Andrew Lloyd Webber’s long awaited sequel to The Phantom of The Opera has theater lovers queuing up to see Love Never Dies, which picks up the tale of love and loss 10 years after Raoul rescues Christine Daae in the original Phantom.

Here’s a brief synopsis of what’s to come:

Ten years after the mysterious disappearance of The Phantom from the Paris Opera House, Christine Daaé accepts an offer to come to America and perform at New York’s fabulous new playground of the world – Coney Island. Christine arrives in New York with her husband Raoul and their son Gustave. She soon discovers the identity of the anonymous impresario who has lured her from France to sing. Love Never Dies is a roller coaster ride of obsession and intrigue… in which music and memory can play cruel tricks… and The Phantom sets out to prove that, indeed, Love Never Dies..

Love Never Dies at the Adelphia Theatre, London

Broadway Across America has put together theater travel package that includes tickets to Love Never Dies along with sightseeing trips and tickets to other theater productions.  Here are just a few of the highlights that theater lovers will enjoy:

• 5 nights at the 5-star Stafford London, conveniently located in London’s Mayfair section (NOTE:  A big kudo for the Stafford for offering FREE wifi).
• Full English breakfast each morning.
• London Travel Cards to give you unlimited rides on the Tube and public bus system.
• Airport transfers
• City tour
• Tour of Kensington Palace
• Tour of Buckingham Palace (the Queen will not be in residence)
• Traditional English tea
• Day trip to Stratford-upon-Avon, home of Shakespeare.
• Tickets to Love Never Dies at the Adelphi Theatre, including a back stage tour after the performance
• Tickets to Priscilla Queen of the Desert at the Palace Theatre
• Tickets to Sister Act  at the London Palladium (based on the Whoopi Goldberg movie of the same name), and an opportunity to meet the cast.
• Personal time for additional sightseeing, shopping, or just relaxing.
• Lots more!

Guided tours are not for every traveler, but theater lovers may be interested in some of the one-of-a-kind experiences this small group (approximately 16-20 persons) has to offer.  Fall is a great time to visit London, with the crowds dwindling but temperatures still comfortable, and this combination of theater, history, and culture may be just what the doctor ordered.

Date:  Arrive London, September 23rd – 28th, 2010

Price:  Varies based upon departure city and additional arrangements,  Land portion of the trip starts at approximately $2,667, and includes taxes and gratuities.  Check the Broadway Across America website for precise package details.

Photo credit: markhillary @flickr

Thinking about vacationing in London can evoke a frenzy of thoughts about this major continental city that is the UK’s financial center, seat of politics, and hub for fashion, entertainment, and the arts.  It’s now getting some additional buzz as the city prepares for hosting the 2012 Summer Olympic Games.

But don’t forget that London is an old city, steeped in culture and tradition.  In a city of hundreds (if not thousands) of wonderful historical sites, four have been designated as UNESCO World Heritage sites.  They’re worth a look see!

Tower of London:  Located on the north bank of the Thames in central London, the Tower is actually a compound of multiple buildings – and a moat.  It’s currently the oldest British governmental building, but has an impressive history as a fortress, palace, prison, and place of execution and torture.  Must see sites there today include the Crown Jewels, the White Tower, the Ravens, and the Medieval Palace.  The Tower is open Tuesday – Saturday, 9 am – 5:30 pm, Sunday & Monday, 10 am – 5:30 pm.  Tickets start around £16.00 for adults and £9.00 for kids. (map)

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew:  Consisting of just under 300 acres in southwest London, Kew Gardens (as they are generally called) consists of gardens and landscaping depicting traditions from the 18th century to the present.. Beautiful outdoor gardens along with indoor botanicals make a great place for a sunny day.  Kew opens daily at 9:30 am.  Tickets are £13.50 for adults, children are free. (map)

Combination Site:  Palace of Westminster, Westminster Abbey and St. Margaret’s Church:  This site on the north bank of the Thames contains three historic sites.  The Palace of Westminster is usually referred to as the Houses of Parliament because it contains House of Lords and the House of Commons.  It’s is the hub of politics in the UK, and is also home to one of the iconic symbols of London – Big Ben.  Visiting hours vary based on whether Parliament is in session, along with other special events, so consult website for details. (map)  Westminster Abbey is probably best known as the church where royal coronations occur,  It was also the place where Princess Diana’s funeral was held.  Westminster Abbey is open to visitors Monday – Saturday.  On Sunday and religious holidays it is open for worship services only.  Please remember this is a house of worship.  (map)  St. Margaret’s Church is an Anglican church on these grounds, and is the parish church of the Houses of Parliament.  The church is generally open to visitors Monday – Friday, 9:30 am – 3:30 pm, Saturday 9:30 – 1:30 pm, and Sunday 2 – 5 pm.  (map).

Maritime Greenwich:  This group of buildings includes a park, the former Royal Naval College, and the Royal Observatory, home to the Greenwich Meridian (0 degrees longitude) and Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).  (map)

Although many London destinations are modestly priced, or free, the dollar-sterling pound valuation can still make it a very expensive city.  If you do your research about the things you’d like to see, the area you’d prefer to stay in, and can be fairly flexible, there are some great cheap hotels offers to be found.

Photo credit: pikous @ flickr (Tower of London); DAVID ILIFF (Kew Gardens); wikipedia (Westminster Palace); wikipedia (Royal Observatory)

NOTE:  This post is sponsored by Hotel Direct, the opinions expressed herein are those of the author.

This post mentions: Tower of London, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Westminster Palace, Westminster Abbey, St. Margaret's Church, and Royal Observatory Greenwich.

Edinburgh, the capital city of Scotland, is the second largest city in the country, making it a popular vacation spot for travelers from the U.K. and around the world.  In fact, it’s the second most visited city in the UK for international travelers (no surprise that London is first).

From the United States you can reach Edinburgh direct from Newark (Continental) and Atlanta (Delta), along with many airlines that make connections.  Another option is flying into Glasgow International Airport, about an hour away.   Accommodations span the usual range, and you may want to consider Edinburgh Apartments or Edinburgh Bed and Breakfast.

Cockburn Street in Edinburgh, Scotland

Why do travelers find visiting Edinburgh such a compelling choice, here 10 reasons:

1. It’s a picturesque city.  Located along the Firth of Forth (love that name!), Edinburgh sports a rugged coastline mixed with interesting architecture.  There are plenty of beautiful beaches, charming country side, quaint little villages, and thriving urban life, combining to make and interesting mix of landscape and culture.
2. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site .  The city core combines the medieval Old Town, the Georgian New Town and award winning modern architecture.
3. It has castles and palaces.  Edinburgh Castle is in the city center, and that a good place to start your castle viewing, but there’s plenty more as you venture a little further about.
4. It’s a capital city.  Students of government, history, and politics know how interesting a capital city can be, giving you the opportunity to check out the Scottish Parliament, conduct your business, and soak up the the local business culture.
5. It’s a literate city.  Edinburgh is the first UNESCO City of Literature.
6. It’s got festivals.  The city boasts so many festivals that it’s hard to keep track, but is probably best known for the Edinburgh Festival.  It starts in August, and lasts for four weeks, and is a collection of mini-festivals that includes the Fringe festival, the International festival, the International Book festival, and plenty more.
7. It’s a city that celebrates.  From ushering in the New Year with Hogmanay (December 31st), to Burns Night (January 25th). to the Beltane Fire Festival (April 30th), this is a city that can make a celebration out of almost anything.
8. It has museums.  Sure, most large cities do have museums, but you’ll find some of the best in the country in Edinburgh.
9. It has nightlife.  With demographics decidedly on the younger side, it’s not surprising that Edinburgh has lots of restaurants, club, and pubs that should appeal to nearly every night-out preference.
10. It’s a little bit different.  While all your friends are boasting about one of the usual European destinations, mentioning Edinburgh will make your plans stand out a bit.  Why go with the usual, when there’s a unique choice to be made instead.

NOTE:  This post was sponsored by Scottish Accommodations Index, the opinions and views expressed herein are solely those of the author.

Photo credit: wikimedia

The couple sitting at the table next to me were engaged in a lively conversation and I couldn’t help but notice their delightful British accent.  As travelers often do, we struck up a conversation, asking one another where we were from and how we were enjoying our travels.

Westminster Abbey in London

The couple indicated that they were from the UK, indicating a city that I was not familiar with.  Following our discussion, and back in my hotel room, I realized that while I intellectually understood the UK to encompass England, Wales, Scotland, and part of Ireland, in reality when I heard UK I emotionally translated it to mean England.  Adding to the potential confusion are the numerous Crown Dependencies (Isle of Man, for example) and the commonwealth countries (like Canada, my neighbor to the north) which are connected to the British Monarchy, but are not officially part of the UK.  It’s no wonder that I tended to lump everything into England and be done with it all.

Officially it is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, but colloquially referred to as the UK or Britain.  With the exception of Northern Ireland, which shares a border with the Republic of Ireland, the UK is an island nation containing other islands.

My Irish history is definitely rusty, but I do remember that a dispute over Irish Home Rule lead to a dividing of the island, with the Northern Island opting to be part of the UK and the remaining part of the country opting to become a free state.  Political unrest followed up until the 1990’s, and I recall countless news reports of conflict between various factions.  It was all terribly oversimplified, as foreign news often is, and was frequently summed up as Catholics vs. Protestants, north vs. remaining island, and/or Orange vs. Green.  Of course, the issues ran much deeper than that, but during that time it was easy to lump the country into broad categories:  the capital city of Belfast (representing the north, orange, and Protestants), and the capital city of Dublin (representing the remaining island, green, and Catholic).

My travel plans to London last year got derailed by some unexpected events, but I’m hoping to remedy that soon.  It’s possible that I’ll be able to get to London for World Travel Market in November, and I’m already starting to keep an eye on airfares and costs of Hotels in London.  Since the event attracts a lot of attendees from the UK, I can’t wait to hear all those charming accents!  Who knows – maybe I’ll even start to distinguish between the various countries!

Photo credit:  tsihvonen via SXC

NOTE:  This post was sponsored by Hotel Direct.  The opinion expressed herein are my own.

With a little bit of luck, and a whole lot of planning ahead of me, I’ll be jetting off to London in a couple of weeks.  It is, ostensibly, a holiday although since World Travel Market is occurring during the time I’m there, I’ll be putting in an appearance there for a few days.  Still, I hope to be in London for a week, giving me plenty of time to do some sightseeing.

Yeomen of the Guards, also called Beefeaters, in London

So what should I do while I’m in London?  What are the must-see London sights for a first time visitor?  I’ve got a rather long list started, so what needs to be on it?

Here’s what I have so far:

• British Museum
• Victoria & Albert Museum
• National Gallery
• Natural History Museum
• Yeoman of the Guards (Beefeaters)
• Museum of London
• Tower of London
• St. Paul’s Cathedral
• Thames River Cruise
• Tower Bridge
• Kensington Palace
• London Bridge
• Globe Theatre
• London Eye
• Big Ben
• Buckingham Palace
• Madame Tussaud’s
• Trafalgar Square
• Hampstead Heath
• Kew Garden
• Tate Modern
• Harrod’s
• Westminster Abbey
• Westminster Cathedral
• Ride the Tube
• Theater in the West End
• Wembley Stadium
• Wimbledon
• Selfridge’s

I know that I won’t be able to see everything, but once I have a good list, I can prioritize based on time, geography and personal interest.

What have I missed?  Please leave a couple of your MUST SEE London attractions in the comments.

Photo credit: girolame @flickr