I went to Germany for the Euros as a Scotland fan. Here’s how it went.

I’m a lifelong football fan, so when Scotland qualified for the Euros for only the second time in 26 years, I had to be there to watch them. 

I travelled to Germany alongside 100,000 other Scottish fans for the tournament’s group stage and followed the team around for their last two games. 

Spoiler alert: Scotland got eliminated from the tournament. But like many other Scottish supporters, I didn’t expect anything else. So, I still managed to enjoy the atmosphere and I got to explore parts of Germany I’d never seen before. 

Not everything went to plan – here are my highs and lows of the trip:

⚽ What are Euros?

The Euros are held every 4 years. 24 national teams who have made it through qualifying rounds compete in a month-long tournament. This year’s competition is being held in Germany. The final will be played on Sunday 14 July.

The Football

We arrived in Germany without tickets to a single match, after they had all sold out in minutes online. With the number of Scotland fans in Germany (estimated to be around 100,000!), I wasn’t optimistic about finding any there. 

Yet to my delight, we managed to snatch up tickets for the Ukraine vs Slovakia match, and more amazingly, for Scotland’s final group game against Hungary.

The stadiums for both matches were world-class. They were well-linked with public transport and offered great views of the pitch, no matter where you were sitting. 

The atmosphere was electric inside both grounds. At the Scotland match, we were seated closer to Hungarian fans, who chanted, sang and roared throughout the 90 minutes. Yet Scottish fans managed to cut through the noise with passionate, pleading renditions of our national anthem, Flower of Scotland. 

In the end, the Scottish National Team didn’t perform. But taking the losses is part of being a football fan, and it was still incredible to watch such an important game in person.

The Fan Zones

Germany has set up public viewings for fans without match tickets, which is a great option if you want to soak up the matchday atmosphere. The zones are free to enter but will close at maximum capacity, so I would recommend heading there early ahead of big games, especially when Germany plays. 

It always felt like a party in the fan zones, especially when Scotland scored early on against Switzerland and I got covered in beer. Fans of different countries mix easily, win, lose or draw. 

There are fan zones in each of Germany’s ten host cities. The 3 I visited were well-designed with plenty of amenities. Many of the zones have games and attractions on offer alongside the big screens. You can take penalties and have a go at Teqball in Stuttgart, and play human foosball in Cologne. 

The real hidden gem of my visit to the fan zone in Hamburg was stumbling across the Homeless Euros. 

This competition runs in parallel with the Euros and involves players from 8 countries around Europe who are homeless. The tournament is run by donations and is intended to share the love of football with disadvantaged men and women. 

Fan zones are available in:

• Berlin
• Munich
• Frankfurt
• Cologne
• Hamburg
• Dortmund
• Düsseldorf
• Leipzig
• Gelsenkirchen 
• Stuttgart

The Fans

I felt like I stumbled across everyone I have ever known in Germany. 

I ran into family members, colleagues, and my next-door neighbour. The Scottish fan base – or the Tartan Army – was widely welcomed by locals. Many fans were joyous about simply being involved in an international tournament. 

Fans of other teams were also warm and friendly. Hungarians shook my hand and wished me luck before we played against them; Germans asked kilted Scots for selfies. Overall the large majority of fans got on well with each other, gently poking fun at their neighbours by breaking spaghetti in front of Italians, for example. 

However, I have to add a caveat. As a woman surrounded by mostly male fans, I didn’t always feel welcome. 

I witnessed several incidents of sexist, racist and homophobic behaviour: language which I have rarely heard in 20 years of attending football matches. It saddened and sickened me, and soured what was otherwise a very positive experience.

The Cities

On days we weren’t attending matches or watching Scotland play, we got to explore some beautiful parts of Germany. We arrived in and departed from Hamburg, which was such a stunning city that I was sorry not to spend more time there. 

Later on, we stayed in the vastly underrated city of Wuppertal, near Cologne. Wuppertal is a scenic city, with great views from the hilltop botanic gardens. It is also unique in Germany, and possibly the world, for its suspension monorail which follows the river from above. 

In Mannheim, I took some time out from the tournament to visit the Baroque Palace and wander down the banks of the magnificent river Rhine. 

Scotland played its last two group-stage matches in Cologne and Stuttgart, and I followed them there. While there wasn’t much time for typical tourist hotspots, I was still left impressed by the beautiful architecture of the cities. 

The Tartan Army congregated in possibly the most striking square in Cologne – dominated by the incredible Cologne Cathedral. 

The local beer in Cologne, Kölsch, is often served in tall, thin glasses with a big head. It came highly recommended by Kölner (people from Cologne) and I can understand why: it’s crisp and refreshing. A definite must-try for beer lovers!

The Transport

Germany has a well-established public transport network and so I was hopeful of smooth transport connections.

I purchased a Deutschlandticket, which costs €49 for a month and covers all regional and local transport, including rail, bus, underground and Wuppertal’s monorail. This felt like a bargain. 

Long-distance rail is run through the operator Deutsche Bahn. I have to say – I was disappointed in Deutsche Bahn trains. They were frequently late for no apparent reason and very expensive. 

Fans with match tickets have access to 2 discounted long-distance train tickets for €30 each, but these have to be booked a day in advance and only cover a 36-hour period before and after the game. 

In retrospect, I would have based myself in just one city to avoid having to take long-distance trains. 

Germany is a true footballing nation, and it shows. I’ve never attended a festival which was so well-organised, never mind a national, month-long tournament.

Urban transport links to and from the stadiums were efficient and timely, despite the number of fans travelling. Fan zones were capable of hosting tens of thousands of supporters without issue. 

More than anything else, the general buzz in the streets was electric. 

Fans of all nations sang and partied together. Many Scottish fans were just happy to be involved at all, even if our team arguably should have played far better. Germany was a credit to itself as host, and the Tartan Army certainly made the most of it. 

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Are you travelling for the knock-out stages or did you visit Germany for the group stage? Let me know in the comments!

Next, read Laura’s article: I plan my trips abroad around sports events. Here’s why you should, too.