Utrecht tour 2024

Here is a link to the list of people who have so far signed up. To be added to the list contact your part rep.

We have confirmed bookings for concerts on Saturday 18 May and Sunday 19 May 2024 (links to venues below). We hope people will make a weekend of it – travelling out on Friday 17 May and back on Monday 20 May. We will link up with each other on Friday afternoon/evening, arrange some kind of sightseeing trip at the weekend and have social events after the Saturday and Sunday afternoon concerts.

Concerts

Saturday afternoon at Pieterskerk, with organ. This will be a joint concert with the Zing Dam choir of Utrecht
Sunday afternoon in the Marnixzaal of the Utrecht music school, with piano, as part of a choral concert series.

Both venues are very central and are used for the Utrecht early music festival.

Accommodation – hotels and hostels

Accommodation in Utrecht gets booked up, so here is information for booking early.

This is a selection of very central hotels in Utrecht, which have availability for our visit next May (w/e 17th-20th). There will be more and cheaper options outside the centre.

On the booking.com website there is actually a range of prices one can pay…… we recommend opting for the ‘No prepayment needed’ with free cancellation before 16 May. Obviously this is a somewhat more expensive option, but until our trip is finalized, with choir members committing to attend, then it remains a slight risk to pre-pay for hotels, without the option to cancel. Costs are for 3 nights based on 2 people sharing a double/twin room, with breakfast included.

Muze Hotel, Utrecht. Rated 9.2 on Booking.com £464.(ie £77 per person per night.)
Hotel Beijers. 4 star. Rated 8.8. Cost: £452
Hotel Museumkwartier. Rated 8.7. Twin room £510. Family room with 4 single beds: £775.
Crown Plaza Utrecht. Rated 8.5 £568 (very characterful property!)
Hampton by Hilton Utrecht Centraal Station. Rated 8.2. No restaurant but has pool and fitness centre. £505
Cheaper option . Zocher6 B and B. Town house in city centre. Rated 8.5 Double room £402.
(And if you’re booking with Booking.com sign up first with easyfundraising.org.uk and nominate Whitehall Choir to benefit; see the Support Us page.)

Here are the links to three hostels which are all walkable to the city centre:

WeareBunk Utrecht: these are really cheap – literally a pod with shared bathroom is €35 a night (2023 prices – 2024 not available) excluding breakfast (which you can buy on site and looks amazing) Address is 9 Catharijnekade Utrecht 3511 and within old city.

Stayokay Utrecht Centrum, 5 Neude Utrecht 3512 is €115 per night for a two person ensuite room for 3 nights (excluding breakfast don’t know if rate changes if only two nights) (2023 prices and 2024 not yet available)

Strowis, 8 Boothstraat Utrecht 3512 is €101.67 per night for a two person ensuite room for 3 nights and 2024 prices (excluding breakfast and again don’t know if price changes is only 2 nights)

So looks like it’s between €35 and €60 per night per person excluding breakfast if you go for this type of option.

Travel

Eurostar

There are many ways of getting to Utrecht. Eurostar direct to Rotterdam (about 3 hr 15 mins) then change for Utrecht (about 35 mins) is one option. It’s also possible to go by Eurostar to Brussels, change for a fast train to Rotterdam and then change again for Utrecht.

Eurostar tickets are flexible in that you can change your booking with no exchange fee up to 7 days before your outward journey (you’ll pay any difference in fare). There’s no refund available. So please be aware that if you book Eurostar tickets and for any reason the tour doesn’t go ahead you’ll not be able to get a refund – just an exchange.

Eurostar booking is now open for travel on 17 May to Brussels and Rotterdam. Booking is also open for trains to Brussels on 18 May, but will not be open for Rotterdam on 18 May until later in the year.

For Monday 20 May two direct trains from Rotterdam to London are now on the timetable, but they are afternoon/evening ones. We’d expect there to be the usual direct trains in the morning/midday- they may be added later but it’s impossible to be sure.

Other

Coach travel- we’ve had a couple of quotes for coach travel from Eaton Square to Utrecht and back. We’ll need to gauge interest and do the sums to see how much it would cost per person.

It’s of course a short flight from London to Schipol airport near Amsterdam. Frequent direct trains go from Schipol to Utrecht (4 per hour, takes 30 minutes, about 10 euros each way). And there’s Eurotunnel and ferry options for anyone wanting to drive.

Any questions please start by asking aileen.stanton@icloud.com