English football fans accuse Spanish hoteliers of ‘taking the mick' over prices
Tens of thousands of Manchester United and Tottenham supporters will descend on Bilbao in northern Spain for the match on May 21 if the teams successfully navigate their semi-final second legs on Thursday night.
Many have already made travel plans after both clubs recorded first-leg victories last week.
Most hotels in Bilbao are already fully booked and those with availability are charging high prices.
One supporters' group accused hoteliers of 'taking the mick'.
It certainly excludes some fans and leaves only those who are fortunate enough to be able to afford it Chris Rumfitt, Manchester United Supporters Trust
A double room for two people at the Ilunion San Mames hotel on the day of the match costs 4,500 euros (£3,821), with breakfast an extra 34 euros (£29).
The price for arriving 24 hours later is 133 euros (£113).
At Hesperia Bilbao, the cost is 3,056 euros (£2,595) on May 21, and 130 euros (£110) on May 22.
Axel Hotel Bilbao is charging 2,132 euros (£1,810) on May 21, and 183 euros (£155) a day later.
Hotel website Booking.com is warning consumers searching for a hotel room in Balbao on May 21 that '99% of places to stay are unavailable on our site'.
Supporters wanting to fly to Bilbao are also facing high prices.
The cheapest easyJet flights to the city ahead of the match cost £609 from Manchester and £772 from Gatwick.
The airline said its pricing is 'demand-led'.
Fans can save money by booking indirect flights or flying to other Spanish airports and completing their journey by other modes of transport.
Chris Rumfitt, a board member of Manchester United Supporters Trust, warned the price of accommodation and travel will prevent some people from attending the final.
He told the PA news agency: 'However much they'd love to go, some fans simply can't.
Manchester United and Tottenham are on track to meet in the Europa League final (John Walton/PA)
'It certainly excludes some fans and leaves only those who are fortunate enough to be able to afford it.'
He added: 'We haven't qualified yet but we are optimistic.
'Once again, the loyalty and passion of football fans to follow their team are being taken advantage of.
'Hotel owners are taking the mick.'
Some supporters are booking hotels in Santander, which is around a one-hour car journey from Bilbao.
The Ibis Styles Santander is offering a double room on May 21 for 178 euros (£151).
A Booking.com spokesperson said: 'Hotels and other accommodation providers are in full control of the availability and prices they list on Booking.com.
'We know that people want to travel for sport and other passions, and encourage our accommodation partners to act fairly and help everyone experience the world as easily as possible.'
An easyJet spokesperson said: 'Like other airlines, our pricing is demand-led, which means that our fares start low and increase as fewer seats are available.
'Many fans will have been able to book earlier with greater availability and fares from around £50, and the remaining fares on these flights are for the last few seats onboard.
'We have already added more seats from Manchester and London to Bilbao to support customer demand, and will continue to monitor demand to ensure we are providing as many options for fans as possible.'
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