European Football trips
One thing to know about me is that I love football.
My current mission is to follow in my dad’s footsteps and visit every league ground in England [92 stadiums to be exact].
However, when I’m not making my way through english football grounds, I am going to games whilst on my travels!
This has seen me watch Messi in Barcelona, Ronaldo in Madrid, and even Beckham in LA!
“It’s also a great way to have a local and authentic experience, sitting with the home crowd and cheering on their local team.”
Buying tickets to games in a different country can be a little tricky, and so here’s a list of the European grounds that I’ve visited, and my experience buying tickets.
Spain
Santiago Bernabéu - Real Madrid
Nou Camp - Barcelona
Both of these Spanish teams are not only incredibly good, but are very famous. Therefore tickets to watch Real Madrid or Barcelona play are very hard to come by. They also do not have a ticket exchange, however believe me when I say that these are must visit stadiums.
I was able to get tickets to both Real Madrid v Valencia and Barcelona v Real Vallecano via https://www.livefootballtickets.com/. Please note that this is not an official authorised reseller of either club, however it is extremely trusted by the footballing world and also offer a 150% money back guarantee.
You will have to pay more than the regular price for tickets via this website, but to get the chance to see Barcelona and Real Madrid, it was worth it for me.
Ticket Price: €120 [Real Madrid]
The Netherlands
Johan Cruijff ArenA - Ajax
Philips Stadium - PSV Eindhoven
Ajax are a great team to visit whilst in #Amsterdam, and they are also the biggest team in The Netherlands.
Tickets do tend to sell out very fast, however they have a ticket exchange allowing you to buy tickets from season ticket holders that cannot attend that match. You will need to have an Ajax account [this is free], and resale tickets can be purchased here. Members tend to put these up anywhere between 2 weeks - 12 hours before each match.
Although not as popular as Amsterdam, Eindhoven is another big city in The Netherlands and is home to the very passionate PSV Eindhoven team. I had a great day out here and they actually have dedicated packages specifically for tourists. Expect to pay €55 pp for their packages depending on the game [they cost more if it's a local derby or a big game]. Included in this is a match ticket and a €20 gift card to spend in their shop. You'll need to submit an application, which can be done here.
The atmosphere is epic, it's easy to get tickets and Eindhoven is pretty cool, so add this one to your list.
Ticket price: €40 pp [Ajax]
Ticket price: €55 pp [PSV]
Italy
Stadio Renato Dall'Ara - Bologna
Stadio Olimpico - Lazio/Roma
Italians always like to do things at their own pace [slow!], and so tickets do not tend to go on sale on the teams websites until 4 days before the game.
I was able to buy tickets via https://www.vivaticket.com/it, and it turns out they have tickets to a lot of Italian football matches. They are also the official provider, and so do not risk going elsewhere to buy your tickets.
I purchased tickets to Lazio v Fiorentina 2 days before the match, and tickets for Bologna vs AC Milan 1 day before, and so don’t worry if you’re last minute, as they don’t tend to sell out.
Ticket price: €60 pp [Bologna]
Ticket Price: €40 pp [Lazio]
Germany
Allianz Arena - Bayern Munich
I hadn’t planned on going to a Bayern game whilst in Munich, but it just so happened that they were at home and so I thought I would try my luck!
As this was the day of the match, Germans are much more efficient/prompt with their ticketing system than the Italians, and so this was a complete sell out [as most games are in the Bundesliga].
I ended up standing out the front of the stadium, and wrote on my purse ‘Looking for 2 tickets’ in German, hoping that someone would sell me 2 tickets. Incredibly, IT WORKED! However I would not advise this as lots of people selling tickets outside are selling fake tickets. I got lucky, however it was a risk I was willing to take.
Bayern Munich have a ‘ticket exchange’ system online, meaning you can buy tickets that season ticket holders are selling for the game as they cannot attend. It might mean you have to sit separately if you are attending in a group, but it is a great way to ensure you are buying legit tickets. You can buy tickets on the exchange until 4 hours before kick off, and you will need to create an account before being able to purchase a ticket [it’s free!].
Price: €45 pp
“It’s worth mentioning that all of these grounds are very easy to get to via public transport, and are very well known within each city! ”