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Trip To London

  • 1.  Trip To London

    Posted 03-24-2018 06:33
    Hello! I am wanting to plan a trip to London with my troupe for summer 2019. I’m currently talking with a company called Explorica which specializes in educational tours. Couple questions for those who have succeeded at this:
    1. Which company did you use?
    2. What was the cost per person?
    3. How many students did you take?
    4. Besides Globe, Shakespeare’s birthplace, and West End, are there any other things you would recommend to see/do?

    ---------------------------------
    Lizzy Brannan
    Theater Teacher
    Orlando, FL
    ---------------------------------


  • 2.  RE: Trip To London

    Posted 03-24-2018 15:03
    I used EF Tours and did "Curtain Time".  We just did it over spring break.  It was an amazing experience for all of my kids.  We saw 3 West End show (a few saw more).  We had two acting workshops.  We toured The Globe, The Tower of London, Windsor Castle, and had enough free time that we got to tour the Tate Modern Gallery, Spent an afternoon in Kensington and Chelsea at the Park.  It was wonderful.  We were there a week.

    The cost for the kids, signing up early was 3200.  After that, it was 3400.  This was my first International trip with kids. I had a group of 13, with another adult.  It was really nice.


    ------------------------------
    Jeremy Riggs
    Director of Theatre
    Blue Valley North
    bvntheatre.org
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: Trip To London

    Posted 03-25-2018 05:22
    Thank you so much for your insight. It was so helpful!

    ---------------------------------
    Lizzy Brannan
    Theater Teacher
    Orlando, FL
    ---------------------------------



    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: Trip To London

    Posted 03-25-2018 07:27
    One more suggestion is the Victoria & Albert Museum to see their Theatre and Opera exhibits.  If you have any costume designers add the Fashion exhibits.  Furniture, too, if you have set designers!  It's an incredible museum (and free).

    https://www.vam.ac.uk/collections?type=featured

    I'd also strongly encourage considering seeing a show at the Royal National Theatre or the Barbican (RSC).

    Makes me want to plan a trip ....

    ------------------------------
    Kristin Hall
    Drama Director
    Lincoln Public Schools
    Arlington MA
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: Trip To London

    Posted 03-26-2018 05:43
    Great ideas. Can’t thank you enough!

    ---------------------------------
    Lizzy Brannan
    Theater Teacher
    Orlando, FL
    ---------------------------------



    Original Message


  • 6.  RE: Trip To London

    Posted 03-26-2018 12:43
    I have taken students to Europe 8 times over the years. I've always used EF Tours. They've been wonderful help with the planning, helping kid set up payment accounts , and organizing our trip.. We've toured England, Scotland, France, Greece, Italy, Spain, and parts of US. The cost has varied between 2-4K. I usually go for 10-14 days, and sometimes add a "stay ahead" day, so my kids can recover a bit from jet lag. EF's Curtaintime in London is great. Can go for 7-9 days, and includes Stratford, Oxford, 3 shows in London, Workshops at Globe, and all the tourist stuff. We even left the main group and did a one-day to Paris on Eurostar. EF will help with any special requests.
    I would highly recommend them.

    ------------------------------
    Ginger Latimer
    Performing Arts Chair/ Theatre Director
    Madera CA
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 7.  RE: Trip To London

    Posted 03-26-2018 16:06
    I'm doing Curtain Time in London with EF tours with my students this summer as well. EF is crazy professional, totally education based, and you'll do WAY more than if you didn't go with a tour company and tried to do it on your own, or went with a smaller, less experienced company. They combine you with other groups traveling at the same time and location as you, so that they can book the best prices and most opportunities for the students. I just did their teacher training tour (which is free before you take your first tour with EF) and honestly their service and global presence is beyond expectations. I feel like they are the safest and super easy to work with.

    ------------------------------
    Kathleen McNulty Mann
    mcnulkl@bay.k12.fl.us

    Arnold High School Theatre
    Panama City Beach, FL
    Program Director and Thespian Sponsor

    Florida State Junior Thespians
    District 10 Chair

    Florida Association for Theatre Education
    Board Member
    Membership Committee Chair
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 8.  RE: Trip To London

    Posted 03-25-2018 10:57
    You can also tour backstage at the National Theatre and you might be able to get a Heaven to Hell tour at the Globe. I'd ask the tour group, whomever you use, to not book New York shows. You're in London, see some good British theatre. If you go at the right time you can hit Sam's Day at the Globe. They have all kinds of workshops that day open to the public in honor of Sam Wanamaker.

    ------------------------------
    John Perry
    Drama Instructor
    Atherton High School
    Louisville KY
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 9.  RE: Trip To London

    Posted 03-26-2018 06:24
    You can also get discount tickets at the National for school groups on specific days of the week. If you know a school in the UK who uses the train discount for schools you can get practically free train tickets as well.
    --
    Sent from Gmail Mobile



    Original Message


  • 10.  RE: Trip To London

    Posted 03-26-2018 08:02
    We went to London with a student group 10 years ago. it was fantastic! I would love to go again.  But, you know  . . .  airfare!

    1. We planned the rip ourselves and used a local travel agent.

    2. We charged $2200 per student but that was 10 years ago and probably under-priced even then.

    3. We took 15 students and they and the best time.

    4.  We did not go the Stratford-upon-Avon although we would have liked to. At the time the theatres were being renovated and they were only doing evening performances. We could not make this schedule work without a significant upgrade in price.

    5.  We saw English theatre on the West End, and something at the National Theatre. Toured Shakespeare's Globe (they were not performning in April at that time), visited the Natural History Museum (which was right down the street from our hotel), at the time, all museums are free, rode the London's Eye. watched the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace, toured Westminster Abbey, shopping in Covent Garden, toured the Tower of London, the "Clink" Museum, went to Abby Road and took pictures in the middle of the street, and took the Red Bus and River tour - totally worth the expense!! Do it early in the trip.

    I found that there were fantastic (and somewhat affordable) restaurants in London. The idea that English food is terrible does not seem to be true any more. Not from my experience!

    It is very expensive to visit London. And watch your pocket books in Soho! 

    --
    Mark A. Zimmerman
    Theatre Director,

    Akron School for the Arts
    Firestone High School
    470 Castle Blvd
    Akron, Ohio 44313

    330-761-3275

    FirestoneTheatre.com




    Original Message


  • 11.  RE: Trip To London

    Posted 03-26-2018 18:16
    That's funny -- I'm also starting planning to do the London Theater tour with Explorica for that summer with my group! 

    I did notice in shopping around that ACIS seems to be really well reputed, and probably offers better hotels/maybe better food.  It's more expensive, though it does include a bit more, like a third show (with RSC!) and the London Eye.  But, the price is right at Explorica, they seem to have better reviews than EF, and the contact I'm working with says we can add a third show... plus my group got excited about adding the Paris extension.  No particular theater education connected, but Paris is pretty great.   

    Thanks for posting this thread -- I'm going to make sure some of these ideas happen for our trip too, if I can get it off the ground!

    ------------------------------
    Josie Tierney-Fife
    English Teacher/Theater Director
    Gorham, Maine
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 12.  RE: Trip To London

    Posted 03-27-2018 05:35
    I know with any of these companies, you can tailor your trip to however you want to do it. I am really loving all these ideas and appreciate it more than you know!

    ---------------------------------
    Lizzy Brannan
    Theater Teacher
    Orlando, FL
    ---------------------------------



    Original Message


  • 13.  RE: Trip To London

    Posted 03-27-2018 08:27
    My biggest concern is that the hotel we stay in is centrally located. Cheap hotels on the outskirts of a city forces the group to take long bus rides, wasting valuable time. I usually arrange my trips myself and use hotels I've used before. I like my students to experience the city and the people: get on the street walking, talking to people. Recently I took students to Greece and they had to pay for their hotel rooms as the checked out and pay for meals as we went. They learned to deal with a foreign currency and with a foreign language. They meet people on Greek terms. Of course, I take small groups.

    ------------------------------
    John Perry
    Drama Instructor
    Atherton High School
    Louisville KY
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


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