England's national team will play at the Euro 2024 in Germany. Here, we advise British fans on what expenses to expect when travelling to support Gareth Southgate's players and how best to pay when you get there. How much will they need to spend on travel, hotels, match tickets and day-to-day living in Germany?
Match tickets
On the official distribution channel, tickets for Euro 2024 sold out at a truly lightning speed. In the group phase, the opening game between Germany and Scotland was the most expensive, ranging from 50 to 900 EUR, which, converted at the current exchange rate is around 43.5-780 pounds. Tickets for the remaining matches in the groups, including the three England battles, cost between 30 and 400 euros, or around 36-346.5 GBP.
"For football lovers, the prices were not an obstacle. The system informs that all tickets have already been sold out. Although there are still offers to buy on other websites, UEFA draws attention to the risky nature of such transactions," emphasises Robert Blaszczyk, Head of Strategic Clients Department at Conotoxia.
England will play on 16 June in Gelsenkirchen against Serbia, on 20 June against Denmark in Frankfurt and on 25 June against Slovenia in Cologne. If the British eleven advance to the knockout stage, fan expenses will go up. Indeed, in the tournament's later stages, tickets cost between 50 and 900 euros, or around 43.5-780 GBP. The most expensive, as usual, is the final: between 95 and 2,000 EUR, or around 82.5 to as much as 1,731.5 pounds.
Note: At Euro 2024, as with other such events, there are no discounts or free entry for children.
Petrol, motorways, flights
The 10 Euro 2024 arenas - Dortmund, Gelsenkirchen, Düsseldorf, Cologne, Frankfurt am Main, Munich, Hamburg, Berlin, Leipzig, and Stuttgart - will host a total of half a million people. If you are travelling between them by car, you should know that the motorways in Germany are free of charge. There is no need to bother with vignettes or look out for toll gates. However, it is worth paying attention to the speed limits, especially in cities and towns. In extreme cases, the fine for speeding in built-up areas can reach 800 EUR or almost 693 GBP.
Petrol in Germany costs slightly more than in the UK. You will pay just over 1.6 pounds in conversion for a litre of basic petrol. Renting a car usually costs 25 euros per day, which is just under 22 GBP. As an alternative, consider train travel.
Airline tickets between, for example, London and Frankfurt am Main (round trip) cost just under 100 pounds for one person in a bargain offer. However, flights priced at around 200 GBP prevail.
Meals and hotels
"The cost of living in Germany is slightly lower than in the UK, especially when it comes to shopping, but not so much when we talk about restaurants, bars and pubs. For a meal for two in a medium-standard restaurant, you must spend around 60 EUR, roughly 52 pounds, and 4 euros (3.5 GBP) for a coffee or a small beer. A meal at a fast food chain costs an average of 10 euros (8.7 pounds). Supporters have to brace themselves for much higher prices for drinks and snacks in the stadiums and the areas around them. A taxi ride of several kilometres will also be around 10 EUR. A single metro ticket in Berlin costs 3.5 euros (3 GBP)", calculates Robert Blaszczyk of fintech Conotoxia.
During the Euro 2024 tournament (14 June - 14 July), accommodation in cities with stadiums may cost more than usual during key dates. Prices will of course depend on the standard and distance from the city centre. For example, in Gelsenkirchen, where England will face Serbia on 16 June, a two-night stay for two people in a hotel or apartment will cost around 400 pounds and around 150 GBP in a cheap hostel.
What kind of budget should two people set? Where to exchange currency?
What is the expense of tickets, flights, accommodation, food, and tournament souvenirs? If we take a more frugal approach of just one group stage match and buy two budget tickets around 87 GBP, plus flights - 400 GBP, a weekend stay in a flat - around 400 GBP, also 200 GBP for food and souvenirs, then two people can fit into a budget of under 1100 pounds. For those wishing to attend the entire group stage in Germany, watch three England matches, travel between the Euro 2024 stadiums and spend 10-11 days in this country, the cost, excluding luxuries, could rise to around 2,500 GBP.
"Is it worth exchanging pounds for euros before your Euro 2024 trip to Germany? It is not the best idea to do this at border exchange offices or airports. A multi-currency card seems to be a much more convenient, advantageous and faster way to pay abroad. It can be topped up regularly, keeping your spending in check, but it can also be used to withdraw money from ATMs. Cash may prove useful, for example, in some German bars, restaurants or bakeries, where it is not possible to pay by card," points out the Conotoxia expert.