Asia tour pre application opens

This July, United will play four matches in Asia, and fans can now express an interest to the club that they might want to buy tickets.

With a lot of detail to be confirmed, this is the provisional tour.

July 16 - squad leaves Manchester

July 17 to 19 - training and a match in China, to be confirmed

July 20 - a match in Seoul at the World Cup Stadium

July 24 - a match against an Indonesia Super League Select XI at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium

July 26 - a match against a Malaysia XI at the Shah Alam Stadium or Bukit Jalil Stadium (pictured above).

Executive Members, season ticket holders and One United Members can express an interest the game by calling 0161 868 8000. The deadline is April 13.

Rome hopefuls - check your credit card statements now!

At the start of the month, we reported that UEFA were selling 10,000 tickets to the general public for the Champions League final in Rome.
Today was the final day on which UEFA notified those who have got tickets so, if you applied and UEFA hasn't deducted cash from your account by now, you weren't successful.
Those who were will receive their tickets in the post by April 27.

Are you going to Wembley with United? Find out today

The ticket office will today inform those who applied for FA Cup semi-final tickets if they have been successful.

If you applied, you should check with the club online or by calling 0161 868 8000.

United have got 32,041 tickets priced at £53.80, £44, £34.30 and £24.50, with half-price tickets in all categories for over 65s and under 16s.

Priority was given to loyalty-pot members and season-ticket holders who have attended all of the home cup matches this season.

Ryanair offer fans a way to Porto

Ryanair will lay on three flights - one going, two coming back - to ger reds to Porto.

United play there in the Champions League quarter final second leg on April 15.

And, with no direct flights from Manchester bar the chartered trips laid on by United, Champion Sports Travel, Miss Ellie Travel and Low Cost Sport, getting there is hard.

Today, Ryanair said they would charge a flat rate of £199 return for return flights.

The outbound flights leave Liverpool Airport on the day of the game at 07:00, arriving in Porto at 09:20.

The following day, you can either return at 09:45 or 13:45, arriving into Liverpool at 12:05 and 16:05 respectively.

Book with a Visa Electron card to avoid a £9.50 card charge, which would take the total fee up to £208.50.

Also remember Ryanair's new compulsory check-in online system, which carries a £5 each way fee. So that would add another tenner on to the fee.

There are also other optional things to buy, like luggage space, priority boarding and insurance.

Terravision runs coaches from Chorlton Street in Manchester to Liverpool Airport. It costs £6 one way and £8 return. Get times and book tickets here.

ShuttleDirect runs coaches from Porto Airport to Porto centre. Prices vary. Book here click here.

While the base line prices, seems cheap, when you add all the extras in and the inconvenience, the cheapest and best option to get to Porto is still Low Cost Sport, at £215. Full details here.

Porto ticket details confirmed

United have been given an allocation of 2,700 tickets for the Champions League quarter final second leg match in Porto on April 15.

They are priced at £45.94 for standard tickets and £82.73 for VIP tickets. Tickets will be posted out, which will add a delivery fee onto that of £4.75.

Season Ticket holders, executive members and One United Members can apply for tickets from 8am tomorrow for five days online or by calling 0161 868 8000.

Sunderland ballot results out today

If you applied for tickets for United's next away game at Sunderland on April 11, you can find out if you have got them today.

Check online throughout the day to see if your application was successful.

The away allocation is 1,700 tickets, priced at £33 for adults, £22 for over 65s and £12 for under 16s.

Porto update

Seeing as though there is lots of discussion on fan forums like Red Issue on the April 15 match in Porto, here is an update.

Low Cost Sport has announced the cheapest package deal so far, shaving £34 of the second cheapest, Champion Sports Tours.

For £215, Low Cost Sport is offering a day-trip, which starts with a flight from Manchester to Porto at 08:00, which arrives at 11:30.

On the way home, the flight leaves Porto at 00:30 and arrives into Manchester at 02:00.

That price includes insurance and coach transfers. However, unlike Travelcare Sports, Champion Sports Tours and Miss Ellie's Travel options, it does not give you access to a match ticket.

Meanwhile, Travelcare Sports has announced a £450 per person overnight trip to add to its £279 per person day trip.

People on the overnight trip leave Manchester on the morning of April 14 and arrive in Porto by lunchtime.

They will then be transferred to the four-star Mercure Porto Centro hotel (pictured above) in the city centre right before the landmark Sao Joao Theatre theatre.

After the match, guests will go by coach direct to the airport and arrive home in the early hours of April 16.

So to recap, if the above isn't good and you need more flight info, go here.

If you need a hotel, go here.

If you want (albeit limited) ticket info, go here

And if you want to see a pretty brilliant guide to FC Porto and the city itself, go here.

Porto hotels

Getting there might be a pain in the neck, but thankfully, Porto offers a range of accommodation to suit all tastes and budgets.

Those who went to Lyon last season will identify with Porto's geography, in that there's a river in the middle of it - most of the attractions are immediately north of it, and some are on the south side.

Porto's stadium, Estadio do Dragao, is in the north east of the city centre.

Hotel wise, one of the best bargains on offer anywhere in Europe, let alone Porto is the Residencial Santa Luzia (pictured right) at Rua da Alegria, 147.

It's a three-star hotel in the heart of the city centre. You can get a single room for £23.46, a double for £28.15 and a triple room for £37.54 per night.

It has its own bar and a cash machine next door. And the best part is, if you cancel a day before you're due to check in, you get a full refund. Book here.

Slightly more expensive is the Residencial Aviz (pictured left), at the Av. Rodrigues De Freitas, 451, which also has a brilliant central location and offers comfortable rooms - and it's a brief walk from the stadium.

Single rooms cost £26.28, doubles cost £31.91 and triples £42.23. Again, book through booking.com here.

Another hotel that comes highly recommended is the Hotel Peninsular at rua sa da bandeira, 21, which is right over the road from São Bento Station. It's luxurious but still cheap. You can get a deluxe twin room for £47.86 or a super deluxe double room for £8 more.

The hotel has a restaurant and balcony views of the bustling city centre. It's a winner if you're willing to spend a few extra quid. Book here.

Hostelbookers.com offers a wide range of hostels to those wanting to save even more cash, and our highlight is by far the amazing value Residência Pedra Antiga, in Rua de Santa Catarina, right in the centre.

For a twin room. it costs £29.90 per room per night. All rooms have bathrooms and brand new TVs with Sky. There is also an outside garden where you can relax and eat from the frequent barbecues - and you get your breakfast included in the room price.

Book here. There's a 10-per-cent deposit payable on booking and you pay the rest on arrival. If you cancel, you lose your deposit.

Expedia.co.uk also offers a range of Porto hotels, but the ones above work out cheaper and, unlike with other European cities, you're staying centrally.

Last chance for Wembley applications

The deadline for those wanting to apply for tickets for United's FA Cup semi-final showdown with Everton is 8am tomorrow.

Box holders, executive members and season ticket holders can apply either online or by calling 0161 868 8000.

United have got 32,041 tickets priced at £53.80, £44, £34.30 and £24.50, with half-price tickets in all categories for over 65s and under 16s.

Priority will go to loyalty-pot members and season-ticket holders who have attended all of the home cup matches this season.

Take a gamble on Rome

Yes, we're two rounds and four matches away from a possible second consecutive Champions League final, but you can book flights now at the risk of a mere £34.

It's a long way around and there a lot of ifs and buts and absolutely no guarantee that it will work out right, but it's a great alternative to paying upwards of £500 for flights (which won't necessarily be direct from Manchester) should United get to Rome.

(To avoid extra booking fees, the following must be booked using a Visa Electron for Ryanair flights and Solo or Maestro for Wizzair flights)

Monday, May 25
12.20 flight from Manchester to Dusselforf for £30 on Ryanair

19: 40 flight from Dusseldorf to Venice for £4.70 on Ryanair

Tuesday, May 26
08:00 flight from Venice to Rome for £4.65 on Ryanair

OR

18:55 flight from Venice to Rome for £4.65 on Ryanair

Wednesday, May 27

The Champions League final in Rome.

Friday, May 29

15:00 flight from Roma to Timisoara for £7.20 on Wizzair (including Maesto/Solo booking fee)

Sunday, May 31
06:40 Timisoara to London Luton £15.42 on Wizzair (including Maesto/Solo booking fee)

Total cost: £61.97.

But, you needn't book the Manchester to Dusseldorf flight just yet, as there is no reason why it would go up much in the next few weeks.

So if you just booked the other flights, it would be an outlay of £31.97.

You can place a lay bet with Betfair on United not reaching the final. Betting £18.00 returns £32.76 and betting £34.00 returns £61.88.

Of course, it would still mean booking accommodation for a night in Venice, three nights in Rome and one night in Timisoara but you can worry about that later - and get a head start on the others booking flights and accommodation if/when United get through.

Porto travel guide

FC Porto
Estádio do Dragão, Porto
Wednesday April 15, kick off 19:45 local time
Champions League quarter final second leg

Tickets
The stadium capacity is 52,002, but the away allocation details are still to be arranged.

Season ticket holders, executive members and One United members can apply for tickets from 8am on Wednesday for five days.

Ballot results will be available from April 3 and tickets will be posted out by special delivery on April 9.

TV
The match will be shown live on Sky Sports 1.

Travel

With the club - £279
On behalf of United, Travelcare Sports is offering a day-trip package for £279 per person, which includes direct flights from Manchester to Porto, leaving on the morning of the game and returning right after the game.

Anyone who buys a place will automatically get a match ticket, but it is not included in the price, nor is insurance. Places are going very fast.

With Champion Sports Tours - £249
They are offering two different trips.

The first is a day-trip package for £249 per person. which includes direct flights from Manchester to Porto, leaving on the morning of the game and returning right after the game.

Anyone who buys a place will automatically get a match ticket, but it is not included in the price, nor is insurance.

The second is a two-day package for £309 per person, leaving Manchester Airport for Porto at about 7am the day before the game and returning right after the game.

It includes coach transfers and one night's accommodation in a a three-star hotel.

Anyone who buys a place on either trip will automatically get a match ticket, but it is not included in the price, nor is insurance.

You can upgrade to a four-star hotel for an extra £10. Five-star hotels are available on request.

Places for both packages are going very fast. Call 0161 282 1966 or email mailto:debbie@mufctravel.comm

With Miss Ellies Travel - £269

They are offering two different trips.

The first is a day-trip package for £269 per person. which includes coach transfers and direct flights from Manchester to Porto, leaving at 07:45 on the morning of the game and returning right after the game at 02:30 in Manchester.

The second is a two-day package for £349 per person, leaving Manchester Airport for Porto on the morning of the day before the game and returning right after the game.

It includes coach transfers and accommodation for one night in a four-star hotel.

Anyone who buys a place on either trip will automatically get a match ticket if they are a member or season-ticket holder, but it is not included in the price, nor is insurance. Places are selling fast.

Travelling independently

This looks like one of the most expensive Euro aways for some time, as airlines put up fares in anticapation of this game and due tothe Easter school holidays. As if that's not bad enough, there are no direct flights between Manchester and Porto.

In short, you'll be lucky to find flights much cheaper than Champion Sports Tours day trip price.

Option A - £310

London to Porto

You can go from either Heathrow or Gatwick on TAP for £310, return travelling April 14 and returning April 16. Many seats have already been sold.

Option B - £169.88

London to Madrid to Porto - three days

April 14

Stansted to Madrid at 08:30 on Ryanair , arrive 12:00

Madrid to Porto at 20:50 on Ryanair, arrive 21:10

April 16

Porto to Madrid at 06:35 on Ryanair, arrive 08:45 (return price £74.39)

Madrid to Stansted at 17:10 on Ryanair, arrive 18:35 (return price £95.49)

This option means you still have to get to Stansted, park your car there (though you should park in Bishops Stortford for free) risk missing connections and get up insanely early for the flight home from Porto.

Option C - £105.35

London to Madrid to Porto - five days

April 14

Stansted to Madrid at 08:30 on Ryanair, arrive 12:00

April 15

Madrid to Porto at 05:50 on Ryanair, arrive 06:10

April 16:

Porto to Madrid at 21:35 on Ryanair, arrive 23:55 (return price £9.36)

April 17

Madrid to Stansted at 06:30 on Ryanair on April, arrive 08:00 (return price £95.99)

This option will save on your wallet, but it will probably mean a lot of time waiting around airport terminals and hotel costs in Madrid.

Option D - £169.94

East Midlands - Faro - Porto - Faro - Stansted

April 14

East Midlands to Faro on easyJet, arrive 11:50, one-way price £37.99

Taxi from Faro Airport to Faro train station, costs e8, takes 10 minutes, or bus costs e2 takes, 30 minutes

Train from Faro to Porto, takes five hours, costs roughly e40 return

April 16

Train from Porto to Faro, takes five hours

Taxi or bus from Faro Train Sation
Faro to London Stansted on Ryanair, arrive 23:20, one-way price £75.95

Even with this option, it still means having to find a way home from Stanstead at 23:20 and that train journey in Portugal will be a killer on the way home.

The alternative is flying home from Faro to Blackpool at 11:15am for £113.98 on Jet2, but that would mean leaving Porto very early on the train.

Two cheap Porto hotels

The Internacional (00 351-22 200 5032, www.hotelinter nacionalporto.com) is actually mid-price, and rooms 209 and 309 have balconies. There's a 30 per cent discount if you book online - so £48 per room per night including breakfast.

Cheaper still. the 1930s-decor Hotel Peninsular (22 200 3012; £29) and the Residencial dos Aliados (22 200 4853; £26), which has decent views across a square.

United draw Porto in quarter finals

The reds will face Porto at home on April 7 and away on April 15.
If United make it through to the semi finals, they will face either Villareal or Arsenal, at home in the first leg on either April 28 or 29 and away in the second leg on May 5 or 6.
Flight deals will be announced here later today.

24 hours left for Sunderland applications

Fans wishing to get tickets for United's April 11th league match at Sunderland have until 8am tomorrow to apply.

Box holders, executive members and season ticket holders can apply either online or by calling 0161 868 8000.

The away allocation is 1,700 tickets, priced at £33 for adults, £22 for over 65s and £12 for under 16s. Applicants can check if they have been successful on March 25.

A word about Friday's Champions League draw...

As we reported last week, the Champions League quarter final and semi final draws take place on Friday live on Sky Sports News and online here.

But previous experience says that, though the draw 'show' starts at 11am, there's a lot of messing about before we actually find out who is playing who.

So expect the proper action to start at about 11.45am.

Last year, UEFA confirmed match dates at about 4pm on the day of the draw, so reds should be able to make travel plans nice and early.

We will bring you the best flight and hotel deals as soon as match information reaches us.

United can draw either Liverpool, Chelsea, Bayern Munich, Villareal, Barcelona, Porto and Arsenal.

The quarter final first leg ties will be played on either April 7 or April 8 and the second leg will be on either April 14 or April 15.

Everton applications open at 8am

If you want to go to the FA Cup semi final match against Everton on Sunday April 19, don't forget to put in your application from 8am today.

Box holders, executive members and season ticket holders have until 8am on March 23 to apply either online or by calling 0161 868 8000.

United have got 32,041 tickets priced at £53.80, £44, £34.30 and £24.50, with half-price tickets in all categories for over 65s and under 16s.

Priority will go to loyalty-pot members and season-ticket holders who have attended all of the home cup matches this season.

A full travel guide will be posted here soon.

Champions League final tickets

You may remember that, at the start of the month, we reported that UEFA were selling 10,000 tickets to the Champions League final in Rome.

The deadline for entries passed at midday yesterday and UEFA have begun notifying those have got tickets.

So if you notice that £208.63, £154.91 or £110.11 has been taken out of your account (or double those amounts if you applied for a pair of tickets), you were successful.

UEFA have said all successful applicants will have been notified by March 31 and all tickets will be sent out by April 27, by which case we will know if United are in the final.

Ticket breakdown:
Stadium capacity: 67,000
Public ballot: 10,000
Club A allocation: 20,000
Club B allocation: 20,000
UEFA football family: 17,000

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April trip to Sunderland

United make the trip up to the north west once again on April 11 to face Sunderland and ticket information has been released.

The reds have been given an allocation of just 1,700 tickets, priced at £33 for adults, £22 for over 65s and £12 for under 16s.

Box holders, executive members and season ticket holders can apply for tickets from 8am on Monday for five days either online or by calling 0161 868 8000.

They will then be able to find out if they have been successful or not on March 25.

Home end tickets are on general sale, but only to Sunderland members with a booking history. A friendly reminder message on the Sunderland AFC website says: "No tickets will be available via the web or Ticketmaster for this fixture.

"All tickets can be traced to the original purchaser and fans are reminded that they are responsible for their guests."

United are running coaches to the game, with places available at £21 per person. Book here.

Fulham travel guide (league)

Fulham
Craven Cottage, South West London
Saturday March 21, kick off 15:00
Premier League

Tickets
Out of a capacity of 25,500, United got 2,931 tickets costing £47 for adults, £34 for over 65s and £19 for under 16s. They have all been sold and posted out.

It is worth checking if there have been any returned tickets with the ticket office from March 18 onwards.

Internet touting agency World Ticket Shop has tickets available at £220.50. All home end tickets have been sold and so have the neutral end tickets.

TV
The match will not be shown live on TV in England, but you can watch it online. You can find links on MyP2P on the day of the game.

We recommend downloading Sopcast or Veetle to get the clearest and most reliable streams.

Travel
We recommend: For maximum drinking time and a quick escape route home, get the Megabus there for £10 leaving at 06:30, get the Tube onward to the ground for a further £5.60.

Then fly home from Gatwick on the 20:25 plane for £43.60 (£10.10 for the train to the airport).

That's £69.30 - 10p cheaper than the train.


Car - £64
If you are using a satnav of a routeplanner, use the destination postcode KT3 6PT.

Take the M6 to Birmingham, then the M42 and the M40 and go onto the M25.

Follow that south towards Gatwick Airport and get off at junction 10.

Take the first exit and go on the A3 towards London for 11 miles and then the ground is on the left off Malden Way. It takes about three hours, 45 minutes each way.

Petrol costs about £32 each way. Add £4 on each way if you want to take the M6 Toll Road.

Parking
You can pay £1.60 an hour to park on side streets off Fulham Palace Road (the A219) like Kingswood Road and Gowan Avenue. Some of them have one-hour restrictions.

The further you get from the ground, the more likely you are to find free parking spots. This map gives shows you the various parking zones.

If you want to play it safe, there are a few marshalled car parks off Stevenage Road and Woodlawn Road at a fiver each.

Train - £69.40

There are two ways of getting to the ground from Manchester.

Train → Tube → Train
The nearest train station to the ground is Putney.

You can get there from Manchester in three hours with two changes (one Tube) and it will cost you £69.40 at the cheapest (an off-peak return bought on the day).

Train –> Tube –> Tube
The nearest Tube stations to the ground are Fulham Broadway (pictured above), Putney Bridge and Parsons Green.

If you take that route, you can reach the ground in two hours and 45 minutes. It will cost you £71.70 (an off-peak return from Piccadilly to Euston for £66.10 and then a one-day Travelcard covering zones 1 and 2 on the Tube for £5.60).

But regardless of which you take, you still have to get the train to London Euston in the first place.

Manchester to the game
From 06:35, direct trains from Piccadilly to Euston leave at 15, 35 and 55 minutes past the hour and take just over two hours. We advise you don't leave later than 11:35.

Onward journey by Tube and train

From Euston, take the Victoria Line to Vauxhall, which takes half an hour and services run every five minutes.

If you have bought train ticket from Manchester to Putney, your train ticket will be valid for the Tube.

At Vauxhall, take the train to Putney, which takes 10 minutes. Services run every six minutes.


Putney Train Station is a 25-minute walk to the ground. Walk north up Fulham High Street and cross the Thames on to Putney Bridge Approach.

Then walk up Fulham High Street and continue onto Fulham Palace Road. The ground is on your left.

Onward journey by Tube
From Euston to Putney Bridge, it takes 35 minutes. Services will run every five minutes.

1. Take the Victoria Line from Euston to Green Park.
2. Then take the Piccadilly Line from Green Park to Earls Court
3. Then take the District Line from Earls Court to Putney Bridge.

It's then a 15-minute walk to the ground. To get there, walk up Fulham High Street and continue onto Fulham Palace Road. The ground is on your left.

The game to Manchester

By train
Get the train from Putney to Vaxuhall (pictured right). There are nine of these every hour after the match. The journey takes 11 minutes.

Then get the Victoria Line Tube to Euston, which takes half an hour.

By tube
1. Take the District Line from Putney Bridge to Earls Court
2. Take the Piccadilly Line from Earls Court to Green Park
3. Then take the Victoria Line from Green Park to Euston.

On the way back, direct trains leaving Euston for Piccadilly at 18:00, 18:20, 18:30, 18:37, 18:43, 18:55, 19:04, 19:19 and 20:09.. They take two-and-a-half hours.

After that, there are five services that require one or two changes and take about three hours and 20 minutes. These are best avoided.


Coach - £31
United are running coaches to the game, with places priced at £31 per person. Book here.


Coach and Tube - £23.60
Megabus is running three coaches from Manchester to London and two coaches back from London to Manchester on the day of the game, with places costing £8 to £10 each way.

Leave Chorlton Street Bus Station: 04:00, 06:30, 08:45 (all £10 singles)
Arrive Victoria Bus Station: 08:10, 11:00, 13:30

Leave Victoria Bus Station: 18:35 (£8), 23:00 (£10)
Arrive Chorlton Street Bus Station: 22:55 , 03:00

National Express is also running a coach to and from Manchester to London costing £10 one way there and £8 back.

Leave Chorlton Street Bus Station: 08:00
Arrive Victoria Bus Station: 13:15
Leave Victoria Bus Station: 19:00 (£8)
Arrive Chorlton Street Bus Station: 23:50

From Victoria Bus Station, walk five minutes down the road to Victoria Tube Station (see the map above).

Then buy a one-day Travelcard covering zones 1 and 2 on the Tube for £5.60.
1.Take the Victoria Line from Victoria to Green Park.
2. Then take the Piccadilly Line from Green Park to Earls Court
3. Then take the District Line from Earls Court to Putney Bridge.

It's then a 15-minute walk to the ground. To get there, walk up Fulham High Street and continue onto Fulham Palace Road. The ground is on your left.

Plane/train - £99.90
You can fly from Manchester to Gatwick Airport in 55 minutes for £89.90 return (flights both ways on British Airways) and then get the train to the ground, which takes 45 minutes and costs £10.10 return.

On the way there, you can either get the 06:35 for £46.20 one way, or, better still, the 10:00 for £56.20.

From Gatwick Airport, it takes 45 minutes to get to Putney Train Station, which is a 15-minute walk to the ground.

Trains go from Gatwick to Clapham Junction every 20 minutes and then you can get regular services to Putney.

Homeward bound, reverse the above train journey and get the 20:25 plane from Gatwick to Manchester costing £43.60 one way.

We'll bring you a pub guide next week.

FA Cup ticket details confirmed

Just an update you from our previous post on the FA Cup semi final at Wembley against Everton on Sunday April 19, kick off 4pm - the ticket office has now confirmed details.

United have got 32,041 tickets priced at £53.80, £44, £34.30 and £24.50, with half-price tickets in all categories for over 65s and under 16s.

Box holders, executive members and season ticket holders can apply from 8am on March 18 to 8am on March 23 online or by calling 0161 868 8000. Ballot results are out on March 30.

Priority will go to loyalty-pot members and season-ticket holders who have attended all of the home cup matches this season.

National express is running coaches to the game, with places on sale now at £32.50. Book online.

A full Wembley travel guide will be published here later this week.

Bad news for airborne reds

Popular airline Ryanair is to increase its fares by £20 per flight from May in a bid to make long-term savings.

Customers booking flights after March 19 who check in online will be charged a £5 per flight fee whether they are checking in or not.

Passengers who book tickets before May 1 can still check in at the airport as long as they are flying before October 1, but from March 19 the fee for airport check in will be doubled to £20 per person per flight.

From May 1, all new bookings must check in online.

So effectively, all flights that leave from October 1 will consist of passengers who have checked in online.

There will be a bag drop service at airports for Ryanair flights allowing passengers to put their luggage in the hold. The £9.50 per pag charge still applies.

Go here for a full Q&A on the changes.

Tips to save on Ryanair

- Search for flights on Skyscanner for your ideal flights. It is a very versatile search tool that can't be beaten online.

- Consider that, if you book indirect flights, you'll pay a card booking fee on two return flights, so that could up the fee by £18.

- Remember that if you buy flights on Ryanair from a foreign airport to the UK, you can only do so with a credit card, so the booking fee will be higher.

- ALWAYS book with a Visa Electron to avoid booking fees up to £9 per flight. You can get them from the Post Office for free if you put £50 on it when you get it.

- Never park at their airports. They are a rip off. There is always a cheaper alternative.

For example, when flying from London Stansted, park for free on a residential street five minutes from Bishop's Stortford then get the train to the airport, which takes six minutes and you'd be unlucky to be charged.

- Never buy anything midair. £4.50 for a can of lager and the same fee for a slice of pizza is extortionate. Even the departure lounge shops are cheaper and, as long as what you buy from there fits in one bag, it's allowed.

- Don't check in a bag unless you really need to. If you're going for a couple of days, you can back a change of clothes into a rucksack and, most of the time, you can buy what you need when you arrive for cheaper than the luggage fee.

Reds safely through to last eight

After United saw off Inter in a 2-0 victory in the last 16 second leg game tonight, they have earned a place in the quarter final draw.

Joining them in the hat will be Liverpool, Chelsea, Bayern Munich, Villareal, Barcelona, Porto and Arsenal.

The semi-final draw will also be done at the same time and clubs can draw other clubs from the same country in both the quarter final and semi final.

The draw will take place on Friday March 20 at 11am in Nyon, Switzerland, live on Sky Sports News.

Match dates:

Quarter final

first leg: April 7/8
second leg: April 14/15

Semi final

first leg: April 28/29

second leg: May 5/6

Final (at the Stadio Olympico, Rome)

May 27

FA Cup semi final date confirmed

United will face Everton in the FA Cup semi final on Sunday April 19 with a 16:00 kick off, with the match being shown live on ITV1 and ITVHD1.

The reds' ticket office have yet to reveal ticket information, but Everton's official website said ticket prices will be £24.50, £34.30, £44 and £53.80.

A full travel guide will appear here later this week.

Wigan game probable date confirmed

The Wigan away game moved to make way for United's FA Cup semi final match against Everton will now be played on either Tuesday May 12 or Wednesday May 13, with an 8pm kick off.

It will be televised.

A Fulham travel guide will be posted gere tomorrow.

Bargain of the day - fly to Fulham for £89.80

In just under two weeks, United return to Craven Cottage to face Fulham again, this time in the league.

For the cup game, petrol was £65 per car and the train was £70 per person and it'll be the same for the league match.

So if you feel like cutting out all the travel time, you could fly from Manchester to Gatwick Airport for £89.80.

The journey takes an hour and it's on British Airways both way, leaving Manchester at 10:00 and returning at 20:25, giving you plenty of time to get to and from the ground.

Book your flights here. But be quick. They'll probably to shoot up to £200 tomorrow.

From Gatwick Airport, it takes 45 minutes to get to Putney Train Station, which is a 15-minute walk to the ground. The train fare is £10.10. Trains go from Gatwick to Clapham Junction every 20 minutes and then you can get regular services to Putney.

Everton await the reds on third trip to Wembley

United will make their third trip of the season to Wembley on either April 18 or 19 when they face Everton in the FA Cup semi final.

The draw was made at 18:45 today. In the other match, Arsenal or Hull will play Chelsea, also at Wembley.

United's ticket office said: "Ticket information will made available once allocations and ticket prices have been agreed."

The fixture follows United's Carling Cup final win on penalties against Tottenham in March and the August Community Shielf triumph, also on penalties, against Portsmouth.

The game means United's league match away to Wigan, originally scheduled for April 19, will be moved, though a new date hasn't been named.

United await semi final draw

After their impressive 4-0 defeat of Fulham tonight, United are in the hat for the FA Cup semi final draw, which will be made tomorrow at 18:45 live on ITV1.

The reds can face either Chelsea or Everton or Middlesboro or Hull, Arsenal or Burnley.

The two matches will both be played at Wembley, one on April 18 and one on April 19.

Fulham travel guide

Fulham
Craven Cottage, South West London
Saturday March 7, kick off 17:15
FA Cup 6th round

Tickets
Out of a capacity of 25,500, United got 3,800 tickets costing £30 for adults, £20 for over 65s and £10 for under 16s. They have all been sold and posted out.

There are one or two spare tickets being offered on internet forums and it is worth checking with United's ticket office for returns from 9am today.

Internet touting agency World Ticket Shop has tickets available at £116.10. All home end tickets have been sold.

TV
The match will be shown live on ITV1 and ITV1HD in England, with the show starting at 16:45 and ending at 19:15.

In Scotland, it will be shown on Setanta Sports 2, with the show starting at 16:45 and ending at 19:25.

Travel

Car - £64
If you are using a satnav of a routeplanner, use the destination postcode KT3 6PT.

Take the M6 to Birmingham, then the M42 and the M40 and go onto the M25. Follow that south towards Gatwick Airport and get off at junction 10.

Take the first exit and go on the A3 towards London for 11 miles and then the ground is on the left off Malden Way. It takes about three hours, 45 minutes each way.

Petrol costs about £32 each way. Add £4 on each way if you want to take the M6 Toll Road.

Parking - free
You can pay £1.60 an hour to park on side streets off Fulham Palace Road (the A219) like Kingswood Road and Gowan Avenue. Some of them have one-hour restrictions.

But they only apply between 9am and 5pm, so you should be okay if you park after 4pm. But check the signs clearly.

The further you get from the ground, the more likely you are to find free parking spots.

If you want to play it safe, there are a few marshalled car parks off Stevenage Road and Woodlawn Road at a fiver each.

Train - £69.40
The nearest train station to the ground is Putney – you can get there from Manchester in three hours with two changes (one Tube).

It will cost you £69.40 at the cheapest (an off-peak return bought on the day).

The ground is also served by three Tube stations - Fulham Broadway, Putney Bridge and Parsons Green.

If you take that route, you can reach the ground in two hours and 45 minutes.

It will cost you £71.70 (an off-peak return from Piccadilly to Euston for £66.10 and then a one-day Travelcard covering zones 1 and 2 on the Tube for £5.60.

Manchester to the game
No matter which of these two routes you decide to take, the first journey is always from Manchester Piccadilly to London.

From 06:35, direct trains from Piccadilly to Euston leave at 15, 35 and 55 minutes past the hour and take just over two hours. We advise you don't leave later than 13:15.

Onward journey by Tube and train
From Euston, take the Victoria Line to Vauxhall, which takes half an hour and services run every five minutes.

If you have bought train ticket from Manchester to Putney, your train ticket will be valid for the Tube.

At Vauxhall, take the train to Putney, which takes 10 minutes. Services run every six minutes.

Putney Train Station (pictured left) is a 25-minute walk to the ground.

Walk north up Fulham High Street and cross the Thames on to Putney Bridge Approach. Then walk up Fulham High Street and continue onto Fulham Palace Road. The ground is on your left.

Onward journey by Tube
From Euston to Putney Bridge, it takes 35 minutes. There are planned engineering works on Saturday but Tube services will run every five minutes anyway.

1. Take the Victoria Line from Euston to Green Park.
2. Then take the Piccadilly Line from Green Park to Earls Court
3. Then take the District Line from Earls Court to Putney Bridge.

It's then a 15-minute walk to the ground. To get there, walk up Fulham High Street and continue onto Fulham Palace Road. The ground is on your left.

The game to Manchester

By train
Trains leave Putney for Vauxhall at: 19:22, 19.29, 19:34, 19:37, 19:44, 19:52, 19:59, 20:04, 20:07 and 20:14. If you miss the 20:14, you're unlikely to get back to Manchester on Saturday night.

That journey takes 11 minutes. Then get the Victoria Line Tube to Euston, which takes half an hour.

On the way back, there are just three realistic trains leaving Euston for Piccadilly.

They leave Euston at 19:40, 20:20 and 21:00 and take two-and-a-half hours. After that you're looking at a 12-hour journey home.

By tube
1. Take the District Line from Putney Bridge to Earls Court
2. Take the Piccadilly Line from Earls Court to Green Park
3. Then take the Victoria Line from Green Park to Euston.

Coach - £30
United are running coaches to the game, with places priced at £30 per person and all places have been sold.

Coach and Tube - £25.60
Megabus is running four coaches from Manchester to London and one coach back from London to Manchester on the day of the game, with places costing £10 each way.

Leave Chorlton Street Bus Station: 04:00, 06:30: 08:45, 10:30
Arrive Victoria Bus Station: 08:10, 11:00, 13:30, 15:00

Leave Victoria Bus Station: 23:00
Arrive Chorlton Street Bus Station: 03:00

National Express is also running four coaches from Manchester to London costing £13 one way, but no reasonable coaches back.

However, you could get the Megabus service above back.

Leave Chorlton Street Bus Station: 06:25, 08:00, 09:15, 10:45,
Arrive Victoria Bus Station: 11:35, 13:20, 14:45, 16:20.

From Victoria Bus Station, walk five minutes down the road to Victoria Tube Station.

Then buy a one-day Travelcard covering zones 1 and 2 on the Tube for £5.60.

1.Take the Victoria Line from Victoria to Green Park.
2. Then take the Piccadilly Line from Green Park to Earls Court
3. Then take the District Line from Earls Court to Putney Bridge.

It's then a 15-minute walk to the ground. To get there, walk up Fulham High Street and continue onto Fulham Palace Road. The ground is on your left.

Plane - £173.20
You can fly from Manchester to Gatwick at 10:00, arriving 11:00 with British Airways for £88.20 and return at 20:20 for £85.60.

But the problem with this option is that, unless you check in online, get a taxi from the ground to the airport and have good luck with traffic, you'll never make the plane home. This route is best avoided.

Summer trip to Munich

United will warm up for the 2009/10 season with a four-team tournament in Munich on July 29 and 30.

They will square up against hosts Bayern Munich, Argentine champions Boca Juniors and David Beckham's AC Milan in the first ever Audi Cup at the Allianz Arena.

The semi final draw was made in Geneva today. United will play Boca Juniors on July 29. Where the reds win or lose, they will in either the final or the third-place play off the following day.

According to the Bayern Munich website, tickets go on sale tomorrow "exclusively via participating Audi dealers."

They will cost e60, e50, e40, e25 or e12 per day.

More ticket and travel information to follow.

Newcastle train update

Following on from our Newcastle train update, you won't be surprised to hear that First, which operates the Transpennine Express 21:47 service from Newcastle the Manchester Piccadilly, hasn't come up trumps for reds tomorrow.

We politely asked First if they would delay the train by 20 minutes to allow fans to get from St James's Park to the ground before the departure, instead of facing an arrival in Piccadilly at 4.10am.

Despite promising to consider delaying the train and notify us of its decision, First hasn't got back to us and so the train will still depart at 21:47.

If you're making the journey up to Geordieland tomorrow, don't forget our travel, pub and hotel guide.

You've got to be in it to win it

Following on from our rather ambitious look ahead to the Champions League final in Rome this May about cheap ways of getting there, there is further useful news today.

From today until March 16, you can apply for tickets for the final as part of the UEFA public ballot.

There are 10,000 tickets on offer in total and they cost either e200, e140 or e90 and you can apply for two.

Disabled supporters can get tickets for e70, though it's a one-per-person limit.

Results will be announced between March 17 and March 31. You will know if you've got a ticket if your credit card is charged.

One thing that only the ballot minisite doesn't make clear is that a e33 admin fee will be added on to that fee, so you could be paying e233 for a ticket.

Charge breakdown in £

Central areas: £179.08, with admin: £208.63

In the corners: £125.36, with admin: £154.91

Behind the goal: £80.56, wth admin: £110.11

Ticket breakdown:

Stadium capacity: 67,000

Public ballot: 10,000

Club A allocation: 20,000

Club B allocation: 20,000

UEFA football family: 17,000