MANCHESTER UNITED and Tottenham fans are set to be charged a small fortune for their travel to Bilbao.
The final takes place in the Spanish city on Wednesday May 21, with both Premier League clubs now in a strong position to make the final after big wins over Athletic Bilbao and Bodo/Glimt respectively.
However, with a £100million winner-takes-all English final now expected to take place later this month,
Many places to stay in the city centre have been booked up already and very few remain under £1,000 per night, but travel plans to get to the city in the first place will also be hit with the same problem.
According to Skyscanner, direct flights to Bilbao airport from anywhere in the UK are currently completely sold out, with all flights requiring a stop in at least one other airport.
However, SunSport have looked at a number of alternative ways fans can travel to the city for the showpiece final at the Estadio de San Mames.
Ferry – Portsmouth to Bilbao
The simplest and arguably most relaxing option for fans will be to travel to the region by boat.
As a little geography refresh, Bilbao as a city rests on the northern .
And fans desperate to get out to could also enjoy a stunning 32-hour cruise from to Bilbao.
It is a journey SunSport’s very own will be taking as he hopes to see his beloved Red Devils lift the trophy.
According to Brittany Ferries, the cruise would leave on Sunday at 10pm and arrive on Tuesday at 8am, costing at least £150.
An alternative route would be to go from Portsmouth or to the neighbouring port of Santander, which is then an estimated three hour train journey or hour and 16 minute drive to Bilbao.
The Portsmouth journey will commence on May 19 at 9:30pm before arriving at 8am on the day with a cost of £190 one way.
The Plymouth journey costs marginally less at £150, and leaves at 4:45pm on Sunday to arrive in Spain on the Monday.
Ferry to Calais – train to Bordeaux – coach to Bilbao
One of the quickest ways to get to mainland would be go to Calais, with a ferry there costing around £229, according to Ferrysavers.
Once in Calais you can then travel to in the south of by train, which according to Trainline can cost around £90 and take around 6 hours on the day.
The final leg of the journey would then see you needing to take a coach from Bordeaux to Bilbao which, taking around five hours but costing from £8.99 at the time of writing.
Eurotunnel, trains and driving
At the time of writing the the day before the game starts at £64, while on the day, the minimum cost is £87.
That is the first part of the journey, with the journey once leaving Paris taking anywhere between seven and 13 hours.
But if you fancy an extended drive, you can take a ferry from Dover to Calais and then drive a car all the way down for a trip which takes more than 11 hours to complete according to Rome2Rio.
Flights to Spanish cities
As it stands, there are direct flights from to Bilbao or neighbouring cities Seville and Zaragoza, though more flights could be put on.
However, there remains some flights from direct to Seville, with cheapest of these flights coming out to around £108 by flying out on Tuesday evening and returning on Thursday.
And there is some luck for from Manchester if they are willing to fly to either or .
Barcelona flights will set fans back at least £96 flying the day before and £89 on the day, while Madrid flights start at £516 the day before and £346 on the day.
London flights to Barcelona currently cost from £49 the day before and £67 on the day, while Madrid flights are again significantly more at £239 the day before and £163 on the day.
Flight changes
Most other flights to Bilbao involve some kind of change on the way which adds a crazy amount of time on to the journey often due to layovers having long wait times.
According to Omio, one option is to fly from Manchester to Paris and then to Bilbao the day before, which costs from £307 one way.
Alternatively doing a flight transfer from London to Madrid and then Bilbao will set a fan back at least £262 one way and take more than 13 hours to complete when starting on Tuesday evening.
Elsewhere on Skyscanner, the cheapest flights to Manchester are currently from £188, while the best recommended flight currently costs £566 for a 4 hour 20 minute trip with a change at Amsterdman.
London flights cost £263 at the cheapest with that taking nearly 10 hours, while the recommended best flights cost around £514 for a 4 and a half hour flight changing at Madrid.
Bus routes – London to Bilbao
One of the longest but cheapest journeys a fan might be able to make on the trip involves an estimated 22 hour journey by bus that will cost as little as £72.
This journey starts in Whitehall/Trafalgar and goes to Victoria first before heading to Paris.
Paris then gives way for an 11-hour plus trip heading all the way to Bilbao for as little as £45.
*All prices are correct at the time of writing.
