How to plan a football weekend in Europe from the UK
Most football trips go wrong in the same place: the flights get booked first, then it turns out the game sells out to members, or the kick-off moves to Monday night for TV. Doing it in the right order fixes most of that.
1. Pick the match, not the city
Start with the fixture list. A city with two clubs, like Milan, Madrid or Lisbon, gives you more chances of a home game on your weekend. Smaller clubs are easier to get into and cheaper, and the atmosphere is often better than at a half-empty big ground.
Our club guides list every upcoming home game with a typical trip price from 17 UK airports.
2. Check you can actually get a ticket
Before you spend anything, find out three things from the club's own ticket page:
- Who can buy. Some clubs, like Bayern Munich and Union Berlin, sell almost every league game to members. At Barcelona this season, season pass holders take most seats while the Camp Nou is rebuilt. Most other clubs go on general sale to anyone.
- When sales open. General sale can open five weeks before kick-off, or just a few days before. Members usually get a window first.
- What ID you need. In Italy, Belgium and Croatia tickets are named, and stewards check your ID at the gate. Bring your passport.
Our guide for each club has the sale window, the membership rules and the buying steps written out. When do football tickets go on sale? compares the windows club by club.
3. Wait for the kick-off time
Leagues set kick-off times for TV, often only two to five weeks ahead. A game listed for Saturday can move to Sunday or Friday. If you book before the time is fixed, either stay three nights or book flights you can change.
4. Book the flight and room
Once the ticket and the time are sorted, book the rest. Flying out the day before and home the day after gives you two nights and leaves room for delays. Check the airport you land at: some cities have a cheap budget airport that's an hour or more from the centre.
5. Buy only from the club
Resale sites charge far more than face value, and at clubs with named tickets they can get you turned away at the gate. Every Away Day guide ends with a link to the club's own ticket site.
On the day
- Get to the ground early. Security checks in Italy and Spain can be slow.
- Look up which end the home fans stand. Away sections are often sold separately.
- Take a card and some cash. Some grounds are cashless, some small ones take cash only.