Supporters hoping to travel to the all-English Europa League final in Bilbao could end up paying thousands of pounds for the privilege. There are ways to drive that cost down, however, especially for those willing to spend two days on a ferry.
After Tottenham and Manchester United confirmed their places at the San Mamés on 21 May via their respective semi-final second leg victories over Bodø/Glimt and Athletic Bilbao on Thursday, eyes immediately turned to the prospect of attending a game both Ange Postecoglou and Ruben Amorim described as “massive”. Uefa has allocated 15,000 tickets to each club, with a further 11,000 tickets on general sale, out of a total capacity of 49,000. Tickets reserved for official allocations start at €40 (£34), the same price as last year, but general admission has risen in price, with the most expensive Category 1 ticket costing €240 (£203), up from €150 last year.
United had already communicated their travel plans to supporters before the second leg against Athletic, with a 24-hour return trip to the Basque city costing £899 for those who secure a ticket in a lottery. Spurs, meanwhile, are set to confirm their official travel plans shortly.
Fans planning to travel independently face pricing pinch points on tickets, travel and accommodation. With a number of general sale tickets expected to have been bought by Athletic fans, there is the prospect of a substantial resale market. Even though selling on is expressly prohibited by Uefa’s rules, second-hand ticket sites had prices starting from £950 on Friday. Hotel rooms, meanwhile, were in short supply, with Booking.com saying 97% of venues are already sold out, with its cheapest available offering for the night of the final starting at £1,300. Direct air travel for one person is coming in at around the same price.
“Football fans are being exploited by airlines and hotels and Airbnb owners in the same way that people applying for Oasis tickets are when there’s surge pricing,” said Stephen Cavalier of the Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust. “Not all fans can afford to pay those sort of exorbitant prices and there are people going from a variety of different routes.”
Both United’s and Spurs’ supporters trusts say fans are choosing to save money by flying indirectly to the venue, taking the train or driving down to the Basque Country. That return journey on the 48-hour ferry from Portsmouth to Bilbao, meanwhile, comes in at just under £400.
According to Tom Hall, an editor and writer for Lonely Planet, being more imaginative in your travel plans might cost you time but will also save you money as well as lead to a more enjoyable experience. “If people are prepared to take on a bit of overland travel through Spain, they can have the most brilliant trip,” he said. “Flying into Barcelona, for example, means you’ve got the option to break the journey pretty much anywhere, which means you can box and cox on the cost.”
He also recommends searching for rail-based options or driving down through France, with camper vans offering the possibility to save on accommodation too. “As a first choice look at overland options, consider driving and constructing a bit of a holiday out of it. I think all of those things are a ton of fun,” he said.
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Hall does, however, warn against some of the more complicated flying options which involve changing flights in third countries. “You’re going a long way out your way,” he says, “and if something goes wrong with that then you’re in Istanbul and you’re not in Bilbao.”
