Don't believe the hype. London in March can be sunny as spring emerges and flowers start to bloom throughout the city's many public gardens. Yes, chances are it will rain, but those are usually short-lived showers. We found a several deals for spring break travel for students who want an excursion that doesn't land you on a warm, sandy beach. Better yet, one of these deals includes a brief hop to London on route to Amsterdam, famed for its tulips, windmills, and illicit substances. You can still drink -- pub life is great in London and beer is plentiful in Amsterdam, home of Heineken. (The drinking age in the UK is 18 and in Amsterdam, 16 for beer and wine.) And as you probably already know, Amsterdam is more than just red light districts and permissive culture; it's a friendly, charming city with impressive architecture, canals and tons of bicyclists.
The California-based youth travel operation Contiki Tours (tel. 800-CONTIKI; www.contiki.com) advertises a four-day special "Amsterdam for Easter" starting from $285, which includes four days/three nights at Contiki's hotel choice in the center of Amsterdam, from Friday March 25 through Sunday the 28. But check the itinerary, however, which begins a bleary-eyed 6am on Friday, at the Royal National in London, a three-star tourist class hotel. What are the odds you'll catch a flight in that early? Your best bet is to fly to London Thursday morning and check in at Royal National that night; rates are $75 per person per night. You'll be fully rested and ready for the first day's agenda, in, which you'll travel by ferry from Dover to Calais, France, and then drive to Amsterdam. The tour finishes up in London on Sunday night, March 28, at 7pm, but a representative we spoke with said you could fly out from Amsterdam if you needed to leave Sunday night. If you're not in a rush, tack on an additional night at the Royal National for the same rate of $75 per person, and leave London Monday morning. Even with these add-ons, your trip total, excluding airfare, its fees and travel insurance, would cost a mere $435. Once you've booked with Contiki, they can find you a flight or you can reserve it on your own.
The itinerary is somewhat structured but allows for free time to explore. The package includes dinner your first night in Amsterdam at Contiki's Inner Amsterdam Hotel, where your room can include up to six people and a cooked breakfast Saturday and Sunday mornings. Wake up Saturday morning for a tour of Keukenhof Gardens and its colorful display of tulips and tour a diamond making factory. The rest of your day is free -- perhaps a trip to the home of Anne Frank or coffee at one of the city's many cafes? Sunday's itinerary includes a trip to a cheese and clog making farm in the countrysideand a bicycle ride that gives you the opportunity to visit the fishing village Voldendam.
The land-only deal is priced from $285, does not include airfare or taxes and is based on a maximum of four people traveling together. For groups of five or more, contact Student Universe at 866/247-9881. Other stipulations include that you must depart from the USA by the selected departure date and arrive by day two of the itinerary, but to truly take advantage of this deal, it makes sense to take an early flight to London as suggested. You can find complete details online at Contiki's Amsterdam for Easter page.
If London is more your, ahem, cup of tea (and there's plenty of that), Contiki also offers a "Check Out London" deal from $225, with plenty of flexibility for shopping, siteseeingand pub crawling. For travel by March 31, the $225 rate is based on a two-night/three-day tour in a twin shared room at the Contiki-owned Royal National Hotel; rates at Contiki-owned Imperial are $265 through March 31. After April first and through October 31, rates rise to $299 at Royal National; Imperial's rates during this same time frame start at $329. All stays include a contintental breakfast and upon arrival, a sightseeing tour around the city in a double-decker bus that takes you to Buckingham Palace, Tower of London and St. Paul's Cathedral. Theater tickets to a London show are available, as are discounts to many of London's museums including Madame Tussaud's and the London Dungeon. But once you're there, it's easy to get around through the Underground and do your own thing; it's a fairly easy city to navigate -- plus, everyone speaks English. For details, go to the Check Out London product information page.
Another student travel operation, STA Travel (tel. 800-781-4040; www.statravel.com) also offers a few package deals to London and Amsterdam, but with a slightly more budget-oriented approach and freewheeling schedule once you've arrived. The hostel package starts from $214 for six nights at St. Christopher's Hostel (near the London Bridge station in Southwark), and it includes a bus tour and an airport transfer. However, a quick search for accommodations in mid-March reveals even cheaper prices at this converted warehouse -- starting at $172 for a large mixed dormitory room with a shared bathroom. As you'd expect, the price goes up slightly as the rooms get smaller. Breakfast is included and check this out -- the hostel even has a "rooftop spa and sauna."
STA also advertises what seems to be an even better deal, for those who are sensitive sleepers and prefer a stay with a private room and bathroom. Starting from $339 per person you can stay at Westminster Hotel for six nights, and this deal also includes the Big Bus Tour of London and an airport transfer. The hotel is a converted Victorian townhouse in a garden square in Bayswater with easy access to Hyde Park and Kensington. However, a quick run through the reservation service online did not reveal the lowest price advertised for a variety of six-night stays through the month of March, so be wary. For more information, you can visit the product page on STA's site at www.statravel.com.
The Amsterdam package is similar, from $224, with six nights at the newly renovated Bulldog Hostel, an airport transfer, and a two-and-a-half hour city sightseeing tour (in English) that brings you past the National Monument, the Skinny Bridge, the Albert Cupy Market and picturesque homes along the canals. Bulldog Hostel is located within minutes of Anne Frank's home, the red light district and shopping. A large mixed dormitory is available in mid-March for $171, but a standard twin with a private bathroom will run you $598 for six nights. A Saturday arrival in early April reveals a large, mixed room without bathroom for a total of $202 and standard twin with bathroom available for $660. Breakfast is included in all stays.
The hotel option in the spring back STA package for Amsterdam brings you to the three-star Arena Hotel near Oosterpark. Rooms have contemporary Dutch furniture and several cleverly named areas to congregate -- the restaurant is called To Dine, the caf¿, To Drink; the club, To Night. The advertised rate is from $361, based on availability; a search for a Saturday-to-Friday arrival, double occupancy, revealed a standard twin with bathroom for $758. The per-person rate would be $379, slightly higher than advertised but still a good deal. Similar searches throughout the month revealed prices in that general area.
The beauty of the STA offers is that they are open-ended, with no official start date or end date. You could book an early spring break in February if you wanted and still take advantage of the rate; ditto for April or May, of course, based on availability.
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