About the Ashes

When England lost a cricket test match to Australia in 1882, it was said that the ‘Ashes of English Cricket would be taken to Australia’.

The English cricket team travelled downunder the following year, promising to ‘bring the Ashes home’, which they did, and the Ashes have been fiercely contested ever since.

The famous Ashes urn was presented to the English captain some years later after a number of test wins – it was supposed to contain to ashes of a burnt cricket bail. A Waterford Crystal replica of the urn in now presented to the winning team after each Ashes series.

Past Ashes series have included anything from one to seven test matches but since 1998 a five match format has been standard. In Australia, the Ashes tests are traditionally played in Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney.

Having drawn the test series in England in 2019 and lost in Australia in 2021, England will, as in 1883, be travelling Down Under in 2025 keen to ‘bring the Ashes home’.

About Freedom Destinations

Freedom Destinations, or Freedom Australia as it was known, first became involved in the Ashes in 2006. We realised that many fans who travelled to see the Ashes did not want to be part of a rigid group but wanted the flexibility to enjoy the Ashes matches in their own way and with the opportunity to see more of Australia.

Since then, Freedom Destinations has arranged Ashes trips for thousands of cricket fans, as they travel to Australia for an unforgettable lifetime experience.

With FREEDOM, you can choose which test matches you go to and what you want to do in between. Previous Ashes fans have enjoyed:

• Visits to the Red Centre or Great Barrier Reef
• Extra time in the test match cities to relax or explore further
• Escorted tours, rail journeys and cruises
• Motorhomes and self drives for travel between test match cities
• Economy, premium or business class flights with worldwide stopovers

Freedom Destinations will help you plan your Ashes trip, from single test matches to grand Australia tours. Our expert staff are here to help you.