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5 Fun & Cheap Holiday Destinations for Football Fans

Nothing screams ‘holiday‘ quite like getting yourself in and amongst a new football culture in the world. At least, that’s what I’ve convinced myself of at this point…

What is the perfect ‘Football Holiday’?

It’s a holiday with a whole heap of football involved.

Pretty self-explanatory, to be honest!

But with a bunch of options sprouting up all over the world about ‘package‘ holiday choices with a high-price hospitality seat to watch football abroad, it makes sense to look at more sensible financial alternatives – even if it means a bit more DIY going into the process.

This is what I decided to do since the back end of 2019, and here are the five places I have been to, which I highly recommend for football fans all around the world.

Norway (Oslo)

This was my most recent, and by far the most surprising.

Mainly because I had zero expectations as to what to expect.

I knew very little about Norway as a whole before travelling, and had nothing but a Twitter friend’s ‘cheat-sheet’ and an old uni friend’s recommendations to guide me over the weekend.

Thankfully, Norway makes things very easy for fans abroad to visit their team. I went to a Lillestrom match which required a train out of Oslo’s central station. Which was very easy to locate and navigate once I’d gotten my bearings in the city centre.

Tickets to games are very cheap for the quality of football on offer, and there are plenty of options to choose from in and around Oslo alone – Molde, Stromsgodset, Valerenga, Lillestrom etc.

Everything else is pretty expensive though. Except for Seven-Eleven – I love that place.

France (Nice)

Technically, I went to Monaco – but you have to get to Nice first to go there, so it counts!

I can’t recommend an AS Monaco enough for first-time fans, who are slightly at-odds with the idea of travelling abroad to watch a game of football. With safety of high importance in this part of the world.

There aren’t many places on this Earth as placid and beautiful as the city of Monaco, which can be found around 40 minutes away from Nice central station in Monaco-Monte Carlo.

Their football club is located right in the centre of the Monaco district and with the famous casino, riviera and race track guiding you there, there are seldom better ways to get to a game.

The stadium and atmosphere within it was slightly underwhelming in my experience.

But everything as a whole, what a lovely place. And a fantastic holiday.

The Netherlands (Eindhoven)

PSV is one of the most historic and blessed clubs in world football.

In a city constantly under the shadow of Amsterdam giants AFC Ajax, some serious talent and ability has come through the doors of the famous Phillips Stadion.

Arjen Robben, Romario, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Ronaldo are just a few examples.

Getting to the centre of the city and the stadium from there will raise zero problems. But you might need to be wary of getting countries from another home country as they’re a bit iffy with buyers without a Dutch bank account – always worth expanding your network for this reason.

But once you’re there, the colours, breadth and depth of PSV is completely intoxicating. The Museum is wonderful and the loaded fries from Pieperz in the centre is also to die for.

Italy (Milan)

I wrote a book on AC Milan – that’s how much I adore that place.

Growing up, fewer places are as mystical as the San Siro Stadium.

This strange joint-home for the brethren of one of the most fashionable places in the world, its lack of sophistication and unbridled craziness stands antipathetic to the city it calls home.

For 90 mins, it’s all just guts and glory. And I can’t get enough of it.

Tickets are surprisingly cheap to visit Milan – as we noted in this full-length feature here – and almost even cheaper to watch AC Milan or Inter. There’s a bit of confusion around the identity cards you need (or maybe don’t) to get in, but every European football fan should have this on their list.

Spain (Valencia)

Easily one of my favourite cities in the world.

Valencia is perfect for solo travellers and group holidays alike.

The club make it faultlessly simple for foreign fans to visit, and after a bit of a fiddle getting to your seat, the atmosphere and hospitality is there in equal measure.

Their history speaks for itself and you can feel this ‘sleeping giant‘ feeling right throughout every single corner of the Mestalla. I personally hope they never leave this place because it’s so easy to find, but you either grow or you die, right? As the saying goes.

We all know what to expect from the Spanish climate and that always helps when wanting to have a good time to watch the football. Having said that, I went while it was chucking down with rain and I already can’t wait to go back and do it all again. What a holiday that was!

Summary

Everybody’s version of a holiday is different.

I preferred to go alone, and I went to all of these by myself.

So, if you’re like me and love to experience new cultures, explore new places and have an open mind to soak up as much about new clubs and footballing stories as I do, you’ll have a great time.

Equally, I sat in each of these stadiums, squares, bars and pubs thinking that it would also be great for a few friends and family to join. So whatever your preference, I’m certain that these three options will provide the perfect football holiday for all of you.

Provided you pack some extra cash for Monaco and Oslo!

Which of these football holiday destinations would you go to?

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