How much for a lost weekend in Amsterdam?
Where:Two days in the Dutch capital
When:September 19th-21st
With the tour operatorArrow Tours will send us to
the Dutch capital for a weekend in the middle of September for a
fraction over €1,000. The package has us staying at the
four-star Crowne Plaza Hotel, in the heart of the city. The package
includes BB on both days. It has us leaving Dublin airport on an
Amsterdam-bound Aer Lingus flight at 2.15pm on the Friday and
returning from Amsterdam on a similarly timed flight two days
later. The basic price is €838, to which €200.80 in
taxes and charges is added. We also have to add the airline's
handling fee of €12. The price does not cover checked-in
baggage, which Aer Lingus has upped to €18, but we aim to
pack light so don't expect to incur these charges. Included in the
Arrow Tours price is a little travel pack "to make your city break
more enjoyable". Six weeks before departure we can expect to
receive a shopping guide to Amsterdam, a map, a voucher for the
Gassan diamond factory, a €5 discount off the entrance fee to
Madame Tussauds and the Amsterdam Dungeon, and a free canal cruise.
We're not sure what it's worth - not a great deal, probably - but a
nice touch all the same.
How much?€1,050.80
On your ownBooking with the Crowne Plaza Hotel
directly is effortless and significantly cheaper. We are quoted
€246 per night, to which we add taxes of €24.60, taking
the total cost of our hotel to €516.60. For the same flights
on offer with the tour operator, the Aer Lingus website quotes us
€34 per person for each leg, a total of €136 (exactly
the same price quoted by Arrow Tours). To that we add taxes and
charges of €74.40 and the airline's handling charge of
€6 per person. All the add-ons bring the total cost of
flights for two people to €296.80.
How much€813.40.
Independent savings€237.40.
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