Soccer: Firms charging thousands for World Cup packages

Irish soccer fans planning to follow their international squad to this summer’s World Cup finals in the Far East look like having to pay heavily for the privilege.

Initial indications are that supporters will face minimum 5,000 euro bills before the first ball is kicked in Japan and Korea.

Prices on offer in Dublin for soccer enthusiasts making early plans to head for the orient range from 4,500 euros for a 12-day package, not including the cost of match tickets - set to be priced at 220 euros a time - or meals and drinks.

Already, though, there are indications that many fans have not been put off by those prices, and bookings have started to flood into the holiday companies offering soccer deals.

One travel agency reported: ‘‘Even at this relatively early stage - with nearly five months to go before the first games are played - we have had a lot of corporate bookings for groups between 40 and 100 people.

‘‘Things are slower on the individual front, because more detailed arrangements have to be made.

‘‘But we have still had a lot of telephone calls and expect to be busier in the coming weeks as ticket allocations are made.’’

In some cases it will be a few weeks yet before firms issue full offers for the football bonanza, and others are waiting to publish deal details that will become available if manager Mick McCarthy’s team progress beyond the first round of the finals.

Many of the fans are merging their World Cup watching plans with more ambitious travelling programmes in the part of the world where the tournament is being staged.

A spokesperson for Dublin-based long-haul travel specialists Colette Pearson said: ‘‘The ultimate destination is usually Australia, and they are making the most of the journey project by stopping off in Tokyo to watch the World Cup.’’