Shopping...

Surely no visit can be complete without some serious shopping or at least a spot of browsing – it simply has to be done in a place where they have their own shopping festival, The Big Shop! The area rivals anywhere else in the country for the sheer number and variety of outlets and the shopping festival provides the perfect opportunity to explore these! If it's retail heaven that you're after, then look no further. NewcastleGateshead is home to the biggest shopping centre in Europe; the MetroCentre and also the Newcastle city centre Eldon Square.

Still in Newcastle major shopping areas include Northumberland Street and Grainger Town where you'll find over 100 high street stores as well as a range of smaller independent specialists. In Sunderland you'll find the Bridges Shopping Centre with a range of high street shops as well as smaller designer boutiques in the newly restored historic Sunniside area. South Tyneside and North Tyneside both offer high street shopping, as well as great markets including the weekly market at Tynemouth Station.