Getting to London for the football

Arsenal play at the Emirates Stadium in Holloway, north London. From elsewhere in the UK you take the train, not a flight: London is the hub everyone else connects through. Away fans sit in the lower tier of the South East corner, allocation just under 3,000. The nearest tube is Arsenal on the Piccadilly line, a few minutes from the turnstiles (Football Ground Guide).

Fast facts

Getting there from the UK

London is the hub everyone else connects through, so the usual away-day trick works in reverse: don't fly in from the mainland, take the train, and Arsenal is a straight tube ride from the main termini. Flying only pays off from the far north or the islands. Here are the ways in and roughly what each costs and takes.

Costs are estimates and vary with how far ahead you book.

Orientation: London and the Emirates

Arsenal have played at the Emirates in Holloway, postcode area N7, since 2006. It is one of England's largest club grounds (Wikipedia). Away fans sit in the lower tier of the South East corner, standard Premier League allocation just under 3,000, extended to roughly 6,000 for cup ties (Football Ground Guide).

The ground sits between several Underground and rail stations, so most fans arrive by tube or train. Matchday parking near the stadium is residents-only and very limited, so do not drive in (Football Ground Guide).

Getting into London: airports and the centre

Heathrow. The Heathrow Express runs to Paddington in 15 minutes, from £10 pre-booked. Cheaper are the Elizabeth line (under 45 minutes, £13.90 to Zone 1) and the Piccadilly line Underground (under an hour, from £5.50), and the Piccadilly line runs direct to Arsenal station (Heathrow).

Gatwick. The Gatwick Express reaches London Victoria in about 30 minutes for roughly £22 (Carpe Diem Tours).

Stansted. The Stansted Express reaches Liverpool Street in 47 minutes, or 33 minutes to Tottenham Hale for the Victoria line, from £9.70 booked ahead (Carpe Diem Tours).

Luton. Thameslink runs from Luton Airport Parkway to St Pancras, Farringdon, Blackfriars and London Bridge in about 30 minutes, with the 4-minute Luton DART shuttle from the terminal to Parkway. Advance fares from around £3.30 (Carpe Diem Tours).

London City. The DLR runs to Bank in around 20 minutes, £3.70 peak / £3.00 off-peak on contactless (Carpe Diem Tours).

From central London out to the Emirates

Arsenal (Piccadilly line) is the closest station, about 3 minutes from the turnstiles. On exit, turn right, follow Drayton Park Road round to the left and cross one of the bridges over the railway to the stadium (Arsenal FC).

Arsenal station gets very congested, so arrive early and consider walking out to Finsbury Park afterwards to disperse faster (Premier League Now).

Holloway Road (Piccadilly line), though close, is exit-only or shut on matchdays because of crowding. Drayton Park is shut on matchdays and weekends. Plan for Arsenal, Finsbury Park or Highbury & Islington instead (Premier League Now).

Finsbury Park (Victoria and Piccadilly lines plus National Rail) is a 10-15 minute walk and often quicker to clear after the whistle. Highbury & Islington (Victoria line and Overground) is a similar walk and good for pre-match food and drink (Football Ground Guide).

Getting around London

The Underground is the main way around. Contactless bank cards and Oyster charge the same pay-as-you-go fares and share the same daily cap, so contactless is simplest for visitors (Finding the Universe). A Zone 1 tube single is £3.10 peak / £3.00 off-peak; peak is 06:30-09:30 and 16:00-19:00 on weekdays (London Drum). Buses are a flat £1.75 per single, with a £5.25 daily bus cap (Tube Notifications). Fares cap daily at £8.90 for Zones 1-2, so you never pay more however many trips you make (London Drum).

Where to stay

Away fans without local ties tend to base themselves around King's Cross / St Pancras or the West End for hotels and transport links, then take the Piccadilly or Victoria line north. Both put you a short ride from the ground with plenty of choice on price (Football Ground Guide).

Inside the stadium and allocation

Away support is in the lower South East corner, allocation just under 3,000 for league games and up to about 6,000 for cup ties (Football Ground Guide). A pint inside the ground is around £6.35 and up, so most fans eat and drink on Holloway Road first (Football Ground Guide).

Where to drink

• The Hercules (Holloway Road): widely rated the best pub for travelling supporters, mixed crowd, close to the ground (Football Ground Guide).
• The Coronet (Holloway Road): a large Wetherspoons in a converted cinema, plenty of seating, cheap pub food and the cheapest pints in the area (Football Ground Guide).
• The Twelve Pins (Finsbury Park): spacious and boisterous, recommended for away fans and good for big matches (Football Ground Guide).
• The Faltering Fullback (Stroud Green Road, toward Finsbury Park): quirky pub with a beer garden and a Thai kitchen, easy to hop back on the tube from (Premier League Now).
• The Blackstock (Finsbury Park): popular pre-match, relaxed and handy for the walk in (Premier League Now).

Expect roughly £6 to £7 a pint around Holloway and Finsbury Park. Avoid the pubs closest to the turnstiles on Blackstock Road, such as the Gunners and Tollington Arms, which are home-only and not for visitors (Football Ground Guide). Some pubs fill early and police or council decisions can occasionally restrict away access, so check on matchday (Premier League Now).

Where to eat

• Piebury Corner (Holloway Road): pies named after Arsenal icons, quick, filling and cheap, the classic matchday feed (Football Ground Guide).
• Xi'an Impression (Benwell Road, next to the ground): hand-pulled noodles and biang biang, cheap and very good, a short walk from the away end (Football Ground Guide).
• Nando's, Five Guys and McDonald's: all within a 10-minute walk on Holloway Road for a fast, reliable pre-match bite (Football Ground Guide).
• Wolkite (Holloway Road): Ethiopian sit-down, something different if you have time before kick-off (Football Ground Guide).
• Westerns Laundry (Drayton Park): Michelin-listed small plates and wine if you are making a proper day of it (Football Ground Guide).

For local dishes, London does not have one signature plate, so treat it as a food capital: a proper pie and mash, fish and chips, a Sunday roast in a pub, a salt beef beigel on Brick Lane, or a curry off Brick Lane or in the East End.

What to do

• British Museum (Bloomsbury): free entry, the Rosetta Stone and the Parthenon sculptures, a short hop from King's Cross.
• Tower of London and Tower Bridge: the Crown Jewels and the medieval fortress on the Thames.
• Borough Market (London Bridge): a food market to graze around before or after the game.
• The West End: theatreland around Leicester Square and Covent Garden, easy to reach on the Piccadilly line straight from Arsenal.
• Highbury and Islington: Upper Street's bars and restaurants and, for Arsenal history, the old Highbury stadium's preserved Art Deco stands nearby.
• National Gallery and Trafalgar Square: free art and the centre of the city.
• A Thames walk: the South Bank from Westminster to Tower Bridge takes in Big Ben, the London Eye and the Tate Modern.

Common questions

How do I get from the airport to the Emirates?

From Heathrow, take the Piccadilly line, which runs direct to Arsenal station in a bit over an hour from £5.50, or the faster Heathrow Express to Paddington then the tube (Heathrow). From Gatwick, Stansted or Luton, take the express train to central London then the Victoria or Piccadilly line north to Finsbury Park or Arsenal (Carpe Diem Tours).

Which airport should I fly to for Arsenal, and is there a hub?

London is the hub, so there is no detour. It has five airports: Heathrow is best for the Emirates because the Piccadilly line runs direct to Arsenal station (Heathrow). Gatwick, Stansted, Luton and London City all work too. From most of the UK the train is quicker and cheaper than flying (Trainline).

Should I fly or take the train from Manchester?

Take the train. Manchester Piccadilly to Euston is about 2 hours 10 minutes at best, then a short Victoria line ride to Highbury & Islington, roughly 3 hours 30 minutes door to ground (Trainline). Flying adds airport time at both ends for no real gain. Book rail ahead for the cheapest fares.

Where do away fans sit at the Emirates?

In the lower tier of the South East corner, near the corner flag between the East Stand and Clock End. It is a single tier of away support in the bowl (Football Ground Guide).

What is the away allocation?

Just under 3,000 for Premier League games, rising to roughly 6,000 for cup ties when the full corner and part of the tier above are opened up (Football Ground Guide).

What time should I arrive?

Arrive early. Arsenal station is small and gets badly congested around kick-off and full time, so give yourself time through the away turnstiles in the South East corner and consider walking out to Finsbury Park afterwards (Premier League Now).

Can I drink in the ground, and what does a pint cost?

Yes, there are concourse bars in the away section, but alcohol cannot be taken to your seat and is not served in view of the pitch. A pint inside is around £6.35 and up, so most fans drink on Holloway Road first, where pints run roughly £6 to £7 (Football Ground Guide).

Is London safe for away fans?

Yes. The Emirates is well policed and trouble is rare. The usual advice applies: keep colours covered until you are near the ground or in a group, avoid the home-only pubs on Blackstock Road, and stay sensible late at night as in any big city (Premier League Now).

Which areas are away-friendly for a drink?

Holloway Road and Finsbury Park are your best bet: the Hercules and the Coronet on Holloway Road take travelling supporters, and the Twelve Pins, Blackstock and Faltering Fullback around Finsbury Park are used to away fans (Football Ground Guide) (Premier League Now).

Does my match ticket include free local transport?

No. Unlike some European clubs, English match tickets do not come with free travel. You pay as you go on TfL: a contactless card or phone charges the same as Oyster and caps automatically at £8.90 a day for Zones 1-2 (Finding the Universe) (London Drum).

How far is the ground from the city centre?

Not far. Holloway is inner north London, about 4 miles from the West End and 30 to 45 minutes on the tube from most central hotels. The Piccadilly line runs from Piccadilly Circus and King's Cross straight to Arsenal station (Arsenal FC).

Do I need cash or an Oyster card?

Neither. Tap in and out with a contactless bank card or phone on tube, DLR, Overground, Elizabeth line and buses. It charges the same fares as Oyster and applies the same daily cap, so there is nothing to buy in advance (Finding the Universe).

Where should I stay for an away game?

King's Cross / St Pancras or the West End are the easy picks: lots of hotels across all budgets and a direct Piccadilly or Victoria line ride to the ground. Both also put you near the main sights if you are making a day or two of it (Football Ground Guide).