Arsenal and Chelsea fans are racing to find flights to Baku, after both London football teams qualified for the Europa League final in the capital of Azerbaijan on 29 May. Because of the challenges in reaching the former Soviet republic, supporters are likely to pay even more than Liverpool and Spurs fans heading for the Champions League final in Madrid on 1 June. It follows that there will be fewer supporters than at the senior final, but the experience will be much more exotic. These are the key options for fans keen to reach the final – and also for travellers heading for the matches in the Euro 2020 finals next summer. Where exactly is Baku? As far from the Emirates Stadium and Stamford Bridge as it is possible to be and still be within the confines of “Europe”: exactly the same latitude as Madrid, but further east than Baghdad, on the shores of the Caspian Sea, 2,469 miles from London. 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When is the next flight from Heathrow? At 10.05pm on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays on Azerbaijan Airlines, touching down at 6.35am the next day. But the flight out the day before the final and the return the day after are already full. So fans will need to find connections. Istanbul is the main gateway to the former Soviet republics of the Caucasus, with frequent day connections from the New Istanbul Airport and a few from the second airport, Sabiha Gokcen. Travelling out on Monday 27 May and back on Friday 31 May, fares are around £800-£800 on Turkish Airlines, for journeys that are typically between nine and 14 hours. Arranging a stopover of at least 24 hours in Istanbul on the way out will cut the cost by £65 because of a reduction in Air Passenger Duty liability – though you will need to pay $20 (£15) for a Turkish e-visa. Anything cheaper? Yes, but almost all of them involve travelling via Turkey and are also “self-connect” journeys where there is no guarantee of completing the journey if something goes wrong. For example, the cheapest deal on Skyscanner on those days (27-31 May), £623, is outbound on Pegasus from Stansted to Izmir in Turkey then transferring to Turkish Airlines for a flight via Ankara to Baku. The return begins on Azerbaijan Airlines to Moscow – for which you may need an incredibly expensive and difficult Russian visa. Then there is a connection on UTAir to Berlin, and British Airways to Heathrow. Can I go by train? Yes. You can reach Istanbul from London St Pancras via Brussels or Paris and a variety of Continental trains, on the former route of the Orient Express. The international rail website Seat61.com says: “It’s easy, cheap and comfortable, not to mention very scenic, to take a sleeper train right across Turkey from Istanbul or Ankara to Erzurum or Kars, then transfer by bus to the Georgian border at Sarp/Batumi for an onward train to Tbilisi.” Having reached the Georgian capital, there are onward trains to Baku. Waiting game: you can get an Azeri visa in three working days, or pay $27 (£20) extra for a three-hour service Will I need a visa? Yes, but thankfully it is much easier than it was a couple of years ago. Apply on the Asan Visa website. The Foreign Office says: “If you’re applying for an e-visa to come to Azerbaijan for the Europa League final on 29 May 2019, please note in the “purpose of visit” of your e-visa application you should select ‘Europa League Final’.” You can get an Azeri visa in three working days for $23 (£18), or pay $27 (£20) extra for a three-hour service ✕ Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Where will I stay? Because of Baku’s relative inaccessibility, there are likely to be far fewer football fans than in Madrid three days later. Thanks to Azerbaijan’s oil wealth, there are plenty of upscale hotels. Budget accommodation is rarer, but – as with the World Cup in Russia in 2018 – many Baku citizens are likely to rent out rooms at reasonably modest rates. What else is there to see besides the football? Walk the Caspian Sea promenade, dominated by Caspian Waterfront building, inspired by the Sydney Opera House. Take the Baku funicular railway from the sea to Dağüstü Park, the landscaped terraces of which overlook the Bay of Baku and give the best view over the city.<doc-sep>FLIGHTS and hotels to the Europa League final in Baku later this month has been surging as desperate football fans scramble to find cheap travel deals. There are only direct flights to Baku from the UK a couple of times a week - but with connecting flights from destinations such as Istanbul, Brits have a few more options. 2 Flights to Baku take just over 13 hours, with at least one stopover Credit: Getty - Contributor Turkish Airlines for example have just announced they will be putting on bigger jets to Baku so more fans can get there. However, with flights alone costing upwards of £798 return, Brits should make the most of the match on May 29 and spend the additional days on either side exploring the city. We've rounded up some of the best deals currently available, based on two people sharing, which include return flights to Baku and hotels - although they don't come cheap and they are selling fast. Seven nights with return flights from London Gatwick - £978pp It really pays to stay longer - the cheapest deals are for dates arriving into Baku way before the final and leaving way after. This deal, available through eBookers, departs from May 26 and is for seven nights. It includes accommodation at the four star AF Hotel-Aqua Park - Aparthotel and flights with Turkish Airlines. 2 Holiday deals to Azerbaijan currently start from £800pp Credit: Getty - Contributor Six nights with return flights from London Gatwick - £976pp Flying on Monday May 27, the week long trip available through Expedia will give tourists an extra few days to visit Baku. With a stopover in Turkey when flying with Turkish Airlines, the deal includes six nights in the four-star Spring Hotel & Spa. Five nights with return flights from London Heathrow - £1,567pp Stay at the Naftalan Guest House in Baku for five nights for £1,567 per person. It includes return flights from London Gatwick, via Turkey, with Turkish Airlines. Lastminute.com are also offering a deal at the hotel that costs £1,268 for four nights. Most read in travel SEA YOU THERE Seaside B&B beats posh Claridge’s in top hotels list and reveals its secret FERRIED AWAY Brits travelling to France must self-isolate on arrival due to Indian variant WALES I NEVER! Tiny Welsh hotel that beat Claridges to top Tripadvisor gong & how it did it SEAS THE DAY Cheap seaside hotel rooms in the UK this summer from £29 per stay ISLE BE BACK Canary, Balearic & Greek islands 'could be on green list if country is amber' PRICED UP How much do Covid tests cost to go on holiday? Airline & airport prices from £20 Football fans have slammed Thomas Cook for offering a £1,000 day trip to Baku, which doesn't include the cost of the match tickets. Baku is not a popular tourist destination for Brits - only around 7,000 British nationals visit each year. However, it offers and interesting mix of cultures from both Europe and Asia.<doc-sep>ARSENAL and Chelsea fans have been left furious after finding out there are no direct flights from London to Baku for the Europa League final. Just eight miles separates the two clubs in the English capital, but supporters now face a gruelling 2,468-mile trip to watch them battle it out in Azerbaijan. 1 The Arsenal and Chelsea fans will have to travel to the eastern edge of Europe Many fans will miss out on the chance to go to the game after Uefa allocated each team just 6,000 tickets. But the supporters that are lucky to secure a seat in the 68,000-capacity arena have a tough journey ahead. There are no currently no planned flights from any of the London airports to Baku on the week of the final. It looks likely that they will have to fly to Istanbul or Kiev before changing planes - which could take more than 10 hours in total. One option would be for fans to fly out the Azerbaijan's capital on the Saturday beforehand and return one week later. But prices of hotels in the local area are expected to rocket, so this would not be a cheap option. Taking public transport would take an estimated four days including a 51-hour train journey from Ukraine to Baku. Driving from London would take around 56 hours and would involve driving through the likes of Belgium, Hungary, Bulgaria and Turkey. Chelsea have offered their loyal fans a special day trip offer which will cost them £979. It is understood that travelling supporters will also have to apply for a visa to be granted access into Azerbaijan. Arsenal cruised past Valencia and Chelsea scraped past Eintracht Frankfurt to set up the all-English final. But fans on Twitter immediately voiced their concerns about the nightmare journey they will have to take. One said: "We're the famous Arsenal and we're going to Baku. Only the two flights, six buses and a donkey ride to get there." Another added: "Flights booked... Manchester to Istanbul to Baku Monday. Fly back Thursday overnight to Istanbul then home Friday. Five days for a game of football." We're the famous Arsenal and we're going to Baku. Only the two flights, six buses and a donkey ride to get there. — 1886 (@1886_blog) May 9, 2019 Flights booked... Manchester to Istanbul to Baku Monday. Fly back Thursday overnight Istanbul then home Friday. 5 days for a game of football — Richard Evans (@inglebyblue) May 9, 2019 @Arsenal please request a couple of @emirates a380s for flights to Baku at a reasonable price. Behalf of all arsenal fans xx — ThePlugAFC (@ThePlugAFC) May 10, 2019<doc-sep>Get the FREE Mirror Football newsletter by email with the day's key headlines and transfer news Invalid Email Something went wrong, please try again later. Sign up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Arsenal and Chelsea fans face travel chaos to see their sides in the all-English Europa League final in Baku. Arsenal booked their place in the final with a 4-2 win at Valencia to go through 7-3 on aggregate, while Chelsea needed penalties to go through after a second 1-1 draw against Eintracht Frankfurt in their semi-final. The Europa League final takes place in the Azerbaijan capital on Wednesday, May 29. But there are currently no direct scheduled flights between London and Baku that week. Fans wanting to fly out on the day of the game would most likely face a lengthy wait in Istanbul, Turkey or Kiev, Ukraine. (Image: Arsenal FC via Getty Images) But they could a long time in the air, with most flights on the day lasting more than 10 hours, while the quickest is six hours 55 minutes. Anyone wanting to fly direct would be looking at spending a week in Baku. The only way to fly direct would be to leave London on the Saturday before, returning a week later - three days after the trophy has been lifted. Fans could plump for an adventure on the trains - it takes more than four days to travel from London to Baku by rail, including 11 changes and a train which takes two days to journey from Kharkiv in Ukraine to Baku. (Image: Getty Images) Another option would be to get the sat nav out and drive it - the journey would take 58 hours without breaks. English clubs have conquered Europe this week, as Arsenal and Chelsea made it a full house in the Champions League and Europa League finals. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s hat-trick and a goal from Alexandre Lacazette in Valencia sent Arsenal through in the Europa League on Thursday. (Image: Getty Images) And an hour later, keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga was the hero with two penalty saves in a shootout at Stamford Bridge. That left Eden Hazard to slot home the winning penalty to book their place against the Gunners in Baku on May 25 and officially announce that English football rules again in Europe. Progression for Arsenal and Chelsea followed this week's dramatic Champions League semi-finals, which saw Liverpool and Tottenham complete unlike comebacks against Barcelona and Ajax respectively to set up an all-English final in Madrid on June 1.<doc-sep>
The most direct route to drive from London to the Baku Olympic Stadium passes through a closed border crossing and an area of eastern Ukraine in which Russian-backed rebels are confronting Ukrainian troops along a mainly static frontline. To avoid those issues, one option is to travel via Istanbul, as with this route, a journey estimated to take 59 hours of driving time Their stadiums may only be separated by an eight-mile hop across London, but Chelsea and Arsenal fans now face a long journey to the eastern edge of Europe for the Europa League final. Success for both sides on Thursday ensured the Londoners will meet in an all-English final in Baku, Azerbaijan on Wednesday, 29 May. That means supporters will have to travel 2,467 miles to watch the game in a city further east than Riyadh in Saudi Arabia or Baghdad in Iraq, and closer to Mumbai in India than it is to the English capital. You might think modern transport would mean journeys would be straightforward. You would be wrong. There are currently no direct scheduled flights between London and Baku in the week of the final. If you want to fly to the game on the day then a lengthy wait in somewhere like Istanbul or Kiev would be needed. The quickest journey by air on the day of the final takes six hours 55 minutes, with the majority lasting more than 10 hours. The only way to fly direct to Baku for the game would be to leave London on the Saturday beforehand and return a week later, three days after the trophy has been lifted. That's an eight-day trip for 90 minutes of football - and for a game which kicks of at 11pm local time (20:00 BST), so will not finish until about 1am! So what about the train? It takes more than four days to travel from London to Baku on public transport, passing through seven countries. Anyone who watched BBC Two's Race Across the World will know it might also involve some less-than-first-class rail conditions. The whole journey would likely include 11 changes and a two-day train journey from Kharkiv in Ukraine to Baku. Of course you could drive, but you would be looking at around 59 hours behind the wheel. It is made longer than it might otherwise have been because of the need to avoid a closed border crossing and an area of eastern Ukraine in which Russian-backed rebels are confronting Ukrainian troops along a mainly static frontline. Making the actual journey safely, therefore, involves an alternative route, with going via Istanbul one option. When you take in the time needed to eat and sleep, it would probably be best to set off on the Saturday to make the Wednesday night kick-off. For the victors, another game thousands of miles away against English opponents will only be a matter of months away - the Champions League winners will face the Europa League winners (either Arsenal or Chelsea) in the Uefa Super Cup in Istanbul, Turkey on Wednesday, 14 August. But if you think those trips are remarkable for two teams from the same city, they are nothing compared to the 2018 Copa Libertadores final. In December, the second leg of south America's showpiece event - originally due to be staged in Buenos Aires in Argentina - was moved more than 6,000 miles to Madrid after the Boca bus was attacked on its way to the stadium. Analysis: The environmental impact To help the discussion of why two London clubs need to go almost 2,500 miles to Azerbaijan to play against each other, when they are both less than 15km from Wembley, the Reality Check team has been looking into the carbon footprint of those journeys. Assuming 12,000 fans use economy class return flights, we've tried one carbon calculator that says it's 5,595 tonnes of CO2, one that says it's 8,280 tonnes and one that says it's 13,094 tonnes - 15,600 if you include radiative forcing, which is the extra emissions from flying at high altitude. If you look at the highest estimate (because you know some people will travel without tickets to the game, not everyone will fly economy class, and you also have to transport the teams and club staff), according to the US Environmental Protection Agency that's the amount of emissions you'd get from the energy needs of an average home for 1,868 years or running 3,300 cars for a year.