Serie A Savers… How UK Fans Planned a 24-Hour Como Trip for £150

Five Como fans from the UK set out to see how quickly – and cheaply – they could travel to the lake and back for a Serie A match.

The target was one day, for £150. Here’s how they got on.

It was a 2am start for Jules King and his group, as the bleary-eyed travellers left hometown Derby for a two-hour drive to Stansted Airport and a 6am Ryanair flight to Milan.

At £44 a return, the cost of the flight softened the blow of the early rise and they touched down in Italy at 9.05am.

So far, so good and from Malpensa Airport, the train to Como is usually easy enough, at about £13 for a return ticket and a journey lasting about an hour.

“That was when we hit a bit of a stumbling block,” said Jules, a 49-year-old technician for the ambulance service, who runs the UK Como Supporters Club. “We were supposed to change at Sarrono but there was a last-minute train strike so when we got there, there was no connection.

“That was a worry and we were concerned about getting back.”

A quick SOS call saved the day. 

“We’ve met a lot of local Como fans since we started going over and one of them came to pick us up,” Jules explained. “We got to Como around midday and had time for a couple of pints in Birratrovo, a bar in the city. 

“Well, the guys did. I was driving to and from the airport at home. But with it being a one-day trip they didn’t go mad with the beers.

“The Italians we catch up with like English teams so we always swap programmes, stickers, pin badges. We had pizza at La Svolta and went to Bar Pino next to the stadium as well.”

It was a 3pm kick-off against Bologna and Jules, two friends, his son and his friend, headed into the Sinigaglia in plenty of time for the pre-match buzz.

“We got our flags up,” he said. “We were in the Distini Centrale – that’s the stand across from the main stand – with our backs to the lake, almost right on the halfway line. They were great seats.

“We had no idea when the trains would be back on but we got one just after 6pm and made the 9.30pm flight back no bother. I walked back through my front door shortly before 2am.”

Martin Baturina’s last-gasp leveller to secure a 1-1 draw for Como only added to the day’s drama, and wrote a new chapter in Jules’ love story with the Lariani.

He’s been keeping an eye on them for about 15 years, since a friend returned from holidaying by the lake, raving about the little old stadium perched on its shore. And no wonder. Apart from the lake itself, which can be seen from some sections of the stadium, the Sinigaglia also offers stunning views of the mountains.

“We’ve been following their results for a long time and were due to go over a few years ago, but Covid hit and it was delayed,” Jules explained. “We’ve been a few times now though.

“We love going, staying over and having a few beers. But this time we wanted to explore a budget trip to see if we could do it in a day.

“Doing it in almost exactly 24 hours, it was tiring but we’re looking at other options to do it again.”

Jules has set his sights on shaving a few hours off next time as lessons have been learned. The January flights were the cheapest they’ve had since they started travelling to Italy. And booking this type of trip is much easier at certain times of the season, due to when the Italian league confirms kick-offs across a weekend.

After the first few weeks of the campaign, Serie A schedules fixtures up until the end of the year. Then, after the next few matches are sorted for early in the new year, kick-off times for matches in February are not confirmed until late January because teams are still in European competition.

The alternative when planning a trip is hedging your bets and booking a whole weekend around the fixture you fancy, which could be played Friday night, Saturday, Sunday or even Monday. But the 24-hour operation certainly has its benefits.

Jules added: “You can do an away trip like this and not take any time off work or school. It’s all about timing, just watching for the fixtures and keeping an eye on the flights.”

His top tip? 

“We have airports closer to us than Stansted – East Midlands flies to Bergamo – but it would have meant a longer journey at the other end. So, do the longest bit of the journey at the home end, especially if you don’t speak the language where you’re going.”

Despite not speaking Italian, there’s never been a problem.

“We’ve always been welcomed in Como and we’ve chatted to many people,” says Jules. “The fans are great. The place just has a nice vibe about it.

“We’ve got a good relationship with them. The guy who gave us a lift from Sarrono… A couple of years ago he picked my son up in Milan and took him back. Just to help. It’s brilliant. My son was only 17 at the time so it was a really nice touch.

“One of our guys made us each a scarf. Everyone was asking about these scarves so we decided to print a few more and sell them. 

“The money went to a charity in Como (Fondazione GB Scalabrini). We raised about £1,000. They work with disadvantaged kids and the money helped pay for sports classes.”

Looking into next season, Como travelling to England is on Jules’ wish list.

“It’s exciting… if Como qualify for Europe I would love to meet all the UK fans at a game. Fingers crossed.”

COST BREAKDOWN OF A 24-HOUR TRIP

• Return flight from London to Milan – £44
• Train from Milan to Como – £13
• Como vs Bologna ticket – £60
• Airport parking – £24 (split between five)
• Car charge – £35 (split between five)
• Food and drink – £25

• TOTAL – £153.80