NCA launch Euro 2012 Survival Kit
Credit:
The National Consumer Agency (NCA) has launched its Euro 2012 survival kit to help prepare football fans planning on travelling to this summer’s European Championships. The online survival kit contains the NCA’s Euro 2012 budget planner, which has been especially designed to help fans plan ahead for the cost of the trip.
The budget planner sets out the main expenses such as the cost of tickets, flights, and accommodation and also some of the less obvious costs, for example, the cost of using a mobile phone abroad. As well as a budget planner, the online kit contains information on the different travel options available, health and travel insurance and using your cards abroad.
Ann Fitzgerald, Chief Executive of the NCA explained “This is an exciting time for football fans in Ireland, as it’s the first international football tournament that we have qualified for in some time. It's important for fans planning on making the trip over to Poland to plan ahead not just for their travel arrangements but also to make sure they budget and plan ahead for the cost of the trip. With less than six months to kick off, we estimate that it could cost from €2,800 to attend the first three Ireland matches. Planning ahead financially can help fans work out how much they can afford to spend and spread the cost of paying for the trip.”
The Euro 2012 survival kit has money saving tips to make sure fans get the most out of their budget and information on roaming charges for using mobile phones during the trip. The survival kit also warns fans to be “scam savvy” this summer and to be aware of fraudulent ticket sellers and possible scams before and during their trip.
Ms Fitzgerald commented “We would urge anyone hoping to attend the matches to be vigilant and to purchase tickets from the official UEFA site or through an FAI appointed travel agent. Fans should avoid purchasing tickets from unofficial reselling sites where they could end up paying out a large sum of money for a ticket that might not exist or isn't accepted when they try to enter the stadium. We would also advise consumers when they are booking accommodation or travel packages to book from reputable sites and agencies. If in doubt, don’t hand over any money or provide personal details.”
The NCA has lots of information on budgeting and saving available at www.nca.ie. The site has an online budget planner to help consumers get to grips with their income and outgoings and work out how much they can afford to spend on the trip. It also has a regular savings cost comparison for fans planning on saving up for the trip and information and cost comparisons on loans and credit card charges for those that plan to borrow to pay for the trip.
For those unable to travel this summer, Extratime.ie will be bringing you full coverage of the Euro 2012 tournament.
