Manchester City and Inter will take the field for the 2022/2023 Champions League final on Saturday 10 June at the Ataturk stadium in Istanbul. Almost 80,000 fans of the two teams are expected in Turkey, not counting those who will remain outside the stadium. If you're in Turkey for the final, you'll find useful financial information for your stay in Istanbul here: from how to get tickets to hotel and flight prices.
Champions League Final 2023 tickets: where to find them and how much do they cost?
Most tickets cost €690 each, and both clubs were able to distribute almost 20,000 tickets each to their supporters (subscribers, official fan club members, sponsors, staff or former players). The window for requesting a free access code for purchase is already closed in both cases. The deadline of 28 April to apply for tickets via the UEFA website has also passed. The same organization has advised fans not to buy tickets from other sources, warning that they will not be valid. However, it is possible to order single, double, triple or quadruple ticket packages for the final.
Champions League Final 2023: from the cost of planes and that of hotels and fuel
As far as flights are concerned, the best option would be to leave for Istanbul on Friday and return home on Sunday. This is the best combination to have time to explore the city before the match and then to recover after the final. Tickets for direct flights from Milan to Istanbul are already sold out. However, connecting flights remain, but you can also try other flights with airports near Milan and Istanbul. In both cases, one person will pay around 1000 euros for return tickets. Interestingly, if you decide to fly from Milan to Istanbul and back just under a week later, the tickets cost almost 500 euros less.
Moving on to the accommodation chapter, an apartment for two people for the weekend of 9-11 June in Istanbul can be booked starting from 100 euros. In a luxury hotel you can also find offers with prices above 1,000 euros. There is hardly a shortage of accommodation, the choice may come down to price, proximity to the stadium or the free cancellation option. The cost of living in Turkey has drastically decreased in recent years due to the high inflation that has hit the country. For example, a liter of petrol costs just over 1 euro, while a 10-kilometre taxi ride costs 4/5 euros.
Accommodation around the stadium is expected to be both the most expensive and the busiest. On the day of the final it's not worth trying to reach Ataturk by car or taxi, unless you have plenty of time on your hands. Before kick-off, traffic jams could be so severe that the first half of the match may be missed. A better way to reach the stadium would be by public transport: metro, bus and tram. The tourist information specifies that it can take around 1.5 hours to get there from the Sultanahmet district and an hour and 20 minutes from the Taksim district.
To pay in Turkey: "One euro can currently be exchanged for just over 20 lira, the prevailing currency in Turkey. However, the population is so open to tourists that they usually also accept payments in US dollars or euros and, in areas popular with the British, even in British pounds. You don't need to exchange your currency for the local currency", said Robert Blaszczyk, Head of Strategic Clients Department at Conotoxia.
The final cost: how much it costs to see the Champions League final
In summary, if two people manage to get tickets for the match, they will spend 2,000 euros. The budget for a return flight without connecting flights should always be around 2,000 euros. For a two-night stay at a decent level, 200/250 euros will be enough. Meals, souvenirs, drinks, subway rides, taxis, sightseeing - of course there's a lot to lose, but 300 euros is supposed to allow for all of that. In conclusion, attending the 2023 Champions League final should cost just under 4,700 euros.
