Three great stadium tours to experience in Europe

If you are heading out to one of Europe’s popular city break destinations in the near future, you will probably have lots of sightseeing planned. However, don’t just restrict your cultural spying to famous statues, landmarks, museums and art works (although these are all great!) get out and see the modern day amphitheatre. See the venues where some of the greatest footballing shows on earth have taken place and, with luck, will continue to take place for many more years to come. Here’s some of what you can expect from visiting three of Europe’s greatest football stadiums.

The Camp Nou, Barcelona

Being one of the world’s most iconic stadiums, failing to visit the Camp Nou on a Barcelona holiday would be a real shame. You can reach the stadium easily from anywhere in the city as it’s well connected on the underground metro system, take the metro in the direction of Zona Universitaria and get off at Maria Cristina, go right out of the station along Av.Diagonal and you’ll soon be standing in the shadow of the great stadium.

The stadium tour costs €18.10 per person, and you can expect a real treat of a tour. You’ll get to see all the major trophies the club has won, have a run through the clubs history, get to interact with player and club stats on touch screen computers. Go and have your photo taken in the press room and interview area, then go sit in the changing room before walking down the players tunnel to the soundtrack of a roaring Catalan crowd where you’ll end up pitch side to take in the full grandeur of the stadium.

San Siro, Milan

Italy’s national stadium and about as much of a footballing shrine as Barcelona’s Camp Nou, the San Siro has so many great football memories that it makes it a must visit when you’re in Milan. Out on the western side of the city the San Siro can easily be reached from the city centre via a tram and a bus. Get on the tramway 16 to Piazzale Segesta before changing to grab the number 16 bus and get off at the end of its route. You’ll know you’re in the right place.

This tour could be seen as a two for one, for the €12.50 entry price you’ll get everything you expect from a stadium trip, tour of the stands, sit in the changing rooms, visit the interview area and get out on the pitch. But also, because the stadium is the shared home ground of both AC Milan and Inter Milan you get to find out about the history of the two clubs individually at the stadium museum. Here you can see up close which clubs trophy collection is more impressive than the other as well as seeing other memorabilia from over the years.

Allianz Arena, Munich

Not quite with the same iconic status as the last two, but home of another of Europe’s footballing greats, Bayern Munich’s Allianz arena is an incredibly impressive venue. Nice and easy to get to, the Allianz Area is at the north of Munich. Get on the blue line of the underground heading north to Frottmaning, it takes about 16 minutes from Munich’s city center.

What the stadium is lacking in history it more than makes up for with its extraordinary construction. The tour of Bayern Munich’s home costs €10 and will start with a film about the arena itself and the history of the club. You can then go and explore the impressive upper tier before having a guided tour of the sponsors lounge, changing rooms, players tunnel and the behind the scenes bits of the venue. Just for looking at the architecture this one is a must.

If you’re a football fan and you’re going to one of Europe’s major city’s sometime soon, definitely check out whether you can get on the home ground stadium tours. There is so much footballing glory to be experienced on one of these tours that whatever your team you’ll enjoy it for the pride of the game.