By Liam Isola Last week, Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain booked their places in the Champions League Final. This year’s edition of Europe’s biggest club football match will be on May 30th in Budapest, Hungary. Arsenal has one of the biggest fan bases in the world, which includes a lot of stateside Gunners’ fans.
Rare Champions League Final Appearance for Arsenal
In my 17 years of being an Arsenal fan, this is the first time they’ve reached the UCL Final. The last time they reached this stage was 2006, and they’ve never won a European Cup. So, this is a momentous occasion. It’s significant enough that I’m frantically trying to get over to Budapest to see the game.
Last year, Budapest made my list of 15 Cheap European Cities to Watch Soccer in. However, flights, accommodations, and tickets for the big game are more than pricey. Apparently, the cheapest resale ticket prices on UEFA’s platform are around £10,000.
So, unless you’re an Arsenal or PSG season ticket holder, it’s going to be nearly impossible to get tickets for the game. Even then, you apparently need to have gone to a few away games throughout the season to have a better chance. So, you might be out of luck trying to catch the game in person.
Also, the only verified resale platform is through UEFA. They’re only offering resale tickets to people who unsuccessfully entered their ticket draw in March.
Low Hotel Availability in Budapest for Champions League Final
Still, if you’d like to experience the atmosphere of Europe’s most important club match, you can stay in the city. However, hotel availability is incredibly low, and even booking with points isn’t viable at most places.
As of the time of writing, 98 percent of places to stay on Booking.com on the night of May 30th were taken. The cheapest place for two people on Booking.com from May 29th to 31st that isn’t a hostel was $649 total.
I snagged a place with free cancellation for the 30th for $158 by periodically checking the app. So, it may still be possible to get lucky by getting a place that another guest cancels.
If you also get a relatively cheap place for the night of the Champions League Final on Booking and your host cancels on you to get a better price, follow this guide to find another place.
Check out Places in Nearby Cities
If you’re not able to find a suitable place to stay, you might consider a city within a couple of hours away from Budapest and taking the train in. I have stayed in Györ, about an hour and a half from Budapest by train, and it’s a charming little city.
The Champions League Final is at 6:00pm ET local time, so you’ll be able to catch a train back to Györ before the end of the night. There are currently a few places to stay in the Northwestern Hungarian city for under $50. Szekesfehervar is even closer, under an hour away by car or train, and has places available for under $75.
If places in Budapest are too expensive, check out some of the cities nearby that are on regional train lines.
Flights from the US
If you’re coming from the US to watch the game, your best bet is taking the direct American Airlines flight from Philadelphia to Budapest, which conveniently begins on May 21st. Right now, round-trip flights are $845 from May 28th to June 2nd.
Grab a saver discount fare for 40k miles each way + taxes with a connection, if you have United miles with a United credit card.
Readers located in Europe should be able to get relatively cheap flights, especially if they’re able to be flexible on their dates. In the worst-case scenario, you could fly to Bratislava or Vienna. Then, you can take a train to Budapest.
For maximum savings, book with miles and stay in a city close to Budapest. Then, your out-of-pocket cost may only be a few hundred dollars. That includes flights, trains, and accommodations.
If you are someone who entered the ticket draw back in March, you could splurge on tickets and see the match.
The Verdict
There are only specific circumstances in which you can see the Champions League Final on a budget. Those are if you are a member of Arsenal or PSG and can grab a ticket through the club, or got an early ticket through UEFA.
Otherwise, you won’t be able to attend the match for a reasonable price unless you’re gifted a ticket. Still, there are relatively cheap ways you can get to Budapest that day to take in the atmosphere. You may even be able to find a good hotel deal in a city close by.