{"id":98938,"date":"2016-05-11T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2016-05-11T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/travelstartblg.wpenginepowered.com\/uefa-euro-2016\/"},"modified":"2025-11-04T13:53:24","modified_gmt":"2025-11-04T13:53:24","slug":"uefa-euro-2016","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/uefa-euro-2016\/","title":{"rendered":"Your Guide To The UEFA Euro 2016"},"content":{"rendered":"
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There’s only a month to go until the kick off of the UEFA Euro 2016. The final is still the most watched sporting event in the world, even surpassing the Superbowl final in viewership.\u00a0For the first time the European Championship final tournament will be contested by 24 teams, up from the 16-team format used since 1996. France <\/a>was the first country to host the Euros way back in 1960, this year the tournament returns to the glorious country of wine, cheese and beautiful buildings making it the perfect destination for football fans and their families.<\/p>\n

Travelstart brings you the highlights from each of the French UEFA host cities with sight-seeing tips and how to get a Schengen visa included. Scroll down to the bottom of the post to check where each match is being held. Public transport is very efficient in France and you will have no trouble zipping around on the TGV to each city. It only takes 3 hours on the high-speed TGV to get from the North to the South. Tickets do get more expensive closer to the time so it is worth buying your rail tickets as soon as possible.<\/p>\n

Paris is a great place to start and end off your UEFA tour as Saint-Denis<\/a> (a suburb in the Northern Paris precinct) is hosting the opening match, a quarter final and the final. The semi-finals will be held in Lyon and Marseille and the quarter finals in Lille, Marseille, Saint-Denis and Bordeaux.<\/p>\n

Header image of Stade de France courtesy of davy_van_damme via Instagram<\/span><\/p>\n

Check ticket availability here<\/a>.<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n

Bordeaux<\/h2>\n

\"bordeaux<\/p>\n

Courtesy of atalby via Instagram<\/span><\/p>\n

Known for its friendly people, surrounding wine region and beautiful promenade<\/em><\/p>\n

Little known fact: You can surf down La Garonne river at certain times in the year.<\/p>\n

Just a short TGV trip<\/a> from Paris, consider combining a few days in the magical capital with a visit to this fabulous wine region.<\/p>\n

\"bordeaux<\/p>\n

Nice<\/h2>\n

\"Nice,<\/p>\n

Courtesy of beautiful destinations via Instagram<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Sunshine, charming coastal villas and chic sunbathers, you’ve made it to the French Riviera.<\/em><\/p>\n

Nice is pronounced “niece”, and the people of Nice are Ni\u00e7oise<\/em>, like the famous salad.<\/p>\n

Getting there: find inexpensive flights to Nice here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Marseille<\/h2>\n

\"Marseille\"<\/p>\n

Courtesy of matt_b_82 via Instagram<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Known as the Paris of the South this mighty harbour city is packed with interesting history and character<\/em><\/p>\n

Little known fact: Marseille was founded 2600 years ago and is the oldest city in France.<\/p>\n

Things to do: be sure to visit the picturesque old port.<\/p>\n

Getting there: find inexpensive flights to Marseille\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Paris & Saint-Denis<\/h2>\n

\"paris\"<\/p>\n

Need we say more? The City of Lights and love is packed with museums, caf\u00e9s, art, food, wine, hidden gardens and tangos by the Seine.<\/em><\/p>\n

Saint-Denis is a northern suburb in the Paris precinct. It is a working class neighbourhood with interesting gems to discover particularly the famed Basilica St Denis. It is cheaper to stay in this area than in central Paris however for a more romantic experience central Paris, Le Marais and the area around Canal St Martin are good options. Transport to the stadium from central Paris is quick, inexpensive and easy on the metro.<\/p>\n

Little known fact:\u00a0it’s worth your while to visit the Tour Montparnasse rather than join the queues for the Eiffel Tower. You can sip a cocktail while getting the best view of all from the 689-foot skyscraper. 33 Avenue du Maine, 75015 Paris
\nM\u00e9tro stop<\/strong>: Montparnasse\u2013Bienven\u00fce (line: 4, 6, 12 and 13)<\/p>\n

Eat your way through Paris like Lori- read:<\/p>\n