Charlton at 12:30. West Ham at 15:00. Old Trafford the next day. €726 from Sofia, 4 days, 3 matches.
Just got back from England. Wrote up the full breakdown because most "how to do a Premier League trip" content I've seen is either packaged tours at €1,500+ or vague "go to Wetherspoons" advice.
The damage:
- Ryanair Sofia ↔ London: €106
- Flixbus London → Manchester: €20
- Hostels (Kensington + Manchester, 3 nights): €90
- Charlton vs Hull (Championship): €38
- West Ham vs Everton (Premier League): €41
- Man United vs Brentford (Premier League): €80
- Food/transport/misc: €350
- Total: ~€726
Two things that surprised me:
1. The Championship ticket cost €38. The Premier League ticket cost €41. Three euros apart. The real price gap isn't between leagues — it's between Big Six clubs and everyone else.
2. Both London matches were on the same day. Left The Valley with 20 minutes still on the clock (Charlton 1-0 up after a worldie of a goal), sprinted from Stratford through the Olympic Park, made it to the London Stadium just as the players lined up. West Ham scored a late winner. 60,000 losing it. Worth every second of running.
If you can stomach leaving one match 15-20 minutes early, London doubleheaders are absurdly good value. Two matches for less than one Big Six ticket.
The Manchester United trick — for anyone who's been quoted €300+ on Viagogo:
I bought Official Members on manutd.com for under £30. Once you're a member, tickets for non-marquee matches (Brentford, Bournemouth, Brighton, Wolves, etc.) are on the official site at face value. Picked my seat, paid €80, ticket on my phone. Works for non-Big Six fixtures only — Liverpool/City/Arsenal/Chelsea matches still go to higher-tier members first.
Honest caveat: I've done this once. It worked. Mileage may vary, clubs change rules, etc.
What 3 trips to England has taught me:
- Book 4-6 weeks out, everything is cheaper
- Tuesday-Friday > Friday-Monday for flights and hostels
- Don't fly internally in the UK — Flixbus or train, always
- Don't book "near the stadium," book central
- Eat outside the stadium — beer is €8 inside, €4 at the pub down the road
The €500 version of this trip (for anyone curious): stay in London only, skip the Big Six match, do a Saturday doubleheader + one more affordable PL fixture. ~€500 all in, three matches, three days.
Happy to answer questions on routes, hostels, the United membership thing, doubleheader planning, whatever.