The UEFA European Football Championship takes place only every four years with this year’s event to be co-hosted in Poland and Ukraine from 8 June to 1 July, 2012. With the high number of applications for tickets made available to the public through the UEFA official website, in addition to the number of tickets that had already been sold through March of this year, there will likely be thousands of fans traveling to this event.
Matches will be held in four cities in Poland; including Gdansk, Poznan, Warsaw and Wroclaw. In Ukraine, matches will take place in Donetsk, Kharviv, Kyiv and Lviv.
All tickets for the 2012 UEFA Champions League final are sold only through UEFA.com and the UEFA advises all fans to refrain from purchasing tickets or hospitality packages from sellers who are not authorized to do so as they may be fraudulent. In this case your admission to the stadium will be refused.
Travel advice
Football fans travelling to these events are advised to take the following travel precautions, according to the World Health Organization.
Insurance
Before traveling to Poland, be sure to obtain a European Health Insurance Card or EHIC. This card will allow you access to state-provided healthcare in all European Economic Area countries at a reduced charge, or in some cases free of charge. Most non-urgent conditions are not covered, and this should be considered for emergency use only.
Poland’s standard of medical care is equivalent to that found in the United Kingdom with both private medical facilities and staff well-qualified. Those traveling to the Ukraine should be aware that the medical establishments in that country are not up to UK standards, although private facilities typically provide better care.
Prior to travel, you should ensure that all your vaccinations are up to date, especially measles and rubella.
Traveller’s diarrhea
Prevent traveller’s diarrhea that comes from food and water-borne illness by taking personal hygiene precautions. It is one of the most common health problems experienced by travellers, and can ruin your entire vacation. Illnesses such as cholera, hepatitis A and typhoid are also spread by food and contaminated water.
If you do get diarrhea be sure to drink more safe fluids including bottled water and avoid drinking coffee, sweetened drinks and alcohol. If symptoms are severe or last more than three days you should see medical help right away.
Other special concerns
Tobacco is banned at EURO 2012, including the sale, use and promotion. There are also strict laws in place in both Poland and the Ukraine in regard to the possession and distribution of recreational drugs, and you’ll risk immediate imprisonment if caught with any illegal substances.
Schedule
The event will begin on 8 June, 2012 in Warsaw, Poland at the National Stadium Warsaw with a match between Poland and Greece as well as a match between Russia and the Czech Republic at the Municipal Stadium Wroclaw in Wroclaw, Poland. For a complete schedule, visit the UEFA site here.
What you should know about Poland
Poland is located in central Europe and borders Belarus, the Czech Republic, Germany, Lithuania, Russia, Slovakia. It has a population of 40 million people and became a member of the European Union in 2004. Some might consider the typical food found here as the ultimate comfort food with much of it especially hearty fare.
Bigos is a Polish specialty; a meaty stew that is slowed cooked with sauerkraut and pickled cabbage, and Pierogi is also popular here. Pierogi are dumplings that usually contain meat or cabbage with mushrooms.
What you should know about Ukraine
Ukraine became an independent country in 1991 and is home to about 46 million people. It borders the Russian Federation to the east and northeast, Belarus to the northwest, Poland, Slovakia and Hungary to the west, Romania and Moldova to the southwest, and the Black Sea and Sea of Azov to the south and southeast.
Ukrainian dishes are also rather hearty, with national specialties including peasant dishes with salo (salted park fat), yuska, which is a meat of fish soup and chicken kyiv. Borsht is the most popular cuisine here, typically made with beetroot, salo and herbs and served with bread. A few variations have been added to improve upon it, including stuffed dumplings as well as kruschenyky, which is beef with prunes, bacon and cabbage.
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