When travel meets football
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Love football? Read on for the joys of a trip based around the beautiful game. Hate football? Read on so you can avoid becoming unwittingly entangled with supporters, together with the sky-high prices for transport and accommodation they bring. What a season for English clubs in Europe. For the first time, there will be a team from the Premier League in each of the three European finals this month: Aston Villa will play Freiburg in the Europa League final in Istanbul on 20 May; Crystal Palace meet the Madrid team, Rayo Vallecano, for Conference League honours in Leipzig on 27 May; and for the top prize, the Champions League, Arsenal are through to the final against Paris St-Germain in Budapest on 30 May. Fares and accommodation prices for the Hungarian capital are off the charts, but as you will read our cruise editor and Gunners’ fan Marc Shoffman has a cunning plan that involves jumping ship in Cologne.
I don’t think I will be supporting my team, Crawley Town, to anywhere more exotic than Accrington Stanley for a while; we finished the season as low as it is possible to go without dropping out of the League. But I organised a contingent of supporters to travel to Tirana for an Albania-England World Cup qualifier in 1989, which provided a thrilling insight into the then-hard line communist state. At the Paris Olympics in 2024, I grabbed a last-minute ticket for a match at the Parc de Princes. And with US air fares and hotel rates for the 2026 World Cup dwindling, even a non-football fan might be tempted with a transatlantic trip in June and July – with many hoteliers in host cities reporting bookings lower than usual. Finally, you may wish to avoid Madrid on and around 5 June 2027, when the Spanish capital hosts next season’s Champions League final.
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Stadium tours are a mixed bunch, but the Boca Juniors tour and museum in Buenos Aires is a standout. The ground is La Bombonera, tightly tucked into a residential area south of the city centre. Besides the chance to pose beside a life-size model of the Boca Juniors hero, Diego Maradona, you also learn plenty of social history.
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The legendary Liverpool manager Bill Shankly famously said: "Some people believe football is a matter of life and death. I am very disappointed with that attitude. I can assure you it is much, much more important than that."
It is with that mantra in mind that I am leaving my very understanding wife and children on a river cruise holiday in Cologne at 6am on 30 May. I will be travelling to Budapest, where Arsenal are appearing in their first Champions League Final for 20 years.
Many other fans are desperately shopping around for affordable plane journeys. Prices for flights from London to Budapest were already rocketing before Arsenal made the final, due to a mix of half-term price hikes and devoted fans booking their trips before the scoreline was known.
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Football fans will be descending on Budapest for the final – whatever the cost (Getty / iStock)
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Now, direct return flights from London to the Hungarian capital start at around £1,000, with a night in an “economy double” hotel room costing double that.
I’m avoiding some of the fees by paying £60 for a flight from Dortmund to Budapest and then catching a £20, three-hour FlixBus to Vienna at 2am, to then fly home from the Austrian capital. There are other extremes. I know some people who are travelling to Slovakia and driving for two hours from Kosice, or making the journey from nearby Bratislava.
This is even before anyone – including me – has secured one of the 16,824 tickets for the final against Paris Saint-Germain. Regardless of the outcome, it's certainly a unique way to see the continent. I imagine those travelling to the World Cup, held jointly between the US, Canada and Mexico, are taking similarly extreme measures.
It’s a funny old game!
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Unwind in the Cumbrian countryside at Grange Manor, staying in a deluxe double or a garden room with private hot tub, plus enjoy daily breakfast and welcome prosecco.
Set above the Victorian seaside town of Grange-over-Sands, this luxury hotel boasts excellent reviews and an enviable location.
Learn more.
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Pocket discounts on worldwide tours departing in the next four months, with a range of exciting trips to choose from.
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Jet off for less on these four and five-star Thomas Cook city breaks, with destinations including Rome, Krakow and Budapest.
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Discover turquoise coastlines to rolling green mountains. Greetings from St. Kitts.
Find out more >>
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A weekend in Baku, Azerbaijan's surprisingly accessible capital, revealed it the city at its most colourful.
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If you’re heading somewhere warm and plan to spend time in the sea or pool, swimming goggles are a holiday essential. They help you see clearly underwater, especially if you’re snorkelling among incredible marine life, while also protecting your eyes from salt water and chlorine. That’s why I’ve rounded up the 12 best swimming goggles for adults that are well worth packing in your suitcase.
If you want extra protection, a good pair of swimming ear plugs can help prevent infections. My favourites are Alpine’s swimsafe ear plugs, which mould comfortably to the ear, allow sound through, and are reusable.
Another travel staple I never fly without is a comfy pair of travel socks. Like this £20 pair from the London Sock Company, made from soft Egyptian cotton with graduated compression to keep feet comfortable on long journeys.
A good sunscreen is also a must. I prefer a spray for body protection as it’s quicker and less messy than cream. Garnier’s SPF dry mist is currently almost half price on Amazon, while Nivea’s anti-age facial SPF is also reduced.
And finally, if you want to look glam by the pool, these £13 Asda swimsuits are similar to Hunza G designs - but without the designer price tag.
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