English Summer Opera Festivals July 5-22, 2017 $12,250 pp, twin share (land content only) $2,380 single supplement ENExperience Nine operatic performances in unique rural settings A performance by the Royal Shakespeare Company in its home of The tradition of long interval picnic dinners during performances Detailed background information on each performance The atmosphere of Oxford, one of the world s oldest university towns The beautiful countryside of the Cotswolds and the Sussex Downs Overview Since the first Glyndebourne Festival of opera in 1934, numerous private estates in England have followed the Glyndebourne example, opening private opera houses for summer performances of the highest artistic standards. On this carefully crafted tour we attend four of England s most prestigious summer opera festivals Garsington, Longborough, Grange Park and Glyndebourne itself as well as the annual summer Shakespeare Festival at, featuring the Royal Shakespeare Company. Academy Travel is a corporate sponsor of the Glyndebourne Festival, which gives us special access to tickets to three of the most in-demand performances. Performances Ten performances will be included, with full details available in October 2015. Garsington Opera > Two operas in this glass-walled pavilion on an estate in Buckinghamshire. > Two performances by the Royal Shakespeare Company. Longborough > A performance at this historic estate in the Cotswolds. Grange Park (moving to Surrey in 2017) > Operas take place in a converted 18th-century orangerie on this estate near Winchester. Glyndebourne > At least two performances at England s most prestigious summer opera festival. Room for another image Fitness requirement 38 Expert tour leaders Your tour leader Robert Gay is one of Australia s leading music tour leaders and music educators. He has designed and led more than 80 performancebased tours. For 30 years he has presented music history courses at the Centre for Continuing Education at the University of Sydney. Getting there Emirates, Qantas, Singapore Airlines and Thai Airways fly to London daily from most Australian cities. Contact us for competitive quotes and bookings. Itinerary Days 1 4: From our base in Oxford, attend two performances at the nearby Garsington Opera, explore Oxford and visit Blenheim Palace. Days 5 8: Travel through the Cotswold Hills to to enjoy a performance by the Royal Shakespeare Company and two evenings at the Longborough Opera. Days 9 11: From our base in Surrey, attend the Grange Park Opera and explore the surrounding area. Days 12 16: Travel to Lewes for five nights, to attend three performances at nearby Glyndebourne and visit Sissinghurst Castle s gardens. Longborough ENGLAND Garsington Opera Oxford London Surrey Lewes Glyndebourne
Preliminary itinerary This is a preliminary itinerary. A detailed itinerary is in preparation and will be sent to you as soon as possible. Detailed itineraries contain specific information on each day s activities, hotels, weather and your tour leader. It is possible to book on the tour immediately, based on this preliminary itinerary. What is included in an Academy Travel tour? All accommodation and breakfasts All flights and land transport within the tour All sightseeing and all entrance fees to sites mentioned in the itinerary Some lunches and dinners generally five to seven each tour, more if you are travelling to an adventurous destination Drinks with included meals Good quality tickets to performances included in the tour program usually first or second category The services of an expert tour leader throughout the tour Extensive tour notes and background lectures on tour Selected local guides and tour managers on some tours Internet at most hotels All tipping for group activities meals, drivers, local guides What is not included? Flights to and from the tour destination Travel insurance Expenses of a personal nature laundry, phone calls Meals and additional sightseeing not listed as included in the detailed itinerary Hotels The detailed itinerary will list the hotels we have booked for this tour, together with the web address. Wherever possible we book centrallylocated four-star or higher hotels, in interesting and safe parts of the city. Most hotels have been inspected by our staff and leaders and used by past Academy Travel groups. For adventurous and emerging destinations we are not always able to offer this level and style of accommodation. The detailed itinerary will advise if a hotel is below our preferred level. To book a place on the tour In order to secure your place on a tour you need to complete the attached booking form and send it to Academy Travel together with your $500 deposit. You can also make a booking online at academytravel.com.au Some tours book out very quickly. If you have made up your mind, we suggest you do not delay in booking. If you are interested but not ready to commit, we are happy to pencil you in for a tour for a maximum of seven days while you make a final decision. The next steps Once we receive your booking we will send you a welcome pack confirming details of your booking and providing further information about the destination you are travelling to. We encourage you to plan ahead for flights and additional travel you may wish to undertake. Our experienced team of travel consultants are able to help with flights, additional travel and travel insurance. If you book your flights with Academy Travel we will provide complimentary airport-hotel transfers at the beginning and end of the tour. Tour notes and final documents are sent to you about a month before the tour commences. Academy Travel GPO Box 5057 Sydney 2001 P: 02 9235 0023 F: 02 9235 0123 E: info@academytravel.com.au Fitness Requirements of THIS tour Grade Two Participation criteria for a Grade Two tour Grade Two tours are designed for people who lead active lives and can comfortably participate in up to five hours of physical activity per day on most days, including walking tours, challenging archaeological sites, climbing stairs, embarking and disembarking trains and/or boats, and a more demanding tour schedule with one night stops or several internal flights. You should be able to: keep up with the group at all times walk for 4-5 kilometres at a moderate pace with only short breaks stand for a reasonable length of time in galleries and museums tolerate uncomfortable climatic conditions such as cold, humidity and heat walk up and down slopes negotiate steps and slopes on archaeological sites, which are often uneven and unstable get on and off a large coach with steep stairs, train or boat unassisted, possibly with luggage move your luggage a short distance if required A note for older travellers If you are more than 80 years old, or have restricted mobility, you will find a number of our itineraries challenging. On a Grade Two tour it is unlikely that you will be able to undertake all activities and get the full value of the tour. Grade Three tours are unsuitable for travellers more than 80 years old, unless you are exceptionally fit. We kindly ask travellers more than 80 years old to contact Academy Travel before submitting a booking form, so that we can provide specific advice on the physical requirements of the tour in which you are interested.