Whether you've got Royals fever or are just Brit-obsessed, European Destinations (tel. 877/267-2247; www.europeandestinations.com) is offering a six-night, air-inclusive package from $1,170 per person, for late winter travel.
There's no shortage of great things to do in London, and start with the must-do: marvel at the Tower of London, watch the stoic changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace, and float over the city on the London Eye. Museums are always a great bet, whether it's the National Gallery's 2,000+ holdings, or it means you have more money to spend on jaw-dropping meals at places such as Heston Blumenthal's Michelin-starred Dinner at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park Hotel, or Yotam Ottolenghi's latest flavorful spot, Nopi, in Soho.
You'll stay for six nights in the tourist class Best Western Burns Hotel, which is situated close to the Earls Court station for London's Underground. Continental breakfast is included every day. You're a block away from all the smart designer shops on Kensington High Street and Knightsbridge -- London is nothing if not fashion forward. A bit further afield, you'll find Kensington Palace and Albert Hall and, to be fair, the rest of the city, too.
Why is this is a deal? The airfare that matches this package, on Jet Airways with a stop in Brussels, starts from $871.30 per person for a February 11 departure. The standard double room at the Best Western Burns Hotel, with continental breakfast daily, costs $1,074.97 (£663), or $537.48 per person. If you were to book this trip and pay for it separately, it would cost you $1,408.78 per person. Booking the package with European Destinations saves you $238.78 per person.
Not jazzed about February? This trip was also priced for a March 11 departure at $1,249 through European Destinations. Flights on US Airways start from $840 and the hotel stay comes in at $1,333.98 (£821), or $666.99 per person. That departure, if booked separately, would cost you $1,506.99, so you save $257.99 by booking with European Destinations -- even if you go a month later, when London's starting to bloom.
Trip Type: Independent, air-inclusive
What the Quoted Price Gets You: Round-trip airfare between Newark, NJ and London; six nights in a standard double room at Best Western Burns Hotel in London; airline fuel surcharges; government taxes and fees; hotel taxes and fees; continental breakfast daily;
What Else You Will Have to Pay: Round-trip transfers, which you can add on through European Destinations from $72 per person
Book By: As soon as possible for best availability
When: February 11, 2013
Single Supplement: $196
Other Departures: Chicago, & Washington, D.C. from $1,234; Nashville from $1,247; Los Angeles from $1,259; San Francisco from $1,284; Houston from $1,291.
Other Details: There are dozens of other hotels to choose from if you want to customize your experience and stay a little bit closer to the center of things, or if you are dying for accommodations that are more luxurious. Just be prepared for a price increase, and keep in mind that London ain't cheap.
