For the fifth time, Minnesota’s NFL team is returning to London to face the Cleveland Browns at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Oct. 5, part of a two-week British Isles tour that started Sunday with a 24-21 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Dublin. The Vikings are 4-1 playing oversees but a perfect 4-0 while playing in London.
Last year, the Minnesota Star Tribune’s Michael Rand wrote a travelogue to offer suggestions for visiting London. This year, with the match less than a week out, what would it take to attend at the last minute? Dust off your passport and let’s find out.
You’ll want to depart Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport no later than Thursday or Friday to account for jet lag (more below). Or leave by Wednesday to catch Vikings fan events in London on Thursday. These Google-derived airfares are subject to immediate change.
Nonstop: Delta is the only game in town, with a nonstop fare for a reasonable $1,030 in Delta Main Basic, but only for an Wednesday-Oct. 9 round trip. It’s more expensive the shorter you stay. If you go for just seven days, the best fare jumps to $1,480, or $1,780 for six days, and so on.
Budget: If you aren’t as flexible and can tolerate a stop, airlines such as United, Air Canada and American have Basic Economy fares fluctuating from $916-$999 for several Thursday departures. These have short North American stops before the long overnight haul.
Luxury: Money is no object, you say? Spring for a lie-flat Delta One suite. It’s just $13,393 for Friday-Oct. 10 (you’ll be so well rested), or about $12,686 Wednesday-Oct. 8 with a European stop on the return.
Budget: Now that you’ve come all this way, can you even get into the game? Stubhub International’s site lists 200-plus remaining tickets, and they’re not all nosebleeds, with Level 1 lower seating from $326 and up, including fees. The cheapest tickets for sale right now, way up in Level 5 of the 62,850-capacity Hotspur, were $152.
Luxury: The Vikings are also selling an Official Gameday Package, which includes a game ticket, “exclusive access to the pregame party” with “delicious local pregame pub food, assorted local brews, entertainment and more,” just steps away from Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The package also includes “an itinerary for your time in London” and an on-site greeting by “Certified Blue Badge Guides to provide you with the wealth of London’s history.” The cost for this package is $945-$970, plus fees.
With just about any eastbound transatlantic trip, you’ll contend with a shortened overnight on the way there, resulting in what feels like a very long first day on little to no sleep. We endorse the Rick Steves approach to jet lag: Tough it out as if it were an ordinary day, as your body and brain adjust to the reality of the British time zone. Day 2 will feel more normal.
The Vikings’ official fan headquarters in London is the Redwood pub, near the south side of the famed London Bridge. There’s a meet and greet with “Vikings legends” at 6 p.m. Thursday, followed by an NFL pub quiz. On Friday night, there’s a “tailgate party” with DJ, games and ticket giveaways. Register for events here.
