Socceroos in Russia 2018 World Cup

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  djkelly69 on 03/01/2018 - 11:30

  Have you looked at the Fanatics packages?

  • 

    bugger off on 03/01/2018 - 11:53

    I did just now. They don't show any prices or estimates.

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  Smokey010 on 03/01/2018 - 12:01

  +3

  OPTUS SPORTS for me. Hope you have a great time.

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  Fluffyduck77 on 03/01/2018 - 12:09

  +2

  Depending if we get tickets 2018 Russia World Cup will be our honeymoon. Done a little bit of research but don't want to get my hopes up in case we don't get tickets haha anyway:

  Fanatics or Green and Gold Army (I think they are doing the same package though) if you just want it easy. Kinda expensive though 5k-7k each depending if you want to be based in Moscow or follow the team around, not counting game tickets, plane to make it to Moscow or internal flights etc. so you are essentially paying for accommodation. If you are doing it solo it's ok but in a group not so much.

  Our plan is to fly into a city in Europe that has a relatively cheap flight to Moscow ie. Aus to Berlin, Berlin to Moscow. Internally we'll do a mixture of flying/rail (can take a while by rail but I see it as an experience haha) I think there are also buses.

  Accommodation seems to be non-existent if you want a hotel experience. I've looked at booking.com etc. and there is SFA, dunno if its because hotels are withholding rooms for tours etc. So looking at apartment rentals, booking.com does them at least or even AirBNB. Price wise it varies a lot! anywhere from $100 - 1k+ per night There are hostels as well if you don't mind that kind of stay.

  Anyway good luck!

  • 

    bugger off on 03/01/2018 - 12:30

    that is actually a better idea, catching a plane to any other city in europe and connect to Moscow afterwards.
    Accomodation seems to be my biggest concern. The rooms at hotels are non-existent and super expensive. Airbnb is my only hope. I hope to travel frequently between cities (sometimes overnight trains) so no point being based in a city.

    Also any idea how's the travel between the cities in Russia? Say between Moscow-St.P or Kazan-Moscow?

    • 

      Fluffyduck77 on 03/01/2018 - 12:53

      +1

      • Moscow-St.P - plane is about hour and half, Rail you can either do the high speed train about 4 hours or overnight train about 8 hours.

      • Kazan-Moscow - plane about hour and half, 14 hour train ride as no high speed train, saves one night accommodation though haha we're going to do this but first class for the experience.

      • I think Kazan - Samara is relatively close, we're thinking maybe an uber/taxi (5hr drive) or even bus.

      • Samara - Sochi - plane for that one its 2k kms between the cities a train would be a day and a half.

      • 

        verio on 03/01/2018 - 15:10

        I would not use taxi or Uber to move from one city to another. Taxi drivers can be sometimes a bit dodgy in Russia.

        Source: lived in Russia for many years.

      • 

        heysoph9 on 09/01/2018 - 09:37

        @brightaussie:
        Ever used blablacar in Russia? Kazan to Samara is much faster by driving and hiring a car one way will be quite expensive, happy to pay someone to drive us there.

    • 

      Halo375 on 03/01/2018 - 13:48

      Best you book airbnb quickly if that's the route you choose to take - they will sell out in a heartbeat because of so many other international travellers preferring airbnb for international travel.

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  [Deactivated] on 03/01/2018 - 13:28

  +1

  Shoot me a message.

  Source: I've booked international/internal flights and rail, cat 2 match tickets to all games, hotels/airbnb and travel insurance for $3.5k

  Things would have gone up but i can provide some pointers and perhaps some accommodation depending on your numbers.

  Cheers,

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  heysoph9 on 09/01/2018 - 09:36

  The GGARMY and Fanatics tours are very very overpriced for 12/14/16 day tours (around $6000-$7000), they equate to something like $450+ per day just for accomm/tour/buses not including domestic flights or tickets! As an ozbargainer, no way I can warrant spending that kind of money.

  I have been booking hostels for between $7-$25 pp per night on booking.com - free cancellation, no prepayment - and there's hardly anything left in less touristy places like Samara. Moscow/St P and Sochi have quite a bit still.

  As for transport, I have booked a flight to Kazan (only did flight instead of train because I didn't want to miss watching the opening match) from Moscow with baggage for $60 and a flight from Sochi to Moscow for $100 - book with Aeroflot because their price includes baggage unlike Siberia Airlines. My return flights were decently prices for a 1 stop 2 hour layover with JAL for $1500.

  Other travel by cities we will do by the free trains (can book after doing your ticket application) or maybe a rideshare from Kazan to Samara.

  I recommend booking accomm asap because that's the first thing that is running out very quickly.

  I've only got tickets to one game so far (1/12 game applications in the first two phases sigh)

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  db1709 on 11/01/2018 - 10:50

  Don't go on the organised tours, ESPECIALLY the Fanatics!

  I encountered them in Brazil for the last world cup, they're basically Johnny come lately pisshead bogans who are jumping on the bandwagon of a sport that they have despised all their lives and used to call wogball at school.

  They have no idea about football culture and come up with the same cringeworthy "Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi" chants, and have no idea how to support the team.

  They're there for a piss up only, it's the new rite of passage for cashed up bogans, a sporting Contiki if you like. Meanwhile, the real, long suffering fans of the game miss out on being there in the stadiums.

  The GG Army whilst being more clued up football wise are also a bit of a strange bunch, and not very inspiring either. Anybody who's attended a Socceroos match in Australia would know this.

  Not to mention these tours are ridiculously overpriced. You will do it so much cheaper if you handle each item yourself.

  Do it yourself, stay in hostels with fans from all over the world (might be harder to find outside of Moscow and St Petersburg), get to know them and talk football with them, they know what is going on. Head out on the town with them, forget about the clueless bandwagoners who don't even understand the offside rule properly, and use terminology like "kicking goals" instead of scoring goals.

  I realise this all sounds snobbish and elitist, but I stand by every single word.

  I wish I could go again but since the last world cup I grew up a little bit and have a mortgage to contend with now.

  Most of all, stay safe!