Once a year European trips

[Libero]

This time last year I went to Milan/Bergamo in one weekend and caught AC MIlan V Fiorentina and Atalanta V Udinese. It was a pretty cool trip and nice to see 2 of the top 3 teams in Serie A (As Milan and Udinese were at the time).

A few people I know were impressed with the trip and want me to organise a similar one. Anyone have any suggestions?

The criteria:
1.We must see two games in one weekend
2.The cities in which these games are can't be more than about 2 hours apart on a train).
3.Must be in continental Europe.

[sligoman]

When are you looking to go? Is it this time of the year?:confused:

[anto eile]

just back from spain myself.
seen Athletic v Sevilla on sunday night and Athletic B v Barakaldo in segunda B (3rd division) on saturday. also tried to see portugalete v palencia (also segunda B) on sunday morning however didnt have enough money for a ticket,and after unseccesfully haggling with the ticket booth we went home
keepin' it real in segunda B!

[anto eile]

6 November 2005
Ascoli - Fiorentina
Cagliari - Treviso
Empoli - Reggina
Juventus - Livorno
Lazio - Inter
Messina - Roma
Milan - Udinese
Palermo - Sampdoria
Parma - Lecce
Siena - Chievo

you could see both messina and palermo,providing they were playing on different days

20/11/05
inter v parma and sampdoria v lazio - milan to genoa is doable by train
and
udinese v messina and chievo v ascoli same weekend. udine to verona can be done by train too.

spain on weekending november 20 racing are at home to deportivo la coruna, and athletic are at home to alavés.again providig theyr on different days

27/11/05
empoli v lazio, parma v udinese, siena v reggina are all games that i believe will be played in the centre of italy that weekend, around the Reggio Emilia/tuscany area
napoli will be at home on the same weekends as either Roma or lazio ,napoli are still in Serie C1B (division 3 south) but averaged 37,000 last year in that division!! a trip there is well worth it. Rome and Naples are about 2 hours or so apart by express train.

week ending 27/11 osasuna v alavés and real sociedad v real madrid. pamplona (osasuna) and donostia/san sebastian (real sociedad) are no more than 2 hours apart,while....
valencia v celta and barcelona v racing are also a good weekend, an express train will have you from one city to the other in about 2 and half hours

make sure you post on here where you decide to go

[Libero]

When are you looking to go? Is it this time of the year?:confused:

Howya Sligoman. I didn't give dates as the whole thing is a bit sketchy at the minute but I reckon it'll be in December. I was just looking for suggestions on some possible double-up's that I could go to. Of course, I could always settle for the Ballybofey/Sligo trip if you think it is advisable???

[Libero]

just back from spain myself.
seen Athletic v Sevilla on sunday night and Athletic B v Barakaldo in segunda B (3rd division) on saturday. also tried to see portugalete v palencia (also segunda B) on sunday morning however didnt have enough money for a ticket,and after unseccesfully haggling with the ticket booth we went home
keepin' it real in segunda B!

Sounds like a fun trip Anto. What is the atmosphere like in Spanish stadia?

I like some of your suggestions, particularly the Spanish ones. Valencia/Barca would be some weekend but I'd settle for a primera liga match and a segunda match like yourself. Osasuna an Sociedad would be good with the right opposition.

Jese though I'm very tempted by Napoli and Roma/Lazio too.

The Italian trip was such a laugh. Once you go outside of Milan no-one speaks a word of English. The Italians do everything with such style. I had a nice nip of brandy and an expresso at half-time in the Atalanta-Udinese match. Just the shot on a freezing night. San Siro is a mess of a stadium I thought. Stadium tour is crap and lots of English in seats behind us at the game. Milan won 6-0 which was a bit crap. I think you are right anto, you are better keeping it real by going to the lower league games!

[sligoman]

I was in Spain last month and got to Valencia Vs. Deportivo(Saturday) and Villarreal Vs. Manchester United(Wednesday) in the Champions league the following Wednesday. So you could try and arrange that there's a Champions league match on mid week after the weekend of the Spanish game?:confused:

[sligoman]

4-12-05:Villarreal Vs. Barcelona

11-12-2005:Valencia F.C Vs. Athletic Club de Bilbao

Villarreal is about an hours drive from Valencia so if it's possible that you can stay for a week then you could go to both games, if not, then you might be able to go to a Levante(second division) game, not sure when they're playing though, they play in Valencia City too so you could go to the Valencia and Levante game. Ian Harte plays for Levante so you might see him:) :D

[Dodge]

Real and Athletico madrid, as well as Getafe can't avoid 2 games in madrid every week.
Fixtures here (http://www.soccer-spain.com/ssdocs/archive2005/fixtures2005-1a.html)

On w/e nov 6 real play host to Zaragoza while Barcelona travel to getafe. I'd guess they'd be on different nights

[Ash]

6 November 2005

Lazio - Inter



Fuppin raging ...
Im heading to Rome on 31st this month but coming home on the 4th Nov
THat weould have been a cracker of a game to get to!!!

[finlma]

Munich is a great city for a weekend and you're sure to get 2 games there on one weekend.

Others: Barcelona, Madrid

[Troy.McClure]

Munich is a great city for a weekend and you're sure to get 2 games there on one weekend.

1860 Munich play in Munich too, + theres CL games for Bayern (if you can get tickets).

Sligoman you could have gone to see Sparta Prague V Ajax, followed by Slavia V Cork City a few weeks ago :)

I went to Madrid 2 years ago and got Real V Racing Santander and went to Rayo Valacano V Celta Vigo a few days later. I think Rayo might have got religated since then though. Tickets were cheap enough too I have to say (compared to England anyway).

Holand is a small place, no reason why you couldnt see Ajax, Feynoord or PSV is they were playing on different nights (or even different times of the day!)

[sligoman]

Sligoman you could have gone to see Sparta Prague V Ajax, followed by Slavia V Cork City a few weeks ago :)Slavia Prague? Cork who?:confused: Nah, I decided to go to see some good teams in action:p :D

[Troy.McClure]

Im not going to raise to the bait! ;)

[Dodge]

Practically impossible to get tickets for Ajax. Really strict controls on foreigners there.

[Schumi]

Practically impossible to get tickets for Ajax. Really strict controls on foreigners there.
Worth going on the tour of the ArenA though. The guides are hot!

[sligoman]

The guides are hot!I'm really hoping they're female now?:confused: :D

[Dodge]

Well when I say impossible... Its actually quite esy but you have to buy them directly through Ajax and they throw i loads of unneccasry crap for the "soccer experience"

Visit Ajax (http://english.ajax.nl/show/id=152808)