Philips Stadion away guide

Eindhoven is one of the easy ones. Ryanair flies direct from Manchester and London Stansted straight into Eindhoven Airport (Ryanair), so there is no hub to change at. From the airport, bus 401 runs to the ground in about 20 to 25 minutes (LiberoGuide). Away fans sit in the upper tier of the north-west corner, the visitors' stand ('Bezoekers'), entered at turnstiles 35 and 36 (Rangers FC). Champions League allocations run to roughly 1,600 seats (Liverpool FC).

Fast facts

Getting there from the UK

The obvious play is the direct Ryanair flight into Eindhoven Airport, a short bus ride from the ground. The catch is frequency: Manchester to Eindhoven runs only three days a week (Sunday, Monday and Thursday), so if your fixture lands on a Tuesday or Wednesday European night, the direct flight may not exist for your dates (FlightsFrom). When it does not fit, you fly into Amsterdam Schiphol instead, which has flights all day, and take the direct NS Intercity down to Eindhoven Centraal in about 1 hour 25 minutes for roughly €25 (Trainline). London Stansted has the direct flight most days, plus a no-fly Eurostar option if you would rather not fly at all. Costs below are estimates and swing hard with dates and bags.

Getting there from Eindhoven Airport

From Eindhoven Airport, catch bus 401, which takes about 20 to 25 minutes (LiberoGuide). It runs to Eindhoven Centraal, passes the ground and stops at the 'Philips-stadion' stop just outside, so you can get off at the stadium rather than riding to the station (Wikipedia). The fare is about €4.24, or €2.20 with an OV-chipkaart travel card (LiberoGuide). The airport sits roughly 7.5 km west of the city centre (Football Tripper).

Getting there from the city centre and Eindhoven Centraal

The stadium is central: under 900 metres from Eindhoven Centraal, roughly a 5 to 10 minute walk (Football Tripper). On foot from Eindhoven Centraal, exit on the city-centre side, turn right and follow the avenue until the stadium appears in front of you, about 10 minutes (Rangers FC).

It is also about a 15-minute walk from Eindhoven Strijp-S station (Wikipedia). Bus lines 401, 402 and 403 all call at the 'Philips-stadion' stop just outside the ground; check 9292.nl for matchday routes and times (Wikipedia).

The dedicated away-fan railway station

For big matches the stadium has its own platform, Eindhoven Stadion, reachable only via a pedestrian bridge that connects directly to the ground (Wikipedia). It is mainly for travelling away fans, and the bridge leads straight into the away section (Football Tripper). It is a matchday-only stop on the Eindhoven-Beukenlaan line (Football Tripper).

Away section and entrance

Away fans are in the upper tier of the north-west corner, and the stand is very steep and feels close to the pitch (Football Ground Guide). Entry to the visitors' stand ('Bezoekers') is through a secure gate opposite turnstiles 35 and 36, near the away coach parking, then through a tunnel to the sector (Rangers FC). Away supporters are ushered down a tunnel outside the stadium that feeds directly into the away section, keeping rival fans apart (Football Ground Guide).

Expect around 60 steps to the concourse, then more steps to the upper rows (Rangers FC). A safety net runs from the roof to the balcony in front of the sector, with Perspex fencing as well (Rangers FC). The away end has good sightlines, but the stairs are steep and unforgiving during celebrations, and you sit notably elevated above the pitch (Football Ground Guide).

Champions League allocations have run to roughly 1,600 tickets: Liverpool were given 1,645 and Arsenal 1,635 for recent visits (Liverpool FC, Arsenal).

What you can and cannot bring in

Allowed, subject to checks: flags or banners without poles, subject to size and content approval; small bags and backpacks, checked at entry; and small personal cameras only (Rangers FC).

Prohibited: coins, belts with large buckles, lighters, megaphones, drums, pyrotechnics, smoke bombs, flares, bottles, cans and professional recording equipment (Rangers FC).

Where to stay

Eindhoven is compact and most of the useful beds are near the station or the centre, all within walking distance of the ground. Budget options include The Student Hotel by the train station and the three-star Crown Inn on the Markt. Mid-range picks are the Crown Hotel, Queen Hotel and Inntel Hotels Art Eindhoven. At the top end sit the NH Collection, the Pullman Eindhoven Cocagne and Boutique Hotel Lumière, with a Tulip Inn built into the airport terminal if you want an early flight home (LiberoGuide).

Where to drink

Drinking clusters on Stratumseind, the longest pub street in the Netherlands, 225 metres and about 40 cafés, many open very late (This is Eindhoven).

• Sgt Pepper's, Stratumseind 49, shows football and pulls a mixed away-fan crowd, lively on matchnights (Scottish Daily Express).
• Tipsy Duck, Stratumseind 26, another football bar on the strip with games on when the fixture warrants it (Scottish Daily Express).
• O'Sheas, an Irish bar just off the strip, broadcasts matches and is a safe bet for travelling fans (Scottish Daily Express).
• The Trafalgar, Dommelstraat near the station, a proper old-school pub open from 4pm and trading since 1973, handy for a quiet pre-match pint (LiberoGuide).
• Drinkers Pub, for the beer geeks, with a stated 900-plus beers from around the world (Scottish Daily Express).
• De Bierprofessor, 250-plus craft beers from Dutch breweries like Kees and Two Chefs if you want something local (Scottish Daily Express).

Reckon on about €5 for a half-litre in a normal bar, less on Stratumseind where some places run drinks deals (Expatistan, This is Eindhoven). To avoid: nowhere in Eindhoven is a no-go for away fans, but Stratumseind gets very crowded and rowdy late on weekend nights, so if you want an easy evening drink earlier and further from the crush.

Where to eat

• Friettent Pieperz, city centre, for a paper cone of Dutch chips with sauce, cheap and quick (Tripadvisor).
• The snack bars around the centre and station serve the local staples: the frikandel (a deep-fried skinless sausage) and the kroket, best ordered from a wall of hot vending hatches or a friture counter (Restaurant Guru).
• Strijp-S, the old Philips factory quarter, is packed with informal restaurants and food halls if you want to sit down before the walk to the ground (Holidify).
• The Markt and Wilhelmina­plein squares in the centre are ringed with terraces covering burgers, pizza, Dutch and Indonesian, all within a short walk of the station (This is Eindhoven).
• For a proper sit-down meal, browse the This is Eindhoven restaurant listings, which cover the city's better kitchens by area (This is Eindhoven).

Local dishes to try: the frikandel and kroket for the full Dutch snack-bar experience, and a bitterbal with your beer, the small round cousin of the kroket served with mustard.

What to do

• Philips Museum, in the original factory where the first light bulbs were made, tells the story of the company that built the city and the club (Holidify).
• Van Abbemuseum, a serious contemporary and modern art collection on the Dommel with works spanning Picasso, Kandinsky and Mondrian (Holidify).
• Strijp-S, the former Philips industrial estate reworked into studios, shops, restaurants and the Area 51 skatepark, about 2 km from the centre (Holidify).
• PSV Museum and stadium tour, packed with club memorabilia including a replica of the 1988 European Cup, with tours taking in the changing rooms, directors' box and dugouts (Holidify).
• Stratumseind itself, worth a wander in daylight as well as after dark, the country's longest bar street (This is Eindhoven).
• The Markt and old centre, the compact historic core with squares and terraces, an easy stroll from the station (This is Eindhoven).
• Eindhoven's street art and design trail, fitting for the Netherlands' design-and-tech city, best explored on foot around the centre and Strijp-S (Holidify).

Common questions

How do I get from Eindhoven Airport to the Philips Stadion?

Take bus 401 from outside the terminal. It runs towards Eindhoven Centraal, passes the ground and stops at the 'Philips-stadion' stop right outside, so you can get off at the stadium rather than the station. The trip is about 20 to 25 minutes and the fare is roughly €4.24, or €2.20 with an OV-chipkaart (LiberoGuide, Wikipedia).

Which airport do I fly to for a PSV away game, and is there a hub?

Fly straight into Eindhoven Airport (EIN). There is no hub or connection to worry about: Ryanair runs direct flights from Manchester and London Stansted, taking about 1 hour 25 minutes, and the ground is a short bus ride from the terminal (Ryanair, FlightsFrom).

Where do away fans sit at the Philips Stadion?

Away fans are in the upper tier of the north-west corner, in the visitors' stand known as the 'Bezoekers', entered via turnstiles 35 and 36. The stand is steep and sits well above the pitch, so the sightlines are good but the stairs are hard work during celebrations (Rangers FC, Football Ground Guide).

How many away tickets does PSV give visiting clubs?

For Champions League nights the allocation has been around 1,600 seats. Liverpool received 1,645 tickets and Arsenal 1,635 for recent visits, which is roughly 5 per cent of the 35,119 capacity. Domestic and Europa League allocations can differ, so check with your own club (Liverpool FC, Arsenal).

What time should I get to the ground?

The away entrance funnels everyone through one secure gate and a tunnel, then it is around 60 steps to the concourse and more up to the seats, so allow time. Getting there 45 to 60 minutes before kick-off keeps the queues and the climb from becoming a scramble, especially for a full European allocation (Rangers FC).

Can I drink in the ground?

Concessions inside sell beer, though for high-profile fixtures Dutch authorities sometimes restrict this to low or zero-alcohol only. Bottles and cans cannot be brought in from outside. Do your serious drinking in town beforehand and treat anything in the ground as a bonus (Rangers FC).

How much is a beer in Eindhoven?

Reckon on about €5 for a half-litre in a normal bar, which is the standard measure in the Netherlands rather than a full UK pint. On Stratumseind, the main bar street, some places run cheaper drinks deals, so you can pay less if you shop around (Expatistan, This is Eindhoven).

Is Eindhoven safe for away fans?

Yes. Eindhoven is a relaxed, walkable city and travelling fans are a normal sight on European nights. The usual rules apply: keep colours sensible around rival supporters, watch your belongings in the late-night crush on Stratumseind, and follow police and steward instructions on the walk to the ground (LiberoGuide).

Which areas are away-friendly for a drink?

The city centre and Stratumseind are the hub, with Sgt Pepper's, the Tipsy Duck and O'Sheas showing football and used to visiting fans. The Trafalgar near the station is a calmer old-school pub if you want a quieter pre-match pint. None of the centre is off-limits, it is just busier and louder later on (Scottish Daily Express, LiberoGuide).

Does my match ticket include free local transport?

No. Unlike some German and Italian grounds, a PSV match ticket does not double as a transit pass. You pay for buses separately, about €4.24 on board or €2.20 with an OV-chipkaart. The good news is the stadium is central enough that most fans simply walk from the station or their hotel (LiberoGuide).

How far is the stadium from the city centre?

Barely any distance. The Philips Stadion is under 900 metres from Eindhoven Centraal, about a 5 to 10 minute walk, and it sits right on the edge of the centre. Exit the station on the city-centre side, turn right and follow the avenue until the ground appears in front of you (Football Tripper, Rangers FC).

Where should I stay for a PSV away game?

Anywhere around Eindhoven Centraal or the centre, since it is all within walking distance of the ground. The Student Hotel and Crown Inn are budget-friendly, the Crown Hotel and Inntel Art sit mid-range, and the NH Collection and Pullman Cocagne cover the top end. For an early flight, the Tulip Inn is built into the airport terminal (LiberoGuide).