Man Utd and Spurs fans face Europa League final nightmare as staggering full cost of trip revealed

With a pair of Premier League rivals looking in fantastic shape to reach the Europa League final, travel from England to Bilbao on May 21st is likely to be as busy as it is expensive.

Manchester United won 3-0 against ten-man Athletic Club at San Mames on Thursday and need only to hold their nerve to give themselves a great chance to win the Europa League in Ruben Amorim's first season.

Tottenham Hotspur played their semi-final first leg at home, beating Norway's Bodo/Glimt 3-1 in a comfortable outing marred just slightly by the concession of a late goal.

United's probable return to Bilbao for an all-English final will be a much more fan-friendly affair than shipping half of London's football supporters to Baku in 2019, when Chelsea beat Arsenal in the final of the Europa League, but it isn't going to be cheap for anybody.

Final tickets for fans of the two clubs with the appropriate eligibility will be available for as little as €40 (around £34) but the other tickets range from €65 (£55) to €240 (£205) according to UEFA's ticketing information.

Individual tickets already available in neutral areas of San Mames via resale ticket sites are going for anywhere between £1,200 and around £5,000 excluding the insane prices quoted for various VIP and corporate offerings.

Spending the night in the city will cost more than a few quid too.

"Both clubs have one foot in the final and supporters are researching their trips to Bilbao for the showpiece," reports The Sun.

"But with less than three weeks to the game, the prices of hotels and flights have rocketed.

Ange Postecoglou (Image: Getty)

"Many places to stay in the city centre have been booked up already and very few remain under £1,000 per night."

Even getting to Bilbao will be a costly exercise, according to The Sun: "All direct flights to Bilbao from London and Manchester across the entire week have sold out. The cheapest option to go the day before the game and leave the day after now involves a stop in Milan – though that will still break the bank at around £350."

While there are longer, less expensive, less convenient and very much less direct routes that involve several cheaper flights, the sheer cost of being in and staying in Bilbao makes it a hefty bill for the final.

Fortunately for fans heading to the Basque Country from England, the relative cost of eating, drinking and getting around while they're there might take the edge off a little.