The perfect introduction to German football
A visit to the BayArena to watch Bayer 04 Leverkusen is the perfect starting point for people new to Germany and its football culture:
- It is close to two major airports, next to a motorway and easy to reach by public transport.
- It has a spectacular, modern stadium which is designed to bring every spectator close to the action and to maximise the atmosphere.
- The club has one of the most family-friendly set-ups in the Bundesliga.
- The team plays an exciting and highly entertaining brand of football.
Tickets
The simplest way to get tickets is to call the club’s ticket hotline (0049 214 5000 1904). There is always someone there who can speak English and who can advise you on the best places to sit. You could also use the Online Shop. This way you can choose exactly where to sit and you can use the Print@Home facility to print your ticket before you leave.
Getting to Leverkusen
Leverkusen is between Du?sseldorf and Cologne and you can get there easily and quickly by train from either city. For example, the journey from Du?sseldorf with the regional train (RE1 or RE5 ) takes about 15 minutes and there were at least three trains an hour to choose from.
Flights
If you are coming over for a short visit, flying is the best option, and you can usually get a return flight for about £100.
Düsseldorf Airport
There are flights here from Birmingham, London Stansted, London Heathrow, London Gatwick, Manchester, Cardiff, Glasgow and Newcastle. The airport has a station where you can catch a train to Leverkusen Mitte. The journey will take 30 minutes.
Cologne Bonn Airport
There are flights here from London Heathrow, London Stansted, Manchester and Edinburgh and a station right in the middle of the airport. Take a train to Köln Deutz and then change for Leverkusen Mitte.
If you are not in a hurry
A more leisurely way to get here would be by train – take the Eurostar from London St Pancras to Brussels, change there for Cologne and then continue to Leverkusen. This costs about £150.
If you have even more time, National Express will take you from London to the region by bus for about £40 return. But be prepared for a very long journey.
Find out more about travel in Germany here.
Easy to find
Getting to the BayArena is simplicity itself. You just follow the signs at the station for the Sportpark.
Then you walk through a lovely park, following the signs for the BayArena, which will appear after about 15 minutes in the trees on your left.
A great place to watch football
Extensive modernisation and refurbishment in 2007 have turned the BayArena into one to the most attractive, comfortable and fan-friendly venues you are ever likely to visit. With a maximum capacity of 30,000, there are enough fans to generate a sense of occasion without it being overwhelming – and the closeness of all seats to the action makes sure everyone gets a good view and maximises the atmosphere.
Inside the stadium, there are all the usual food and drink outlets, a club shop, a creche and free WiFi. If you download the Live-App you can access live, real-time data about the game.
Visitors welcome
Bayer 04 Leverkusen has an open and welcoming ethos. Signs are in English as well as German and teams of helpers are on hand to offer advice. The club has decorated the barriers dividing home and away fans to recognise the contribution visitors make to a good game.
“No game is exciting without away fans.”
The BayArena Card
The only possible complication is that you can’t use cash inside the ground. Instead, you need to get a BayArena card from one of the kiosks once you arrive. You pay a 10 euro deposit and then put as much money as you want onto the card, which you then use for every purchase.
At the end of the game, you go back to the kiosk to get your deposit and any unspent money back.
Where to stay in Leverkusen
Leverkusen is so easy to get to from both Cologne and Du?sseldorf, so you might want to base yourself in one of these fine cities and do a spot of sightseeing, shopping or dining out before and after the football.
The Lindner is a 200 room hotel connected to the BayArena. A room will set you back about 125 euros per night. There are, however, cheaper alternatives.
There are, however, cheaper alternatives.
- Hotel Ibis (from 50 euros per room)
- Hotel am Stadion (a single room from about 29 euros and a double from about 80 euros)
- Haus Fu?ck (a single room from about euros and a double room about 60 euros)
- You can, of course, get more information at the Leverkusen Tourist Information website.
Find out more about German football
Books about German football
