Featured image credit: VDV
UEFA and the Association of German Transport Companies (VDV) have claimed a first by striking a partnership that will lead to the introduction of ‘KombiTickets’ for Euro 2024.
Germany is staging the national team tournament from June 14 to July 14, with sustainability high on the agenda for organisers. The KombiTicket venture intends to transform the traditional match ticket into a 36-hour ticket that provides access to a host city’s transport infrastructure, as well as entry to the stadium itself.
The KombiTicket will be valid from 6am on the day of a match through to 6pm the following day across the entire transport network, including far beyond the borders of the respective venues into the surrounding areas and neighbouring towns. Match ticket holders will be informed on how to obtain the 36-hour travel pass ahead of the tournament.
Philipp Lahm, tournament director of UEFA Euro 2024, said: “The topic of sustainability is at the top of the agenda at UEFA Euro 2024 and sets new benchmarks for future major sporting events.
“Germany is expecting millions of international guests for a very special football festival that is intended to strengthen and celebrate Europe and the cohesion of our society. Through the partnership with the German transport companies, we ensure that the vast majority of spectators can travel by bus and train in an environmentally friendly and safe manner.”
The VDV expects that, depending on the venue, around 70% of visitors will use public transport to travel to and from the stadium. Oliver Wolff, general manager of the VDV, said: “Our colleagues are committed to preparing climate-friendly public mobility for the numerous fans from all countries.
“This also includes making ticketing as simple as possible for everyone. The KombiTickets available for this purpose in Germany, i.e. the combination of entry ticket and local transport ticket, are unique in the world. In this regard, German public transport is not only European, but even world champion.”
The match schedule for Euro 2024 was confirmed in May 2022, with Munich’s Allianz Arena to host the opening game and Berlin’s Olympiastadion to stage the final.
The tournament will take place in 10 cities across Germany. For the first time, sustainability has been included as a criterion in the tournament regulations, meaning that three clusters of venues have been established: North/North-East (Berlin, Hamburg and Leipzig), West (Dortmund, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Gelsenkirchen and Cologne), and South (Frankfurt, Munich and Stuttgart).
Matches in each group will take place only across two clusters in a bid to reduce travel distances for teams and fans between host cities. The move is also designed to favour team delegations travelling by train or bus from their base camps to the match venues during the group stage.
Germany was awarded hosting rights to Euro 2024 in September 2018, with UEFA selecting the country over a rival bid from Turkey.
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