NFL In London / Europe Travel Advice

Haven't been to Europe as a civilian since high school, and a group of friends want to make a trip for the Texans game. NFL released the preliminary schedule for a 9/30 game date and it looks like they are teaming up with Prime Sport for a package deal $4,000 all inclusive, $2,700 without airfare. It looks like most of that stuff listed is upcharged and convenience fees for one stop shopping, like "Deluxe Accommodations at a 5 Star Central London Hotel."

https://www.primesport.com/r/houston-texans/texans-19-london-deposit-package-pkg-6372#faq1

What's the best places to look for international flights and hotels and ways to see some of the touristy stuff? I've looked at some of the American based travel sites and they're all over the place.

 

Just find your cheapest flight in and pick whatever hotel you like. Get a tube pass and have fun. Your biggest BS expense will be the cab ride to and from the airport. My last trip that's what I did. Stayed here http://www.londonelizabethhotel.com/ which is definitely not 5 star, but a typical Victorian style hotel. Point is, find a place easy walking distance from a tube station and you're good

 

Don't get a cab from the airport if you're staying in London, take the underground.

 

Round trip ticket on the Heathrow express if you want to be fancy. It's pricier but easy and fast.

Just got back from a trip to Portugal and a Manchester United game. The Newark to Manchester leg was on a 757. Pretty tight fit for 6 some odd Hours

 

Soooo I completely forgot that the person who brought this trip up has a special needs, wheel chair bound kiddo, so that changes the logistics of some stuff. But I'll figure out that out as everything gets closer. Round trip airfare is about $850

I was actually looking into the aircraft. From the Boeing standpoint the 6, 7, 8 are the only transatlantic aircraft, the 767 is seems pretty much retired and the most carries run the 787 10 across, the 777 seems to be the only one that runs 9 seats across. Haven't found any carriers that used Airbus on these routes.

Thanks, I actually like the looks of it from the pictures and they have the basics of a hotel, nothing super fancy. $460/3 nights and it's towards central London for the touristy stuff. One stadium is in Wemberly and the other near Enfield.

 

Yep, he's right, I forgot. Train in to London. Sorry. We took a cab from the station to our hotel first time as we had all our bags.

 

Advice? Skip NFL and do MotoGP

 

Get a Tube pass.

 

I'm not a football fan and never even been to a game. I'm only going to support a friend and her kiddo.

 

Although Silverstone is right on my birthday

 

Where are you flying from and where did you get a flight for $850?

The stadium near Enfield would be White Hart Lane where Tottenham Hotspur play football.

 

One of the travel sites, Kayak, from Houston to Heathrow. Finnair, Brussels, Austrian and Lufthansa are all below $850. United, Delta, AA, etc we all $1,400+ I've never thought about Western European airline safety but I'll just avoid getting on a 737-Max anytime soon, just in case.

They haven't announced which stadium they're going to play at yet or even if the September date is solid but I'm looking to get ahead of the curve on figuring this stuff out.

 

The "tube pass" is called an oyster card. You buy one and then can refill it as needed. There may also be special visitors deals that will include entry to some museums or sites of interest so look for those online.
Sadly, the London Underground is not very modern and wheelchair friendly. Many stations require navigating multiple stairs and during busy travel times they are packed with people.
Most London hotels are old and decrepit despite being expensive, unless you spring for a newer more modern chain or high end hotel. On that note, London is expensive, shockingly so if you're used to American prices (other than NYC). The Pound suffering against the Dollar may help, but best be prepared.
As for the touristy stuff, there is way too much to see in any one visit. Best do some research, make a list of your must see places and do those.
Lastly, have a good time, London is one of the most interesting and wonderful cities in the world.

 

The date is set November 3rd at the Wimberly Stadium. Tell me why a direct flight from Houston to London is $1400 and flights to Birmingham, Manchester or Belfast are less than $700 with a 90 minute layover in Paris or Amsterdam.

 

I’m amazed that someone will travel all the way to London to watch a football game, might as well watch paint drying.

 

Because those two airports suck. Paris sucks the most.

Why is direct more expensive? Convenience and time.

You said earlier $850 round trip? If that was direct from Houston to London then book it. Book it now! If you missed the window for that and it was direct, you done messed up. That was a steal.

 

I had the exact opposite experience. It cost twice as much to take the train to my hotel as it did to cab back to the airport. The heathrow to downtown train ticket is expensive and I had to buy one each for me and the wife. Plus it’s a pain to carry luggage on public transit when it gets busy.

 

Edit: I don’t exactly know what the London Underground is but I think we bought the Oyster card. As we were on our train ride to downtown we were told that card wasn’t good for that train so we had to buy tickets on the train for like 70 pounds each. I think the cab ride back to the airport was like $40.

 

Check our europeandestinations.com for cheap euro packages. They’re pretty flexible and can be really cheap. You can choose whatever hotel you want and it should come out quite a bit cheaper over pricing them separately. I’ve use them 4 times or so now.

 

If you went to Belfast you're around 300 miles from London with another sea crossing in between. Manchester, around 200 miles from London, Birmingham around 100. They're not popular airports and the airlines that fly into them probably aren't the best to fly long haul with. Plus they should pay you to fly into Birmingham.

By the way it's Wembley Stadium.

London Underground is the "Subway." If you were on the underground I'm surprised it cost that much, the mainline railway I wouldn't be shocked.