Football mania

It’s time for football fans to rejoice. For, the world’s grandest sporting event, the FIFA World Cup is back — this time in South Africa. The premier tournament promises to keep you hooked to your televisions from June 11 to July 11.

The 2010 FIFA World Cup will be held in 10 South African cities including Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban and Port Elizabeth. The 32 contending teams, divided into eight groups of four, are made up of the world’s best football talent.

The news gets better, for there are exciting packages waiting to be grabbed. You may have a hard time deciding on your itinerary as you’ll have to pick from a huge variety of travel options. But to make things a wee bit easier, here are some tips and of course our pick of packages that will let you catch the world’s best football in style.

Team Faves

Football is all about cheering on your favourite team/s, even if it’s not your own country. And much of the World Cup experience is rooted in painting your face with your team’s colours and basically plunging into the passion of the game. So, you could travel to South Africa for those matches in which your favourite teams are playing.

Whether it’s to watch defending champions, Italy, five-time champions, Brazil or cheering England, there’s loads of excitement to catch. Argentina is also a hot favourite with fans waiting for some serious magic to revive its lost glory. Other teams that promise some captivating football action include Spain, Portugal, Germany, Ivory Coast and more. Just pick your dates according to the team you want to watch in action.

Hot ticket!

Now this one goes all out — and keeps you in South Africa through the month so you catch all the action live. SOTC Sports, in association with Emirates Airlines (official FIFA partner) has a Team Specific Series package on offer. At approx. Rs 16.62 lakh per person on twin-sharing basis (with Cape Town as your base camp), you get economy class return airfare (India-Cape Town-India), 3-star accommodation for 32 nights and 33 days, all inter-venue, match and airport transfers and match tickets.

If your team doesn’t make it to the final, don’t fret; you’ll follow the winners of each scheduled match instead, right up to the final.

Match Makers

Now, if you are an out-and-out football fan first, and a team-follower after, head straight for all those matches that get your spine tingling. You could opt for the Group of Death matches featuring Brazil, Portugal, Ivory Coast and North Korea (Group G). Or, for a taste of sheer nerve-wracking tension, take off for the semi-finals and the final.

Hot ticket!

Cutting Edge Travels, one of the official participating tour operators of the World Cup, has a package for the semi-finals and the final. The package, at approx. Rs 4.29 lakh per person on twin sharing basis for eight nights and nine days, includes economy class return airfare (Mumbai-Johannesburg-Mumbai), 4-star accommodation, Category 1 match tickets (with seats alongside the pitch) for the semi-finals and the final, inter-city air transfers between Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban for the matches, all airport and stadium transfers, visa charges and overseas health insurance. Call 022-30281031.

Venue Matters

Now, football is your first love, of course. But wouldn’t you like to bask in the beauty of your destination too? In which case, simply go for matches at a particular venue. You can take your pick from any of the 10 World Cup venues in South Africa. From the buzzing city of Johannesburg to the quiet charm of Port Elizabeth or even the cultural humdrum of Durban, South Africa promises a scintillating summer (err..winter)!

Hot ticket!

Fans on Stands, a sports-tourism company and official hospitality sub-agents of FIFA is offering various packages for the World Cup. Go for the Venue Specific Package for travel to Durban, that’s hosting seven matches, including a semi-final. You depart on June 11 for Johannesburg, from where you’ll be transferred to Durban, prior to the first match there (June 13). At approximately Rs 8.8 lakh per person on twin sharing basis, the package includes economy class return airfare (Mumbai-Johannesburg-Mumbai), air travel between Durban and Johannesburg, local transfers, 3-star accommodation and a FIFA Business Seat at all the matches. The business seat includes a Category 1 match ticket and wining and dining at the stadia. There are similar packages for the other World Cup venues and all of them can be customised.


The Personal Telegraph