How to spend your World Cup trip

CAIRO – 17 December 2017: Egypt qualified to the 2018 World Cup in Russia to end a 28-year absence from the biggest event in soccer. Egyptians are expected to travel to Russia to support their national team in such a big event.

The World Cup draw was held on December 1 at the State Kremlin Palace in Moscow. The draw put Egypt in Group A alongside Uruguay, Saudi Arabia and the host nation, Russia.

Egypt will play the group stage games in three different cities. The team’s first game will see it against Uruguay on June 15 in Central Stadium, Yekaterinburg. Egypt’s second game will be against Russia on June 19 at the Krestovsky Stadium in Saint Petersburg.

The team’s third and last game in the first round will be against Saudi Arabia on June 25 at the Volgograd Arena in Volgograd.

The magic key to feel comfortable during your stay in Russia
Booking a ticket to one of the World Cup matches will help you a lot during your stay. Having a ticket will get you a Fan ID, which has many benefits.

Using your FAN ID, you can enter Russia without a visa, and you can also use all public transportation for free. In other words, this Fan ID will be your visa and your ticket.

How to spend your World Cup trip?

The cheapest way to travel to Yekaterinburg is booking a flight from Cairo to Moscow. The flight is expected to cost you about $600, while a direct flight from Cairo to Yekaterinburg is expected to cost $800.

Upon your arrival in Moscow, take a train from there to Yekaterinburg, a journey that is 1,755 km and 22 hours long.

Yekaterinburg, founded in 1723, is the fourth most populous city in Russia, with 1.4 million people, and is an important center for both sport and arts.

The Central Stadium in Yekaterinburg was founded in 1957 and was renovated between 2006 and 2011 in preparation for the World Cup. The stadium has a capacity of 35,696.

Accommodation in Yekaterinburg motels per person is expected to cost betwewen $10 and $15 per night.

You can spend your time in Yekaterinburg visiting the Church of All Saints, Historic Square and Water tower on Plotinka before watching the Egypt-Uruguay clash.

After Egypt’s first game against Uruguay, Egyptian fans will travel to Saint Petersburg to watch the game against the Russian team.

There are three nights separating the two games. Egyptian fans will spend about 24 hours in a train to reach Saint Petersburg, and they will have two nights to spend in the city until the game commences.

Saint Petersburg, 687 km north of Moscow, was founded in 1703 and is Russia’s second largest city, with a population of 5.2 million. It is known for its many tourist attractions. The city attracts 5 million tourists a year.
The Krestovsky Stadium has a capacity of 68,134 and was opened earlier in 2017. The stadium hosted the 2017 FIFA Confederation Cup final.

Accommodation in Saint Petersburg motels per person is expected to cost between $12 and $18 per night.

You can use your time in Saint Petersburg to visit the beautiful sights in the city, like the Hermitage Museum, Peterhof Palace, Church of the Savior on Blood, and St. Isaac's Cathedral State Museum.

Egyptians will spend about six days between their second game and their last group stage match against Saudi Arabia, which will be played in Volgograd.

Like the last two trips, it will take about 20 hours to arrive to the city.

Volgograd, founded in 1589, was known as Stalingrad until 1961. The city witnessed the famous “Battle of Stalingrad,” which played a huge role in the outcome of World War II.
The city is 941 km south of Moscow and it is a ecotouristic hub for the country. The Volgograd Arena is one of the venues for the World Cup, with a capacity of 45,568.

You are expected to spend the biggest period of your trip in Volgograd. In your five days there, you should visit The Motherland Calls' Sculpture; Mamayev Hill Monuments; The Eternal Flame; State Historical and Memorial Preserve The Battle of Stalingrad; and the Planetarium before the clash between Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

Accommodation in Saint Petersburg motels per person is expected to cost between $10 and $18 per night.