With the European football championship in Germany fast approaching, the scramble for the last remaining tickets is in full swing. Securing a ticket is just the beginning; the real challenge lies in planning your trip to the match. Those who purchased their tickets early have long since sorted out their travel arrangements. However, even if you’re simply heading to Germany to soak up the atmosphere and catch the games at organized viewing locations, there are plenty of options to consider.
Ticket prices have soared, which is no surprise given the high demand. Your goal will be to find the most affordable way to attend the matches. Accommodation costs are also on the rise, making budget-friendly travel a bit of a challenge. Many fans will likely opt to drive, as Germany is relatively close for many football fans. Carpooling can help reduce costs significantly.
But if you prefer to avoid the hassle of driving—dealing with long hours on the road, traffic jams, and parking—public transportation is a convenient alternative. With well-developed infrastructure, getting around Germany via trains and buses can make your championship experience both enjoyable and stress-free.
Let’s look at some of the options for the upcoming matches.
1st round, 15 June 2024 at 18:00, Saturday, Berlin, Spain – Croatia
This match, along with the final group stage game against Italy, is expected to be a major draw for fans. As it falls on a Saturday, you might need to take a day off to attend the match and travel back home on Sunday.
Departure Friday June 14, and return on Sunday June 16
Naturally, with departures on Friday and returns on Sunday, all affordable tickets from Zagreb to Berlin have been snapped up, with prices now starting at 500 euros for a return ticket. The same applies for flights from Pula and Zadar.
Residents of Split and the surrounding areas are more fortunate. From Split Airport, it is possible to find tickets for slightly over 300 euros. Similarly, tickets from Dubrovnik are available for just under 300 euros. The primary carriers from Split and Dubrovnik are Lufthansa and Austrian Airlines.
For nearby airports, here are the minimum prices for return tickets to Berlin:
- Podgorica – 200 euros
- Venice – 200 euros
- Sarajevo – 250 euros
- Vienna – 250 euros
- Graz – 250 euros
- Belgrade – 290 euros
- Budapest – 300 euros
- Trieste – 300 euros
- Ljubljana – 400 euros
If you can be flexible and go a day earlier or return a day later, then you can find tickets from Zagreb for 300 euros.
2nd round, June 19 2024 at 15:00, Wednesday, Hamburg, Croatia – Albania
This game is in the middle of the week, so there is no choice but to take three days off and go cheer.
Departure on Tuesday 18 June, and return on Thursday 20 June
For these dates, the best price for a ticket from Zagreb is 450 euros, which is far from cheap. Tickets from Split and Zadar are similarly priced at around 400 euros. Dubrovnik and Pula offer slightly better deals, with prices starting at 360 euros.
From nearby airports, here are the minimum prices for return tickets to Hamburg:
- Vienna – 175 euros
- Belgrade – 250 euros
- Budapest – 250 euros
- Venice – 250 euro
- Ljubljana – 300 euros
- Graz – 300 euros
- Podgorica – 300 euros
- Trieste – 330 euros
- Sarajevo – 400 euros
3rd round, 24 June 2024 at 21:00, Monday, Leipzig, Italy – Croatia
Leipzig is a somewhat challenging city to reach by plane due to its limited number of connections, primarily serving tourist destinations. The closest airport with direct flights to Leipzig is Vienna, but ticket prices are expensive. A better option is to fly into Berlin and take the train to Leipzig. The German rail network offers frequent high-speed trains between Berlin and Leipzig, with the journey taking just an hour and fifteen minutes.
Interestingly, you can also travel between these two cities via FlixTrain. While FlixBus is well-known in Croatia, in Germany, they also operate trains as a competitor to German Railways. Ticket prices between Berlin and Leipzig can start as low as 5 euros for a one-way trip. If trains are unavailable or too expensive, there’s always the bus as an alternative.
Departure on Sunday 23 June, and return on Tuesday 25 June
From Zagreb, Zadar, and Split to Berlin, ticket prices start from 240 euros. From Dubrovnik, tickets are available for 280 euros, while from Pula, prices are around 300 euros.
From nearby airports, here are the minimum prices for return tickets to Berlin:
- Trieste – 72 euros
- Budapest – 96 euros
- Venice – 115 euros
- Belgrade – 120 euros
- Vienna – 170 euros
- Podgorica – 250 euros
- Ljubljana – 330 euros
- Sarajevo – 350 euros
- Graz – 370 euros
There are favorable ticket prices for those dates from surrounding airports, with some costing less than 100 euros. For example, return tickets from Trieste are around 70 euros, which is excellent considering the rush of fans.
Another option is to fly to Prague and then take a bus or train to Leipzig. The bus journey takes about 3.5 hours, with a similar travel time for the train. The price for a return trip by bus or train is around 50 euros, depending on the departure times. However, ticket prices to Prague are not very favorable, so this option should be considered carefully.
Backup travel options
In this article, we considered trips to matches the day before and the day after the match day. If you have the flexibility to stay longer in Germany, try booking a few days before or after the match to find better ticket prices.
A bus is always a backup option. Numerous buses travel from Croatia to various cities in Germany. Alternatively, you can take the train from Croatia. While direct trains to match cities might not be available, efficient transfers can get you there. You can take a night train from Zagreb and wake up in Germany, continuing your journey by high-speed trains within the country.
We hope this guide has made planning your trip a bit easier and perhaps provided some new ideas. We wish you a pleasant trip and great cheering.
Please note that the prices were checked on 29 May 2024, and may vary if you search later. Non-guaranteed connections between low-cost carriers, such as Ryanair’s Zagreb-Milan-Berlin route, were not considered—only guaranteed transfers were included.
