Rome ticket cards will hold personal data

Today, United said: "Tickets for the game will be access cards which will be linked to the details that are provided in the travel report.

"The in-design tickets will be similar to the season ticket access cards and will contain [the personal details] of the supporter.

"According to UEFA, entry to the stadium will only be permitted on production of the ticket and a valid identity document with photograph.

"Supporters are advised to have their passport with them at the game as proof of identity.

"It is imperative that supporters quote the details of the travelling supporter’s passport when completing the travel report."

Our reaction:

Don't panic.

It is naive to think that 70,000 people using the tickets will be the ones who bought them.

Even out of the 19,500 United end tickets, there will be thousands of people with genuine reasons why the ticket is being held by the person other than the one referred to in the travel report.

Following this system of rigorous checks would require hours and would impractical in the run up to kick off.

Besides, many hotels hold on to your passport for security reasons or for safe keeping during your stay. Supporters may not feel comfortable carrying them around town.

And also, supporters were told beforehand they would not get access to the San Siro stadium when United played Inter Milan earlier this season. That never materialised.

Fans were also warned of strict security in Moscow, which was much more relaxed than stated.

As above - don't panic.

Keep checking our travel guide below for updates and feel to send in your questions to redsaway@hotmail.co.uk

Rome travel guide

Note: this page will be continously updated for the rest of the week. Please check back for updates.

United v Barcelona
Olympic Stadium, Rome
Champions League final
Wednesday May 27, kick off 8.45pm CET

Tickets

Stadium capacity: 66,044
Public ballot: 10,000. These have already been distributed.
Barcelona allocation: 19,544
UEFA football family: 17,000
United allocation: 19,500. These cost £65, £83, £128 or £183, depending on the seat location

United fans will occupy the north side of the stadium, better known as Curva Nord.

People can apply from 8am on Wednesday until 8am on May 12.

Executive members and season ticket holders who have been to all domestic and European home cup games this season can apply online.


The more Champions League away games you applied for, the higher your chance of getting a ticket.

Payment will be taken from May 12 to May 14 and ballot results will be announced from 8am on May 15.

Those with tickets must send a travel report to United by 8am on May 17

All tickets must be collected in person from Old Trafford from May 18.

Travel

Rome has two airports. Fiumicino (FCO) and Ciampino (CIA)

The Rome police are likely to sanction one airport for United and the other for Barcelona.

Both will be hurrendously busy on the day of the game, and so some organised tours may instead fly to Pescara Airport, which is two hours by coach to Rome.

Organised trips to game

These will be offered by: Travelcare Sports on behalf of Manchester United, Champion Sport Travel, Miss Ellies Travel, Low Cost Sport

Travelcare Sports

On behalf of United, they are running seven trips. They are inviting fans to register interest in three of them now. They are:

An executive two-day trip
A two-day trip
An executive day stop.

One United members can now book places on four other trips. They are:

A day trip
A two-day trip
A three-day trip
A four-day trip.

Prices are unclear at this stage.

Miss Ellie Travel
They are offering day stops and a two-day stop.

Day trip Option One - £495
Fly from either Luton or Birmingham to Rome
Transfers to and from the stadium

Day trip Option Two - £529
Fly from Manchester to Rome
Transfers to and from the stadium

Two-day trip - £669
Fly from Manchester to Rome
Two nights' accommodation
Transfers to and from the stadium

Book here or by calling 0161 228 7263


Champion Sport Tours

They are offering a day trip, three seperate two-day trips and one three-day trip.

Day trip - £450

Flights will leave Manchester. Luton and Birmingham between 04:00-07:00
Latest match ending 23:30
Flights will leave FCO/CIA/Pescara between 02:30 and 06:00.

Two-day trip Option One - £689

Tuesday May 26
AM: Fly from Manchester to FCO/CIA/Pescara
PM: Check in to three and four-star hotel in central Rome, stay for two nights

Thursday May 28
PM: Fly from FCO/CIA/Pescara to Manchester

Two-day trip Option Two - £639

Tuesday May 26
AM: Fly from Manchester to FCO/CIA/Pescara
PM: Check in to three and four-star hotel in suburbs of Rome - six miles out of the centre - stay for two nights
There are occasional free coach transfers into the centre. Taxis cost e25 each way, though the hotel will be close to a Metro stop.

Thursday May 28
PM: Fly from FCO/CIA/Pescara to Manchester
Two-day trip Option Three

Two-day trip Option Three - £699

Tuesday May 26
AM: Fly from Manchester to FCO/CIA/Pescara
PM: Check in to a four-star hotel in Ostia on the coast - 30 miles out of the centre - stay for two nights
Trains run to Rome every 10 minutes and take 45 minutes. Taxis cost e55.

Thursday May 28
PM: Fly from FCO/CIA/Pescar to Manchester

Three-day trip - £749 for a standard room and £799 for a superior room

Bank Holiday Monday May 25
Fly from Manchester to FCO/CIA/Pescara
Check in to four-star hotel in the Bay of Naples - two-and-a-half hours away from Rome.

Tuesday May 26
Optional boat visit to the Isle of Capri, the ancient Pompeii or Sorrento.

Wednesday May 27
9am: Coach to Rome
After the match: Coach back to the hotel

Thursday May 28
Fly from FCO/CIA/Pescara to Manchester

Low Cost Sport
Is running day trips, a two-night trip, a three-night trip and a coach trip.

Coach trip - £249

Bank Holiday Monday May 25
6am: Leave Manchester. Pick up passengers at the following motorway junctions:

Knutsford, Keele and Hilton Park on the M6, Frankly on the M5, Warwich and Oxford on the M40, Junctios 12 and 7 of the M25 and Clacket Lane on the M11.

Tuesday May 26
13.50am: Arrive Rome

Homebound details not yet released.

Day trip One - £450

Leave Manchester: 08:00
Arrive Rome: 11:40
Transfers to and from stadium
Leave Rome: 02:30
Arrive Manchester: 04:00

Day trip Two - £450

Leave London Gatwick: 05:00
Arrive Rome: 08:00
Transfers to and from stadium
Leave Rome: 01:30
Arrive London Gatwick: 02:45

Day trip Three- £450

Leave London Luton: 07:10
Arrive Rome: 10:35
Transfers to and from stadium
Leave Rome: 03:45
Arrive London Luton: 05:20

Day trip Four - £450

Leave Glasgow: 05:00
Arrive Rome: 08:20
Transfers to and from stadium
Leave Rome: 03:30
Arrive Glasgow: 04:50

Two-night stay Option One - £679

Tuesday May 26
09:00 Fly from Manchester
12:45 Arrive in Rome

Check in to one of five three-star superior hotels.

Thursday May 28
16:00 Fly from Rome
17:30 Arrive in Manchester

Two-night stay Option Two - £649
Tuesday May 26
07:00 Fly from Manchester
1o:45 Arrive in Rome

Check in to one of four three-star hotels or a four-star hotel.

Thursday May 28
22:30 Fly from Rome
00:00 Arrive in Manchester

Two-night stay Option Three - £679
Tuesday May 26
07:00 Fly from London Gatwick
1o:35 Arrive in Rome

Check in to one of five three-star superior hotels.

Thursday May 28
12:50 Fly from Rome
16:25 Arrive in London Gatwick

Three-night stay - £749

Bank Holiday Monday, May 25
09:00 Fly from Manchester
12:30 Arrive Rome

Check in to one of two three-star superior hotels or a four-star superior hotel.

Wednesday May 27
Transfers to and and from the stadium

Thursday May 28
15:00 Fly from Rome
16:00 Arrive Manchester


Independent travel
There are deals on offer ranging from two-day trips to seven-day trips.
The general rule is: the longer you go for, the cheaper flights will be (but obviously, accommodation will be more expensive).
　
Car - £460
Some groups are planning to travel down to Rome from Manchester. It would take 19 hours of continuous driving each way and cost about £175 in petrol, £40 in toll costs and £18 in road tax each way.
http://www.greenflag.com/routeplanning

Hull ballot results due out today

Reds who applied for tickets for the match at Hull on Sunday May 24 can find out today if they have got them.

United have got 2,450 tickets in the North Stand for the last match of the season, priced at £24.50 for adults, £14.50 for over 65s and under 16s.
Find out online if you have a ticket.

A full travel guide will follow later today.

Middlesbrough travel and pub guide

Middlesbrough
Riverside Stadium
Premier League
Saturday May 2, kick off 12:44


Tickets

United have got 3,148 tickets in the South Stand. The stadium capacity is 35.100. Tickets cost £32 for adults, £19 for over 65s and £17 for under 16s.

All away-end tickets have been sold, but it is worth calling the ticket office on 0161 868 800 on Thursday and Friday morning to see if there have been any returned tickets.

At time of writing, Middlesbrough have 300 home-end tickets left to sell, priced at £29 to £37 for adults, £19 to £27 for over 65s, £17 to £36 for 18 to 21 year olds and £12 for under 18s. Call 0844 499 1234 for details.

Weather
Supporters who went to this fixture last year, which was played a similar time of year, will remember the snow that fell during the game.

Thankfully, it won't be the same today. The match will be played in bright sunshine with a temperature of about 13c.

TV
The match will be shown live on Sky Sports 1 and Sky Sports 1HD, with the show starting at 12:30 and ending at 15:00.

Travel

Car - £28
If you're driving to the game and using an online routeplanner to print directions or using a sat nav, use the postcode TS3 6RS.

From Manchester, the journey takes two hours and cost about £14 in petrol each way. The basic route is: M62, M1, A19 and the A66. Follow signs for the train station. The stadium is well sign posted.

Parking - free
There are no parking spots on the stadium car park, but there are a number of private car parks off the A66 offering spaces for a fiver a car in and around the ground.

We recommend parking for free outside The Bridge Inn, a pub that is opposite the train station and on the main walk up to the ground, though it is a 15-minute walk.

If you arrive early enough, you'll be able to park right outside for free and it's an easy way back to the motorway, though you can queue for 20 minutes or so to get out of town.

Train - £29.50
Despite the early kick off, there are plenty of trains to get you to the game on time.

If you buy your ticket on the day, it will cost you £46.40 for an off-peak return.

But if you buy in advance via the National Rail website, there are discounts available. These are all direct trains

1. There: Option 1, back: Option 7 or 8 - price £29.50
2. There: Option 1, back: Option 1: £36
3. There: Option 4, back: Option 1, 5 or 6 - £38

Option 1 - journey time: 2:38
Leave Manchester Piccadilly: 06:54
Arrive: Middlesbrough: 09:32

Option 2 - journey time: 2:41
Leave Manchester Piccadilly: 07:11
Arrive Darlington: 09:14
Leave: 09:23
Arrive Middlesbrough: 09:52

Option 3 - journey time: 2:50
Leave Manchester Piccadilly: 07:26
Arrive Darlington: 09:29
Leave: 09:51
Arrive Middlesbrough: 10:16

Option 4 - journey time: 2:35
Leave Manchester Piccadilly: 07:55
Arrive: Middlesbrough: 10:30

Option 5 - journey time: 2:42
Leave Manchester Piccadilly: 08:10
Arrive: York: 09:36
Leave: 09:47
Arrive Darlington: 10:13
Leave: 10:20
Arrive Middlesbrough: 10:52

Option 6 - journey time: 2:43
Leave Manchester Piccadilly: 08:26
Arrive: York: 09:52
Leave: 10:03
Arrive Darlington: 10:30
Leave: 10:47
Arrive Middlesbrough: 11:09

Option 7 - journey time: 2:33
Leave Manchester Piccadilly: 08:57
Arrive: Middlesbrough: 11:30

Option 8 - journey time: 2:44
Leave Manchester Piccadilly: 09:11
Arrive: York: 10:35
Leave: 10: 47
Arrive Darlington: 11:16
Leave: 11:30
Arrive Middlesbrough: 11:55

Option 9 - journey time: 2:33
Leave Manchester Piccadilly: 09:57
Arrive: Middlesbrough: 12:30

To the stadium

Leave the train station and turn right. About 100 yards up is the Bridge Inn.

Walk past there and follow the road for 15 minutes and you'll arrive at the ground.

It's an easy route to follow as it the one which most fans take to the ground on foot.

Middlesbrough to Manchester

Option 1- journey time: 2:29
Leave Middlesbrough: 14:50
Arrive Manchester Piccadilly: 17:19

Option 2 - journey time: 2:54
Leave Middlesbrough: 14:55
Arrive Darlington 15:20
Leave: 15:42
Arrive Manchester Pccadilly: 15:42

Option 3 - journey time: 2:54
Leave Middlesbrough: 15:27
Arrive Darlington 15:55
Leave: 16:04
Arrive York: 16:32
Leave: 16:40
Arrive Manchester Pccadilly: 18:05

Option 4 - journey time: 2:29
Leave Middlesbrough: 15:50
Arrive Manchester Piccadilly: 18:19

Option 5 - journey time: 2:20
Leave Middlesbrough: 17:00
Arrive Manchester Piccadilly: 19:20

Option 6 - journey time: 2:26
Leave Middlesbrough: 18:07
Arrive Manchester Piccadilly: 20:33

Option 7 - journey time: 2:23
Leave Middlesbrough: 20:10
Arrive Manchester Piccadilly: 22:33

Option 8 - journey time: 2:29
Leave Middlesbrough: 20:50
Arrive Manchester Piccadilly: 23:05


Coach
United are running coaches to the game. For details, call 0161 868 8000.

National Express runs coaches between Manchester Chorlton Street and Middlesbrough bus station, but does not have a service that will get you there in time for kick off.

It is, however, running two services back. The first leaves Middlesbrough at 16:10 and arrives in Manchester at 20:05 after a 40-minute wait in Leeds.

The second service also leaves at 16:10 and goes direct, arriving at 20:55. A one-way ticket costs £17.50.

Megabus does not run coaches between Manchester and Middlesbrough.


Pubs
The best place to grab a pre-match pint is the Bridge Inn on Bridge Stree East. It's not technically an away-fans pub, but the landlord and landlady welcome everyone and it's a reasonably priced pint at £2.30 going off last season's prices.

You may find that the police will hang about outside as kick off approaches and, if you leave it too late to set off on the 15-minute walk to the ground, they may come in to guide you there, starting the escort from the pub.

The city centre is only a two-minute walk from the train station and you can find plenty of pubs there. But many of them will have bouncers on the doors and will not groups of lads in, especially if you're wearing colours.

If you want to grab a bargain, call into The Isaac Wilson, at 61 Wilson Street, or The Resolution, at 19 Newport Crescent.

They are both Wetherspoons pub serving San Miguel at 99p a bottle.

And both pubs are taking part in a Real Ale Festival, offering 12 beers from around the world plus loads of UK favourites too. It's a good chance to drink something different.

One more day for Hull applications

Reds have one more day to apply for tickets for the match against on Hull - the final match of the season, on Sunday May 24, kick off 16:00.

United have got 2,450 tickets in the North Stand priced at £24.50 for adults, £14.50 for over 65s and under 16s.

Box holders, executive members and season ticket holders can apply by calling 0161 868 800 or online before 8am tomorrow.

Applicants can find out if they have tickets on May 6. We will publish a full travel guide on May 6.

Hull applications open tomorrow

Reds can apply for tickets for the final match of the season, at Hull, from 8am on Monday for five days.

United have got 2,450 tickets in the North Stand priced at £24.50 for adults, £14.50 for over 65s and under 16s.

Box holders, executive members and season ticket holders can apply by calling 0161 868 800 or online.

Applicants can find out if they have tickets on May 6.

We will publish a full travel guide on May 6.

Applications open for Arsenal away

United fans have from now to 8am on Wednesday to apply for tickets for the Champions League semi final second league game at The Emirates Stadium on Tuesday, May 5.

Box holders, executive members, season ticket holders and One United Members can apply for tickets online or by calling 0161 868 8000.

Applicants can find out if they have got tickets on Friday.

Those who get tickets most write a travel report and send it to United before 8am on April 27 due to regulations set out by UEFA.

United have not said how many away tickets there will be, but we think it will be around the 3,100 mark.

The club have also not said how much the tickets will cost, but we suspect tickets will be priced at £49, with a small number of VIP tickets available at about £90.