EURO bonus for Vienna

Aside from the many other benefits that come with staging an event like UEFA EURO 2008™, host city Vienna has already received a significant economic boost.
'Massive exposure'
The Ernst-Happel-Stadion still has two more matches to hold – the last-four clash between Spain and Russia and the final – but already the benefits of staging the tournament have become apparent. "Vienna has never had so much exposure in the media, both as the ideal host city as well as a great destination away from football," said Vienna's financial and economic city council Renate Brauner. "It has helped the city's tourism campaign invaluably."

A full house
Tourism director Norbert Kettner added: "Vienna's 47,000 beds have been almost fully booked since the beginning of the tournament. And the demand has risen consistently since the group stage match between Austria and Germany. There are only a few rooms still available for the semi-final and final." The city's authorities feel EURO has opened the door for thousands of people from different nations to experience all that Vienna has to offer, and the Austrian capital is likely to feel the benefits for years to come.

Berne hosts cultural celebration

Berne got a taste of what to expect when fans from the Netherlands, France, Italy and Romania arrive, thanks to a cultural presentation in the city.

Berne Hotels

National specialities
Emissaries from all four countries came to the Swiss capital to showcase their culture, with Bernese natives being treated to displays of Italian flag-waving, Romanian wind instruments, French wines and Dutch clogs. Organisers say the event helped contribute to the spirit of international understanding ahead of the city's opening UEFA EURO 2008™ game, between the Netherlands and Italy on 9 June.

Zurich Airport braced for EURO

Zurich Airport is expecting an additional 280 flights during UEFA EURO 2008™ with many taking advantage of the temporary relaxation of night-flight rules.
Night flights

Airport authorities anticipate that the bulk of the extra flights will be in the days before and after the city's three group-stage games – on 9, 13 and 17 June – with plenty of fans from France and the Netherlands likely to jet in. A relaxation of night-flight regulations for the finals will allow up to 20 planes to fly in and out of the airport between 22.00 and 2.00 on the night after matches in the city.
Security services at the airport are due to work longer hours while some of the airport's shops and concessions will also remain open later. Supporters from opposing teams will be processed separately to avoid tension.

Zurich Hotels

Geneva open gateway to ground

Eleven days before the start of UEFA EURO 2008™, Geneva has inaugurated its 'Footbridge of Sports' aiding the route for pedestrians and cyclists between Bachet-de-Pesay tram and bus stop and Stade de Genève.

Ease of access
The 185-metre wooden bridge will allow for safe and easy movement for up to 30,000 spectators to the city's stadium, which will stage the Group A fixtures between Portugal and Turkey on 7 June, Czech Republic v Portugal on 11 June and Turkey v Czech Republic four days after that. The bridge was planned in the late 1990s before the construction of the stadium and Switzerland's successful bid to host the European Championship along with Austria in 2002.

Geneva Hotels

Future events
Geneva's authorities were delighted with the bridge's opening, which they hope relieve some of the traffic in the region's public highways during the tournament. The construction of the bridge also improves the city's hopes of hosting further events following UEFA EURO 2008™.

Innsbruck flying the EURO flag

Austrian host city Innsbruck is distributing 5,000 flags to residents to add colour to its buildings and streets ahead of UEFA EURO 2008™.

Free of charge
The flags, which display the official tournament livery, can be collected free of charge until the end of the month. Innsbruck ambassador Hansi Müller, who handed out the first batch in tandem with organising committee chairman Dr Christoph Platzgummer, said: "The EURO flag is a great welcome sign to our guests. You can see that Innsbruck has prepared itself well and that the people are getting increasingly excited about EURO."

Additional flights
Fans of Spain, Sweden and Russia will descend on the western city for Group D fixtures next month, while the Czech Republic will train in Tirol and use Innsbruck as a departure airport for matches in Switzerland. An additional 270 flights are expected in June to meet demand, and organisers are confident things will run smoothly.

Speedy checks
Private security guards will work in tandem with local police to ensure passengers pass through checks as quickly as possibly, while a newly-built equipment store will be kept open all night on matchdays and used as a temporary waiting point as a night flying ban will remain in place during EURO. National teams and high-ranking state visitors will be the exception to this rule, however.

Infopoints
When fans arrive in Innsbruck they may benefit from the 14 Infopoints dotted around the city, where specially trained volunteers will be on hand to answer questions from 12.00CET until 19.00. They will provide comprehensive information on issues such as transport, Fan Zones and the entertainment programme. There will be Infopoints dotted around the city centre, as well as at the airport, Fan Zone and the fan camp.

Innsbruck Hotels

Music acts
Innsbruck will also be offering a top-class music programme for those attending the tournament. Although the football is the main attraction, residents and visitors alike will be kept entertained by various artists on the Fan Zone stage. Among those performing are Christina Stürmer, Juli, Rednex, Smokie, Sportfreunde Stiller, Revolverheld, Liquido and local act Reinhard Fendrich.

Basel begins constructing Fan Zones

With just over a fortnight remaining before UEFA EURO 2008™ kicks off, work to assemble the public viewing area and Fan Zone has started in Basel.

Large changesThe supporting frame for the 60m² video screen has been installed, with the giant screen to go up on 2 June. Further construction, such as the covering of grass areas and erecting of temporary facilities, will be completed in the coming days. The work will be conducted at night in order to keep disruption of traffic to a minimum.

Basel Hotels

Klagenfurt out in numbers for Tour

The EURO Experience Tour proved to be a huge success during its four-day stop in Klagenfurt, attracting 9,000 visitors between 3 and 6 April.

Klagenfurt Hotels

'Total success'
"The EURO Experience Tour in Klagenfurt was a total success for us," declared UEFA EURO 2008™ tournament director Christian Schmölzer. Fans flocked to the world's largest inflatable tent to have their photo taken next to the Henri Delaunay trophy and watch a film of the past tournaments. The EURO Experience Tour is getting fans in the mood for UEFA EURO 2008™ and will be visiting 13 cities in Austria and Switzerland, including all eight host cities, before the tournament kicks off on 7 June. The next stop is Salzburg and the EURO Experience Tour will in town between 10 and 16 April.

Vienna Fan Zone taking shape

Vienna is a hive of activity as preparations continue apace for UEFA EURO 2008™ with the finishing touches now being put in place on the city's Fan Zone.

Vienna Hotels

Big event
"We have 100,000m² to cable, which is way larger than any other event," said Thomas Karab who is responsible for constructing the Fan Zone. He and 200 others are installing a 70m² video screen, dozens of toilets and five kilometres of fencing around the Fan Zone at Helden Square which will have a capacity of 15,000 during the tournament.

Stars to gather at 'fifth stadium'

Work has started on constructing the official 45,000-capacity UEFA EURO 2008™ fan zone in Zurich with three screens being erected to show matches.

Switzerland Hotels

Floating platform
The fan zone will offer public viewing facilities as well as a full culinary and cultural programme during the finals, with one of the highlights set to be the 1,600 metre squared platform which will house one of the giant screens on Lake Zurich itself. The 30-tonne screen will be one of the great engineering feats of the finals, floating 12 metres above the surface of the lake at its highest point.

Salzburg catering for residents and fans

Salzburg officials have confirmed a range of initiatives to ensure that UEFA EURO 2008™ runs smoothly in the Austrian city.

Two-year plan
Preparations for the tournament have been in motion for the past two years among the city's administration to meet the needs of the thousands of supporters who will visit the city in June, as well as ensuring that everyday lives of residents are not disrupted. "Twenty workers will be on hand constantly cleaning the Old Town four times a day during the European Championship," said Salzburg magistrate director Hans Jörg Bachmaier. "All told there will be 10,000 overtime hours amassed." Bachmaier also said that 23 of the 32 offices within the city's administration are directly or indirectly affected by the tournament and its planning.

Salzburg Hotels

Service provision
Other services include an extended opening of the Resident Service department until 21.00 local time, extra toilet facilities and sign-posting, and a central telephone service. Mayor Heinz Schaden explained: "We are striving for a peaceful football festival, one which hinders the everyday life of the city's residents as little as possible."

'On course'
The key to implementing the schemes, says coordinator of Salzburg, Wolfgang Weiss, has been efficient communication with the city's administration. "Everything is on course. We talk regularly so there are no delays," he said. The same goes for the work on the official UEFA Fan Zone, which is to be erected by 29 May, with the zone's technical issues set to be completed in time for a trouble-free opening on 7 June.

Vienna has put the finishing touches to its transport plans for UEFA EURO 2008™ with visitors being urged to take full advantage of local public transport.

Special arrangements
Transport councilor Rudolf Schicker, city transport chief Josef Binder and Michael Lichtenegger of local transport operator Wiener Lienen jointly unveiled the final draft of their plan for the tournament. They are expecting an additional 500,000 guests to use the transport network on top of the 2.2m who use it every working day and have made special arrangements to ensure smooth operation.

Opening hours
Capacity on underground lines will be increased by 25 per cent throughout the day and by as much as 50 per cent on evenings to deal with the increased football-related traffic. Local transport services will operate until 1.30 in the morning throughout the tournament, with Viennese authorities hoping fans will put their faith in public transport during the finals.

Car parking
Vienna wants to keep road traffic at a minimum for the finals, and has set up a number of free parking areas at the edge of the city, close to local train and underground stations, to encourage fans to leave their vehicles outside Vienna, although a clear signposting system has been set up to enable visiting drivers to find their way around the city streets.

EURO Companions
Visiting fans can pick up a leaflet entitled Traffic & Service which provides details of the transport options available in the city, with 100,000 having been printed. In addition, so-called EURO Companions – Vienna transport staff who can speak foreign languages – will be on hand to provide guests with information about train, underground and bus services in the Austrian capital.

Fans flock to EURO 2008 Experience Tour

UEFA commercial director Philippe Margraff declared the Geneva leg of the EURO Experience Tour a success after more than 5,000 people visited the exhibition during its three-day stay in the Swiss city.

Tickets up for grabs
Four hundred school children in the Geneva area attended the event where they were able to watch a film of the competition's 48-year history, have their photo taken alongside the Henri Delaunay trophy, enjoy the interactive multimedia zone and win tickets in a quiz for one of the group games to be played in Geneva.

'Exceptional tournament'
"Through the EURO Experience Tour we hope to give a flavour of the party that awaits us at UEFA EURO 2008™ and a taste of more than 40 years of history of this exceptional tournament," Margraff said. "The impressive images on the big screen and the presence of the Henri Delaunay trophy create an atmosphere charged with emotion and not only for football fans."

Zurich next
The EURO Experience Tour is free and takes place in the world's biggest inflatable tour tent, which contains a 140-seat cinema. Geneva was the second stop on the tour after Basel, where 10,000 people attended the event two weeks ago and where UEFA EURO 2008™ kicks off on 7 June. The EURO Experience Tour will visit a number of locations in Austria and Switzerland, co-hosts for this summer's tournament, including all eight host cities. The next stop is Zurich from 21 February.

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EURO Experience Tour dates
Zurich 21-24 February
Berne 28 February - 2 March
Lausanne 6-9 March
Innsbruck 20-23 March
Linz 27-30 March
Klagenfurt 3-6 April
Salzburg 10-16 April
Graz 24-27 April
Lugano 1-4 May
Lucerne 8-11 May
St Gallen 15-18 May
TBC 23-27 May
Vienna 5-29 June

Babes of the World Cup will come to Euro 2008

To provide the best value to our readers, we’ve put together a page highlighting some of the best pictures from the Fifa 2006 World Cup in Germany.

It’s summertime and fans from around the world are here to watch the exciting football on display. If you’ve missed on a trip to Germany and the World Cup, fret not - the pictures below showcase all that is great about the ongoing tournament.

Enough talking - enjoy the hot babes, and if you like what you see, please consider sharing with your friends by sending them to this site.
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Klagenfurt works for a clean EURO

With three times the usual amount of rubbish expected on every matchday, Klagenfurt is making extra effort to ensure the streets remain spotless at UEFA EURO 2008™.


All night long
Local authorities expect to be faced with 1,000 tons of rubbish after every matchday but mayor Harald Scheucher is determined that the city's refuse collection services will be equal to the job, with Klagenfurt bringing in a 250-man task force of workers operating round the clock to keep the Austrian city clean. Workers will operate in three shifts, especially overnight, with a view to ensuring the city centre is cleaned up by 8.00CET after every game and the outlying areas by 11.00.

Residential areas
Particular attention will be paid to the residential areas close to the Wörthersee Stadium in Waidmannsdorf, with Scheucher saying: "If rubbish is stacked next to bins it will be taken away free of charge." The task force will also pay attention to the stadiums and fan zones, car parks, streets and parks and a cleaning unit will also be assigned to the eastern shores of the Wörthersee itself to ensure the lake remains clean.

Special conditions
The public viewing facilities at the Europapark to the west of the city will also be covered by Klagenfurt's refuse collection plans. The plan to use the venue for public viewing was approved on the condition that a 2.5m-high fence was erected to ensure areas housing protected streams, ponds and flora were off limits, but fans will be free to use the lawns and open grassland during the finals.

Euro 2008 Turnament Travel Guide

The European Football Championships of 2008 will be held in Austria and Switzerland. Matches will run from June 7th – June 29th.

Prepare
Tickets
Tickets are on sale in March 2007. For more information ask your Nation's football association or go to the official tournament website.

Tickets are sold from 1 March till 31 March. There are several types of ticket packages. The first is by match, the second is follow your team for the first round (first 3 games), and the third and last option is following your team as long as it's in the tournament.
Ticket applications will be analyzed in April 2008, if the number of applications per match exceeds the size of the stadiums. Since there was an overwhelming number of ticket buyers, UEFA will not be holding a random draw.

Accommodation
UEFA EURO 2008 Accommodation Agency, Route de St-Cergue 9, CH-1260 Nyon 1, Switzerland, phone: +41 (0)22 707 22 30 fax: +41 (0)22 707 22 31

Get in
By air
Switzerland has few airport : Zurich (in Kloten exactly), the most important, then Basle (its airport is outside Switzerland: in France, shared with Mulhouse) and Geneva. Then some other minors as in Bern, Lausanne, Lugano & Sion. To get directly to the Zurich airport by train the station is called : Zurich Flughafen. For Bern there is no direct fly connection but you can get there by train in 1 hour flying in Zurich or Basel airport. You can find cheap fly tickets to Switzerland, mainly in Geneva in www.easyjet.com .
Each of the four Austrian host cities has its own international airport, though depending on where you're flying from it may be easiest to arrive via Vienna and continue by train to the other host cities.

By train
You can get into Switzerland easly by train. Chek your trip in the official website of Swiss railways www.ffs.ch . There you can find time, trip, cost. From North you can reach easly Basel to get into Switzerland, from South you should reach Chiasso.
Austria is also well served by trains, and all four Austrian host cities have good national and international rail connections. Vienna is the largest hub of the four.

By bus
Geneva and Zurich (in Switzerland) and Salzburg and Vienna (in Austria) are on the Eurolines bus network, with services to/from other major European cities. You can also get there with a private bus.

Get around
Switzerland has a very good train network, allowing you to travel almost everywhere by train. The Swiss train fares, however, are the most expensive in the world when comparing Euro per km. More information for trips inside or into Switzerland is available in the website www.ffs.ch. Don't forget that Switzerland is an Alpine country, not flat, and travelling a few kilometers through the Alps can sometimes take hours.
All 4 Swiss venue cities have tram systems within the city, and shuttle bus connections to the stadiums will be organized for EURO 2008, Swiss efficency. If you drive a car, be aware that the Swiss police will fine you for driving infractions in Switzerland, even if you live outside the country.
Three of the Swiss city venues (Basel, Zurich, Bern) are connected by a triangle of train and highway connections. For Geneva it will take many hours of time to get there from the other venue cities.

Host Cities
The following eight cities will be hosting all the matches for the tournament. For information about travel, accommodation, restaurants and other activities in the cities, please see the individual city guides.

Austria
Location of venues across Switzerland and Austria
Vienna Ernst Happel stadium, capacity 50,000. Will host Austria's three group matches, two Quarter-Finals, Semi-Final and Final.
Klagenfurt Worthersee stadium, capacity 30,000. Will host three Group Matches.
Salzburg Wals-Seizenheim stadium, capacity 30,000. Will host three Group Matches.
Innsbruck Tivoli NEU stadium, capacity 30,000. Will host three Group Matches.

Switzerland
Basel St Jakob stadium, capacity 42,500 Will host Switzerland's three group matches (including the opening match and opening ceremony), two Quarter-Finals and a Semi-Final.
Berne Stade de Suisse Wankdorf stadium, capacity 32,000. Will host three Group Matches.
Geneva Stade de Geneve, capacity 30,000. Will host three Group Matches.
Zurich Letzigrund stadium, capacity 30,000. Will host three Group Matches.

Buy
Be aware that Switzerland is the most expensive country in the world. 4 of its cities - the 4 venue cities - are in the Top 10 most expensive cities in the world. So, take a lot of money with you. Don´t miss Switzerland; it is beautiful. Buy some Swiss souvenirs such as: Swiss chocolate, Swiss cheese, Swiss army knife, Swiss watch, Swiss fondue or open a new Swiss bank account.

Do
Visit the beautiful Canton Ticino in southern Switzerland. Canton Ticino is the heart of tourism in Switzerland, with Locarno and Lugano as top destinations known worldwide for their beauty. In June 2008 there will be sun; the region in the South of the Alps is the sunniest of Switzerland.
For EURO 2008, Canton Ticino will host the National Teams of Germany and Italy. Germany will stay in Ascona, close to Locarno, in a top Hotel, and training in the national Sport Center in Tenero-Contra. Italy will stay in Lugano, in Villa Sassa Hotel, and training in Cornaredo Stadium, home of AC Lugano. For the month of May Lugano will host the National team of Switzerland. Ticino will also host all the referees for the competition.
Ticino has good train and highway connection to Zurich, Basel and Bern. THe official language in the canton is Italian.

Stay Safe
Switzerland is the safest country in the world. With the lowest crime rate in the world. There you will be safe.

Get out
Switzerland shares borders with Germany, France, Italy, Austria and Liechtenstein. Transportation from North and South are easy by Highway from Basel (North) or Chiasso (South). There are also good train connections inside Switzerland.

UEFA EURO 2008™: "EURO Experience Tour" kicks off

Nyon – On 28 January, at 13.00 hours, the "EURO Experience Tour" gets under way at the Rosentalanlage in Basel. Until the start of UEFA EURO 2008™ on 7 June, the European Championship trophy and a multimedia cinema will be making 13 stops in the two host countries, Austria and Switzerland, including in all eight host cities. The event is part of an extensive promotional programme and is intended to get the fans into the right mood for the forthcoming main event.

UEFA President, Michel Platini, comments "The EURO Experience Tour gives football fans of all ages the opportunity to be part of this exciting European Football Championship. The Tour will be groundbreaking in its size, technology and its ability to bring a wonderful football experience to thousands of football fans."

For this purpose, the biggest inflatable tour tent in the world will be erected in the city centres (height: 14m; width: 40m; length: 60m, weight: 10t). One of the two domes contains an interactive action zone and the other a multimedia cinema. Entry is free for the fans to see a 25-minute film showing the spectacular action from the last 12 UEFA European Football Championships, the original Henri Delaunay trophy and an interactive multimedia area. The "EURO Experience Tour" should appeal to fans of all ages and will be open to the public from 09.00 to 18.00 every day.

The day before the tour opens in each of the cities concerned, the official UEFA EURO 2008™ hot-air balloon (height: 34.5m, volume: 3,440m3) will ascend to signal the countdown.

For more information about the EURO Experience Tour, contact:
Dominik Känel
Tel.: +49 895 454 7740
Email: dominik.kaenel@gloeckner-company.com

For more information about UEFA EURO 2008™, contact:
Euro 2008 SA, Media Desk
Tel.: +41 (0)22 707 2001
Email: media@euro2008.com

Facts and figures about the "EURO Experience Tour"

Tour calendar (13 stops)
January/February
Basel 28.01.2008 – 03.02.2008
Geneva 07.02.2008 – 10.02.2008
Zurich 21.02.2008 – 24.02.2008
Bern 28.02.2008 – 02.03.2008
March
Lausanne 06.03.2008 – 09.03.2008
Innsbruck 20.03.2008 – 23.03.2008
Linz 27.03.2008 – 30.03.2008
April
Klagenfurt 03.04.2008 – 06.04.2008
Salzburg 10.04.2008 – 16.04.2008
Graz 24.04.2008 – 27.04.2008
May
Lugano 01.05.2008 – 04.05.2008
Lucerne 08.05.2008 – 11.05.2008
June
Vienna 05.06.2008 – 29.06.2008

Programme
Generally, the tour is open to the public from 09.00 to 18.00. Depending on the time of day, however, different groups of visitors will be catered for in particular.
Morning: Schools, associations and clubs, other public institutions
Afternoon: General public
Evening: The tour can be used by UEFA EURO 2008™ partners, the host cities and media organisations for private events.

Tent structure
• Biggest inflatable tour tent in the world (14m high, 40 x 60m)
• 10,000m² of canvas will be used
• 2,000 panels, each unique
• Each dome weighs 5 tonnes

Transport and logistics
• 3 articulated lorries for transport
• About 10 tonnes transported
• Staff/number of people: 20

Hot-air balloon
• Height: 34.5m
• Volume: 3,440m³
• Diameter: 16.5m
• Weight: 240 kg
• Flight time: 2 hours
• Capacity: max. 3 people

European Championship trophy
• Named after the former UEFA general secretary Henri Delaunay
• Brand-new trophy for UEFA EURO 2008™
• Weight: 8kg
• Height: 60cm
• Material: Sterling silver
• Names of the European champions engraved on the back
• Value: about CHF 25,000/EUR 15,400