Irish fans face daunting trip full of hassle

SITUATED ON the Adriatic on the heel of the "Italian boot" in the deep south, Bari is first and foremost a commercial port city trading with Greece, Croatia and other ex-East Bloc countries. With a population of approximately 320,000, Bari is the second biggest city in southern Italy after Naples.

Irish fans intending to organise their own travel to Bari are probably best advised to go via London, Rome or Milan since there are no direct scheduled flights from Ireland.

Ryanair offer a three-hour flight from Stanstead (not every day) to Bari's Palese airport, whilst Alitalia offer daily, 90-minute flights from both Linate and Malpensa airports in Milan.

Fans can also reach Bari by train from Rome.

Alitalia offers daily flight connections whilst Trenitalia offers a variety of trains at the relatively cheap price of €41 for a second-class ticket. The Rome-Bari flight lasts one hour and 10 minutes, whilst the train trip takes four and a quarter hours.

Those fans who intend to travel from Rome to Bari by car should be aware that the distance is about 700 kilometres and that the trip takes approximately seven hours in normal traffic conditions. Hotel rooms may be in short supply so fans might be well advised to book early.

Bari is mainly famous for being one of the exit doors of Italy, where travellers leave on ferries for neighbouring countries.

The city authorities, however, have been trying to raise its tourism profile and awareness of Bari's old town, which has retained its ancient medieval plan and contains many historic buildings and sites.

Tourists visiting Bari, especially those who wander around the city's medieval centre, are often advised to be wary of pickpockets.

The San Nicola Stadium is home to AS Bari who have spent many seasons bouncing between the top two divisions in Italian football; Serie A and Serie B, they currently play in the latter.

This handsome structure was designed by world-renowned architect Renzo Piano, the man who designed the Pompidou Centre in Paris.

Built as an entirely new stadium for the 1990 World Cup finals, the San Nicola (which takes its name after the city's patron saint, St Nicholas) is a 58,000 seater complete with a little-used running track. Visibility, if slightly distant, is good.

With average temperatures in April around 17 degrees the hassle of getting there should be worth it - especially with the right result.