Arsenal supporters are facing exorbitant travel and accommodation costs after the club secured a spot in the Champions League final. The most convenient return flight package with budget airline Wizz Air has surged to £1,195, while the cheapest direct round trip for the Friday-to-Sunday period is £918.
Hotel Accommodation Nearly Sold Out
More than 96 percent of hotel options on Booking.com have been booked for the final weekend. The cheapest available bed for a single adult is £268, but that requires sharing a hostel room with three other people. Fans could easily spend around £1,500 on flights, accommodation, food, and drinks before even purchasing a match ticket for the final on Saturday, May 30.
Ticket Prices Vary Widely
The cheapest tickets are the 'Fans First' and easy access/wheelchair options at €70 (£60.41), but prices increase steeply. Category three tickets cost €180 (£155.34), or €140 (£120.83) for a restricted view. Category two tickets are €650 (£560.86), or €520 (£448.68) with a restricted view. Category one tickets are priced at a whopping €950 (£819.68), nearly the cost of an adult season ticket at the Emirates Stadium, or €760 (£655.82) for a restricted view.
Declan Rice's Call to Fans
After Arsenal's 1-0 home victory against Atletico Madrid, Declan Rice urged 200,000 fans to travel to Budapest. 'Bring it on, bring it on – I’ll be ready. Let's see what happens. Budapest, I want every Arsenal fan out there, 200,000 of you, come out!' he said. 'Let's try and do it because we're going to need all the support, all the energy and let's make it really special.'
However, if that many fans travel, more than 90 percent will not gain entry to the stadium. Arsenal have received a ticket allocation of 16,824, roughly a quarter of the Emirates Stadium's capacity.
Travel Options and Costs
Daily Mail Sport investigated the costs for a single supporter making a weekend trip from May 29-31. The cheapest direct return flights are from Luton at 6.20pm to Budapest at 9.55pm on Friday, returning from Budapest at 11.05pm Sunday to Luton at 12.50am Monday. The most convenient option costs £1,195, departing Gatwick at 4.20pm Friday, landing in Budapest at 8pm, and returning Sunday at 9.15pm to 11.05pm.
Among remaining accommodations, the cheapest is £268 for the weekend at Urban Nomad Hostel, which has an average rating of 6.5. One thing is certain: whoever attends will take a significant financial hit.
