If we end up in Bosnia, I might well head down to Mostar on either Sunday or Monday for a day trip. I might even head to Mostar on Sunday afternoon, stay there Sunday night and head back up on Monday evening.

This is all hugely hypothetical of course: I'd put it at a 30% chance we end up in Bosnia.

Need to look at accommodation, had a very quick goo earlier and all free cancellation ran out 25th March coincidentally. 

Great trip last time here, can't see as many going or the craic being as good due to all the factors. 

I presume Sarajevo is the place to be looking to stay and not Zenica?

Yeah  noticed that, managed to find one in Sarajevo with the 27th.

Just wasnt sure if most would base in Sarajevo and travel up and back 

I've booked with free cancellation available until the day after the Slovakia match.

It's definitely a handier spot to get to if you are coming in from Budapest or Zagreb, too.

There's a bus every morning at 09:00 from Zagreb that goes to Zenica and it's only €20. It does take about 5h45m but it is an option.

Nothing at night back to Sarajevo is there ? Or best off arranging buses etc

There's a 01:15 that gets in at 02:45, according to these lads:

https://www.biss-tours.ba/sarajevo-pula/" rel="nofollow - https://www.biss-tours.ba/sarajevo-pula/

Where do you see this bus out of curiosity? Looked on Flixbus and they've nothing until 1st April apparently.

https://www.biss-tours.ba/vares-zagreb/" rel="nofollow - https://www.biss-tours.ba/vares-zagreb/

To be clear, that bus does not go into Sarajevo but it does go via Zenica.

The quake hit 34km (21 miles) north-west of the capital, Tirana, in the early hours of Tuesday.

6.4.1

But how many were pick POCKETED in the last week? 

Yep definitely surprising at this stage, but finishing 4th in that group was a shocking result for them.

Still expect them to beat NI having beaten them home and away in Nations League.

 I expect them to beat NI as well. They score plenty of goals at home.

 

Fixed it

I think most people will be looking to get out of there fairly sharpish after the match.

 

Because it's a sh*t hole.

Except it isn't

Unless they bus us all from Dublin and straight back. 

I'd imagine the PSNI will want to arrange something like that i.e. all fan buses meet at Dundalk and get escorted from there. Will be trickier for people coming from the North. 

My brother lives about a 15 minute walk away, ffs. If I have to be bussed back to Dublin, it'll be a right pain in the hole.

Though, of course, I would happily take it, in exchange for qualification.

I know, and they make it seem like ages away.

We travel from Belfast to Dublin and back for every home game, it's really not that hard.

It is hard if your only mode of transportation is a wheel barrow

Wrong.

No one is complaining that it is difficult to get to. What is annoying is if they impose severe restrictions on travel; it is nonsense if people have to drive from Belfast to Dundalk to get a bus back to Belfast, or if people have to be bussed back to Dublin the same night, arriving back in Dublin after midnight. What about fans who live in Cork, Kerry, Donegal and the like? There could well be restrictions which cause more inconvenience than they remove. No one wants to see needless, annoying restrictions.

I've travelled home north from Dublin on the same night plenty of times with my folks and it's fine but if that sort of late night travel can be avoded, especially if it is relatively needless for a lot of people, that would be great.

If they have to do it, Sprucefield would probably be the best, as a medium, with buses to & from Dublin for those who want them.

I would say the chances of them imposing these kinds of restrictions this time around is about 20%.

If you couple that with about a 10% likelihood both NI and ROI win their respective semi finals, that's about a 2% chance of this happening.

 

because it is full of frankies

I don't think they use that term outside of south Down

At the moment yes. Could all change depending on general election result and no-deal Brexit. Bartering system from then on...three chickens for a hotel room and half a bushel of wheat for a pint. 

Expensive kip

Mortar is a very nice spot. Stay dead centre if you can. I stayed in the Almira a few years ago. Expensive by local standards but only 100m from the bridge. Sit on the right hand side of the train (facing forward) as your leaving Saraejvo for the best views.

Nice city? Awkward to get to or from Sarajevo?

Trying to keep costs down as this match may not even take place.

We drove from Tuzla too. Got pulled over by the cops along with another hire car of Irish lads and then got a police escort into Sarajevo. 3hr drive including the odd stop. Bus will take 3 hours too.

I've been thinking I'll probably go to Tuzla on the Saturday if we have to go to Bosnia. Town looks grand, few nice looking restaurants and brewpubs there.  Apartments are dirt cheap there too. You've the option of going to Duboj and getting the train from there into Sarajevo but the times aren't great. Either arriving early morning or arriving late evening.

The Northern Ireland game is in Zenica and although I haven't seen a confirmed final venue I'm assuming Zenica.  Tuzla to Zenica is 2.5 hours and no need to go to Sarajevo.  

Having said the above if we are playing there I'm actually flying to Sarajevo on the Wizzair flight from Budapest.  

Missed the walking tour in Sarajevo last time round, hopefully  get it in this time round. On that Budapest to Sarajevo too so it's an early flight so plenty time this time round.

You going to flip that pound coin of yours and choose whether you're going to Slovakia or Bosnia for the semi final? 

How the fook do UEFA expect fans to get to these games at no notice?  What about tickets? 

Now if we lose or get the North you two are big winners , on the other hand if we get Bosnia you will be very lucky to get flights on the cheap .

Like SD took the hit for around €200, that I think was worth it even thou you will not need some of the flights .

Vouchers  to be cashed in in host city for actual tickets.

To be fair our draw wasn't the worst,  your flight home from Slovakia doubles up as your flight for belfast too and albeit a ***t if a journey Sarajevo is reachable from Bratislava by road. Replace the north with a team like Iceland and the logistics and cost increase significantly.

We took the gamble and booked Zadar at €90. Will be a 4 hour drive to Zeneca each way, but couldn't risk waiting until Thursday 26th.

It wasn't a €200 hit for the Bosnia flights. I've paid €200 total for all my flights, give or take.

Dublin Prague Wednesday €40

Budapest Dublin Sunday €74

Budapest Sarajevo Sunday  €20

Sarajevo Budapest Wednesday €20

Budapest Dublin Wednesday €52

That's €206 but the maximum amount "wasted" is going to be about €92, in the event we come back directly from Budapest on Sunday, whether that's because we have to come to Belfast or because we lose. Even if we lose, I might head down to Bosnia anyway if I've no work on from the Monday to Wednesday.

I'd rather have it sorted and not need it. If I was still looking to sort it, I'd book a Wednesday evening flight back from Budapest and just drive down. It's about 7 hours but if there are a few, it can be split. Then all you need is car hire from Budapest which is likely going to be cheaper than flying down.

Dublin Bratislava Tuesday €25

Vienna Dublin Saturday €40

Budapest Sarajevo Sunday  €45

Sarajevo Budapest Wednesday €17

Budapest Dublin Wednesday €50

Similar routes booked to those above booked the Dublin to Bratislava flight before the Denmark game and booked the Sarajevo to Budapest flight before the draw. Got lucky to an extent. 

Shannon - Stanstead - Vienna going out .

Back Vienna - Bristol - Knock

Or Dubrovnik - Gatwick - Knock all flights came in at a grant total of €201

 

Most expensive was Dub - Gat - KNO but if you have to book that 5 days before the game you would be looing at twice that price at a guess .

Now still have to pay for a room in Stanstead for the night and a couple of buses to Bosnia and to Dubrovnik but on the whole very happy with that .

No.flies on you Murph, well unless you stay in a dodgy hotel or was that ants  

I was sat at a table in Georgia when NR asked the waitress to send over two beers to a former member of crisc . Now if you think that was unbelievable NR got and then paid for dinner for myself and Muff and walked off into the sunset .

Myself and Muff just sat there for about 10 minutes without saying anything a bit like when Fr Ted kicked bishop Brennan up the ass

In NR's defence, he bought me a beer in Copenhagen.

When I say bought, he actually got it for somebody else who had already left and saw me walking by and offered it to me. But I was grateful all the same!

I didnt know weather to frame or drink the beer in Tblisi 😁

 

Borussia wrote: Baldrick wrote: I see he saved his generosity for the Georgia trip.  No chance in Copenhagen :)   In NR's defence, he bought me a beer in Copenhagen. When I say bought, he actually got it for somebody else who had already left and saw me walking by and offered it to me. But I was grateful all the same!

 

Safe to say that's 1 ticket scrum I'm definitely staying out of (if that game does even happen). 

Any word yet on what the Slovaks are doing re the away tickets allocation btw? 

Just on the geo blocking, are companies (say a Slovak ticket selling site) not within their rights to determine as part of their business model that they only sell to their own national addresses acros the board regardless the event.

Thanks Sham.

Slovakia did sell to people with Welsh addresses in October.  However they would be entitled to refuse due to segregation issues.  

Northern Ireland tickets are unlikely to make a public sale.  Approx 17,500 home tickets, 14,000 Campaign Card holders, IFA staff and sponsors,  They have a members scheme and Linfield members also get offered tickets.  Only corporate tickets for the Dutch game made public sale IIRC.  They are of course right to look after their own fans.

Bosnia   - cannot recall any home end tickets being available last time.  No issue over there with away end last time so hard to know.  I suspect given the short turnaround and unless there is a day trip then we wouldn't have too many there.  Like some I've already booked but awkward and expensive to do so now and even more so on March 27th.