Trick 17: Book a Sports Trip – Including Premier League Tickets
Despite my reservations, I only see one way to get tickets: book a sports trip with a tour operator. This has a decisive advantage: in addition to accommodation, flights, etc., the package also includes match tickets – and I don't have to worry about arranging them myself.
I find what I'm looking for with the Austrian tour operator Ruefa: Three nights in London including breakfast, direct flights from and to Vienna, one checked bag with 23 kilos plus hand luggage (keyword: shopping in London) and two match tickets for a Premier League game between FC Fulham and Manchester United at Craven Cottage are available from 1,099 Euros. Since I lived in London myself a few years ago and the city wasn't exactly cheap even then, the price doesn't shock me – quite the opposite.
However, I'm still not entirely satisfied with the offer. So, I inquire with Ruefa about a few extra wishes: four nights instead of three, and I'd like to have a say in the hotel choice. And behold: No problem. For a small extra charge, I not only get one more night but also my desired hotel in the Waterloo Area on Lower Marsh – a sweet little area, perfect for exploring London on foot.
And so, at the beginning of September, it's "London calling!" for my partner and me.
Day 1: Flight to Heathrow & Sightseeing in Westminster & Soho
Our flight departs at 06:50 AM from Vienna-Schwechat to London. Despite the early hour, the airport is quite busy. But we get through quickly, as both my partner's suitcase and mine are half-empty – a tactical move: if our shopping in London is successful, we certainly don't want to run into space problems. The Austrian Airlines flight departs on time, and after about two hours, we land at London Heathrow.
From there, we take the Victoria Line to the city center, to Waterloo, where our hotel is located. We drop off our luggage at the hotel until check-in and head straight out. Through the Graffiti Tunnel, past the London Eye and over Westminster Bridge, we make our way to Big Ben. The walk takes barely 15 minutes – obligatory selfies included.
From Westminster, we continue our walk through St. James's Park towards Buckingham Palace. We take a short break in the park with some lemon loaf cake and a take-away coffee. We were particularly charmed by the squirrels, who clearly have no fear of humans here and even climb up on us – super cute!
Afterward, we head to Chinatown, past Trafalgar Square, and then for shopping in Covent Garden, Regent Street, and Oxford Street. Several hours, around 25,000 steps later, and with about 800 pounds less in our account (oops), we are back at the hotel. It's now 7:30 PM. We quickly grab a pizza and then head to bed.
Day 2: Notting Hill & Southwark
The next morning, we start with the hotel breakfast, which is also included in the package. The buffet at the Ruby Lucy Hotel is small but fine, and surprises with some delicacies like fresh passion fruit, chicken breast strips (bodybuilders know what I mean), mozzarella platters, and more, which you don't find at every hotel buffet.
Afterward, we hop on a bus directly in the side street, which, according to Google Maps, takes us straight to Notting Hill. There, we stroll through the world-famous Portobello Road Market, a kind of flea market nestled among Notting Hill's characteristic colorful rows of houses. And of course, we don't just look: we stop at three bakeries and feast our way through various pastries (It’s called Second Breakfast), before taking a lunch break in a restaurant.
After the bus ride back, we wind down the afternoon and evening in Southwark. Various food markets here invite visitors to sample and linger. So the day ends as it began: in a food coma.
Day 3: Last Day of Sightseeing Before the Match
We also had quite a lot planned for the third day. After breakfast, we stroll for about 20 minutes along the Thames to Borough Market. Fish stalls with fresh paella line up next to fruit stalls with chocolate fountains, cheese counters adjoin freshly roasted almonds – an orgy of scents, and there's something to try around every corner.
From there, we continue to the Tube, as we want to wander through Camden Docks and Camden Market. On the way there, however, we are held up: a street is closed, a massive police presence is ready, and curious onlookers gather everywhere. Then we see what we could already hear from a distance: a huge crowd of hooligans passes by – Millwall against West Ham United is playing that day. What a prelude to the next day, when we ourselves will go to the stadium!
Once we arrived in Camden, we were also quite quick to leave – too bustling for our taste. After a detour to Angel, we head back to "our hood," Lower Marsh. There we wind down the day and eat the best Morning Glory ever at Rosa's Thai.
Day 4: Fulham FC vs. Manchester United Live at the Stadium
We start our last full day in London in a sporty way with a six-kilometer run along the Thames before breakfast. Since we can hardly wait, we set off for Putney at midday – four hours before kick-off. Getting there from central London is straightforward: take the train directly from Waterloo to Putney, and then continue on foot. And this path is quite impressive.
Craven Cottage is located directly on the Thames, surrounded by water on one side and a large park on the other. The walk to the stadium through the park is accordingly beautiful. The surrounding area also surprises us: Stevenage Road is a well-maintained residential street with typical London Victorian houses, front gardens, and pretty stained-glass windows in the front doors. Living here must cost a fortune.
Four hours before kick-off, there isn't much going on yet. So we stroll through the park, sit in the sun, eat a hotdog, and buy a matchday scarf from a street vendor as a souvenir. When we notice some press people and fans gathering in front of the stadium gate, we join them – we have nothing better to do, after all. A good decision: this way, we secure prime spots to watch the teams arrive with their team buses.
Slowly, the street in front of Craven Cottage also fills up. The atmosphere is exuberant, no one is heckling, everything is relaxed and orderly. Then the gates finally open and we are allowed in. Inside, we properly drink a beer – which, unfortunately, can't quite compare to our Austrian beer – and then it's time to head to the stands.
By now, we are completely ecstatic: the stadium is beautiful and our seats directly behind the goal are incredible! Lammens is almost within reach during the warm-up, and from our seats right by the pitch, we can follow the match from a unique perspective.
Our concerns about seeing Manchester United away were also unfounded. Luckily, no one notices how immensely happy we are when Cunha scores the equalizer in the 89th minute. The Fulham fans are so loud that we can easily remain incognito. Time flies by, and the experience ends far too quickly for our taste in the early evening with a 1-1 draw.
All in all, we thoroughly enjoyed the late summer football afternoon. Although one small downside remains: I unfortunately couldn't get Cunha's attention. This spared my partner an embarrassing fangirl moment.
The journey back from Craven Cottage to the city center was a bit slow, but the return journey with Austrian Airlines went all the more smoothly. At 03:15 AM local time, we treated ourselves to a taxi to the airport, and punctually at 06:00 AM, the plane took us back to Vienna. With full suitcases – and full of memories of a football trip we won't soon forget.
Do you also want to experience a Premier League trip? Then check out Ruefa: https://sport.ruefa.at/fussball/premier-league
