Aer Lingus and Ryanair have been urged to cut back on the cost of tickets to see Ireland’s Euro 2016 game against France.
Ryanair has arranged an extra six return flights to Lyon for the game – but costs run into hundreds of euros.
We've added #EURO2016 Lyon extras! All aboard the #RobbieBrady express #COYBIG #RyanairEuros https://t.co/H6s6O6wtuY pic.twitter.com/LBROZDevCC
— Ryanair (@Ryanair) June 23, 2016
@Ryanair aye - for a tidy €640. Cheaper to go to New York.
— Barra Best (@barrabest) June 23, 2016
The Seanad leader Jerry Buttimer says it’s important that fans aren’t fleeced for trying to support the national team.
“It’s a very important issue,” Buttimer said. “I would appeal with Ryanair and Aer Lingus to work with our fans and work with the FAI and the IFA to encourage our fans to travel.”
Another option is to travel to nearby cities and then drive to Lyon, but fans would need to be prepared for stopovers and long travel times. Vueling are currently selling flights from Dublin to Geneva for €185, but it involves an overnight stay in Barcelona and will take more than 13 hours.
Logistics around travelling to and from Lyon this Sunday are proving to be tricky 😬 #IRL #EURO2016
— Rossa (@rossac25) June 22, 2016
Fans who already in Lille face similar problems. There are direct flights to Lyon but these are booking up fast and are currently advertised at €220 per seat.
The best option for fans currently in Lille is probably the train – a TGV trip across France will cost roughly €116 and take between three and four hours.
There are bus seats available for far less – €20 to €39 – but passengers would have to be prepared for more than 12 hours travelling time.
And the trusty car? Definitely an option but visitors to France need to know the different rules of the road that apply there.
A staggering 35% of UK and Irish drivers mistakenly believe motorists drive on the left hand side of the road in France, according to new research from uSwitch.com.
Also, French law requires motorists to have a range of accessories such as headlamp beam converters, a warning triangle, spare bulbs, high-visibility jacket and an approved breathalyser/ Failure to carry these items can result in on-the-spot penalties of up to €530.
Irish fans thinking of taking there own car can get the ferry from Cork to Roscoff and then drive to Lyon – although according Brittany Ferries their Saturday sailing is already full.
Fans in Lille can rent a car for less than €100 – the journey should take a little over six hours.
If you are consider your travel options rome2rio.com is a very handy site – clearly laying out the cost and travel time for each mode of transport.
Safe travelling folks!
