Football trips Spain

A football trip to Spain is a different trip from one to England, and that comes down to the clock.

In England you are in the ground at half past two on a Saturday afternoon and still have the evening. In Spain the match often starts at nine in the evening. Your day is free, your evening is full, and you need the night that follows. A two-day weekend therefore works less well than you would expect.

What you get in return is that the cities fill themselves. Barcelona and Madrid are both places where you can happily spend three days without a match, and the weather works in your favour: in November you are sitting outside there while in England you are walking to the ground in the rain.

And there is one more thing to know before you book: fixture dates are confirmed later in Spain than in England. Often only two to three weeks beforehand.

The competitions

La Liga has twenty clubs and runs from mid-August to the end of May. Matches are spread across the whole weekend, from Friday evening to Monday evening, with most kick-offs between seven and ten in the evening.

Each round is scheduled separately and usually confirmed two to three weeks beforehand. That is shorter notice than in England, so keep your trip flexible until then.

A Clásico between Real Madrid and Barcelona is a category of its own in terms of demand and price. The same goes for the derbies within Madrid and Barcelona. If you want a match like that, starting early is the only thing that works.

For European fixtures involving Spanish clubs we cannot supply tickets at present.

Practical

You can fly into Barcelona El Prat and Madrid-Barajas, both connected to the centre by train or metro in half an hour.

Allow for the Spanish rhythm of the day. Restaurants only really open around nine. If you want to eat before an evening match, find somewhere that serves throughout the day, or do it afterwards as the locals do.

At Spanish clubs tickets are often issued in the holder's name and checked at the entrance. We therefore need the names of everyone travelling well before the match, and you will need valid photo identification.

One warning you will hear from us and not from a holiday brochure: there is a lot of pickpocketing on the metro and in the centre of Barcelona, particularly around match days.

Frequently asked questions about a football trip to Spain