Attending NFL Europe Games
Ravens fan here. We attended the Ravens-Titans game in 2023. What we learned from attending NFL Europe games:
1. Register on the NFL Europe website often. Have various family members register on the NFL Europe site, using different email addresses. Note that each team’s season ticket holders get first dibs on tickets before they go on sale to the general public. DO NOT pay ticket brokers for tickets, they are massively overpriced and not worth it. You can always get a ticket cheaper, right up to game day. Our tickets went on sale in mid-June.
2. Everyone will be tossed into a queue randomly the day tickets go on sale. Have all family & friends report their place in the queue, and go with whomever gets in first. Important note: The ticket site is hosted by NFL Europe. They will show you the start time for purchasing in Greenwich Mean Time. Make sure you convert that time to your time zone. For us it was 7 am EDT. Once you get online and into the queue, DO NOT LEAVE. This is an easy way to get bumped. I had my daughter watch my place in the queue while I was at work, and had her buy the tickets.
3. Speaking of the queue, do not blow a gasket when you see your spot is #229,767 in the queue:
a. All NFL Europe games go on sale all at once;
b. Like you, everyone registered with 5-10 different email address and family member name combinations;
c. That number literally was our spot in the queue, and we cleared the queue in 90 minutes and got tickets.
d. Be ready to make an instantaneous decision – Don’t mess around trying to get a better seat. They go fast. We ended up getting 4 seats, not together, but in the same section.
e. If you miss out, don’t worry because plenty of fans sell them back as the Summer progresses.
4. Book air travel as soon as you know you have tickets. When you fly into London (recommend Heathrow), take the Underground right into Central London. The station is right at the Airport outside baggage claim. It’s a 45 -60 minute trip into Central London. When returning to the airport, make certain that you are getting on the line that goes to Heathrow. There is also a Heathrow Express train, but it’s only 15-20 minutes faster and costs a lot more than the Underground. Buy an Underground pass at a kiosk in the airport outside baggage claim.
5. The hotel situation in London is great, we had no issues getting a room. Recommend booking the hotel early, since you can always cancel if you don’t get tickets or change your mind.
6. Speaking of which, stay in Central London. Make a week out of it. The NFL and the teams usually have a week-long celebration around the city. Access to the stadium is easy via the Underground.
7. Usually the local soccer clubs are on break the week of NFL Europe games, and those tickets are a tough get anyway. But if you have a favorite club, schedule a tour of their stadium. It’s worth it.
8. Speaking of Stadiums, Hotspur Stadium is one of the newest and is massive. It is all enclosed around the seating areas. But the roof is open, and most seats are covered. Do not worry about the weather on game day. Sweat pants and a sweatshirt/game jersey was more than adequate. Getting to and from the Underground, however, you will be exposed to the elements. Do not bring an umbrella, wear a rain jacket if rain is in the forecast.
9. You will see jerseys of all 32 NFL teams represented at the game. Over a third of the fans are from the UK or Europe. They are just there to see “proper football”, as the person sitting next to me said. The fans get into the game, and have a really good time. The people surrounding us bought us beers and sang much of the game. It’s a ton of fun.
10. On game day, take the Tube to Hotspur Stadium. It’s about a 10 block (.75 mile) walk to/from the stadium. You can ride a bus to the stadium from the Underground, but do not expect it on the way back. The atmosphere surrounding the stadium is amazing. The stadium is surrounded by activities, including a lot of people who don’t have tickets, but are there for the spectacle. Eat a good brunch/lunch before going. Do not expect to be able to get seated at a restaurant near the stadium. The stadium food is just OK. There were lots of choices on the first level, but the upper levels were very limited in selection.
11. Upon conclusion of the game, it will be a massive river of people heading for the tube. I do not recommend taking the Overground train to leave, the queue can be quite long. Instead, just follow the flow of people to the regular underground stop 10-11 blocks south of the stadium. Don’t worry, the long line goes surprisingly fast. And the fans are still having a good time.
12. Feel free to ping me if you have questions!