Getting to Bergamo for the football

Fly straight into Milan Bergamo (Orio al Serio, BGY), the ground's own airport, about 5 km out with direct flights from Manchester and London, so there is no hub or long transfer. From the airport or the train station, ATB bus line 9 runs to the stadium. Away fans sit in the southwest corner behind the south goal, a certified 1,304 seats, entering via Gate 6 (Atalanta, Chelsea FC).

Fast facts

Getting there from the UK

This is the rare away day with no hub detour: Bergamo's own airport (Orio al Serio, BGY) takes direct low-cost flights from Manchester and London, so you land 5 km from the stadium (Flightconnections, Skyscanner). The only real alternative is a backup for when BGY sells out or prices up: fly into Milan Malpensa and coach across. Costs are estimates and swing hard with match dates and how early you book.

Trenord regional trains are the other backup, linking Milano Centrale to Bergamo directly in about 48 minutes, roughly hourly, for around €6 second class if you land at Linate or come in by rail (Trenord, Rome2Rio).

Getting into Bergamo: airport and station

Milan Bergamo Airport (Orio al Serio, BGY) sits about 5 km from the centre and is one of the main low-cost hubs for Milan, so most away fans fly in directly (Visit Bergamo).

From the airport, ATB Airport Bus Line 1 runs every 20 minutes Monday to Saturday and every 30 minutes on Sundays and holidays, stopping at Bergamo railway station and continuing towards the lower and upper city (Visit Bergamo). The single fare is about €2.60 with 90-minute validity, and the ride to the railway station takes roughly 15-20 minutes (Tourism Attractions). A taxi from the airport into town runs roughly €20-30 by comparison (Trippin and Sippin).

Bergamo's station also connects to Milan, Brescia and Lecco, and a bus terminal sits right next to it (Visit Bergamo).

Getting out to the ground

The club's official directions are to take ATB bus line 9, which links the railway station, the airport and the stadium entrance (Atalanta, Football Ground Guide). The ground is at Viale Giulio Cesare 18, about 3 km northeast of the centre, a 40-minute walk from the lower city (Football Ground Guide). On matchdays the roads around the stadium are closed, so bus or foot is the only practical way in (Atalanta).

For segregated European away games the arrangement is different and stricter. Visiting supporters gather at Piazzale degli Alpini, a square in the lower city next to the railway station, and a free shuttle runs from there straight to the away entrance from around 15:00 CET, with a return after the match. Using the shuttle is compulsory and independent walks to the ground are not permitted (Athletic Club). Away fans enter via Gate 6, and staff check tickets against passports or ID cards, so carry your passport (Athletic Club).

The city centre has limited traffic zones (ZTL), so driving and parking near the core is restricted. If you drive, park outside the ZTL and switch to transit (Visit Bergamo).

Getting around Bergamo

ATB runs the city bus network and two funiculars. A single ticket costs €2.60 with 90-minute validity and covers transfers between ATB buses and the funiculars (Tourism Attractions). To reach the walled upper city (Città Alta), take a bus to the lower funicular station and ride up (Visit Bergamo). Tickets come from machines, the ATB app, on board with cash, or from bars, tobacconists and newsagents (Megan Starr).

Inside the stadium and allocation

The New Balance Arena holds 23,439, compact and single-tiered, which keeps fans close to the pitch (Wikipedia, Chelsea FC). Away fans are in the southwest corner behind the south goal, a certified 1,304 seats, well away from the home ultras in the Curva Nord (Destination Calcio). Individual away tickets have mostly sold at about €30 in recent seasons (Football Ground Guide). Prohibited items in the away end include power banks, cameras, tablets, laptops, umbrellas, large backpacks, bottles and cans (Athletic Club).

Where visiting fans stay

Città Alta, the walled upper old town, is the atmospheric choice, with medieval streets and views over the plain. Staying near the funicular base gives easy access to both the upper and lower city (Trippin and Sippin). Città Bassa, the lower city, is handier for the train station, the shuttle meeting point and a shorter hop to the ground (Trippin and Sippin).

Where to drink

Beer is not dear: a small draught starts around €3.50, up to about €5 for a half-litre (Megan Starr).

• Wood Beer and Drinks, Piazza Pontida, lower city. Craft-focused and away-friendly, on a lively square (Football Ground Guide).
• The Tucan's, Via Gaetano Donizetti 25/A. A steady pre-match option in the lower city (Football Ground Guide).
• Ritual Pub, Via San Francesco d'Assisi. Straightforward pub, shows the games (Football Ground Guide).
• Birreria di Città Alta, Via Gombito, upper city. Seven taps and around 40 bottles, friendly staff, games on (Destination Calcio).
• Elav Kitchen & Beer, a well-regarded brewpub in Città Alta (Destination Calcio).
• Piazza Vecchia and Via Colleoni in the upper city are lined with wine bars and enotecas serving local Valcalepio wines (Destination Calcio).

Where to avoid: the Via Borgo Santa Caterina strip is Atalanta's home matchday territory, and for segregated European games Italian police specifically advise away fans to steer clear of Borgo Santa Caterina, Viale Giulio Cesare, Via dei Celestini and the bar Il Baretto, along with the Redona, Monterosso and Conca Fiorita districts. Dress neutrally and leave the colours for inside the ground (Athletic Club).

Where to eat

The signature dish is casoncelli alla bergamasca, half-moon pasta parcels stuffed with meat and dressed in butter, bacon and sage. Pair it with polenta taragna, made with corn and buckwheat flour and local Taleggio or Branzi cheese. For pudding, stracciatella gelato was invented in Bergamo (Do Eat Better).

• Casoncelli Nonna Alda, Città Alta. Handmade casoncelli to a family recipe running since 1928, made in the window (Do Eat Better).
• Circolino Città Alta, a cooperative-run spot serving casoncelli, polenta and braised meat at accessible prices (Do Eat Better).
• Trattoria Parietti, big portions of casoncelli, gnocchi and polenta taragna at budget prices (Do Eat Better).
• La Colombina, Borgo Canale, just beyond Porta Sant'Alessandro, a favourite with locals and visitors alike (Do Eat Better).
• Lower-city trattorias and pizzerias around Piazza Pontida are the quick, cheap option near the station and the pre-match bars (Trippin and Sippin).

What to do

• Città Alta, the UNESCO-listed walled upper town, is the reason to come a day early. Ride the century-old funicular up through the Venetian walls (Visit Bergamo).
• Piazza Vecchia, the Renaissance heart of the old town, ringed by the Palazzo della Ragione and the Contarini fountain (Visit Bergamo).
• The Campanone (Civic Tower), 52 m tall with panoramic views; its bell still rings 100 chimes at 10pm (Visit Bergamo).
• The Venetian Walls, 6 km of 16th-century ramparts encircling the upper town, walkable for the views (Visit Bergamo).
• Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore and the Colleoni Chapel, the ornate religious set-piece next to Piazza Vecchia (Visit Bergamo).
• San Vigilio Hill, reached by a second funicular from Città Alta, with a 12th-century castle and the best views over the city and Alps (Visit Bergamo).
• The Accademia Carrara, Bergamo's headline art gallery in the lower city, for a rainy afternoon before kick-off (Visit Bergamo).

Common questions

How do you get from the airport to the stadium?

Milan Bergamo Airport is about 5 km out. ATB bus line 9 links the airport, the railway station and the stadium entrance directly (Atalanta, Football Ground Guide). Airport Bus Line 1 runs into the station every 20 minutes for about €2.60. For a European away game you go to the Piazzale degli Alpini meeting point by the station and take the compulsory shuttle (Athletic Club).

Which airport should I fly to, and is there a direct flight?

Fly direct to Milan Bergamo (Orio al Serio, BGY), which is the ground's own airport, 5 km away. There are direct low-cost flights from Manchester and London Stansted, among others, so no hub or long transfer is needed (Flightconnections, Ryanair). Milan's other airports plus a 48-minute train are a backup if BGY is full (Trenord).

Where do away fans sit?

In the southwest corner behind the south goal, part of the Curva Sud, a compact single-tiered section with a certified capacity of 1,304 seats. It is well away from the home ultras, who fill the Curva Nord (Destination Calcio, Chelsea FC).

What is the away allocation?

Around 1,304 seats, the figure given to recent European visitors and roughly the UEFA minimum for the ground. Tickets are name-specific and sell out fast for big games, so buy through your own club (Chelsea FC).

What time should I arrive?

Get to the shuttle meeting point at Piazzale degli Alpini in good time, as the shuttle runs from around 15:00 CET for an evening kick-off. The away gate (Gate 6) opens well before kick-off and staff check every ticket against a passport or ID, so leave time for the queue (Athletic Club).

Can you drink in the ground?

Do not count on it. Italian grounds routinely restrict or ban alcohol sales in the stands, and the away sector at Bergamo has a long list of prohibited items. Have your beer in the city beforehand, where a draught runs €3.50 to €5 (Athletic Club, Megan Starr).

How much is a beer?

Cheap by UK standards. A small draught starts around €3.50, rising to about €5 for a half-litre in the city bars (Megan Starr).

Is Bergamo safe for away fans?

The city is a comfortable, well-run northern Italian town and fine for tourists. The football caveat is segregation: for European games Italian police name several streets and districts to avoid, including Borgo Santa Caterina, Viale Giulio Cesare and the bar Il Baretto, and advise dressing neutrally rather than in colours around the city (Athletic Club).

Where are the away-friendly areas to drink?

Stick to the lower city around Piazza Pontida, with Wood Beer and Drinks, The Tucan's and Ritual Pub, or head up to Città Alta for Birreria di Città Alta and the Piazza Vecchia wine bars. Avoid the Borgo Santa Caterina strip near the ground, which is home territory on matchdays (Football Ground Guide, Destination Calcio).

Does the match ticket include free local transport?

No. Unlike some European grounds, the Atalanta ticket does not double as a transit pass, so you buy an ATB single at €2.60, valid 90 minutes across buses and funiculars (Tourism Attractions). The exception is the free, compulsory club shuttle laid on for away fans at European games (Athletic Club).

How far is the ground from the city centre?

About 3 km northeast of the lower city, in the Borgo Santa Caterina district, which is roughly a 40-minute walk or a short hop on ATB bus line 9 (Football Ground Guide). On a normal domestic matchday you can walk it; for a segregated European game you use the shuttle from the meeting point instead (Athletic Club).

Where should I stay?

Città Alta, the walled upper town, for atmosphere and sights, or Città Bassa, the lower city, for the station, the shuttle meeting point and quick access to the pre-match bars. Staying near the funicular base gives you the best of both (Trippin and Sippin).