Hopeful Liverpool fans already booking flights to Moscow

Apr 10 2008 by Laura Sharpe, Liverpool Daily Post

LIVERPOOL FC’s famous Champions League victory over Arsenal on Tuesday night has hopeful fans already dreaming of reaching the final in Moscow.

But if the club do manage to overcome Chelsea in the semi-final, fans travelling to Russia for the May 21 final are certain to be considerably out of pocket.

The cost of flights to Moscow that week are already more than £500 in places, with operators predicting them to possibly triple in price once the Final line-up is confirmed on April 30.

Fans may also struggle to find cheap accommodation in the city recently named as the most expensive in the world. Fans should also be aware that no-one can enter the Russian Federation without a visa.

This visa takes eight-10 working days, costs £45 and must include an official tourism document supplied by a travel agent or hotel, indicating where the fans will be staying.

A member of the Russian Consulate in London said they had already received a deluge of enquiries from Liverpool fans.

She said: “It’s been very busy, but fans need to allow time to get their visa back and must include all the paperwork and a passport photograph.”

Liverpool still have to beat Chelsea over two legs, which could lead to an all-English final against Manchester United, and no doubt a major security headache for Uefa.

A quick browse of the main internet hotel sites showed a number of the centrally located hotels in Moscow were already completely booked out for the night of the May 21.

Current prices for two and three star hotels average between £100-£190 for a three night stay.

But as fans wait with baited breath to see if Liverpool can get to another European Cup Final, some have already booked their flights.

A number of fans on the Red and White Kop forum last night said they had snapped up cheap flights and were prepared to lose the money if Chelsea go through.

Without tempting fate, fans can expect to pay £21.12 for a three-course dinner, £1.69 for a coffee and up to £4 for a pint of Western beer.

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