The football Euros is one of the highlights of this year’s sporting calendar. Germany is hosting the international competition, which will run for a month over June and July. Italy will be looking to defend the title they won at Wembley after defeating England in a penalty shoot out, but will face stiff competition from the likes of France, Spain, Belgium, Netherlands, England and hosts Germany, amongst others.
Fans of England and Scotland (and maybe Wales, who are competing in the play-offs for one of the three remaining spots) wanting to support their team can do so with the help of LeShuttle. Driving to Germany offers flexibility and freedom for football fans, and our terminal at Calais is only a few hours drive from some of the venues. If you’re planning a road trip across Germany during the Euros, here is our guide to the host cities and stadiums.
Where are the Euros being held?
The tournament is being held in ten cities across Germany. West Germany (before reunification) hosted the tournament in 1988, and matches in the last Euros were also played in Munich.
German supporters will be confident in their team
When do the Euros start?
The opening match between Germany and Scotland is being played on Friday 14th June. The game takes place at the Munich Football Arena in Munich, kicking off at 9pm local time (8pm in the UK).
Which teams have qualified for the Euros?
24 international teams will be taking part in the tournament. The following teams have qualified, with three play-off spots to be decided: Germany, Scotland, Hungary, Switzerland, Spain, Croatia, Italy, Albania, Slovenia, Denmark, Serbia, England, Netherlands, Austria, France, Belgium, Slovakia, Romania, Turkey, Portugal and Czech Republic.
A guide to the host cities and venues
Olympiastadion Berlin
Berlin’s Olympiastadion hosts the final
Sir James at [1], CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Olympiastadion in Berlin is the largest football stadium in Germany and will host six matches, including the Final on Sunday 14th July. During the tournament it will have a capacity of 71,000. The stadium is located to the west of the city centre and was originally built for the 1936 Berlin Summer Games. Driving from our terminal in Calais to Berlin will take around 10 hours 30 minutes, but this is the longest journey a fan will have to do by car during the European Championships.
Berlin is one of the world’s great cities – from the Brandenburg Gate to the Reichstag and the Wall itself, it has witnessed profound historic moments. It was a divided city during the Cold War, but now symbolises the spirit of a reunified Germany. Before or after your game make sure you include a trip to Museum Island, a river cruise down the Spree or a visit to Checkpoint Charlie.
Cologne Stadium
The home of FC Köln is one of the closest venues to our Calais terminal. It takes around 4 ½ hours to drive to Cologne from LeShuttle. Five matches will be played at the Cologne Stadium, including group games for both Scotland and England, so expect the roads to be busy on those match days.
Cologne is Germany’s fourth largest city and always a favourite with tourists. Head to the awesome cathedral the Kölner Dom, the chocolate museum, the Hohenzollern Bridge and the Botanical Gardens, amongst other Cologne attractions.
BVB Stadion Dortmund
BVB Stadion Dortmund
Arne Müseler, CC BY-SA 3.0 DE, via Wikimedia Commons
The 62,000 capacity BVB (or Westfalenstadion) Stadion in Dortmund is another icon of German football. Multiple Bundesliga champions Borussia Dortmund play here, and its usual capacity of 81,000 makes it one of the largest domestic stadiums in Europe (the capacity is reduced for internationals). Six matches in the Euros are being played in Dortmund, including one of the semi-finals.
Driving to Dortmund from Calais is a journey of 5 ½ hours, so for an evening game there is still plenty of time to soak up the atmosphere in the beer halls, bars and restaurants of this football-mad city.
Düsseldorf Arena
With a driving time of only 4 ½ hours from our terminal at Calais, Düsseldorf could be your best option for attending a match at the Euros. The Düsseldorf Arena (capacity 47,000) hosts five games during the tournament. Music fans will know Düsseldorf as the home of electronic music pioneers Kraftwerk, and the Rhineland city is also a world-renowned centre for fashion, architecture and art, combining an edgy excitement with old world German charm. There will be two Fan Parks in Düsseldorf: at Burgplatz and Schauspielhaus and a public viewing area at the Rheinufer riverside park.
Frankfurt Arena
Frankfurt is sure to get plenty of publicity during the Euros, as the 47,000 capacity Frankfurt Arena hosts five matches, including group stage games for both England and Germany. Driving to Frankfurt from Calais takes between 6-7 hours. The city in the state of Hesse has a modern feel, with numerous skyscrapers on its skyline, and is a hub for business and commerce. Don’t leave Frankfurt without spending some time in the DomRömer Quarter, the ‘New Frankfurt Old Town’ district that has redeveloped an area of the city almost completely destroyed in World War II.
Arena AufSchalke, Gelsenkirchen
Will England fans be celebrating in Gelsenkirchen?
England football fans remember Gelsenkirchen only too well – the venue where they bowed out of the World Cup in 2006. Rooney’s sending off, Ronaldo’s wink and all that! Perhaps this year is a chance for redemption, as England return to the Arena AufSchalke for their first group match against Serbia. It is not far to travel either, being less than five hours drive from the LeShuttle Calais terminal.
Gelsenkirchen is the smallest host city, but there are still plenty of things to do, from the city zoo to exploring Nordsternpark, a former colliery landscaped into a huge civic green space in the heart of the city. This is where you will also find Gelsenkirchen’s Fan Park.
Volksparkstadion Hamburg
The 49,000 capacity Volksparkstadion in Hamburg is the venue for five Euros matches, including one of the quarter-finals. Even if you don’t have a match ticket you can catch the action at the Fan Zone at Heiligengeistfeld, the main city square which just happens to be right next door to the home ground of FC St Pauli, one of Hamburg’s two leading teams. SV Hamburg play at Volksparkstadion, a little outside the city centre. Driving to Hamburg from Calais takes 8-9 hours.
Leipzig Stadium
Netherlands v France at the Leipzig stadium could be one of the games of the tournament
Berlinschneid, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
More commonly known as the Red Bull Arena, home of RB Leipzig, the Leipzig Stadium is the venue for four games, including the heavyweight clash between France and the Netherlands on 21st June. The Fan Zone is in Augustusplatz in the city centre.
The 9 ½ hour drive from Calais to Leipzig is more than worth it, because this city in eastern Germany is as vibrant as they come, as well as being home to wonderful museums, opera and music heritage and stunning architecture.
Munich Football Arena
You may know it as the Allianz Arena, the 66,000 capacity stadium where the true heavyweight of German football, Bayern Munich, strut their stuff. Munich hosts six matches at the Euros, including the opening game, Germany v Scotland, and one of the semi-finals.
Driving to Munich from Calais is a real adventure, taking you through France, Belgium, Luxembourg and southern Germany. The journey is 10-11 hours, but there are plenty of interesting places to stop on the way, from Reims in France’s champagne country to the charming Bavarian city of Nuremberg.
Stuttgart Arena
Five matches are being held at the 51,000 capacity Stuttgart Arena, home of VFB Stuttgart, including group matches for both Germany and Scotland. Stuttgart is capital of the southern state of Baden-Württemberg and a drive of just over 8 hours from the LeShuttle terminal in Calais.
The Fan Zone in Stuttgart is in the beautiful surroundings of the Schlossplatz, and the whole city is embracing the Euros, with family-friendly activities in the Marktplatz, live music at Karlsplatz and a Spring festival at Schillerplatz.
Travelling to the Euros with LeShuttle
Whether football is coming home or not (again), we can’t say, but it is certainly coming to Germany this summer. Start planning your Euros road trip with LeShuttle. It’s just a 35-minute crossing from Folkestone to Calais!