Irish rugby fans pay price for crunch Cardiff tie

Rugby fans looking for a last-minute trip to Cardiff this weekend will have to dig deep — as hotel rooms will cost an average of €1,664 for anyone hoping to book in on Saturday night.

According to the Trivago hotel price index prepared each month by hotel search site trivago.ie, hotel prices in the Welsh capital have soared by 960% from the monthly average of €157 for this weekend’s Rugby World Cup quarter-finals.

If you fancy making the trip just for the Sunday night of the Ireland v Argentina showdown, the average price of a hotel room is €702 — 347% higher than the monthly average.

Given the importance of the game, which kicks off at 1pm on Sunday, Irish fans will likely take any floor or couch they can get, considering most of the hotels and B&Bs in the city are already booked out.

A quick search of some of the online booking sites reveals some astronomical prices.

To stay in the Village Urban Resort — some 6km outside of Cardiff — on Saturday night, you’ll have to fork out a cool €2,664 for the night. If you stay on after Ireland’s game against Argentina, the two nights will cost you just €3,000. If you are willing to stay a little farther away from Cardiff in Bristol, hotel rooms are going for around €600 a night.

If you thought getting a bed for a night was bad, try booking a flight.

Travelling with Aer Lingus from Cork to Bristol on Saturday and returning Monday was going for around €460 yesterday. From Dublin Airport, a flight was going for €620.

However, if you think getting to Cardiff is looking a pretty tasking challenge on your wallet, the World Cup semi-final, should we get there, is also looking a pretty pricey proposition.

Flying from Cork to London on the weekend of that game will cost you around €353 with Cityjet if you booked yesterday, while Aer Lingus is charging between €323 and €883 depending on what time of the day you fly.

Similarly if you fly from Dublin, you’ll pay €424 with Cityjet or between €257 and €759 with Aer Lingus.

Trivago UK and Ireland public relations officer David Lintott said the price hikes for Cardiff were the most extreme they have ever reported.

“The hotel price increases in Cardiff for this weekend’s Rugby World Cup quarter-finals are unprecedented, and the most extreme we have ever reported for a UK event,” he said.

“Earlier this month, Trivago reported that a night in London during the Rugby World Cup would cost an average of €326. At €1,664, the average price for a hotel room in Cardiff ahead of Ireland’s Rugby World Cup quarter-final is 410% higher than the London average — despite London being the UK’s most expensive city for a hotel stay.”

A study by Goeuro.ie last month found that taking travel, tickets, accommodation, and food and drink into account, fans can expect to pay between around €4,000 and €20,000 to follow the team — depending on how much they are willing to slum it.