YBIG 12
Ireland v Sweden: Monday 13 June, Stade de France, Paris
Paris. Always great craic, even better in June. June 13th to be exact. Here’s what
you need to know about Ireland’s first match against Sweden and how to get there.
At a glance
Eiffel Tower, The Louvre, Arc de Triomphe… there isn’t enough room here to detail
all the sights and attractions that make Paris one of the most visited cities in the
world. Usually a city for lovers, on Monday June 13th it will turn into a sea of green
(ok, and maybe a bit of yellow).
Getting there
Irish Ferries sail from Rosslare to Cherbourg and Roscoff twice a week and from
Dublin to Cherbourg once a week.
Stena Line also sails from Rosslare to Cherbourg three times a week.
Brittany Ferries sail once a week from Cork to Roscoff.
From Cherbourg to Paris it’s a 356km drive via A13 and N13. It should take around
three hours and 46 minutes.
From Roscoff to Paris it’s a 561km drive via N13 and A11. It should take around
five hours and 46 minutes.
Hiring a car?
Baffling rates, confusing fuel and insurance policies and costly penalties: hiring a
car in Europe isn’t always straightforward. So if you’ve decided to fly to France and
hire a car, here’s a useful guide to hiring a car in Europe, from Liberty Insurance.
Getting around
The 81,000-seater Stade de France is in the rather unglamorous northern suburb
of Saint-Denis but getting to it from the city centre is easy. As parking is limited, it’s
best to use public transport to get to the stadium. The suburban rail network in
Paris (known as the RER) has two lines serving the Stade de France – Saint-
Denis station: RER B and RER D, and is the quickest way to get to the grounds.
Both lines depart from the Gare du Nord (5 minutes journey time), Châtelet-Les
Halles (10 minutes) and Gare de Lyon (15 minutes) in the city centre, and run
regularly before and after matches.
The Saint-Denis branch of Line 13 on the Paris Metro also serves the Saint-Denis-
Porte de Paris station close to the stadium and runs to Gare Saint-Lazare (15
minutes), Invalides (20 minutes) and Gare Montparnasse (25 minutes). You can
see a map of both the RER and Metro network here.
Note: When the stadium is busy, you may have to queue for up to an hour to get a
train back into the city centre. Your best bet is to make a run for it as soon as the
match ends or hang back a while and enjoy a drink while you wait for the crowds
to die down.
More public transport information here.
Eating and drinking
Saint-Denis isn’t the most exciting part of Paris, so it is probably best to eat in the
city centre before and after the game. Paris is full of bars, restaurants and street
vendors and food is relatively cheap in comparison to alcohol. The area around
Châtelet-les- Halles station has plenty of options.
Drinks don’t come cheap in Paris but here are a few suggestions to budget for.
Kitty O’Sheas, near Métro station Opéra is centrally located and has a good
atmosphere on match weekends. As does the Eden Park Pub on Rue Princesse,
which is within walking distance of Mabillon, St Sulpice and St Germain des pres
Métro stations.
Where to stay
Paris provides every kind of accommodation you could imagine, from Airbnb and
hostels to luxury hotels. If you want to stay near to the stadium here are some
options:
• The Ibis
â–ª The Novotel (right opposite the stadium)
â–ª The Adagio Access Saint-Denis Playel
Check Kuoni, the official accommodation agency for the tournament.
Fun fact to impress the lads with
Because the traffic system in Paris is mainly based on giving way to those coming
from the right, there is only one stop sign in the whole of Paris; in the wealthy 16th
arrondissement.
Car Insurance
If you’re taking your own car, before you go check with your insurance provider to
make sure you have the minimum cover you need to drive in France.
At Liberty Insurance, all their motor policies give you the minimum cover you need
by law to use your car in any EU country, including France, for up to 93 days.Get
a car insurance quote in minutes. And if you missed it, check out their
comprehensive guide to driving to the Euros here, covering everything you need to
know about driving in France.
Ready for the next match?
Ireland v Sweden, Monday, June 13, Stade de France, Paris
Ireland v Belgium, Saturday, June 18, Stade de Bordeaux, Bordeaux
Ireland v Italy, Wednesday, June 22, Stade Pierre Mauroy, Lille
