Here’s how England fans can get to the capital in time, says Simon Calder
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Following the thrilling win by England over the Netherlands in the final minutes of the game on Wednesday, numerous supporters are eagerly hoping to travel to Berlin to witness the final match on Sunday.
After Ollie Watkins scored the winning goal in the 90th minute, fans quickly started reserving tickets and prices shot up.
Flights from London to Berlin without stops are sold out until Sunday night, and coming back on Monday is no better. Additionally, finding affordable hotel accommodations is proving to be quite a challenge.
On Thursday, Ryanair decided to include a few additional flights from London Stansted to Berlin. However, these flights were completely booked within just four hours.
Simon Calder, travel journalist from The Independent, has been exploring Germany this week.
What's The Flight Situation Like?
Beginning in London, where there are usually plenty of flight options to Berlin, the most economical route available since England made it to the final required a risky self-connecting journey: £275 departing from Luton to Antalya in Turkey. You would need to spend the night there on Saturday before catching an early flight back to Berlin for an 11:20am arrival.
Returning on Monday, you will take a flight from Berlin to Palma de Mallorca, which may seem unexpected due to the large number of Spanish fans cheering for their team. You will then have a connecting flight back to Luton.
However, that deal is no longer available. If you are willing to spend a night in Zurich and arrive in Berlin at 6pm on Sunday, then return on Monday with a layover in Vienna until Tuesday, there is still a £300 offer from London Heathrow.
Are There Flights From Other England Cities To Berlin?
Manchester Airport is the primary airport located outside of the capital city, and the options are not looking great. One possible travel itinerary includes a quick trip through Zurich, returning on Monday through Frankfurt with a 24-hour layover, all for just under £400. As for Bristol, a journey costing around £600 will take you to Split, Croatia where you can enjoy a nice lunch by the Adriatic Sea before catching a flight to Berlin. The return trip will take you through Izmir, Turkey.
What Are Your Alternatives To Outrageous Fares And Routes?
Travel to a destination with convenient train connections to Berlin. A great option is Szczecin, Poland, but flights from Liverpool and London Stansted are all booked for the match. If you can stay in Germany until next Wednesday, you can catch a flight back to Liverpool from Szczecin for £26 one way.
This Saturday, the best destinations to visit are Wroclaw and Poznan. However, flight prices are increasing. Wizz Air offers a route from Luton to Wroclaw, while Ryanair has a route back to Stansted. The total cost for both flights is £461.
Poznan is a great option to consider, as you can fly there on Wizz Air from Luton for just £432. Plus, there are frequent train connections that take you directly to Berlin.
In Germany, Hamburg is the closest major option available, but all non-stop flights are fully booked.
My last recommendation for flying is to consider Prague, which has a lovely train connection to Berlin. You can fly there for only £315 roundtrip from Luton with Wizz Air. That's the option I would most likely choose.
Why Aren't Other Airlines Adding More UK To Berlin Flights?
Regrettably, they are fully booked on weekends in July, so they do not have any planes, pilots, or cabin crew available. Additionally, securing slots at Berlin airport may be very challenging at this point.
Consider Overland Travel!
Many England supporters will be traveling this weekend. A round trip car ferry from Dover to Dunkirk is an option, costing £205 departing on Friday and returning on Monday. The ferry departs at 10am and returns at 6pm, accommodating a car, the driver, and four passengers. The journey from Dunkirk to Berlin is a 10-hour, 550-mile drive.
Flixbus has a few seats left on its Friday morning 10am trip from London to Berlin. The journey lasts 25 hours and is priced at £126 for a one-way ticket.
You can currently buy tickets starting at £350 for a journey from London to Brussels via Eurostar, then connecting to German Rail to travel from Brussels to Cologne and finally to Berlin. The journey takes around 10 hours.
Time To Find A Place To Stay!
Berlin has many hotels because it is a big city for business meetings and events. You can still find a cheap hotel outside of the city for under £100 for a room with two beds even on the night of the final. I suggest looking in Frankfurt an der Oder, close to the Polish border, where rooms cost only £40 each night. From there, you can buy a £20 day pass to take a train to Berlin in just an hour.
Exploring Fan Zones
The best spot to watch the game is at the Fan Zone Reichstag in the center of the city, where there are huge screens. However, it may get crowded. Uefa has stated that the maximum capacity of the Fan Zone Reichstag is 10,000 people. If it becomes too full, they will use the 'one in, one out' rule, where one person can enter for each fan who leaves the Fan Zone.
But nearby is the Brandenburg Gate fan area, which can hold up to 30,000 people and can be expanded if more fans show up than anticipated.
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