Whether you're the kind of vacationer who likes to stay within the city limits or one who likes to get out of town, there's plenty of fun to be had in London and across the province — the only thing you need to do is decide what kind of trip you want to have. If you like to...

SHOP TILL YOU DROP

In town: Richmond Row (the stretch of Richmond Street between Oxford Street and Queens Avenue) is home to a ton of restaurants, cafés, bars, salons, shops and boutiques, and if you explore London's downtown core beyond the Row, you'll find even more gems throughout. For a full list of shops (and for coupons to snag some great deals), visit richmondrowlondon.com.

Hit the road: Toronto (a two hour drive northeast of London) has a shop for every shopper, with fantastic shopping at the Eaton Centre and along Queen Street, Bloor Avenue and in Yorkville. Toronto is also home to some nifty little neighbourhoods: North America's second-largest Chinatown (torontochinatown.info), where you can find great deals on jewellery, clothing and household items, as well as restaurants serving authentic Chinese, Vietnamese and other Asian fare; and Kensington Market (kensington-market.ca) for retro goods, cheap and used clothing, cafés, restaurants and more. For more information about Toronto's top shopping destinations, check out toronto.com/shopping.

DIVE INTO CANADIAN CULTURE

In town: Whether you're into local history or national artwork, Museum London (421 Ridout St. N.) always has something going on. The Museum is home to over 5,000 Canadian and regional art works as well as 25,000 artifacts from local history. An exhibit about Arthur Heming, an artist, author and explorer of the north, runs until July 8. To see what's going on and coming up, head to museumlondon.ca. There are lots of other museums in town — check out tinyurl.com/ldnmuseums for a full list.

Hit the road: Ottawa (a seven hour drive northeast of London) is one of Ontario's cultural hubs with over 50 galleries and theatres in the region displaying art, theatre, musical and dance performances by Canadian and international artists. The National Gallery of Canada (380 Sussex Dr., gallery.ca) houses over 1,200 works from national and international talents in an architecturally stunning building. From now until September, you can explore the Van Gogh: Up Close exhibit — the first major exhibition of his work in a decade and a half. For more things to do to get your fill of Canadian culture in Ottawa, check out tinyurl.com/ottawaculture.

GO FOR A DIP

In town: London is home to plenty of places to cool off, with indoor and outdoor pools, as well as splash pads and wading pools for tots. For a complete list of swim spots, visit tinyurl.com/swimldn.

Hit the road: Sauble Beach (a three-and-a-half hour drive north of London) is a gorgeous sandy beach located on Lake Huron, and there's so much fun to be had in the water: swimming, fishing, jet skiing, scuba diving, body surfing the rapids at Sauble Falls and more, not to mention watching the sun set each night over the lake. For a full list of activities, events and things to do, check out saublebeach.com.

SOAK IN THE SCENERY

In town: The Thames Valley Parkway is a multi-use 40-km asphalt pathway that winds along the Thames River. You can bike, rollerblade, walk, jog, skateboard or unicycle down this scenic route that takes you throughout many of London's neighbourhoods — it's accessible whether you're walking or wheeling down the path. For more details and a map of the TVP, go to tinyurl.com/londontvp.

Hit the road: Feel the spray of the waterfall at Niagara Falls (a two-and-a-half hour drive east of London). Get up close and personal with the Falls by water on the Maid of the Mist ferry or by air with a helicopter ride. There's plenty to do in this tourist town, and the omnipresent roar of the Falls serves as a constant reminder of nature's natural beauty. For ideas about what to do while at Niagara Falls, check out niagarafallstourism.com.

GET BACK TO NATURE

In town: If you want to feel like you've escaped from the city and find bliss in nature, look no further than the Fanshawe Conservation Area (1424 Clarke Rd.). In addition to over 650 camping sites, you'll find trails for hiking and biking, fishing and boating, a pool and a splash pad, activities and events that will keep you busy all summer long. For more information or to reserve a campsite online, visit fanshaweconservationarea.ca.

Hit the road: Algonquin Provincial Park (a five-hour drive northeast of London) is a true trip away from civilization. It's Ontario's first provincial park, and it sprawls across 7,630 km². If you're into camping, hiking, portaging, canoeing and general roughing it, then Algonquin is the vacation destination for you. For more details, go to algonquinpark.on.ca.

ROAD TRIP ESSENTIALS

When you're motoring along those highways and county roads, you'll be glad you brought these things along:

- Plenty of sugary snacks: It's just not a proper road trip without fistful after fistful of gummy worms

- Toothbrush and toothpaste: To repair the damage from the above essential

- Mixtape or fantastic iPod playlist: Ask your road-mates to make a CD or a playlist to bring along for the trip so you can rock out to your own top tunes and discover new favourites

- Travel pillow: Catch some z's while your friend takes the wheel

- Map/GPS: Unless your goal is really to just get lost and go wherever the road takes you, a map or a GPS will come in handy - Ear plugs: Your best friend's offkey caterwauling may be hilarious for the first half-hour, but when the road starts to take its toll you'll be grateful for some sweet, sweet silence

- Toilet paper: If you've ever pooped by the side of the road, you know this is one essential you shouldn't leave behind.