Please help! Dresden Opera Tickets
 

I'm trying to make reservations for the Dresden opera and am puzzled by their internet reservations system.

The other European opera houses that I've tried will show a chart of the seats and also which seats are available, so that I can choose my own seat from the chart and then reserve that seat.

The Dresden system doesn't work this way. It doesn't give a choice. I choose a price category and then the system shows ONE available seat.

What if I don't want that seat?

There's no choice possible.

The puzzlement is that for an opera six months away, the system shows the worst seat available for a particular price category. Surely this is not possible? Does opera in Dresden sell out so far in advance?

Is there any way to bypass this system? Or would one have to use a booking agency in order to get decent seats?

Thanks for any help you can give me!

You open this website:

http://www.eventim.de

In the upper right corner, you click on "Deutschland english".

In the search field you type "Semperoper".

Then it shows dates and shows. Click on tickets and a seating plan will load. You will be able to select your seat.

However, I found out that for April 2011, 95% of the seats are already booked. It may be the case that there is indeed one single seat left for the date that you required. Then hurry!

Echnaton: thanks so much for that link!

I tried to book one opera but the "transaction fee" for "world" is equivalent to the cost of the one ticket! It shouldn't cost 50+ euros to ship tickets from Germany to the US by "standard" mail.

You are correct then that the tickets are going fast!

If I have to pay that kind of transaction fee, I might as well try the opera house website itself and add the transaction fee to higher priced tickets.

Nevertheless, thanks so much for your help! This has been quite a lesson in how quickly the opera tickets are sold in Europe!

Thanks again!

If you tell me which opera you exactly want to see (date) I could go up to the box office and get a ticket for you. You can reimburse me when you're in Dresden (I'm a resident, have done that quite a lot of times with Fodorites before - so you save the fee).

The problem with the website is that the online tickets are not sold through the opera house - it's an external business (eventim, as Echnaton noted). They often don't show all the tickets available. Another problem is that a lot of tickets are reserved by tour companies long in advance but sometimes (often) returned some weeks prior to the actual performance. On the other hand, during major holidays or for really outstanding performances tickets do sell out quickly.

If you don't feel comfortable to take me up on my offer to get the ticket for you I suggest you call the opera box office directly. +49 351 4911705 Keep the time difference in mind!

I assume you mean the Semperoper?

Both times I have gone, I have just shown up at the box office right before the performance and gotten tickets.

easytraveler, I can tell you that getting a ticket via Ingo's offer is your best bet. He knows the Semperoper inside and out. Meeting him last year in Dresden was the highlight of our trip!

Too kind of you - it was great meeting you and your hubby, yk!

The original poster has probably already made the purchase, my post was too late. Too bad.

MAry,

please go to your hotmail.

Ingo:

Thanks so much for your wonderful offer! If it's not too late, I'd like to take you up on the possibilities of your getting the tickets for me.

My apologies for responding so late but I've been on a trip (for opera, of course) and just got back.

Is there some way we can take this private (for arrangement of payment, etc.)? Would you like an email address or do you prefer some other form of communication?

yk: Thanks for the recommendation! Hope you're having a great time in Europe!

Easytraveler, I was wondering if you were on a trip. Of course for opera ;-)

Yes, let's take this to private communication, email is fine. Would you post yours so I can write you?

Ingo:

Please email me at bells918@hotmaildotcom.

I look forward to hearing from you!

Done. Hope it works.