Would like to take a teenage granddaughter to London for a brief shopping trip and to see Les Miserables. She has been to London twice and I have been to London every year for the past 13 years. Usually fly Virgin, but would fly another airline from NJ if it was less expensive. Also some advise about getting tickets for the show. Whould I try through UK Ticketmaster or take a chance on Leicester Square?

You didn't say when you're planning to go to London - but right now there're quite a few airline sales for the winter.

BA is one of them, AA also. I'm sure most other airlines have followed on the sale.

I'm looking at early November. Depends on when I can get the tickets for.

Did you check BA & AA's websites?

I punched in some random dates in Nov for both, and I'm getting $453 all-in for both airlines.

Regarding Les Miserables, you can check on TKTS website and see whether they have tickets. Their website list what tickets they have on sale each day. Obviously, if you're going to the show on a weekday, you'll have a better chance of getting a discount ticket via TKTS.
http://www.officiallondontheatre.co.uk/tkts/today

Getting tix to Les Miz is not a problem. Do not use Ticketmaster and pay their booking fees.

It is available at TKTS fairly often - most frequently for matinees - but definitely not every day. If you don't want to chance TKTS, you can ring the theatre directly or go to the box office after you are in London.

I don't think it should be a problem getting tickets for Les Miserables through TKTS either.

We were in London this past June and saw it - I had been checking the TKTS website periodically for several months prior to our trip to see what was available - no problem at all getting tickets for Les Miserables on the one night we designated as our "show night".

I don't know about Les Miserables, but when I was in London a few months ago I decided on the spur of the moment that I wanted to see a show in the West End. I took the Metro to the area, looked around, and made a phone call to UK Ticketmaster. Ten minutes and 45pounds (for three tickets) later, I had my plans for the evening!

If you can plan ahead , you can get the £50 tickets plus a 2 course pre or post theatre dinner at Bertorrelli's for £42.50 total per person at London eating

http://londoneating.eolts.co.uk/thea...:R/showid:1002

Happy Birthday Les Miserables - 21 on the 8th

You should be able to call the box office directly from the US and book the tickets that way. Unlike in the US, it's possible to do that for the theaters in London.

Sorry, forgot to say that just wanted to be sure you know Les Miz is coming to Broadway this fall, so don't know whether you want to take her to that over here, and pick out a different show which is only appearing in London.

The version coming to Broadway is going to be a revised version of the original.

Don't know how different it'll be but do a search on Google News