Following your team in Europe this season? Here’s how you can catch all the action from Manchester Airport
Just three months after Real Madrid beat Borussia Dortmund in a captivating Champions League final at Wembley, European club football is back – and teams from across the North of England, North Wales and Scotland will be representing their nations on the continental stage.
Manchester Airport is the UK’s global gateway in the North, serving over 200 destinations – and it is the only airport that has you covered for flights to each and every overseas away game, whether you’re following Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool, Celtic, Rangers, Hearts or The New Saints.
If your team are going on a European tour, here’s how you can get to each of their fixtures – along with some tips on what else to see while you’re there.
Manchester City (Champions League)
Slovan Bratislava – 1 October
Ryanair offers direct flights between Manchester Airport and Bratislava on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, meaning Cityzens can fly out on the morning of the game and return home a couple of days later – or stay until the weekend and make a mini break out of it. The city’s old town is entirely pedestrianised and filled with quirky bars and quaint cafes. Jet2.com is also operating a one-off flight to Vienna on Monday 30th September – which is less than an hour away from Bratislava by bus.
Sporting Lisbon – 5 November
You can fly direct to the Portuguese capital from Manchester with easyJet, Ryanair or TAP Air Portugal, and there’s at least one flight every day of the week – so you’ve got plenty of flexibility when planning your trip. There are bars, restaurants and cobbled streets to explore, but for something a bit different, check out the award-winning Lisbon Earthquake Museum – it tells the story of a giant quake and tsunami that hit the city in 1755, with interactive exhibits and earthquake simulators, and explains how the event shaped modern science.
Juventus – 11 December
Italy’s most decorated club team play their home games in the city of Turin, which is connected by a regular direct bus to Milan-Malpensa airport. The journey takes a little over 90 minutes and costs around 20 Euros each way. Ryanair and easyJet fly to Milan-Malpensa from Manchester, with at least one flight every day, and better yet, return fares are still available in the week of the game for under £100pp.* Aside from its all-conquering football team, Turin is also famous as the home of car giant Fiat, and has one of the world’s largest car museums.
Paris St Germain – 22 January
easyJet and Air France both fly directly from Manchester to the ‘City of Light’ – with availability on flights every day in the week of the game. Paris has a plethora of things to see and do – but one of the best ways to see them, if you’re tight for time, is on a cruise down the river Seine.
Man City visit Lisbon in early November
Manchester United (Europa League)
Porto – 3 October
The Red Devils start their Europa League campaign in Porto – which has direct flights from Manchester courtesy of Ryanair, easyJet and Jet2.com. The latter has put on an extra flight on Wednesday 2nd October to help fans get to the game. Porto is world-renowned for Port wine and you can take tours of the city’s riverfront cellars, many of which have been in operation for centuries.
Fenerbahce – 24 October
Turkish side Fenerbahce are based in Istanbul, the country’s largest city – and you can get there directly from Manchester with easyJet, Pegasus Airlines or Turkish Airlines. There’s a lot to take in besides the game – like the renowned Hagia Sofia mosque, which has stood for almost 1,500 years, the opulent Topkapi Palace and the Grand Bazaar, a great spot to haggle for a souvenir or two.
Viktoria Plzen – 12 December
Czech side Viktoria Plzen are based in the town of Pilsen, only an hour away from Prague – which has multiple direct flights per day from Manchester with easyJet, Jet2.com and Ryanair. In a stroke of good fortune for United fans, their fixture coincides with the opening of Pilsen’s Christmas market – one of the Czech Republic’s biggest – serving up mulled wine, chimney cakes and gingerbread. Fans should also ‘Czech’ out the local beer. Pilsen is the birthplace of Pilsner, a style of lager loved the world over, and the local favourite – Pilsner Urquell – has been brewed here for centuries.
FCSB – 30 January
Romanians FCSB are based in Bucharest, and Ryanair flies to the city from Manchester four times per week on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. As with many cities on the continent, it has a bustling nightlife and a picturesque Old Town – but if you fancy some sightseeing, you can take a day trip by coach tour to Castelul Bran, or ‘Dracula’s Castle’, an eerie-looking ancient fortress in the Transylvanian mountains believed to have inspired Bram Stoker’s novel.
Man United head to the city of Istanbul at the end of next month
Liverpool (Champions League)
AC Milan – 17 September
Reds fans can take advantage of Ryanair and easyJet’s direct flights to Milan-Malpensa from Manchester, with return flights in the week of the game from just £129pp.* While in Milan, check out the city’s imposing cathedral, which took more than six centuries to build, and the Piazza Mercanti, a medieval square with markets and live music.
RB Leipzig – 23 October
Leipzig, the home of the ‘Roten Bullen’, is just over an hour from Berlin by train. Fortunately for Liverpool fans, Manchester has them covered with direct flights to the German capital, the only airport in the North West to offer this link. A trip to Germany can only mean one thing – steins and bratwurst – and you’ll be spoilt for choice of fantastic bars in Leipzig’s Old Town.
Girona – 10 December
Girona make their Champions League bow this season, and most Liverpool fans travelling out for the fixture will fly into nearby Barcelona, with direct flights available from the North’s global hub every single day. Return easyJet flights from Manchester in the week of the game start at just £66pp return – that’s less than half the price of the cheapest return ticket at any other North West airport that week*. Girona’s Arab Baths are nearly 1,000 years old and are still open to the public.
PSV Eindhoven – 29 January
Eindhoven is just over an hour from Amsterdam on the train, and Liverpool fans can jump on a direct flight from Manchester Airport to Amsterdam Schiphol airport with either easyJet or KLM. easyJet has tickets available from only £98pp* return from Manchester, departing the day before the game, and returning the day after. That’s more than £150 cheaper than the cheapest equivalent ticket fans could find at any other North West airport, on those dates.*
Milan will host Liverpool's Champions League opener next week
Celtic (Champions League)
Borussia Dortmund – 1 October
The Scottish champions are amongst Europe’s elite once again this year and begin their Champions League campaign with a trip to last season’s beaten finalists. Dortmund is around 40 minutes by train from Dusseldorf airport, and Hoops fans will be arriving in time for Dortmund’s Oktoberfest celebrations, which run from 27 September – 5 October and are centred on a giant marquee in Wischlingen park.
Atalanta – 23 October
Last season’s Europa League winners Atalanta are based in Bergamo, a small city just outside Milan. It has its own airport, the aptly named Milan-Bergamo Airport, and you can get direct flights here from Manchester with Ryanair. Take the cable car from Bergamo city centre up a steep hill to the ‘Citta Alta’, or ‘Upper Town’ – where cobbled medieval streets are well preserved, and viewpoints offer breathtaking panoramas over the city.
Dinamo Zagreb – 10 December
If you’re planning to watch the Bhoys in Zagreb, you can fly from Manchester to Vienna and then jump on a direct Flixbus service to the Croatian capital. The city is yet to take off as a tourist hotspot, but its claim to fame is as the home of the world’s shortest funicular, which is just 66m long and takes less than a minute from end to end.
Dinamo Zagreb face Celtic on 10 December
Rangers (Europa League)
Malmö – 26 September
Philippe Clement’s men are in Europa League action this season, and their first away trip is to Swedish side Malmö. The city of Malmö is just over the border from the Danish capital Copenhagen, and is only half an hour away from its airport by train. You can fly to Copenhagen from Manchester with no fewer than four airlines – easyJet, Ryanair, Norwegian and SAS Scandinavian. Malmö is the birthplace of legendary striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic and its most famous landmark is the ‘Turning Torso’, a 54-storey twisted skyscraper.
Olympiacos – 7 November
Greek giants Olympiacos play their home games in Piraeus, near Athens – and you can fly directly to Athens from Manchester with Aegean Airlines, easyJet or Jet2.com. When visiting Greece’s capital, a trip to its ancient Acropolis is an absolute must – many of its surviving buildings have stood for almost two and a half thousand years.
Nice – 28 November
Nice is at the heart of the French Riviera, and although November is a bit late for topping up your tan, Gers fans will nonetheless enjoy exploring the city’s waterfront and Old Town. easyJet flies from Manchester to Nice directly, with flights available in the week of the game from only £109pp return.*
Rangers fans visiting Athens in early November will be able to explore the Acropolis without the crowds
The New Saints (Europa Conference League)
Fiorentina – 3 October
Welsh champions The New Saints have qualified for the group stage of a major European competition for the first time, and their reward is a tantalising clash with Fiorentina, defeated Europa Conference League finalists in the last two seasons. Manchester is the closest international airport to TNS’ home ground in Oswestry, and the hub offers flights to Pisa Airport with Jet2.com, easyJet and Ryanair – from where Saints fans can get on a direct, one-hour bus to Florence. Besides the football, there’s loads to see in Florence, from Michelangelo’s Statue of David to the Leonardo Da Vinci Museum.
Shamrock Rovers – 7 November
Rovers play their home games in the Dublin suburb of Tallaght – and Dublin is one of the most popular destinations that Manchester Airport serves, with multiple flights every day offered by Aer Lingus and Ryanair. The latter still has return flights available in game week for an absolute snip – just £48pp return.*
NK Celje – 19 December
The small Slovenian town of Celje is perhaps one of the more challenging destinations to get to for football fans travelling from our region this season – but it’s doable. Flying into Venice from Manchester, TNS fans can catch a bus from Marco Polo Airport to Slovenia’s capital, Ljubljana, and then a connecting train to Celje. Adventurous supporters will be rewarded with spectacular scenery on route, and can enjoy the best local food and drink in the bars and restaurants that line the Main Square of Celje’s Old Town.
Florence awaits for The New Saints
Heart of Midlothian (Europa Conference League)
Cercle Brugge – 28 November
Hearts’ first Europa Conference League away game, against Belarusian side Dinamo Minsk, is being played behind closed doors because of tensions surrounding the conflict in Ukraine – but their second away fixture, against Cercle Brugge, is a straightforward trip from Manchester. Brussels Airlines will take you to the Belgian capital, and from there you can catch a direct train to Bruges, which takes around an hour and a half. Bruges is world famous for its beer and chocolate, so make sure you leave time to explore the city before the game.
FC Kobenhavn – 12 December
The Jambos are on the road again just two weeks later when they travel to the Danish capital. Fly from Manchester directly to Copenhagen with easyJet, Ryanair, Norwegian or SAS Scandinavian, and when you’re there, explore the colourful waterfront at Nyhavn, littered with bars and cafes.
Hearts go to Bruges at the end of November