I've walked through Portobello Road countless times, and honestly, the Saturday market experience varies wildly depending on what you're after. The famous stretch runs for about 1.7 kilometers through Notting Hill, transforming from a regular West London street into one of the city's busiest weekend attractions.

The antiques section near Notting Hill Gate station gets absolutely packed. I mean shoulder-to-shoulder crowds that make browsing the Victorian jewelry and vintage cameras feel like a contact sport. But that's also where you'll find the real treasures if you're patient enough to dig through the stalls properly. The dealers here know their stuff, so don't expect many bargains, but the quality is usually solid.

What I actually prefer is wandering further north along the road, past the main tourist crush. The fruit and vegetable vendors set up earlier in the week create a more authentic London market atmosphere. Plus, the Notting Hill neighborhood itself becomes much more walkable once you escape the weekend chaos.

The whole area got famous partly because of those Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts movie scenes, which is fair enough – those colorful house facades really are photogenic. But living nearby has taught me that Portobello Road works better as a place to visit Portobello Road on weekdays when you can actually appreciate the architecture without fighting through crowds.

The market has been running since way back when this was still countryside – the street used to be called Green's Lane before 1740. That history shows in some of the older buildings, though much of what you see now dates from later Victorian development.

If you're planning to explore thoroughly, the northern end feels completely different from the southern antiques area. Street food, vintage clothing, and a generally younger crowd dominate up there. It's almost like visiting two separate markets that happen to share the same street.

Discover all the secrets of Portobello Road with our complete London audio guide – there's definitely more history packed into this street than most visitors realize. The Portobello Film Festival happens every August, and throughout the year you'll spot film crews using those famous colorful houses as backdrops.

Getting there is straightforward enough via Notting Hill Gate or Ladbroke Grove stations, though expect those to be busy on Saturday mornings when everyone has the same market-visiting idea.