2:04pm Tuesday 22nd September 2009
If you’re an England fan heading to South Africa next summer for the World Cup, advice from agents is to stick to tour operators’ packages.
Anyone intending to turn up at a stadium under their own steam could find many hurdles in their way. Although 60,000 tickets have been allocated to English supporters, they will mostly go to tour operators as part of packages.
Transport will be a difficulty as there are limited flights from the UK on key dates around the big matches. Once there, travel from host cities will be almost impossible as major tour operators have contracted all the coach capacity in the entire country, says Thomson Sport’s Lynsey Devon.
“There is little accommodation, not already contracted, of a standard that English supporters might expect – and there will be very little available, if any, after the draw on December 4,” she says.
Sportsworld’s cheapest one-match package at £1,699 includes three nights’ B&B in a four-star hotel, airport and match transfers, commemorative gift and its staff in attendance.
Thomson Sport’s 18-night World Cup packages from £3,999 include return scheduled flights, named accommodation, all transfers, a safari experience, and face-value tickets for three matches.
Thomas Cook Sport packages start at £2,499 for one match, £3,650 for two, and £4,150 for three, with 17 nights’ hotel B&B accommodation.
Thomas Cook’s Football Experience packages starts at £3,100 and Emirates Tours offer five-night packages from £2,454, including a group match ticket.
Emirates flies from six UK airports (Heathrow, Gatwick, Birmingham, Manchester, Newcastle and Glasgow) into Dubai and onwards to three South African cities: Johannesburg, which hosts 15 matches including the opening match and the final, Cape Town (eight matches) and Durban (seven).
* INFORMATION: Sportsworld (01235 547261 and sportsworld.co.uk); Thomson Sport (0845 1212018); Thomas Cook Sport (020 87392360); Emirates Tours (0844 8001400).
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