While Irish football fans may be dismayed to have been drawn in one of the toughest groups in Euro 2012, their credit union managers will almost certainly have heaved a sigh of relief.
The Republic of Ireland's opening three matches are to take place in the Polish cities of Poznan and Gdansk which will be considerably easier and cheaper for fans to get to, particularly if they take the DIY options which will be available to them.
Ireland is very well served by flights to Poland, with Ryanair offering flights from Dublin to nine Polish cities including both Poznan, where the Republic will play its first game on June 10th, and Gdansk.
Before the draw was made, return journeys to Poznan, where the Irish will be based for two games on June 10th and 18th cost €418.35 between Friday, June 8th and Friday, June 15th. Flights to Gdansk, where Ireland will play on June 14th cost €420.
In the immediate aftermath of the draw being made, as fans scrambled to get a seat, return fares jumped by nearly €90 to €508.35
Many fans are considering driving to the tournament, with the distance from the French port of Cherbourg to Poznan being 1039km.
Travel agents who specialise in major sporting events will not have any packages ready to sell until close to Christmas but they have indicated that the cost of a 10-day trip, covering flights, accommodation and match tickets, will be more at least €2,000.
Fans doing it themselves, can expect to pay anywhere from €40 to €120 for a hotel room depending on the number of stars it has. A considerably cheaper option is camping which will cost less than €10 a night with sites available near the two cities which will play host to the Irish fans.
A three-course meal for two people in a mid-range restaurant will cost around €20 while a McDonald's meal deal at any of the well known international fast food chains will be around €4. Half a litre of domestic beer on draught will cost around €1.30 while a cup of takeaway coffee is around €1.40
One advantage of going down the tour-operator route will be the guarantee of tickets. With Ireland facing two of Europe’s footballing superpowers as well as Croatia, the demand for tickets will be fierce when they go on sale.
The take up amongst people living in Poland was said to be very high when the tickets first went on sale earlier this year.
