There’s only a few months before the Fifa World Cup football tournament kicks off in Brazil.
So here at Hostelling International we thought we’d give you top tips to do NOW for the 2014 football trip of a lifetime.
1) Get time off work
You don’t want to be penalised for not getting your holiday leave sorted early. The hosts will open the tournament on 12 June in Sao Paulo. You’ll want to arrive in Brazil at least a few days earlier and the group stages last until 26 June – with the beautiful game on every day.
But then again you might want to save your leave for the round of 16 matches from 28 June to 1 July, with two fixtures each day.
The quarter-finals are on 4 and 5 July, also two a day, and the semi-finals on 8 and 9 July, ending with the World Cup final will be in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday 13 July. So just how much holiday can you take???
2) Get a ticket
More than six million requests for tickets from 203 countries have been received by organisers Fifa when the deadline for applications passed on 10 October. That’s double the total available.
Applicants will find out if they’re lucky by 4 November. Then Fifa’s website will reopen for first come, first served – with a couple of windows of opportunity . Or even better – maybe you’ll know a friend with a spare ticket?
3) Book somewhere to stay
Stay in one of Hostelling International’s Brazil hostels and combine seeing the football with fab accommodation.
Our hostels are about discovering new places, learning about new cultures, making lifelong friendships – and we really care about green issues.
We’ve matched the major match stadiums with our choice of hostels – there’s plenty to choose from.
Match cities
Rio de Janeiro hostels – Stadium: Maracanã – capacity: 76,804
Brasilia hostels – Stadium: Estadio Nacional capacity 68,009
São Paulo hostels – Stadium: Arena de São Paulo capacity 65,807
Belo Horizonte hostels – Stadium: Mineirão – capacity 62,547
Curitiba hostels – Stadium: Arena de Baixada – capacity 41,456.
Fortaleza hostels – Stadium: Castelao – capacity 64,846
Manaus hostels – Stadium: Arena Amazonia – capacity 42, 374
Natal hostels – Stadium: Estadio das Dunas – capacity 42,086
Porto Alegre hostels – Stadium: Beira Rio capacity 48,849
Recife hostels –Stadium: Arena Pernambuco – capacity 44,248
Salvador hostels – Stadium: Arena Fonte Nova – capacity 48,747
4) Save up for the trip
Brazil’s a big country and the fixtures are spread out – so you’ll need all the pennies you can if you want to get to all those matches plus buy Brazilian goodies and footie souvenirs!
Estimates for tickets start at £58 and then up to £632 for a final ticket. The cost of an average dinner is Brazil is about £30, about £2.50 for a coffee and £1.90 for a local beer.
5) Swot up on footie facts
If you’re going to do the World Cup properly, you’ll want to know your Scolari from your Prandelli.
Here’s a couple of stats to get you started:
- The competition has been played every four years since the inaugural tournament in 1930, except in 1942 and 1946 when it was not held because of World War II.
- The 19 Fifa World Cup tournaments have been won by eight different national teams. Brazil have won five times and they are the only team to have played in every tournament.
Are you off to the World Cup? Share your plans with us using the comment form below.
