Tuesday, September 23

Aalborg away travel guide

Next Tuesday, United travel to Denmark to defend their Champions League crown.

Here is everything you need to know about the city for your stay.

Money
Danes use the Danish Kroner (kr).
The official exchange rate is currently 9,3kr for £1.
The best exchange rate you're likely to find in Manchester is 8.8kr for £1 (or 9.03kr if you get more than £100s worth) from Althams. The Co-op offers 8.88kr and Thomas Cook offers 8.32kr.

Unless you're ordering in more than £100's worth, you should be able to get it right away without having to wait a few days for an order to come in.

Airports

Aalborg Lufthavn(pictured) - flights from London Gatwick on Sterling Air

It is 3.5 miles north west of Aalborg city centre. It costs 100kr (£10) by taxi and takes 10 minutes.
It costs 22kr (£2.20) one way by Metrobus number 202. Services depart roughly 30 minutes after each flight lands and take 22 minutes.

Aarhus Lufthavn - flights from London Stansted on Ryanair

If you're flying from Stansted, don't pay £10 a day for airport parking. Instead park for free close to Bishop's Stortford train station and catch the Stansted Express to the airport. It takes 10 minutes and costs £3.80 one way before 10am and £4.20 after 10am.

It is 50 miles north of Aarhus city centre. It costs 550kr (£55) by taxi and takes about 25 minutes.

The coach costs 90KR (£9) one way. Services depart roughly 30 minutes after each flight lands and takes 50 minutes.

But be warned: If you're getting the evening flight home, the last airport bus leaves at 20:15.

From Aarhus to Aalborg by train, it costs 157kr (£15.70) for a single or 314KR (£31.40) for a return. The journey takes about 90 minutes. They usually run twice every hour, but search here for timetables.

Alternatively you can catch the X-bus for 110KR (£11).

The stadium

Kick off is at 8.45pm local time.

Aalborg’s stadium is in walking distance from the city centre.
From the main road, Vesterbro, walk north towards the river and turn left onto Kastetve.

Walk right up that road and you will see the stadium on your left. Apparently, Aalborg will be erecting a big screen for (mostly home) fans without tickets to watch outside the stadium.

Pubs

Undoubtedly the meeting pub for reds in Aalborg will be the John Bull, at Østerågade 20. (Pictured)
To get there, follow the main road, Vesterbro, north towards the river.
Turn right onto Ved Stranden and then, at the end, turn right onto Osteragade and you'll see it in front of you.
It usually costs about £4.50 for a pint of Carlsberg and Tuborg here, but the landlord Jamal has promised to lower prices for the visit of United. And if you've not got a ticket, they've got a big screen showing the match.

It will open daily from 10am on the week of the match. Here's the full menu but expect the prices to be lower.

On the same street, at number 25, there's a pub called the Irish House, a 17th-century house, which has been described as "almost too beautiful a setting in which to get drunk".
Serving Kronenbourg, Carslberg (at 30kr a pint until 8pm and 35kr after) Strongbow, Guinness and other draughts, plus 28 bottled beers and cheerful pub grub, it will open from 10am until 4am on the day before and the day of the match. It has two big screens and six plasma screens.
Here, Barry Leaming from the Scandanvian United
Supporters' Club will be having a party on the night
of the game, featuring Pete Boyle before kick off. Go here for details.

But if you really want to get a flavour of Aalborg, you need to walk a few streets over to Jomfru Ane Gade (pictured) - the Deansgate Locks of Aalborg - which is packed full of bars and clubs.
It's a lot livelier with younger revellers at weekends and more likely to be full of middle-aged diners in the week.

Bars are ten a penny on that street (ask any local for directions), but it's quite pricey too.

One bar you have to check out is Sogaards Bryghus, at Obels Plads 4, which has its own microbrewery.
According to the guide book: "It has a swanky interior, loads of outdoor seating and a long menu of beer accompaniments.
"You could easily lose an afternoon or evening here sampling the seven different local brews - favourite is the Jomfruhumle pilsner, followed closely by the Klosterbryg, a dark German-style beer."

Another cheap drinking place is the Mallorca Bar right outside the train station.

Accommodation
If you're still looking for a place to stay, be warned that it's a complete rip off all over town.
You can camp or stay in a hostel on the outskirts of town, but the extra travelling time and cost defeats the object.

A good idea is to ask at the tourist office (address in the 'formal stuff' bit below).
They will book you rooms in private homes for between 270kr and 310kr (£27 and £31) for a single room and between 325kr and 400kr (£32.50 to £40) for a double pr pn.

And that really is the cheapest you're going to get. You can get a modern-but-simple double room at Prinsen Hotel at Prinsengade 14 for 645kr (£64.50) pr pn. It's close to the train and bus stations and has free internet access.

If you've got a bit more money to spend, try the 19th-centry Villa Rosa (pictured), at Gronnegangen 4, which has double rooms for 800kr (£80) pr pn.
It has a great central location. You might be able to get one of the six theatrically decorated rooms, which give it a special character.

Food
For a daytime snack, visit the best chippy in town - Schak Nielsen, at Algade 23, which sells delicious fish burgers as well as sushi and other takeaways for about 20kr (£2).

If you want something more substantial head for Cafe KlosterTorvet, at Obels Plads 4, which offers dirt-cheap meals like baguettes and lasagnes from 380kr (£3.80).

Everywhere else is a bit of a rip off, but the Pingvin Tapas and Vincafe, at Brandstrupsgade 11 is worth checking out for it's amazing selection of tapas. Get a light meal there for about 50kr (£5).

What to see

Aalborg Zoo at Molleparkvej 63
Home to 1,300 animals and one of the most popular in Denmark, it’s open daily from 9am and costs 105Kr (£10.50). to get in.

Museum of Modern Art at Kong Christian Alle 50.
It houses a fine collection of Danish art dating from the late 19th century. It can be quite a mission to find on foot so take bus 15 instead. Entry is 40kr (£4).

The Budolfi Domkirke cathedral (pictured), at Algade 40
It’s at the centre of the old town and chimes on the hour every hour. The 16th-century interior is worth a look.

Further afield there’s a Viking museum and graveyard 15 minutes out of Aalborg on bus 2 and some amazing sand dunes, crashing waves where two seas collide and exceptional views in Skagen – an hour to the north of Aalborg on the north coast.

Formal stuff
Emergency police: 112
Non-emergency police: +45 96 30 14 48. The central station is at Jyllandsgade 27.
Hospital: +45 99 32 11 11. The Sygehus Syd hospital is at Hobrovej 18-22
Money: You can draw money out at ATMs all over town. A £2 withdrawal fee will apply.
The tourist information office is on the same street as the John Bull and opens business hours on weekdays.
Internet access: Free at the public library at Rendsburggade 2.
UK Embassy in Copenhagen): +45 33 44 52 00. If you lose your passport, report it to the police and you should only need the embassy in very exceptional circumstances.

Wednesday, September 17

Aalborg ballot results out

Supporters who applied for tickets for United's first away Champions League match in Aalborg later this month can now find out of they were successful by visiting United's official website.

Be sure to check back here next week for a detailed Guide to Aalborg and feel free to email your travel questions to redsaway@hotmail.co.uk

Down to the West End


Chelsea
Stamford Bridge
Sunday September 21, 2008
Kick off 2pm

Tickets

Stamford Bridge has a capacity of 42,005. United fans have got approximately 3,000 of those, which are in the upper and lower sections of the Shed End and are priced at £45.

All tickets are sold out and everyone who applied will have, by now, found out if they were successful through the usual channels.

The going rate for touted tickets is £260 in the home end and £370 in the away end.

Travel

Train - £67.70

The standard route is: Manchester Piccadilly to London Euston and then on to Fulham Broadway via the London Underground.

On a Sunday, you're looking at a four-and-a-half-hour journey.

Option 1

Leave Piccadilly at 08:08, arrive Stafford at 09:24. Leave Stafford at 09:39, arrive Euston at 12:32

Option 2

Leave Piccadilly at 09:00, arrive Euston at 12:57

Option 3

Leave Piccadilly at 09:44, arrive Euston at 13:24
If you take up any of these options, an off-peak return will cost you £62.40.

On the Underground from Euston, take the Northern Line south and get off at Embankment. Then take the District Line and get off at Fulham Broadway.

Services leave every four minutes and it takes 33 minutes from Euston to Fulham Broadway.
Get an off-peak two-zone one-day travelcard for £5.30, otherwise the journey will cost you £8 - unless you have an Oyster Card, in which it would be £3.

Homeward bound, direct trains leave Euston at 17:10, 18:10, 18: 52, 19:10 and 19:52
Coach - £24.40
The club executive coach costs £30 and leaves from Old Trafford N2 car park at 7.30am and is expected to arrive back at 9.30pm. To book, call 0161 868 8000 option 1 and speak to an advisor.

The Red Issue coach is sold out.

National Express runs services between Chorlton Street and London Victoria for £24.40.

Outward services are:

Leave 06:45, arrive 11:35
Leave 08:00, arrive 13:00
Homebound service are:
Leave 17:00, arrive 22: 10 (this includes changing coaches in Birmingham and a 40-minute wait there)
Leave 17:30, arrive 22:40
Leave 19:00, arrive 23:35

From there, it's a two-minute walk to Victoria Tube Station. Take the District Line towards Wimbledon and get off at Fulham Broadway. It takes 14 minutes and services leave roughly every 15 minutes. Get an off-peak two-zone one-day travelcard for £5.30

Or you can catch the 211 bus to Waterloo, which drops you near to the ground. A return ticket will cost you roughly £2. Buses are free for under 16s.

Megabus runs services between Chorlton Street and London Victoria but there are none leaving on the day of the game that will get you there before kick off and there are no return services after the game.

But you can go on Saturday and return on Monday for £16, though it would obviously mean staying over in a hostel or a hotel.

Car - £69.04
If you're using a satnav or route planner, put in the postcode SW6 1HS. Return fuel cost will be £69.04 if you don't use the M6 toll road, and £77.04 if you do.

The journey time via the M6 toll is three hours and 38 minutes.

Parking is extremely limited as many of the side streets off Fulham Road are either gated off or have parking restrictions.

Flight - £181.80
BMI and British Airways both fly from Manchester to London Heathrow and London Gatwick, though most of the flights are more than £100 each way, so I wouldn't recommend it unless you've got loads of cash but little time.

The best deal on this route is on British Airways, leaving Manchester at 10.30, arriving Gatwick at 11.30am - £93.65 and then leaving Gatwick at 21:05, arriving Manchester at 22:05 - £88.15.

Saturday, September 13

Reds get 7,000 for Ewood trip


From Monday, applications will be taken for tickets for the short journey to Blackburn on Saturday October 4.

United have got 7,000 tickets, priced £35 adults, £25 over 65's and £15 under 16's.

From 8am on Monday to 8pm on Friday, executive members can apply by post or on 0161 868 8000 (select option 1) and speaking to an advisor.

Then from 8am on September 22 to 8am on September 24, season tickets who go to the Villarreal home game on Tuesday can apply online or by callling 0161 868 8000 (select option 1 twice).

Ballot results will be available from September 25.

The club is offering coach travel to the match, which costs £16 per person and leaves the N2 car park at 3pm, due to return to Old Trafford at 8.30pm.

To book, call 0161 868 8000 option 1 and speak to an advisor.

Wednesday, September 10

Saturday in Scouseland


Liverpool
Anfield
Saturday September 13, 2008.
Kick off 12.45pm


Tickets

Anfield has a capacity of 45,362. United fans have got approximately 3,000 of those priced at £39 adults, £28 over 65's and £19.50p under 16's.

All tickets are sold out and everyone who applied will have, by now, found out if they were successful through the usual channels. The going rate for touted tickets is £170 in the home end and £220 in the away end.

Travel

Train - £9.20

The best ticket to get is a cheap day return, which will cost £9.20 for adults and £4.60 for under 16s.

There's lots of services to choose from each way, but the bestoption is the 10:07 departure from Piccadilly (add on six minutes if you're getting it from Oxford Road).

This train is perfect for starting the day with a cheap fry up and a pint at Barracuda in the Circus on the corner of Oxford Road and Portland Street and then nipping across the road to Oxford Road station and arriving at Lime Street just in time for the opening of other pups at 11am.

Here are some other departure times from Piccadilly (jourrney time is 48 to 52 minutes):

09:49, 10:07, 10:37, 10:49, 11,07 and 11.37

And, on the way back from Lime Street to Piccadilly:

15:14, 15:22, 15:52, 16:14, 16:22, 16:52, 17:09, 17:22, 17:52, 18:14, 18:22, 18:52 and 19:22.

There are also services from Victoria to Lime Street, but they are pretty slow, so you wouldn't lose any time by going to Piccadilly and then getting the Metrolink across town (train tickets are valid on Met services).

Once at Lime Street, it's a 15-minute walk to the stadium (follow road signs for Anfield) or it's roughly £7 in a black cab - there's a cab rank to the side of the station.

Fan coach - £18

The United We Stand/Red Issue Coach leaves from Chorlton Street Station at 10am and from the Bishop's Blaize pub at 10.15am. It costs £18. For booking details, log on to the Red Issue forum and visit this thread.

The official coach, which leaves from the N2 Car park at Old Trafford at 10.30am and is due to return to the stadium by 4.45pm, has sold out.

General coach - £6.50

National Express run coaches between Chorlton Street and Liverpool Coach Station on Norton Street.

Journeys take 55 minutes. Departure times from Manchester are at 45 minutes past the hour every hour starting at 07:45.

Departure times from Liverpool are at:15:00, 15:30, 16:15, 17:00, 17:15, 17:54, 18:30 and 19:30.

Megabus does not run a service between Manchester and Liverpool.


Car - £8.06

If you're using a route planner, use the postcode: L4 0TH to get directions to the stadium.

Petrol works out as £4.03 each way and the journey takes 49 minutes.

Drive down the M62 towards Liverpool until it ends, then do a right on the Broadwood roundabout on to the A5058, which Queen's Drive Stoneycroft. Follow that road down (the football ground is signposted) and turn left onto Utting Avenue.

Go under the railway bridge and pick one of the side streets to park in. It's free and as safe as you're going to get in Liverpool and you're quick away after the game, as the majority of the matchday traffic goes in a different direction than towards the M62.

Pub guide

Unsurprisingly, I've decided not to do one for this game. Suffice to say you will not be welcome in the Flat Iron or the Arkles near the ground, but any pub near Lime Street will be accommodating with the right approach.

Friday, September 5

Readers' questions

Q: After we play Aalborg away on September 30, what would be the best way to get back to Aarhus Airport after the match in Aalborg? I fly back on October 1 at 10.30am.


A: You'll be fine if you get the train in the morning, but make sure you give yourself plenty of time, and be prepared to pay more because you're travelling at rush hour.


If you're departing at 10.30am on the Ryanair flight to London Stanstead, check in online up to five days before you fly back.


When you check in online, you enter a few personal details (passport number, flight confirmation number etc) and the website will link you to a webpage which allows you to print off your boarding pass.


If you do that, rather than arriving at the airport two hours early to check in as normal, you can just walk up to security with your pre-printed boarding pass by 9.50am at the latest.


But this will only work if you've only got one bag with you to take on the plane - if you've got any baggage to check in to put in the hold, you'd have to check in as normal.


Aarhus Airport is 50 minutes by coach from Aarhus centre. The airport bus leaves directly outside the train station.

Times are:
Leave 07:25, arrive 08:15
Leave 08:00, arrive 08:50
Leave 08:40, arrive: 09:30

So I would aim to arrive in time for the 8am coach.

The train from Aalborg to Aarhus takes about 90 minutes. They are all direct services.

Times are:
Leave: 05:10, arrive 06:47
Leave: 05:59, arrive 07:21
Leave: 06:10, arrive: 07.47
Leave: 06:59, arrive: 08:21

For more train times, go here.

If you have any similar questions, email redsaway@hotmail.co.uk

Tuesday, September 2

Danes confirm Aalborg venue


The reds will play their first Champions League away match since winning the tropy in Moscow at Aalborg's Energi Nord Arena, United's official website has confirmed.

It means our fans get a jaw-droppingly meagre 800 tickets, to be collected in person in Denmark.
Aalborg have confirmed that the reason for the low allocation is that the stadium's terraced area is to be fitted out with seats, limiting the total capacity to 10,500.
UEFA rules say a minimum of a 10 per cent the capacity must be given to the club and, on top of the 800 tickets, 250 more will go to MUTravel customers and club officials.
With hotel rooms on the pricey side and even hostel beds in 10-person dorms going at £28 per person, it may be wise to give this one a miss.

But if tickets being rare as fuck doesn't put you off, here are details of how to apply. Scroll down this blog for an Aalborg travel guide.

A more in-depth guide will follow in the coming weeks, while a guide to Glasgow and Villareal will be up in the next few days.