Going Dutch

Reader Bohdan has kindly pointed out that if you fancy seeing any of De Nederlandse Opera's offerings this season, it's possible to fly to Amsterdam and sit in the stalls for less than a top price ticket at Covent Garden. With change left over for an ice cream.

Plentiful flights ( last return at 9.30pm-ish) make a day trip and matinee show a feasible proposition. Easyjet costs from around £50 if you book well in advance, and BA about £80.  The heavily-subsidised tickets run from 62€ to 132€.

Rimsky's Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh, a well-cast Willy Decker Don Carlo and Ivan Fischer conducting the Concertgebouw in Parsifal would all make worthwhile expeditions.

Comments

[Vecchio John]

As of 2013 Deutsche Bahn will be running a though service from St Pancras to Amsterdam with a journey time of around 4 hours. The fare will undoubtedly be higher than Easyjet but you will be spared the horrors and expense of Stanstead Express and airport hassle.

The DB service will probably stop at Antwerp and the beautiful Flemish Opera Art Nouveau house is certainly worth a trip. I saw an exceptionally good Frau ohne Schatten there earlier this season.

If you are in Fliegende Hollander mode you can reach Amsterdam by Stena Train/Ferry. An overnight crossing with cabin is certainly less than Amsterdam hotels, and gives you whole day there.

[sub opera]

@vecchio john

I also saw the Frosch in Antwerp and was most impressed.

Gergiev's attempt in Edinburgh paled in comparison.

[Rannaldini]

I do this sometimes. Its easy. Early morning flights with BA from Gatwick, lunch at The Five Flies (you must try it if you're in Amsters..)
http://vijffvlieghen.nl/en/Home and easy flights home - matinees at Weekends are best. Sally Matthews was singing in Der Rosenkavalier with Simon Rattle conducting. Pleasant way to spend the day and all for less than the cost of a top price ticket at ROH.

[Stephen]

The Sunday matinees at the Bastille are usually full of English day visitors. It's very convenient from London, and also if you live south of London and park cheaply at Ebbsfleet International station.

[Giuseppe W]

Hear, hear, Vecchio John and Stephen - don't fly, take the train! (I went by train to Bayreuth this year - twice! A leisurely day instead of hours of hell and the same price.)

[Nikolaus Vogel]

I recently went to the opera house in Lille, which is a magnificent building and is only 90 mins from London on Eurostar - the Lille-Europe station is ten mins walk from the opera house and matinees finish around 7 and there is a train around 9. Excellent restaurants in the lovely old town. There's an interesting looking Poppea in Feb, and the RO Cendrillon with a more Francophone cast in May. They do five operas a year and lots of Handel/baroque stuff. Less of a hassle and certainly cheaper than a day at Glyndebourne and better food!

[Diane]

With Cencic and Hallenberg in the cast, Poppea is definitely worth a trip on Eurostar ...