost every single thing on my list by the time I had left the famous Oxford Street department store Selfridges.

The head of PR, Bruno, reliably informs me that "a lot of time, energy and money goes into creating a fresh and exciting shopping experience".

It certainly worked for me – I was adding things to my list. The Selfridges Christmas shop has been open since August "as many tourists like to buy their Christmas decs when they are visiting London". It appears I am not the only one who likes to plan ahead.

The Christmas shop is a winter wonderland of glittering baubles and hanging decorations. The unique Selfridges' window Christmas displays run until Christmas Eve.

More Christmas magic can be found at Liberty, the architecturally stunning store which opened in 1875. Liberty is a department store of wonders which stocks a host of beautiful Christmas gifts and has its own winter wonderland on the fifth floor where you can pick up trinkets and decorations.

No Christmas visit to the West End would be complete without a trip to the seven-floor kiddy emporium Hamleys where, at any moment, you can be entertained by the in-store magicians, testers and even the occasional pirate.

Hamleys has every toy you can imagine, brought to life by enthusiastic, if slightly wacky, staff.

Bond Street is home to a number of stores including a men's beauty emporium, Wholeman (New Bond Street), and the quintessentially British boutique of designer Lalage Beaumont (Avery Row), where her handmade upmarket collections are on display.

Regent Street has seen a host of new store openings over the past two years, including COS (Collection of Style – H&M's big sister), Banana Republic, Hoss Intropia and Armani Exchange. Worth a visit is the Apple store where the latest Apple technology is available to be tested, and open informative talks are held in the theatre.

If all this shopping is a bit too much for you and you fancy a bit of culture, then visit one of the 30 art galleries and museums in the West End.

One of the hidden gems is the Handel House museum. It was here that the baroque composer George Frideric composed some of the greatest music in history, including Messiah, Zadok the Priest and Music for the Royal Fireworks. The museum will be celebrating the 250th anniversary of Handel's death next year with a series of special concerts. You can visit www.handelhouse.org for more information.

R echarge your batteries at one of the numerous eateries. Vapiano's near Oxford Street is a newly opened Italian restaurant and is offering Saturday Pampering Sessions to weary shoppers. Stressed out shoppers can relax and unwind with free manicures, hand and shoulder massages, face mapping and beauty advice services, all given by qualified technicians.

Once you have done your shopping and want to kick back for the evening, you can take your pick of places to drink, eat, be entertained and be merry.

Head for dinner where Madonna held a party at Momo on Heddon Street for a heady mix of sensuous decor, mouth-watering North African food, friendly staff and a vibrant atmosphere or sip on pre-theatre cocktails and munch on canapés at the new Kingly Club on Upper St Martin's Lane.

If you want to see a sexy and daring show go to see the hot new cabaret show La Clique in the West End Hippodrome, an unmissable evening's entertainment for adults.

With all the shopping done in one day, that frees up Sunday for a spot of sightseeing across the city. A flight on the London Eye or a London Eye River Cruise will give you a different view of the capital, or visit the Tate Modern to see the latest exhibitions or, if a day isn't long enough, you could always spend another day Christmas shopping in the West End. Remember, Christmas is only 26 days away!

Visit www.westerndailypress. co.uk/london for a tour of Selfridges and Liberty, a peek into Hamleys and a bird's-eye view from the London Eye.

Factfile

Sarah was a guest of the New West End Company, the managing body responsible for the revitalisation of London's West End which works to ensure it continues to be renowned as the world's top shopping destination.

Where to stay: For sheer luxury, stay at the five-star Langham Hotel, where rooms start from £245 (see Weekend Retreat, right). For a budget option, try the Mostyn Hotel (www.mostynhotel.co.uk), where double rooms start from £45 per person per night.

Where to eat: Try the exclusive Momo in Heddon Street (www.momoresto.com – 020 7734 2011) for tantalising North African food. Or sample the delicious budget options at Ping Pong restaurant at St Christopher's Place with a set menu starting from £10.99 (www.pingpongdimsum. com), or Vapiano Great Portland Street (www.vapiano.de/uk), where main courses start from £5.50.

Travel to the West End: Sarah and partner travelled to London courtesy of First Great Western trains. Visit www.firstgreatwestern. co.uk for more details. Five underground stations and 45 bus routes service the West End, which is 10 minutes from King's Cross and Paddington mainline stations. The taxi from Paddington railway station to The Langham cost £9.50.

The world's biggest traffic-free shopping day takes place on Saturday, December 6, when the West End streets are reclaimed by shoppers for the Shop West End VIP Day – there will be free festive entertainment all day.

London Eye flight prices: Adult (16 plus) £15.50; child (5-15 years) £7.75; child under five free; senior (60-plus) £12; disabled £12.