Champions League Final Travel Costs Soar for PSG and Arsenal Fans

Supporters of Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain are facing extreme travel and accommodation costs as they prepare for the Champions League final in Budapest on May 30. Some fans are facing total expenses exceeding £15,000 to attend the match, according to reporting from football.london.

The final will be held at the Ferenc Puskas Stadium, which has a capacity of 67,000. Arsenal has been allocated 16,824 seats for its supporters, with official ticket prices ranging from £60 to £800.

Despite the official allocation, high demand has driven prices up on secondary markets. Ticket resale sites have offered seats priced at £6,160. UEFA has urged fans to avoid purchasing tickets from these resale platforms.

Surging Transport and Lodging Costs

Airfare to the Hungarian capital has increased sharply. Direct flights from London to Budapest start at approximately £1,000, while some one-way flights have exceeded £3,000, as reported by football.london. Wizz Air has introduced extra flights to accommodate supporters, with some one-way tickets from Gatwick and Luton priced at more than £600.

Arsenal is also providing charter flights for supporters at a cost of £860 per person.

Accommodation in Budapest has seen similar price spikes for the weekend of May 30. Some economy double hotel rooms are priced at £2,000, while other hotel rates have topped £2,500 per night.

Alternative Travel Strategies

Due to the high costs of direct travel, some supporters are seeking indirect routes to reach Budapest. The Independent reports that fans are considering flights to Bratislava in Slovakia or Vienna, Austria, using trains or fast ferries down the Danube to complete the journey. However, fares to Vienna on key dates have also risen above £700.

One of the most budget-friendly options involves traveling to Timisoara in western Romania approximately three days before the match and using a train link to Budapest. A route flying out via Dortmund and returning via Milan with an overnight stay is priced at £112 return.

Marc Shoffman, cruise editor of The Independent, detailed a complex itinerary to attend the match, which includes disembarking a river cruise in Cologne at 6 a.m. On the day of the final to travel to Budapest. His return journey involves a 2 a.m. Flixbus to Vienna for a flight back to Stansted.

Other fans are reportedly flying to Kosice in Slovakia and driving two hours to Budapest to avoid extortionate flight prices.

Local Arrangements

For supporters unable to make the trip to Hungary, Arsenal will hold a screening of the final at the Emirates Stadium. The match is scheduled to kick off at 5 p.m. UK time on May 30.