A long weekend in London comes with tickets to performances at the National Theater and the English National Opera, plus a tour of the just-renovated Tate Modern art museum, when you book the “London Arts Weekend,” good April 19-22 or May 24-27 at the Radisson Edwardian Mountbatten Hotel. (call your travel agent; or phone Centre Stage in London at 011-44-20-8757-7905, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, London time; London is six hours ahead of Chicago)
THE DEAL
$1,080 per couple, for May 24-27
Includes: Three nights at Radisson Edwardian Mountbatten Hotel; tickets to “The Winter’s Tale” at National Theatre; tickets to “Falstaff” performed by the English National Opera at Coliseum; full breakfast daily; guided morning tour of the Tate Modern; taxes, service.
Doesn’t include: air fare, transfers.
THE ALTERNATIVE
Done on our own (prices are for two):
Lodging: $942 (three nights at $314/night, tax included), promotional rate for standard room at Radisson Edwardian Mountbatten Hotel; May 24 check-in.
Theater tickets: $86 (two at $43 each) for top-priced tickets to “The Winter’s Tale” at the National Theatre.
Opera tickets: $168 (two at $84 each) for top-priced tickets to “Falstaff” at the Coliseum.
Museum tour: $152 or $3. Museum admission, public guided tours and gallery talks are free. But if you want more, it’s $152 for a private guided tour during the day (minimum fee for “groups”); or $3 (two at $1.50) for the audio tour.
Breakfast: comes with hotel room.
Tax and service: included in room rate.
Total: $1,348 or $1,199 for package-equivalent items, purchased on our own.
Difference: $268 or $119 less with the package.
PLUSES AND MINUSES
We studied the rates for the May departure, figuring that the April dates might come a little too soon for some travelers. However, what you trade in advance planning to go in May, you give up in lower air fare available in April. When we researched air fares for this package, round-trip Coach was running about $980 per couple ($490 per person) for the April dates and about $1,600 ($800 per person) for the May dates.
If you are more inclined toward April–and a savings of roughly $600 ($300 per person) on air fare argues a strong case for that date–you’ll see different performances: the Birmingham Rep’s production of “The Ramayana” at the National Theatre, and the English National Opera’s performance of Verdi’s “Il Trovatore” at the Coliseum.
THE VERDICT
If it’s true that all the world’s a stage, then surely London has the best seats in the house. A deal like this just makes the whole show more affordable.
