Ok, Euro 2024 coming to Germany in general, but also specifically there will be an impact on Frankfurt as one of the 10 designated stadiums for hosting games.

Dates to be aware of (and then work from home!)

The competition is running from 14th June to 14th July, starting with the opening match in Munich and the final in Berlin. In total, 24 teams are in the competition but with 10 stadiums in use, the matches are spread out evenly around the country and Frankfurt only gets to enjoy (or suffer) 5 matches:

17th June	Belgium v Slovakia
20th June	Denmark v England
23rd June	Switzerland v Germany
26th June	Slovakia v Romania
1st July	Group D/F eliminator

If you are into football (soccer) then you’ll be aware that the group stages in June are already mostly defined so tickets sold out long ago and fans are already making their travel and accommodation plans. There are a few unknown fixtures though as the last three teams need to confirm their spots in the competion in the March play-offs. After the 26th June, the fixtures are unknown though, so there will be lots of people looking for ticket exchanges and last minute accommodation for the 1st July game.

Advice for locals

All games, irrespective of the teams playing are sold out and will be well attended, so don’t think that there will be quiet games. Accommodation prices for this time period are already going through the roof and bookings are getting tough to find. Many fans are already looking for alternative accommodation like campsites and caravan/motorhome parking so expect these out-of-town spots to also start filling up. Even if fans can’t get a ticket to see their team, they will probably be in the city watching and supporting in case they can’t get to watch on the large screen outside the Stadium. If you love football, the atmosphere in town is going to be amazing, although expensive and crowded. Don’t expect business as usual.

If you are planning to leave on holiday, then time it for the Germany/Switzerland game on the 23rd June. This local Derby is going to be crazy and the city will focus on nothing but football. Luckily since the fans are all local, they won’t be staying in the city for long.

Rental opportunity

Now if ever there was a time to list your apartment or spare room on Airbnb or similar, then this 2 week period is the one to aim for. There is still availability right now for a reasonable price, but this won’t last for long. And you still have time to sort out the registration and tax implications in time.

Team Basecamps

There is one good piece of news which relieves Frankfurt from too much drama. Each of the teams needs to choose a basecamp somewhere inside Germany for the duration of the competition. The organisers provide a list of options, from which to choose and thankfully, Frankfurt city isn’t on on the list, as its main stadium is already in use for the competition. In fact, the nearby facilities offered were Darmstadt, Bad Nauheim, and Mainz, none of which have been chosen so far as a basecamp by any teams. This means we are unlikely to see a large resident fan base in the vicinity during the competition.

As for where to watch the games, more on that later!

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