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St Gallen vs Swansea City

Advice for fans travelling to see the St Gallen vs Swansea City match on 12th December 2013.

From:
Foreign & Commonwealth Office
Published
9 December 2013
This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government
football team

Date: 12th December 2013

Venue: AFG Arena, St. Gallen

Kick off time: 19:00 hrs (local time)

Please see our advice below and check out our travel advice for Switzerland

Passports and visas

Please check your passports and visas:

  • if you’re a British Citizen or British Subject with Right of Abode in the United Kingdom, you will not need a visa to enter Switzerland
  • other British passport holders should check entry requirements with the nearest Swiss Diplomatic mission
  • your passport should be valid for the proposed duration of your stay, no additional period of validity beyond this is required
  • please ensure your passport is kept safe
  • in case of lost or stolen passports, please contact the British Embassy in Berne
  • adequate travel insurance should be obtained prior to travelling
  • remember your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) but also take out travel insurance, even if you’re only going for one night - it could save you a lot of money if you get into difficulties

Getting to the stadium

Advice for getting to the stadium:

  • the stadium, which has capacity of 19,694, is unusual in that it has a huge and very smart shopping complex underneath it, Thursday night is also late shopping at the complex, so heavy traffic is expected
  • the ground is situated just out of the city centre next to the A1 motorway (Exit St. Gallen Winkeln), but there are excellent local bus and train services to the stadium
  • the following public bus lines go directly to the AFG Arena: Gossau - Afg Arena - St.Gallen Bahnhof (Bus 151) Herisau - Winkeln - Afg Arena - Abtwil Säntispark (Bus 158)
  • the railway station Winkeln is located in a walking distance from the stadium
  • Zurich Airport is about 1 hr 15 mins by train
  • St. Gallen Public transport map

At the match

Advice for at the match:

  • Swansea supporters will be located in section B4
  • entry will be by electronic scanning of the ticket and then body search by stewards
  • it is predicted that it will take around an hour for all spectators to be searched
  • you are strongly advised to get to the stadium early
  • prohibited items include bottles, also excessively large banners or flag poles are not permitted
  • people who are drunk or behaving in an inappropriate manner will not be permitted entry and could face arrest
  • catering facilities are available in the visitors section throughout the match where payments can be made using local currency
  • there are toilets provided
  • Swansea supporters will be held back for a short period at the end of the match

Tips

Some useful tips:

  • Switzerland is generally a safe country but common sense precautions should be taken when in crowded city areas and on local transport as pick pockets do operate
  • keep your valuables and bags safe

British Embassy address and telephone numbers

British Embassy Berne
Thunstrasse 50
3005 Berne
Switzerland

Telephone +41 (0)31 359 7700 (also for out of hours emergencies)

Office hours: Monday to Friday: 8.30am to 12.30pm and 1.30pm to 5.00pm

Emergency services numbers:

Public Emergency Line 112

Published 9 December 2013

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