As if the floods and threats of ‘dry’ cities weren’t bad enough – with Euro 2016 kicking off in just over a weeks’ time, Home Nations fans looking to get their hands on a last minute ticket could be paying through the roof for a room, as local hotels hike prices by up to 165%.
According to research by travel money specialists No.1 Currency, hotel rooms are now few and far between for most of the games in the group stages of Euro 2016, that involve England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Those rooms that are still available are being sold at highly inflated prices.
Wales’ opener against Slovakia on 11th June will be their first match in a major championship in nearly 60 years, and not surprisingly reasonably priced hotel rooms are scarce. For any Welsh fans hoping to pick up a last minute ticket for the match, they will have to pay on average £153 for a 3-star hotel on the day of the match. That’s a 135% hike on rates two weeks after the Euros end.
Unsurprisingly, England matches are particularly well attended and anyone who hasn’t booked a ticket yet can expect to pay top rates. In Marseille, where England play their first match against Russia on 11th June, 94% of all hotel rooms are already booked. Of those 3-star hotels that still have availability, the average price for a double room on 11th June is £127. That compares with average 3-star rates of £74 a night for a typical Saturday stay in the summer in Marseille – a mark up of 72%.
It’s the same in Lens, where England take on Wales in the crunch match of the group. Again, 94% of all hotel rooms have already been filled, and the last remaining 3-star hotels with availability have inflated their prices by an average of 125%. Expect to pay £176 a night – that’s more than double the normal room rate of £85.
The table below shows how much a hotel room costs the night of the Euro 2016 group games that feature Home Nations teams, and compares it to rates two weeks after the Championship ends.
|
Match
|
Date
|
Location
|
% hotel rooms already booked
|
Room rate for 3 * hotel on the night of match
|
Room rate for 3 * hotel two weeks after Euros
|
% Price hike for room on day of match
|
|
Wales vs Slovakia
|
11/06/16
|
Stade de Bordeaux, Bordeaux |
87%
|
£153
|
£65
|
135%
|
|
England vs Russia
|
11/06/16
|
Stade de Vélodrome, Marseille |
94%
|
£127
|
£74
|
72%
|
|
Northern Ireland vs Poland
|
12/06/16
|
Stade de Nice, Nice |
89%
|
£158
|
£81
|
95%
|
|
England vs Wales
|
16/06/16
|
Stade Felix Bollaert-Delelis, Lens |
94%
|
£176
|
£91
|
125%
|
|
Northern Ireland vs Ukraine
|
16/06/16
|
Stade de Lyon, Lyon |
80%
|
£103
|
£66
|
56%
|
|
Wales vs Russia
|
20/06/16
|
Stadium Municipal, Toulouse, Toulouse |
86%
|
£130
|
£49
|
165%
|
|
England vs Slovakia
|
20/06/16
|
Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, Saint-Étienne |
89%
|
£78
|
£52
|
50%
|
|
Northern Ireland vs Germany
|
21/06/16
|
Parc de Princes, Paris |
67%
|
£144
|
£87
|
66%
|
Simon Phillips, Retail Director at No.1 Currency, comments:
“Many believe this is England’s best chance to win a tournament since 1996. Add into the mix Wales first appearance in a major championships in 58 years, and it’s hardly surprising that hotels have up the ‘No Vacancies’ signs. For fans planning to travel last minute to France, they should be prepared to pay over the odds not just for tickets but also hotel rooms. Following the Home Nations could be a costly affair if you haven’t planned well in advance. The Pound has rallied recently against the Euro as the likelihood of a Brexit has faded, and that should ease the pain a little. But as the Euros start just before the EU referendum, we could see uncertainty hit Sterling, so it’s worth buying your Euros now to avoid any last minute currency wobbles.”
Are you planning on supporting your team in France? Have you managed to secure a bargain? Why not let everyone know in the comments section below?