pinky wrote: The team will have to get there somehow I suppose and Kellers will presumably be handling all of that in conjunction with a local tour operator, who will sort out all the red tape. This is one trip where I'd recommend just going with them. Don't expect much change from your paycheque though.
I'll take another look at the Brive options - that one is awkward enough without worrying about the Siberian winter!

In a worst case example,
Flight and hotel for 2 nights, food and a few Vodka's will set you back about €750 for the trip.
If we are away there for the 1st game in mid November, that is 5 pay days away and means saving €150 a month.

I will be checking the dates on my passport over the weekend. Get it renewed as it has to be valid for 6 months after the proposed visit.

The team will have to get there somehow I suppose and Kellers will presumably be handling all of that in conjunction with a local tour operator, who will sort out all the red tape. This is one trip where I'd recommend just going with them. Don't expect much change from your paycheque though.
I'll take another look at the Brive options - that one is awkward enough without worrying about the Siberian winter!

pinky wrote:

connemara man wrote: What gent wants to look into packages for travel to Sochi :woohoo:

I'll do a bit of research sometime and see what I come up with, though I will hardly go myself.
Still no guarantee it will be in Sochi.
They played Baie Mare there in the playoff so I'm guessing Sochi will be the venue based on that.
But maybe they will go with somewhere else altogether, even somewhere outside Russia. Or they might install some serious undersod heating in their ground in Krasnoyarsk
If going to Russia they big issue is visas.
Whatever you do, don't book a flight and a hotel and think your all sorted!

It'll depend on time of year, ERC won't allow them to play any games in Krasnoyarsk at home during January and Feb where average tem is about -15°c, even in October the temperature is down to nearly Freezing. It's nearly guaranteed that the games will be played in Sochi I'd say...

pinky wrote:

connemara man wrote: What gent wants to look into packages for travel to Sochi :woohoo:

I'll do a bit of research sometime and see what I come up with, though I will hardly go myself.
Still no guarantee it will be in Sochi.
They played Baie Mare there in the playoff so I'm guessing Sochi will be the venue based on that.
But maybe they will go with somewhere else altogether, even somewhere outside Russia. Or they might install some serious undersod heating in their ground in Krasnoyarsk
If going to Russia they big issue is visas.
Whatever you do, don't book a flight and a hotel and think your all sorted!

Just as an example.
Dublin - Istanbul - Sochi return on the 1st weekend (12 Nov - 16th Nov) €508

Not remotely near the draw I wanted from a travel experience it has to be said, Newcastle outside of summer is a cold place. Brive is one of the more ho-hum small French cities. And Russia, you'd only do it for the passport stamp really....

Sochi you can fly to from Diublin with Turkish Airlines via Istanbul (the shortest journey also), looking at right now about €500 and 8Hrs each way if we get an October fixture..

connemara man wrote: What gent wants to look into packages for travel to Sochi :woohoo:

I'll do a bit of research sometime and see what I come up with, though I will hardly go myself.
Still no guarantee it will be in Sochi.
They played Baie Mare there in the playoff so I'm guessing Sochi will be the venue based on that.
But maybe they will go with somewhere else altogether, even somewhere outside Russia. Or they might install some serious undersod heating in their ground in Krasnoyarsk
If going to Russia they big issue is visas.
Whatever you do, don't book a flight and a hotel and think your all sorted!

What gent wants to look into packages for travel to Sochi :woohoo:

Very happy with that, serious opportunity to top that group and win every match tbh.

Newcastle away is a great draw also, very easy to get to and should be great weekend. Stadium is an easy metro to the City Centre also

It's one of the new/renovated stadiums for Euro 2016

AJ6000 wrote: Which is really easy to get to! Whether the team can get there is another thing!

Didn't realise they have a brand new stadium. Nearly 60k.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stade_des_Lumi%C3%A8res

Brive do not give a fiddlers about this competition, they lost all 6 last season. With the smallest budget in the Top 14 last season they simply don't have the depth to compete in both competitions. So it'll likely come down to the matches home and away against Newcastle.

Which is really easy to get to! Whether the team can get there is another thing!

Final is in Lyon!

Definitely a winnable group.
Travel-wise we got the two we wanted to avoid though.
I'd say we'll get a good crowd going to Newcastle just cos it's so much easier compared to the other two.

Off to Russia it is!!!!

Brive in Tier 2 so we have to get Newcastle in tier 3!!!!

And our old muckers Enesei in tier 4. Get. In. We couldn't have bought a better pool.