Visiting Camp Nou

[yardy]

Hi all, I have the opportunity to visit the Camp Nou when Barcelona host Villarreal in October, i am wondering if any City fans have been before could help me with a few questions....

- how do you go about getting tickets, do i buy them before the game or wait until i get to the ground? 

- if i need to buy tickets online where is the best place to buy them?

- is it safe for my son?(10 years old),  the time of the game is yet to be arranged so would it still be safe if its a evening kick off?

Never been to a game abroad before so any help to make the experience more enjoyable/easier would be great, thanks in advance.

 

 

[Numero Uno]

5 minutes ago, yardy said:

Hi all, I have the opportunity to visit the Camp Nou when Barcelona host Villarreal in October, i am wondering if any City fans have been before could help me with a few questions....

- how do you go about getting tickets, do i buy them before the game or wait until i get to the ground? 

- if i need to buy tickets online where is the best place to buy them?

- is it safe for my son?(10 years old),  the time of the game is yet to be arranged so would it still be safe if its a evening kick off?

Never been to a game abroad before so any help to make the experience more enjoyable/easier would be great, thanks in advance.

 

 

Your son won’t have a problem. Not many matches in La Liga have more than a handful of away fans. Different culture and some of the travel distances are huge (to the point that even our famed friends up North would struggle to sell out and fill the car park). I would have thought good old google will point you in the right direction for tickets?

Edited September 18, 2022 by Numero Uno

[chinapig]

1 minute ago, yardy said:

Hi all, I have the opportunity to visit the Camp Nou when Barcelona host Villarreal in October, i am wondering if any City fans have been before could help me with a few questions....

- how do you go about getting tickets, do i buy them before the game or wait until i get to the ground? 

- if i need to buy tickets online where is the best place to buy them?

- is it safe for my son?(10 years old),  the time of the game is yet to be arranged so would it still be safe if its a evening kick off?

Never been to a game abroad before so any help to make the experience more enjoyable/easier would be great, thanks in advance.

 

 

When I took my young son there we did the stadium tour the day before the game and bought match day tickets from the ticket office at the same time. I imagine there will be outlets around Las Ramblas as well.

All entirely safe in my experience. Though Camp Nou is a bit of a dump these days!

[Bar BS3]

4 minutes ago, chinapig said:

When I took my young son there we did the stadium tour the day before the game and bought match day tickets from the ticket office at the same time. I imagine there will be outlets around Las Ramblas as well.

All entirely safe in my experience. Though Camp Nou is a bit of a dump these days!

Hardly "a dump"..! 

Yes, it's a little bit tired, compared to the best stadiums & that's why they are starting a massive refurbishment next season (playing at the Olympic stadium for a year or 2 whilst camp nou is revamped) 

 

[chinapig]

2 minutes ago, Bar BS3 said:

Hardly "a dump"..! 

Yes, it's a little bit tired, compared to the best stadiums & that's why they are starting a massive refurbishment next season (playing at the Olympic stadium for a year or 2 whilst camp nou is revamped) 

 

Well yes, nowhere near the quality of most major stadiums. There have also been significant structural and hygiene problems first identified in 2013 as I recall. Its current state is exactly why it needs massive costly refurbishment.

[Robbored]

Been to the Camp Nou several times. The last time was Barca v Espanol. We tried to follow Messi’s movements but lost him - then he was thru on goal! He scored a hat trick that day. We were sat in the middle tier and the pitch looked the size of postage stamp - no wonder we lost where Messi was!

Got the match tickets on the day from one of the numerous ticket booths around the stadium - bit of a queue but no big deal. Got chatting to a Dutch family, the teenage girl was wearing a van Persie shirt! They were there to watch Messi as well.

It was quite a climb to the middle tier which was a bit surprising until you got there!

The stadium is absolutely enormous but as others have said a little run down.

You’ll enjoy the visit, it’s a very decent day out.

[YorksRed]

When I visited many years ago, amongst other things there was a City pennant in their trophy cabinet.  I have no idea why!

[Bristol Rob]

59 minutes ago, chinapig said:

When I took my young son there we did the stadium tour the day before the game and bought match day tickets from the ticket office at the same time. I imagine there will be outlets around Las Ramblas as well.

All entirely safe in my experience. Though Camp Nou is a bit of a dump these days!

Bit of a dump...

Don't say that out loud otherwise the Fewers will apply to play there and claim they don't have the worst ground in the league.

[phantom]

1 hour ago, yardy said:

Hi all, I have the opportunity to visit the Camp Nou when Barcelona host Villarreal in October, i am wondering if any City fans have been before could help me with a few questions....

- how do you go about getting tickets, do i buy them before the game or wait until i get to the ground? 

- if i need to buy tickets online where is the best place to buy them?

- is it safe for my son?(10 years old),  the time of the game is yet to be arranged so would it still be safe if its a evening kick off?

Never been to a game abroad before so any help to make the experience more enjoyable/easier would be great, thanks in advance.

 

 

If you are staying in a holiday resort / hotel around Spain look on the notice board advertising trips they usually advertise a local coach / ticket package 

[chinapig]

16 minutes ago, Bristol Rob said:

Bit of a dump...

Don't say that out loud otherwise the Fewers will apply to play there and claim they don't have the worst ground in the league.

Perhaps Camp Nou will be upgraded with tents!

[Bristol Oil Services]

1 hour ago, yardy said:

 

Never been to a game abroad before so any help to make the experience more enjoyable/easier would be great, thanks in advance.

 

1 hour ago, Robbored said:

 

You’ll enjoy the visit, it’s a very decent day out.

My advice @yardy would be not to try and do it in a day, maybe stay overnight or better still, make a weekend of it. 

[Ska Junkie]

I went there just before covid and, while it was a great experience, the stadium is clearly crumbling in places with nets catching falling concrete.

That said, the matchday experience was very good.

[Robbored]

38 minutes ago, Bristol Oil Services said:

 

My advice @yardy would be not to try and do it in a day, maybe stay overnight or better still, make a weekend of it. 

We were staying in Barcelona on a 5 day City break along with some friends. We’ve been to Barcelona many times. It really is a stunning place. We love it there.

[cidered abroad]

Tickets on sale all over Barcelona.

The stadium can be visited on non match days. Walking down the road to the museum which is incorporated in the stadium, it's confusing how low the top of the stands are. Only about height of Atyeo or South stand. Inside museum is a door that allows you to look at the inside of the stadium. I won't spoil the surprise for you if you do the museum visit before you watch a match there.

Enjoy Barca, it's a great city with Sagrada Familia cathedral and plenty more Gaudi buildings. You must go to SF, it is awesome and still only half built a hundred of years after starting building.

Also go to the Market on Las Ramblas. Fish, fruit, veg, spices and herbs and some cracking restaurants/cafes.

@yardy

Plenty of culture, a place that I've been to several times and would go back again and again. The beach is good and only a few yards from Las Ramblas.

Edited September 18, 2022 by cidered abroad

[italian dave]

3 hours ago, YorksRed said:

When I visited many years ago, amongst other things there was a City pennant in their trophy cabinet.  I have no idea why!

Reckon that must have been just after one of @Robbored’s visits, and he snuck it in! 

[Robbored]

24 minutes ago, italian dave said:

Reckon that must have been just after one of @Robbored’s visits, and he snuck it in! 

Not me! We viewed the trophy cabinet but I don’t remember seeing a City pendant. Bought a couple of figures in  Barca colours tho. Bought another exactly the same at the Bernabeu in Real Madrid colours.

[Bar BS3]

3 hours ago, chinapig said:

Perhaps Camp Nou will be upgraded with tents!

I did the Nou Camp tour whilst on a weekend in Barcelona in June. 

There were models & images on display, of what the stadium will be like after the re-development. 

OK, it's still a far cry from the wonderful facilities at the Memorial stadium, but this is only Barcelona that we are talking about, so you can't really expect them to keep pace with the football galactico that is Bristol Rovers & their unstoppable rampage to the Premier league. 

[just like watching brazil]

You can also buy tickets online via clubs website it translates into English.you can also scan your tickets via your mobile phone.

[Simon bristol]

I did the exact same thing with my boy in the messi/ suarez days, we had the best time. Flew out of bristol on the sunday morning, checked into a little hotel 10 minutes walk away, then hung sround the stadium until the game,,, barca won 4-0, it was a sunday night game, and the close hotel was a godsend. Back the next day for the stadium tour, then back to the uk that evening. We booked the tickets on the official site to print at home, booked the hotel on bookings.com, and flights online in the usual way. I think attendances are up this season, so id be inclined to secure the tickets asap before committing to flights?

[Gilli74]

5 hours ago, yardy said:

Hi all, I have the opportunity to visit the Camp Nou when Barcelona host Villarreal in October, i am wondering if any City fans have been before could help me with a few questions....

- how do you go about getting tickets, do i buy them before the game or wait until i get to the ground? 

- if i need to buy tickets online where is the best place to buy them?

- is it safe for my son?(10 years old),  the time of the game is yet to be arranged so would it still be safe if its a evening kick off?

Never been to a game abroad before so any help to make the experience more enjoyable/easier would be great, thanks in advance.

 

 

I’m there that same week and I’ve just bought tickets for that game on the official Barca website, was all nice and easy !! And booked the stadium tour the day before too .. 

 

 

[Gilli74]

However as the game is tbc it could be the Weds or the Thurs eve 

[TV Tom]

When did it change it’s name to Camp Nou from the Nou Camp ?

[yardy]

4 minutes ago, harrys said:

When did it change it’s name to Camp Nou from the Nou Camp ?

I have always known it as the Nou Camp but for some reason its changed over recent years, maybe us English have always called it wrong?

Thanks for all the help everyone, much appreciated 

[Welcome To The Jungle]

5 minutes ago, harrys said:

When did it change it’s name to Camp Nou from the Nou Camp ?

It's always been the Camp Nou, though Nou Camp is acceptable in Catalonian grammar. As it translates into English as 'New Ground', we often chose to use the more Anglo version, as we wouldn't say the 'ground new'. However there is a trend recently to actually call things by it's proper name which is probably a good thing.

Source: Chatting to a semi-professional local who worked nights at the Barcelona hostel I was staying in.

6 hours ago, yardy said:

Hi all, I have the opportunity to visit the Camp Nou when Barcelona host Villarreal in October, i am wondering if any City fans have been before could help me with a few questions....

- how do you go about getting tickets, do i buy them before the game or wait until i get to the ground? 

- if i need to buy tickets online where is the best place to buy them?

- is it safe for my son?(10 years old),  the time of the game is yet to be arranged so would it still be safe if its a evening kick off?

Never been to a game abroad before so any help to make the experience more enjoyable/easier would be great, thanks in advance.

 

 

 

Buy them in advance on the official site (it translates into English). Tickets are expensive to be prepared to sit in the upper tier.

Spanish football culture is not a very violent one and you'll have no problems taking your son. Watch any el clasico game and you'll see opposition fans in the wrong end, in full colours, openly celebrating.

[AshtonGreat]

5 hours ago, Robbored said:

Been to the Camp Nou several times. The last time was Barca v Espanol. We tried to follow Messi’s movements but lost him - then he was thru on goal! He scored a hat trick that day. We were sat in the middle tier and the pitch looked the size of postage stamp - no wonder we lost where Messi was!

Got the match tickets on the day from one of the numerous ticket booths around the stadium - bit of a queue but no big deal. Got chatting to a Dutch family, the teenage girl was wearing a van Persie shirt! They were there to watch Messi as well.

It was quite a climb to the middle tier which was a bit surprising until you got there!

The stadium is absolutely enormous but as others have said a little run down.

You’ll enjoy the visit, it’s a very decent day out.

I realise you're exaggerating there, but I don't get this idea that being high up in a stadium means that players look like dots. I went to the new Spurs stadium recently and was quite high up - the pitch still looked really big.

By the way, lucky you for getting to see a Messi hattrick in person!

[The Dolman Pragmatist]

Don’t bother with the shop at the Nou Camp unless you’ve taken out a second mortgage!

[Henry]

2 hours ago, Robbored said:

Not me! We viewed the trophy cabinet but I don’t remember seeing a City pendant. Bought a couple of figures in  Barca colours tho. Bought another exactly the same at the Bernabeu in Real Madrid colours.

You’ve got a bit of history supporting two rival teams  haven’t you?

[Robbored]

33 minutes ago, AshtonGreat said:

I realise you're exaggerating there, but I don't get this idea that being high up in a stadium means that players look like dots. I went to the new Spurs stadium recently and was quite high up - the pitch still looked really big.

By the way, lucky you for getting to see a Messi hattrick in person!

The second two were penalties. The second one decidedly dodgy.

We were in middle tier and setting sun was right opposite us so we spent a good 15mins squinting or with hands shading our eyes.

We wanted a beer before the game, there were loads of people carrying beers around so I asked where to get them from. Went in to the bar and asked for two beers - the guy shook his head and pointed to the wall clock. Apparently they stop serving 45 mins before the game! We ended up going without…….……..

[AshtonGreat]

3 minutes ago, Robbored said:

The second two were penalties. The second one decidedly dodgy.

We were in middle tier and setting sun was right opposite us so we spent a good 15mins squinting or with hands shading our eyes.

We wanted a beer before the game, there were loads of people carrying beers around so I asked where to get them from. Went in to the bar and asked for two beers - the guy shook his head and pointed to the wall clock. Apparently they stop serving 45 mins before the game! We ended up going without…….……..

Haha well at least it was an unforgettable experience for one reason or another!

[Bar BS3]

17 minutes ago, Robbored said:

The second two were penalties. The second one decidedly dodgy.

We were in middle tier and setting sun was right opposite us so we spent a good 15mins squinting or with hands shading our eyes.

We wanted a beer before the game, there were loads of people carrying beers around so I asked where to get them from. Went in to the bar and asked for two beers - the guy shook his head and pointed to the wall clock. Apparently they stop serving 45 mins before the game! We ended up going without…….……..

Didn't they announce than on the tannoy, or couldn't you hear it clearly..?