England fans lead charge to attend Euros with most flights booked

England fans are packing their St George’s flags and passports in droves ahead of the Euros, having booked more flights than any other nation ahead of the tournament.

Roughly 17 per cent of bookings to the ten German cities hosting Europe’s biggest footballing occasion have been made from the UK, with the Three Lions billed as one of the favourites to win the historic trophy.

There has been a 203 per cent increase in flights booked from Britain, according to leading online travel agent Opodo.

Research by the travel agency has revealed a 39 per cent increase in all bookings to Germany between June 14 and July 14 compared to the same period in 2023.

England will be playing their group-stage games in Gelsenkirchen, Frankfurt and Cologne, with most UK travellers booking three or four-day trips.

In the UK the Government has announced that pubs will be able to extend their opening hours until 1am if England or Scotland make the semi-finals of the tournament.

Venues will be allowed to stay open for an extra two hours on match days if either or both teams reach the last four – or the final – to give fans a chance to celebrate or commiserate.

The move, which covers venues in England and Wales, comes after a consultation at the end of last year and is hoped to provide a boost to the hospitality industry.

The semi-finals are currently scheduled to take place on Tuesday July 9 and Wednesday July 10, with the final taking place on Sunday July 14.

England fell short of European glory in the final of the Covid-delayed Euro 2020 after losing to Italy in the final.

If the team manages to go one better this summer, it will be the first major trophy won by the country since the World Cup in 1966.