Traveling to Russia for the World Cup
 

I’m only 17 and I know this might sound stupid to some of you and some will say that since I called it stupid why should I even go? I want advice to see if it is “smart” enough to travel alone to Russia in July to attend the World Cup final. It has always been a dream of mine and it would be an awesome experience. The flights were around $1,200 roundtrip including fees for me and the tickets to the game will be very expensive but I have a job and I’ve saved up well over $2000 for anything but I’ve decided I wanted to use it on this. I wanted to fly out on the july 14 spend the night there, enjoy the game on the 15 and spend the night again then fly back out on the 16th. have traveled before but not to anywhere far like Europe/Russia. I know I should learn the language also. What other fees will be includes in the trip besides passport, flight (ticket only), small stuff like that. How much would food cost me, how much would the hotels cost me especially at the time of the world cup, etc. Should I do this and follow my dreams or am I just too young to do this and look forward to 2022 world cup? Please let me know.

Before you can do anything ou need to learn about the visa requirements. You cannot just travel to Russia on a 'whim'. So study up on that first and then decide if you still think it is possible.

Hiya,
No, I don't think you are being silly. That said, there are a couple of things you might want to consider before you proceed:
For starters, the tickets to the final game may well crush your budget (unless you also happen to hold Russian citizenship), AND your chances of getting them in the first place are rather low. Check FIFA site for details.
At 17, you are still considered a minor under Russian law. You might run into problems booking (or rather checking into) your hotels, purchasing a local SIM card, etc. Under normal circumstances it's rarely an issue, but during the WC regulations are likely to be more strictly enforced.
Overall, if you are serious about the whole thing, I'd suggest you find a travel buddy who is at least 18 and shares your passion for the sport.

For the record, visa requirements, while quite strict, do not necessarily have to apply in your case - once you get your game ticket and your FAN-ID, you can use your fanID in lieu of your visa.

But would that apply to a 17 yo traveling solo?

I do agree the budget is woefully low even IF the OP. can get tix.

You should read this. I tried to buy tickets during Phase 1. No luck. The next phase starts on December 5th.

http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/news/y=...e-2921633.html

Will you still be 17 when you intend to travel or would you have reached your 18th birthday by then? A Russian visa application for anyone travelling alone under 18 needs to be accompanied by a letter from the parents giving permission to travel plus other documentation. Since you need a FAN ID for this event in lieu of a visa, you might need to provide something similar to support this application. There is a Contact Us link on the FAN ID website, I would use that to get your question answered correctly.

Hotels are typically sold out already and what is left is either very expensive or very cheap hostel type accommodation. Can you find out if any tour operators are organising trips from your part of the world that would include flight and hotel? Travel companies that specialise in sporting events could be the way to go as they would hold hotel room allocations.

You'll need travel insurance. Food costs vary, they have everything from McDonalds upwards. There are cafeteria type places such as Cafe Mu Mu where food is very inexpensive (eg $3-$4 for a main course), there is street food at markets. Usachevksy market is close to Sportivnaya metro station which is one of the stations you can reach Luzhniki stadium from. Apparently the market has been renovated, I've only been to this market before renovation.

Repeating the advice that you obtain travel insurance. Don't leave it out of the budget. If budget is really tight ask parents or other adult relatives to buy travel insurance for you as a holiday gift.

My 18th birthday will not come until later next year (after the world cup). Although my budget will be able to be increased because i will be working a lot until then and I’ll have quit a bit, it may not be worth it money wise. I think I should just save up even more and possibly wait until I’ll be 22 in 2022 world cup although I’ll probably have adult responsibilites and might not be able to make that.

You would be wise to wait IMO. As of October 12th there had already been over 300,000 ticket requests for the final. Trying to buy a ticket in the "resale" market will be both expensive and risky.

When you do go (2022?) I suggest you consider going during the initial group phase. The energy among supporters is incredible - no one has lost yet. It is such a good time. See if you can attend a Dutch (prayers may be needed), Spanish, Australian or South American team game. Their fans are fun to be around.

Good decision and best of luck for 2022!

While you will have more responsibilities, the Wotld Cup is a good goal for a post-graduation celebration should a college degree be an objective.

You should be able to get time off if you're working.

You should be aware that Russian fans have a history of violence which has occurred at both the last Euro championship which involved national teams and numerous games involving the Moscow teams. They also have a reputation for racism I'm unsure whether this will be an issue for you.

I'd be surprised if the World Cup went by without any violence but the security authorities will clear wish to come down hard on any issues. Russia's international sporting image has clearly suffered over the past five years.

There will be many, many travellers in your position.

I've never been to Russia but in your position I would take particular care on match days.

And, to go full circle, you should probably be also wary of advice coming from people that, having never been to Russia, are all too eager to dispense invaluable travel wisdom.

Like I said before, all the resources are out there; there is a bunch of internet discussion boards dedicated to the World Cup (including all the potential issues and how to tackle them).

My advice has nothing to do with visiting Russia. It has to do with 40 years of football supporting and experiencing violence committed by Russian fans in 3 different countries : France, Italy and The UK.

And actully if you bother to have any attention to detail I wasn't giving advice but making the poster aware of the history of the Moscow clubs. There is a difference but you will not grasp the concept.

The IOC has banned Russia's deputy Prime Minister and former Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko from all future Olympic Games. Which is timely as he is currently the lead organiser for the 2018 World Cup.

I predict trouble for the Swiss and German (Thomas Bach) team buses.

As far as grasping the concept goes: as someone who has attended matches of the Russian premier league, I trust I know a thing or two about behavior of Russian soccer fans; and as someone who went to two matches at Confed Cup earlier this year, I also know that 1) the atmosphere is completely different, and 2) local law enforcement seem to have discrete and effective tools at their disposal to rein in the unruly.

We can all "have fears", "predict trouble", and "expect violence". We can talk about racism and homophobia. What I'm saying, though, is that the history of international competitions held in Russia to date doesn't readily support the concept that any of these serious issues are likely to affect foreign visitors.

More importantly, there is a bunch of dedicated soccer sites out there, fodors is not one of them. If one seeks real-world soccer fan-specific advice, rather than well-meaning platitudes, one might as well direct their attention there.