The Real Deal: Eight nights' accommodations, eight breakfasts, five lunches, guided sightseeing, transportation by bus and the services of local tour guides, from $1,299 per person — including taxes.
When: Depart April 25 or May 16, 2009.
The fine print: Airfare is not included. Based on double occupancy; single supplement starts at $600. Travel insurance is not included but is available for an additional charge. To book, use promo code EEUK. Read these guidelines before you book any Real Deal.
Book by: No deadline; based on availability. Must book at least 30 days prior to departure.
Contact: Ritz Tours, 888/345-7489, ritztours.com.
Why it's a deal: The package price breaks down to about $162 a night and includes four-star accommodations throughout England, breakfast daily, five lunches, guided sightseeing tours, the services of local guides, transportation by bus and taxes. Plus, Ritz Tours has working relationships with local hotels, so you benefit from accommodation rates that are lower than what you'd pay if you were to book them on your own. When you consider the reduced hotel rates and everything that's included in the package, you'll be saving about 30 percent.
Itinerary: Full-day city tour of London: a visit to the Tower of London followed by a drive through the city with stops at Big Ben at the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace. City tours of Cambridge and York. A sightseeing tour of Edinburgh, Scotland, with admission to Edinburgh Castle. A tour of the Lake District in northwest England. A drive to Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire, the heart of Shakespeare country, to visit Shakespeare's birthplace and his wife Anne Hathaway's cottage. An orientation tour of the small university town, Oxford. Sightseeing in Bath, in southwest England with a stop by the Roman bath. A visit to Stonehenge before the drive back to London.
Lodging: Eight nights of four-star accommodations throughout the tour, including three nights in London (the first two at the Sheraton Heathrow and the last at the Tower), one night in York, two nights in Edinburgh, one night in Windermere Town or in the nearby Lake District, and one night in Bath. The exact properties will be determined once the tour is finalized.
More: Optional tours will be available, but the details haven't been confirmed at press time. Interested in extending your stay? You can add a maximum of two post-tour nights in London for an additional $200 per room per night.
Before you go: For up-to-date travel information and tips, visit the official tourism Web site of Great Britain. The weather in London is relatively dry in April and May, with average temperatures in the 50s and 60s.
Getting there: According to a recent search on Kayak, the lowest round-trip fares to London, departing in late April and returning in early May, are $477 from Chicago (American), $480 from New York (Continental), $528 from Houston (Continental), and $549 from Miami and L.A. (Continental).
