Stade Bollaert-Delelis away guide

There is no useful UK flight to Lens, so the smart route is Eurostar from London to Lille, then a TER regional train to Lens, about 40 minutes, and a 10-minute walk from Gare de Lens to the ground. Away fans sit in the Trannin stand at one end, allocations up to around 1,810 for a big tie.

Fast facts

Getting there from the UK

Lens has no airport of its own and there is no direct UK flight into Lille either, so the choice comes down to Eurostar from London or a flight to a nearby hub and an overland leg into Lille, then the short TER to Lens. From London it is one clean rail journey. From the north you weigh a cheap Ryanair hop against a quicker but dearer run through Paris, or an all-rail trip via London.

Costs and times are estimates and vary with how early you book and which route you pick.

Getting there from the airport

If you do fly into Lille-Lesquin (LIL), it is around 15 miles from Lens with no direct rail from the airport itself. Get into Lille to Gare de Lille-Flandres, then take a TER Hauts-de-France train to Lens, about 40 minutes, from roughly 12 to 19 euros. Coming via Brussels, the TGV from Brussels to Lille is as quick as 34 minutes, then change for the Lens TER.

Note that Lille has two stations a short walk apart: Eurostar and international services use Lille-Europe, and the regional trains to Lens run from Lille-Flandres.

From Lens station and the town centre

Gare de Lens is the closest station, under half a kilometre south-west of the ground, roughly a 10-minute walk. The stadium sits less than 1 km from the centre of Lens, well under a 15-minute walk for most people.

Lens has no metro or tram. Local transport is the Tadao bus network, and on matchdays your ticket QR code gives free travel on Tadao buses and the park-and-ride shuttles. A taxi from the centre is around 10 euros, though on foot is usually quicker on a matchday.

Inside the stadium and the away section

Visiting fans are housed in the Trannin stand, the Henri Trannin end, spread across lower, middle and upper tiers and four sections. The Visitor Ticketing Centre for collecting tickets is behind the away turnstiles, next to the Lepagnot stand. As a guide to numbers, a European tie had an allocation of 1,810 away tickets.

Physical tickets are required and photo ID matching the name on the booking is mandatory to collect and to enter. Take a printed ticket and the matching ID or you will not get in. For domestic games, Ligue 1 prices typically run 20 to 50 euros.

Bollaert is one of the loudest grounds in France. The 38,223 capacity is more than the resident population of the town, and the noise and colour of the Sang et Or home support is a large part of the day. The four stands are Trannin, Marek-Xerces, Delacourt and Lepagnot, all named after club figures. The ground opened in 1933 as Stade Felix-Bollaert, was renamed in 2012 after former mayor Andre Delelis, and was a Euro 2016 venue.

Where to stay

Lens itself is small, so many fans base themselves in Lille, about 40 minutes away by frequent TER, and travel in on the day. If you want to be walking distance from the ground and in the town for the build-up, stay central in Lens near Gare de Lens or the town square, where a matchday fan zone is set up at Place de l'Hotel-de-ville. Arras, 10 minutes away by train, is another comfortable base with more hotel choice.

Where to drink

Beer is the local religion here in the north, with plenty of French and Belgian options, and a pint typically runs around 5 to 7 euros.

• The Irish Tavern, Avenue Raoul Briquet: sports-heavy Irish pub with a wide beer selection and food, a natural away-fan gathering point.
• La Mi-Temps, Route de Bethune: sports bar near the ground, busy and friendly on a matchday.
• Cubana Bar, Boulevard Basly: central bar on the main drag through town.
• Chez Murielle: long-standing local bar popular with the Lens faithful.
• Le Maquis: town-centre bar in the mix on matchdays.

The bars around Place de la Republique and Boulevard Basly are the easiest to find and mix home and away support without trouble. Lens fans are welcoming and there is no area you need to actively avoid, but as anywhere, keep colours sensible in a heavily home-supporting bar and do not go looking for a rival firm.

Where to eat

This is northern France, so expect hearty, beer-friendly cooking. The dishes to try are carbonnade flamande (beef braised in dark beer), potjevleesch (a cold jellied terrine of chicken, rabbit, pork and veal), moules-frites, and a "welsh" (melted cheese, beer and ham over bread), usually with a mound of proper frites.

• Le Galibot, in the Hotel Louvre Lens area: restaurant and bar in a beautifully renovated former mining building.
• Al'Fosse 7, in nearby Avion: popular restaurant built to look like an underground coalmine, strong on local flavour.
• Brasseries and family bistros cluster near the museum and city centre, serving northern plates and regional beers.
• Boulangeries near Gare de Lens are the quick, cheap option for a filled baguette before kick-off.
• Fromagerie stops are worth it for the local Maroilles cheese, a pungent regional speciality.

What to do

• Louvre-Lens: the standout, a glass-and-steel outpost of the Paris Louvre built on a former mine, with major collections and far shorter queues.
• The UNESCO-listed mining slag heaps that dominate the skyline, a reminder of the coal history that made the town and the club.
• Notre-Dame-de-Lorette, the vast First World War memorial and cemetery a short drive north.
• Vimy Ridge, the preserved Canadian battlefield and memorial, with trenches you can walk.
• The 1914-18 history centre covering the region's wartime past.
• Gare de Lens itself, a listed building worth a look on the way in.
• Nearby Arras, 10 minutes by train, with its two grand Flemish-Baroque squares and belfry.

Common questions

How do you get to the Stade Bollaert-Delelis from the airport?

There is no direct rail from Lille-Lesquin airport, around 15 miles away. Get into Lille to Gare de Lille-Flandres, then take a TER train to Lens, about 40 minutes, from roughly 12 to 19 euros. From Gare de Lens the ground is a 10-minute walk.

Which airport should I fly to for RC Lens?

Lens has no airport and Lille-Lesquin has few UK direct flights. From London, skip flying and take Eurostar to Lille. From elsewhere, fly to a hub such as Brussels Charleroi or Paris CDG and take a fast train across, changing at Lille for the Lens TER.

How do you get to Lens from the UK?

The common route is Eurostar from London St Pancras to Lille Europe, walk across to Lille-Flandres, then a TER regional train to Lens, about 40 minutes. From the north, either train down to London for Eurostar or fly to Brussels or Paris and train in. Reckon on around 4 hours from central London.

Where do away fans sit at Bollaert?

In the Trannin stand at one end, spread across lower, middle and upper tiers and four sections. The Visitor Ticketing Centre for collecting tickets is behind the away turnstiles, next to the Lepagnot stand.

What is the away allocation?

It varies by fixture, but a European tie carried an allocation of 1,810 away tickets, which sold out. Domestic away allocations are usually smaller. Always buy through your own club's official channel for an away game.

What time should I arrive?

Give yourself time. Ticket collection needs a physical ticket and matching photo ID at the Visitor Ticketing Centre behind the away turnstiles, which can be slow with a full away end. Get to the ground at least an hour before kick-off, more for a big European night.

Can you drink in the ground?

Concourses sell beer, though as across French football the on-sale strength and availability can be limited and can be tightened for higher-risk games. Do most of your drinking in town beforehand at the bars around Boulevard Basly and Place de la Republique, then walk up.

How much is a beer in Lens?

Expect around 5 to 7 euros for a pint in a town-centre bar, a little more in the busier spots on a matchday. This is beer country, so the choice of French and Belgian brews is very good.

Is Lens safe for away fans?

Yes, broadly. Lens is a small, football-mad town and its fans have a strong reputation for welcoming visitors. There is no zone you need to actively avoid. Use the usual common sense: keep colours sensible in a heavily home bar, watch your belongings in the matchday crush, and do not seek out trouble.

Where should away fans drink?

The Irish Tavern on Avenue Raoul Briquet is the obvious away-fan pub, with La Mi-Temps near the ground and the central bars along Boulevard Basly. A matchday fan zone runs at Place de l'Hotel-de-ville.

Does the match ticket include free transport?

Yes. An RC Lens match ticket carries a QR code that gives free travel on the Tadao bus network and the park-and-ride shuttles on matchday. That said, the ground is close enough to both the station and the centre that most fans simply walk.

How far is the stadium from the centre of Lens?

Very close. The ground is less than 1 km from the town centre, under a 15-minute walk for most people, and under half a kilometre from Gare de Lens, roughly 10 minutes on foot.

Where should I stay?

For walking distance to the ground, stay central in Lens near the station or the town square. For more hotel choice and a livelier evening, base yourself in Lille, about 40 minutes away by frequent TER, or in Arras, 10 minutes away, and travel in on the day.