Opera Holidays

All of Europe’s great cities are home to an acclaimed opera house. The European cities best associated with opera are Vienna, Milan, Verona, Venice and Berlin, Paris, Rome, Prague and Florence, however, many other cities and smaller towns regularly have performances during the season. Many opera houses are beautiful and historic buildings famous the world over including Teatro La Fenice in Venice, Vienna’s impressive Staatsoper, Teatro all Scala in Milan and astonishing Arena di Verona Roman amphitheatre in Verona, northern Italy.

All of our opera holidays include return international flights from the UK, airport transfers, hotel accommodation and opera tickets as requested. We can also arrange additional excursions, sightseeing and experiences at an extra cost, one of our Travel Specialists will happily advise you on what there is to see and do in your chosen destination.

Generally the best advice is to attend in more formal attire. For most, an opera is a special occasion and an opportunity to dress up. Although most opera houses do not operate a strict dress code, jeans, trainers and other casual clothing is best avoided. However, ultimately, wear what you feel most comfortable in.

Our opera holidays will typically last 4 days, however as all our opera holidays are tailor-made you can choose the duration to suit your requirements.

Your choice of seat will depend on your budget, how much you are willing to spend and also the availability of tickets for a particular performance. On the whole, the most expensive seats tend to be found in the dress circle whilst the cheapest seats are in the balcony. However, every opera house is unique and in most it is possible to have a good view and hear every note from wherever you are sat.

Operas can be long or short and last anywhere between 1 and 5 hours but some can be even longer taking place over several evenings. As a guide, a performance of Carmen usually lasts over 3 hours whilst Madama Butterfly a little under 3 hours. Longer performances always have interval breaks and the timings also include the length of these intermissions.

Attending an opera is very similar to any other classical performance and in essence revolves around common courtesy to both attendees and performers. It is recommended that all mobile devices are switched off, talking or singing avoided and that no food or drink is consumed in the auditorium.

Europe is known for hosting some of the world’s finest opera and arts festivals. As the ‘birthplace of opera’, Italy plays host to a number of renowned festivals including the famous Arena di Verona Festival and the Rossini Opera Festival which celebrates the composer Gioacchino Pesaro. In Germany, the Munich Opera Festival is a popular choice whereas the Salzburg Festival incorporates opera, music, drama and dance. Closer to home, Ireland’s Blackwater Valley Opera Festival combines opera with a spectacular location and Glyndebourne offers an elegant summer festival experience.