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>After Liverpool and Tottenham booked an all-English final in the Champions League, Arsenal and Chelsea did likewise in the Europa League on Thursday. The Gunners eased past Valencia, while Chelsea needed penalties to progress past Eintracht Frankfurt. Now, fans need to work out how they’re going to travel 2,500 miles to Baku, Azerbaijan ahead of the final on May 29. Currently, there are no direct flights from London to Baku in the week of the final. But getting there is only half of the issue. Getting a ticket could prove to be even more difficult. UEFA have allocated Arsenal and Chelsea just 6,000 tickets each - in a 68,700 seater stadium. That’s ludicrous. And it’s now been put into context with an accurate visual representation. That really shows just how ridiculous it is. Of course, Arsenal and Chelsea fans won’t actually be sitting next to each other. The running track around the outside of the pitch obviously doesn’t make the viewing experience any better, either. Earlier this week, UEFA attempted to explain exactly why they’ve only given Arsenal and Chelsea just 6,000 tickets. "Based on UEFA's recent experience with UEFA Europa League finals and the UEFA Super Cup in comparable venues the number of finalists' supporters requesting tickets for a UEFA Europa League final can vary greatly from club to club," a statement read. "Of course, it is impossible to predict in advance which clubs will reach the final while the venue has to be chosen around two years in advance. "Taking into consideration the above and most importantly the geographical location and logisitcal capacity of airports in and around the host city, it was deemed that around 15,000 spectators would be able to travel from abroad (this includes finalists' fans and general public), with Baku as the main hub. "Offering more tickets to fans of the participating teams, without any guarantee that they would be able to arrange suitable travel to reach Baku, was therefore not a responsible option. "Based on these circumstances, for this year's UEFA Europa League final in Baku, 6,000 tickets have been made available to each of the finalists. "UEFA remains in close contact with the finalists regarding the travel arrangements of their supporters and any other operational aspects with regards to the final." News Now - Sport News<doc-sep>The road to the Europa League final is long, and so is the road to Baku. Google Maps / Getty Arsenal and Chelsea secured their places in the Europa League final by seeing off Valencia and Eintracht Frankfurt in their respective semifinals on Thursday, guaranteeing a European clean sweep for the Premier League. However, fans of both London clubs -- based around eight miles apart, as the crow flies -- have had the elation of reaching a major continental final tempered by the realisation that the game is to be staged in the Azerbaijan capital of Baku. Indeed, the 68,700-capacity Olympic Stadium will host the Europa League final on May 29, meaning that supporters travelling from the UK will have to trek around 2,850 miles to a city that is further east than Baghdad. To emphasis the true scale of the journey ahead, here are the numbers involved.<doc-sep>The Foreign Office has issued a terror warning before the fixture to be played on May 29 Arsenal and Chelsea fans have been warned they could be a target for terror attacks in Azerbaijan. The Premier League sides will compete in the Europa League final in the capital city of Baku on May 29. Despite being thousands of miles from London and being given less than 6,000 tickets each for the spectacle at the Olympic Stadium, supporters of both the Gunners and the Blues are expected to flock in their thousands to the South Caucasus for the chance to see their side lift a European trophy. 2 The Olympic Stadium in Baku will host the Europa League Final But the Foreign Office has issued a warning to British fans planning to head east about a ‘likely’ attack. “Terrorists are likely to try to carry out attacks in Azerbaijan,” the Foreign Office wrote. “Attacks could be indiscriminate and against civilian targets, including places frequented by foreigners, such as international hotels, restaurants and pubs, as well as energy sector facilities. “You should take sensible precautions.” 2 Arsenal players celebrate during their Europa League victory over Qarabag at the same stadium The UK Government have also provided a guide to deal with criminal activities in Baku. “Crime levels in Baku are generally low,” it reads. “But muggings do occur from time to time after dark in the centre of town around the western bars and clubs and near dimly lit entrances of private apartments. “Take sensible precautions: be vigilant, avoid carrying large sums of money and don’t walk alone at night. “Try to arrange to be picked up or dropped off as close to your hotel or apartment entrance as possible by a private/company driver, or a known taxi firm. 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English speaking staff are available on the telephone, but when reporting a crime at a police station take someone with you who can interpret. “Don’t sign any documents you don’t understand. “Corruption is an everyday aspect of life in Azerbaijan. You should avoid paying bribes.”<doc-sep>
The UK Foreign Office has issued a statement to fans of UEFA Europa League finalists Chelsea and Arsenal, ahead of the match in Baku, warning that terrorist attacks are "likely" in the Azerbaijani capital. The two London clubs will travel to Azerbaijan for the game on May 29, but have been warned of potential terrorist attacks and other dangers in the South Caucasus country, according to the Mirror. "Terrorists are likely to try to carry out attacks in Azerbaijan," the Foreign Office wrote. "Attacks could be indiscriminate and against civilian targets, including places frequented by foreigners, such as international hotels, restaurants and pubs, as well as energy sector facilities. You should take sensible precautions." While the Foreign Office advise supporters to be "vigilant", they do also mention that crime in Baku is relatively low, although muggings are common around western bars in the city center. Arsenal winger Henrikh Mkhitaryan is set to miss the game over fears for the Armenien's safety in Azerbaijan. The two neighboring countries harbor strained relations owing to two wars waged between the nations over the past century. Chelsea made their way into the final courtesy of a tense penalty-shootout win over German side Eintracht Frankfurt after their semi-final tie ended 2-2 on aggregate. City rivals Arsenal bested Spaniards Valencia 7-3 on aggregate in their respective match. The presence the two Premier League clubs in the final of Europe's second competition means that, for the first time ever, the Europa League and Champions League finals will feature all-English lineups, after Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur reached the final of the latter. Fans have already expressed their disgruntlement at UEFA making just 6,000 tickets available for both sets of fans for the match at Baku Olympic Stadium, which has a full capacity of over 68,000. Europe's football governing body says this is partly down to fears Baku International airport could not cope with a higher quantity of fans arriving for the match.