Arsenal fans scramble for indirect routes to Champions League final in Budapest

Since Arsenal’s Premier League title win last week, north London has been in celebration mode. With the team set to play in the Champions League final on Saturday, supporters are now heading to Budapest to watch Arsenal face Paris Saint-Germain.

In Stansted’s departure lounge on Friday morning, the team’s red-and-white shirts stood out among travelers. Most fans were preparing for indirect routes after direct flights to Budapest sold out.

Darren Cornish, a 53-year-old IT manager from Hemel Hempstead, booked return flights to Linz, Austria, for £150 after the semi-final. He plans to take a three-and-a-half-hour train to Budapest on Saturday morning. Many of his friends are traveling through Vienna, Bratislava and even Rome.

All 13 Wizz Air flights from London to Budapest had sold out by Friday, with remaining one-way tickets listed at £407, according to Skyscanner. Cornish said a very small number of people he knows are flying direct.

Cornish was in Highbury on Sunday after Arsenal’s final league match against Crystal Palace. He said he had never seen scenes like those at the Emirates, even after previous title wins at Anfield, Old Trafford, White Hart Lane and Highbury.

Arsenal last reached the Champions League final 20 years ago. Cornish called Saturday’s match a free hit. If the team loses, it still has the Premier League title. If it wins, the season would be complete.

Ben Boxhall, 23, and two friends from Essex are flying to Kraków, then taking a 5 a.m. bus to Budapest. They were 18 months old when Arsenal last won the league in 2004. The group has no hotel booked and plans to stay up all night after the match before catching an early bus back.

They paid £170 for return flights to Kraków after Budapest tickets reached £500 to £600. Ollie Laurence, 23, said some fans are paying more than £1,000 for flights. He said a win on Saturday could make it the perfect season.

Sonny Living, a 21-year-old graduate from Hertfordshire, also booked flights to Linz for just under £200. He said the stakes for the final are lower because the season has already been a success, but he expects the squad to play without fear. Tickets for the match are listed around £2,500.

Neil Roberts, 43, has attended home and away matches for 25 years. He said success after a long wait feels magical. He is traveling with Jeff Steward, 60, who secured flights to Linz for £60 after the first leg of the semi-final.

Paul Dawson, 48, another fan from Aylesbury, said return flights to Budapest rose tenfold within two hours of the final whistle last week. Roberts said the long and expensive journeys are worth it. Memories, he said, are worth more than money.