Plans for France Euro 16

I know it's not a done deal and anything can happen in football but it would take one almighty F**k up now for us not to cement a place at next summers tournament. I've been trying to weigh up the easiest and cheapest ways to travel and find accommodation.

Has anyone else started planning for this trip, if so what are you looking to do ?

Booked one hotel, almost booking another 2. Aiming for one in the north, one mid (so near Lyon and Saint Etienne), and one in the south. They are free cancellation, so we can adapt it based on where Wales will be playing

I will not be booking anything until the day after the draw. I earn good money, I can pay whatever (sorry to sound a c**t). If the prices are inhumane, take a tent and pitch up somewhere.

What are people doing in regards to work though? Are you booking the whole tournament off work or coming over and going back to work between games?

Found this on UEFA site for info folks :

18.00CET, 12 December 2015, Paris

The 24 teams will be drawn into six groups of four teams each. The finals will start on Friday 10 June 2016, with the showpiece taking place at Stade de France on Sunday 10 July.

Draw procedure
There will be four pots:
Pot 1: five teams to include Spain, as the reigning European champions, if they qualify
Pots 2, 3 and 4: six teams

France are not included in the pots as they are automatically assigned as team A1.

The teams will be drawn into six groups of four teams each (Groups A to F), with the top two in each plus the four best third-placed sides to advance to the knockout phase. The group stage runs from 10–22 June 2016.

• Knockout system
Round of 16 (all times CET)
Match 1: Runner-up Group A v Runner-up C (15.00, 25 June, St-Etienne)
Match 2: Winner D v Third-place B/E/F (21.00, 25 June, Lens)
Match 3: Winner B v Third-place A/C/D (18.00, 25 June, Paris)
Match 4: Winner F v Runner-up E (21.00, 26 June, Toulouse)
Match 5: Winner C v Third-place A/B/F (18.00, 26 June, Lille)
Match 6: Winner E v Runner-up D (18.00, 27 June, St-Denis)
Match 7: Winner A v Third-place C/D/E (15.00, 26 June, Lyon)
Match 8: Runner-up B v Runner-up F (21.00, 27 June, Nice)

• For which third place team will play in each tie, see Article 17.03 of the Official Regulations

Quarter-finals
1: Winner Match 1 v Winner Match 2 (21.00, 30 June, Marseille)
2: Winner Match 3 v Winner Match 4 (21.00, 1 July, Lille)
3: Winner Match 5 v Winner Match 6 (21.00, 2 July, Bordeaux)
4: Winner Match 7 v Winner Match 8 (21.00, 3 July, St-Denis)

Semi-finals
1: Winner QF1 v Winner QF2 (21.00, 6 July, Lyon)
2: Winner QF3 v Winner QF4 (21.00, 7 July, Marseille)

Final
Winner SF1 v Winner SF2 (21.00, 10 July, St-Denis)

Basically whoever finishes 3rd may have to wait until the last day to find out a)whether they're through or not; b)where they'll be playing; c) when they'll be playing. It will be a nightmare for fans trying to book places

I will not be booking anything until the day after the draw. I earn good money, I can pay whatever (sorry to sound a c**t). If the prices are inhumane, take a tent and pitch up somewhere.

What are people doing in regards to work though? Are you booking the whole tournament off work or coming over and going back to work between games?

The take a tent option is something I'm definitely considering. It's just the travelling which is a pain, could always kill two birds with one stone and hire a motorhome, could be quite costly though. Ideally I'd like to book the whole tournament, I'm treating this as a once in a lifetime opportunity, never in a million years did I think I'd get to see my country play in a major competition.

Already booked our hotel in Montpellier - got tickets on consecutive days for four games all in the south. Will be booking Easyjet flight from Bristol to Nice and car hire there. Keeping fingers crossed one of our games features Wales. In any event seeing 4 internationals in the south of France in the middle of June and staying at top hotel. Happy days!

Will the people going with tents be driving. Or getting trains?.

I dont mind driving there. But is it realistic going to the south?

I have booked a camper van for 5 lads for 9 days ferry booked from pompey, about 320 a man. Can be done cheaper if you want the chaos of the euro tunnel, personally prefer a chill and beer on ferry. If Wales screw it up we're going anyway

I will not be booking anything until the day after the draw. I earn good money, I can pay whatever (sorry to sound a c**t). If the prices are inhumane, take a tent and pitch up somewhere.

What are people doing in regards to work though? Are you booking the whole tournament off work or coming over and going back to work between games?

The take a tent option is something I'm definitely considering. It's just the travelling which is a pain, could always kill two birds with one stone and hire a motorhome, could be quite costly though. Ideally I'd like to book the whole tournament, I'm treating this as a once in a lifetime opportunity, never in a million years did I think I'd get to see my country play in a major competition.

The tent idea is something I am going to do. Not sure whether I should take the train, bring my car, or just hire a car though. It will be tough deciding anything until the draw has been done. There should be some good "fan parks" set up for the tournament, which I will be aiming to do. If my mates drop out, I am still going. Once in a lifetime chance.

Will the people going with tents be driving. Or getting trains?.

I dont mind driving there. But is it realistic going to the south?

The bonus of driving is you can stop off and pitch up as you please, if we're at one end of the country and we need to get to the other end then instead of having one very long drive you can split it up by camping. Where as with trains your a little bit restricted with departure times etc.

I have booked a camper van for 5 lads for 9 days ferry booked from pompey, about 320 a man. Can be done cheaper if you want the chaos of the euro tunnel, personally prefer a chill and beer on ferry. If Wales screw it up we're going anyway

Where did you book this too? Something a few of us maybe doing

Will the people going with tents be driving. Or getting trains?.

I dont mind driving there. But is it realistic going to the south?

Its roughly 1500miles to Marseille ect by rd if use motorway mustn't forget toll's can be expensive! Can always take cenic routes!

I am going to make base camp in Amsterdam and travel from there as the trains and planes from Holland will be empty. On a serious note though, I have noticed that a lot of England fans are basing themselves within a city, and travelling between. I hope we get a nice set of games, and not forced up and down France, from north to south.

Not planning anything until the draw for group stage has been done but the logistics are shite for most groups . Any group with a Paris game prob be best , hoping that there will be organised trips running from South Wales with transport and hotels included ( Edwards or Strachan or Robert Davies ) ? Don't know whether to base ourselves in 1 City or travel to all 3 games and stay locally .

Doing a VW campervan t2 restoration project especially for it and sell it once I return. Hope make a profit on it then after all my outgoings

Packing light I got a vespa and a flagon of scrumpy

Campervan. Jack Daniels, diet coke. Sorted.

Will be waiting until dec13th when the fixtures are known . Have done some analysis on fixture permutations and there are so many variables at mo its too uncertain for me to book anything personally . Looked at potential driving distances between venues - some crazy ones . If you are team c3 and you plan on driving there , with group games in nice, Paris and Marseille you will have to drive about 3000 miles . That is the worst . Around 840miles is the best , however that is team c1 , and due to the seeding criteria for the finals it's highly likely Wales will be 3 or 4 in whatever group they are drawn in . On the plus side that gives you a bit more certainty over the venue for the first game , although you are still left with 5 potential city's . The fact that every team will play their 3 group games in 3 different venues makes this incredibly hard to plan in advance of draw being made . Highly recommend reading the official UEFA France rule book which gives you info on team seeding for the finals and then read in conjunction with the fixture schedule . All very helpful . Personally hope we get seeded as team with a couple of fixtures booked in South . Fancy Toulouse and Boudeaux

Doing a VW campervan t2 restoration project especially for it and sell it once I return. Hope make a profit on it then after all my outgoings

Have you been to any games, home and away?

This campaign or others previously you mean ?

think thats a no then

If we've got games in Lille it would be amazing.

A vespa would definitely be enough for transport!.

If we've got games in Lille it would be amazing.

A vespa would definitely be enough for transport!.

Let me know which ones yours so I can cut the brakes.

If we've got games in Lille it would be amazing.

A vespa would definitely be enough for transport!.

Let me know which ones yours so I can cut the brakes.

Any groups of Bluebirda going? It would probably help us all if we were all nearby. Big groups from other nations will be going over, so you never know.

think thats a no then

No not at all, Belgium and Israel home during this campaign and my first away game was Denmark in '98 which was Bellamys debut and he scored the winner in a 1-0 win.

What about you Paul ?

think thats a no then

No not at all, Belgium and Israel home during this campaign and my first away game was Denmark in '98 which was Bellamys debut and he scored the winner in a 1-0 win.

What about you Paul ?

ive been to every game home and away and every training session and every news conference and ive read every signal tweet from the welsh FA cos im a better and bigger wales fan than you!

Its worth looking at the eufa website, on there it shows the group set up and what that will show you is that the matches are all over the place with some team settings involving matches from lille in the north to nice in the south 600 miles apart. I have already taken a chance and booked a cottage for 6 people (with private pool) in the dordogne in central france that way. I will be using the portsmouth to la harve ferry route to avoid all of this crap at calais.

I'm not going. Too old now. Go to the home games, though