The staggering cost for Manchester United and Tottenham fans to attend the Europa League final in Bilbao has been revealed.
The Red Devils booked their spot in the deciding round of the tournament for the second time this decade, after depriving Athletic Bilbao of an invitation to their own party by beating them 7-1 across two legs.
Meanwhile, Spurs beat Bodo/Glimt 5-1 on aggregate and travel to northern Spain in search of their first European trophy since they won the UEFA Cup in 1984.
Their last trip to the top stage of a European competition was also an all-English affair, when Liverpool beat them 2-0 in the 2019 Champions League final.
This year’s Europa League final will be held on May 21 at the Estadio San Mames with each finalist set to receive 15,000 tickets out of the 49,600 available.
As part of Uefa’s ‘fans first’ scheme, these tickets are the most affordable, with prices starting at €40 (£34).
Man United and Spurs fans may have to pay thousands to travel to the Europa League final
The Red Devils swept aside Athletic Bilbao to make their second European final since 2021
Tottenham beat Bodo/Glimt in the semi-finals as they search for their first trophy since 2008
The 19,6000 tickets allocated to the general public range from €65 to 240 (£55 to £204), while hospitality packages range from €1290 to 1490 (£1,096 to £1,266) per person.
As of 8am BST on Friday, the cheapest flight to get from London to Bilbao on May 21 would run Spurs fans a whopping £355 for a one-way ticket, according to SkyScanner.
To fly back from Bilbao to the English capital the next day, the cheapest flight costs £175, departing at 7:40am with a stop at the Canary Islands along the way.
For the luxury of a direct afternoon flight home, fans can expect to pay over £500, with less than a dozen of these tickets still available online.
Meanwhile, United fans would have to cough up even more. From Manchester to Bilbao, the cheapest plane ticket on May 21 (that arrives two or more hours before kick-off) costs £524, with a stop in Munich, Germany, on the way.
To return from Bilbao, the cheapest flight on May 22 costs £446, departing at around mid-day with a stop in Lisbon, Portugal, on the way. Direct flights back to Manchester are currently going for a mind-boggling £941 at the lowest.
Shrewd opportunists who might look to get a cheaper deal by flying out the eve of the game are met with disappointment, as this would cost even more than flying on the day – from both Manchester and London.
A more price-friendly option would be to travel by coach; a journey from London Victoria Coach Station to Bilbao would take around 26 hours and costs around £108 one way, leaving at 12:30pm the day before the game, as per Trainline.com.
This year’s Europa League final will be held at the Estadio San Mames in Bilbao, northern Spain
United fans will have to pay around £1000 for the cheapest available return flights to Bilbao
Spurs fans face a cheaper cost at just over £600 at the very lowest – but this could soar into the thousands if they opted to fly directly
The cheapest mode of transport would be by coach from London to Bilbao (£108 one way)
There are no coaches from Manchester to Bilbao, meaning United fans would have to travel down to London first
As it stands, there are no coach tickets available directly from Manchester to Bilbao, meaning United fans would have to make the trip down to London if they opted for this mode of transport.
Anyone looking to make their own ways to Bilbao by driving would still face hundreds in travel costs.
Journeying through the Channel Tunnel will cost just under £200, with petrol and a potential overnight hotel stay adding to the total expense.
At a last resort, there are direct return ferries from Portsmouth to Bilbao, which take around 34 hours and cost almost £900 in a car or just under £400 on foot. Trips leave port on Sunday, May 18, arriving in Bilbao on Tuesday, May 20.
The return ferry leaves Bilbao on Saturday, May 24, meaning fans would have to make a proper holiday out of their trip. Factoring in hotel costs and living expenses for four nights, this may not be the most financially savvy choice.
Hotel prices in the city centre range anywhere between £850 and £13,345.
However, fans could opt to stay in nearby towns such as Bakio, Bermeo and Mundaka, which are all 30 to 40-minute drives away from Bilbao, where there are cheaper alternatives available.
