Cashing in on Fans

Polish families are cashing in on Euro 2012 by bunking up with relatives and renting out their flats to supporters.

With prices starting at 50 euro per night, Neighbours on Matches 2012 – an association of Polish residents in the Euro 2012 cities – may come to the rescue of cash-strapped football fans.

The group, which hopes to make money while charging “manageable rates” have a wide range of accommodation types including flats in Krakow and houses in Gdańsk.

For most games the group offer a double room for 50 euro per night, and for those who want a more ‘rough and ready’ experience, a trailer for three is going for 100 euro. A tidy saving compared to the 500 euro plus asked by hotels for the same nights.

The collective was the brainchild of a couple from Gdańsk who operate a website offering everything from budget rooms to luxury villas in Warsaw, Gdańsk, Poznań, Wrocław and Krakow.

Bolesław Siedlecki, accommodation manager for Wrocław and Krakow, said providing a friendly service and getting rid of false stereotypes are at the forefront of the movement, especially after he was asked by an English customer if “Polish people use refrigerators.”

Cash is not the only currency though, with one poster volunteering his apartment “in exchange for arranging a job in the Isles” and another offering a flat swap for accommodation during the London Olympics.

Collectives like Neighbours are slowly gaining momentum in Poland and with Wizzair hammering flight prices to Central Europe this summer, there may be some hope for football fans put off by the expensive of traveling to Poland for the games.