One of the best things about watching football in Germany is how affordable it is compared to the Premier League, La Liga, or Serie A. A week-long Bundesliga trip — flights, trains, hotels, tickets, food, and beer — can cost less than a single Premier League matchday hospitality package. This guide breaks down every cost category so you can plan a realistic budget for your German football trip.
Match Tickets: €12–€50 Per Game
Bundesliga ticket prices are dramatically lower than equivalent European leagues. Standing tickets (Stehplatz) at most clubs cost between €12 and €25. Seated tickets range from €20 to €50 for regular fixtures. Even top games at Borussia Dortmund or Bayern Munich rarely exceed €70 for standard seats.
The 2. Bundesliga and 3. Liga are even cheaper — standing tickets from €8 and seated from €15. If you are watching three games in a week, expect to spend €40–€150 total on tickets depending on your seat preference and the clubs involved.
Train Travel: €50–€150 for a Multi-City Trip
Germany’s intercity rail network is the backbone of any football trip. The most cost-effective option is the Deutschland-Ticket (€49/month), which covers all regional trains (RE, RB, S-Bahn, U-Bahn, trams, and buses) across the entire country. For a trip of one week or more, this single ticket replaces all local transport costs.
For ICE high-speed trains between distant cities (e.g., Munich to Hamburg), Supersparpreis tickets start at €17.90 when booked 2–4 weeks ahead. A realistic multi-city trip using a mix of regional and ICE trains costs €50–€150 total in rail fares.
- Deutschland-Ticket: €49/month — unlimited regional trains, buses, trams nationwide
- ICE Supersparpreis: €17.90–€50 per trip — book early on bahn.de
- BahnCard 25: €59/year — 25% off all flexible fares (worth it for 3+ ICE journeys)
Read the full Deutsche Bahn guide for football fans for step-by-step booking advice.
Accommodation: €40–€120 Per Night
German cities offer a wide range of accommodation, and prices are generally lower than London, Paris, or Barcelona.
- Hostels: €20–€35 per night for a dorm bed in cities like Cologne, Hamburg, or Munich
- Budget hotels (Motel One, B&B Hotels, ibis): €55–€90 per night — clean, central, and reliable across all German cities
- Mid-range hotels: €80–€120 per night — Holiday Inn, NH, or local boutique options
- Airbnb: €40–€80 per night for a private room or small apartment
Match weekends increase hotel demand in smaller cities like Freiburg or Heidenheim. Book 2–3 weeks ahead for these. Larger cities have enough capacity that same-week booking is usually fine.
Food and Drink: €20–€40 Per Day
Eating in Germany is affordable, especially if you take advantage of local options:
- Bakery breakfast (Bäckerei): €3–€5 for a Brötchen, pastry, and coffee
- Döner or street food lunch: €5–€8
- Restaurant dinner: €10–€18 for a main course
- Beer at the stadium: €4–€5 for 0.5L
- Beer at a bar: €3.50–€5 for 0.5L
- Supermarket (Rewe, Edeka, Aldi):€8–€12 for a day’s food if self-catering
At the stadium, budget €10–€15 for beer and a Bratwurst. German stadium food is excellent value — a proper grilled sausage with bread and mustard costs €3–€5 at most grounds.
Sample Budgets: 5-Day Trip with 3 Games
These sample budgets assume flying into Frankfurt and visiting three clubs across the Rhine-Ruhr corridor or a stadium hopping route.
Budget Traveller
- Flights (return): €80–€150 (Ryanair, Eurowings)
- Deutschland-Ticket: €49
- Hostels (4 nights): €100–€140
- Match tickets (3 games, standing): €40–€75
- Food & drink (5 days): €100–€150
- Total: €370–€565
Mid-Range Traveller
- Flights (return): €100–€200
- Deutschland-Ticket + 1 ICE: €70–€100
- Budget hotels (4 nights): €220–€360
- Match tickets (3 games, seated): €60–€150
- Food & drink (5 days): €150–€200
- Total: €600–€1,010
Comfort Traveller
- Flights (return): €150–€300
- ICE trains: €100–€150
- Mid-range hotels (4 nights): €320–€480
- Match tickets (3 games, premium seats): €120–€300
- Food & drink (5 days): €200–€300
- Total: €890–€1,530
Hidden Costs and Money-Saving Tips
- Kombi-Ticket: Most Bundesliga match tickets include free public transport on matchday — this can save €5–€10 per game. Read more in our Kombi-Ticket guide.
- Cash: Many German concession stands and smaller shops are still cash-only. Withdraw euros at an ATM on arrival — avoid airport exchange desks.
- Tipping: Not mandatory in Germany. Round up to the nearest euro or add 5–10% at restaurants. No tipping at stadiums.
- SIM cards: EU roaming is free for EU residents. Non-EU visitors can buy a prepaid SIM (Aldi Talk, Lebara) for €8–€15 at any electronics shop.
- Avoid resale tickets. Bundesliga face-value tickets are cheap — never pay 3x on Viagogo. Use official club shops via BundesTrip ticket guide.
How BundesTrip Helps You Save
The BundesTrip planner optimises your itinerary around real Deutsche Bahn travel times, helping you avoid unnecessary ICE journeys by grouping nearby fixtures together. A well-routed multi-city trip can save €30–€60 in unnecessary train fares and an extra hotel night.
Start by entering your travel dates and preferred teams — BundesTrip will build an itinerary that maximises games and minimises travel.