Fancy a trip to Dusseldorf for England‘s Euro 2024 quarter-final against Switzerland? Be prepared to break the bank. Tickets, flights and hotels will all cost a pretty penny with competition for places increasing as kick-off closes in.
The Three Lions are fancied by bookmakers to beat the Swiss on Saturday. And thousands of fans are desperate to be there and witness a potential moment of history – even if Gareth Southgate‘s side have been underwhelming so far.
Unsurprisingly, flights to Dusseldorf tomorrow (Saturday) aren’t cheap. Options are limited in terms of flights from London airports which are scheduled to arrive in plenty of time for kick-off.
A direct option leaving from London Heathrow and landing in Cologne – a short train ride from Dusseldorf – just after 11am on Saturday morning, and returning from Dusseldorf to London Gatwick the following evening, is currently priced at £768.
Direct, return options from London to Cologne are at a similar price point, though many will undoubtedly be searching for creative, long-winded ways to get to Germany and save some cash in the process.
Dusseldorf is expected to be crawling with supporters – both Swiss and English – before the quarter-final kicks off at 6pm (local time). Then comes the issue of tickets, which sold out within minutes through official channels.
Resale websites feature tickets listed for up to £9,000. However, Swiss news outlet Blick reports that, as of Wednesday afternoon, some resale tickets were available for the equivalent of £479.
Strictly speaking, UEFA prohibits the resale of Euro 2024 tickets and has threatened to declare those purchased on the black market invalid. With rowdy crowds expected to descend on Dusseldorf, one may expect finding a hotel room to be a daunting prospect.
However, there are plenty of options still available within striking distance of the 54,600-capacity Merkur Spiel-Arena.
Rooms for one person start at a relatively modest £120 but prices vary significantly from one establishment to the next. All told, taking flights, tickets and a hotel room into account, going all in on England vs Switzerland isn’t going to be a cheap venture.
Plumping for the direct flight, the lower-end resale ticket and a basic hotel room clocks in at almost £1500 – and that’s not including spending money. But the associated costs won’t deter everyone as they scramble to see Southgate’s Three Lions book their spot in the semi-finals of Euro 2024.