Shakhtar v Atalanta: important info for Nerazzurri fans travelling to Gelsenkirchen
Routes, parking lots, means of transport, rules in force at the Veltins-Arena...
In view of the upcoming Shakhtar Donetsk v Atalanta outing, here is some useful information for all Nerazzurri fans who will be travelling to Gelsenkirchen for the UEFA Champions League MD2.
Blocks V and W of the stadium are reserved for Atalanta fans.
The Veltins-Arena can be reached by bus or car either via the Ruhr area motorways or highways. Namely,:
- By taking the exits number 6 (Gelsenkirchen-Buer) and 7 (Herten) of the A2 highway;
- By taking the exit number 17 (Gelsenkirchen-Schalke) of the A42 highway;
All three motorway exits will grant direct access to the Area AufSchalke. The routes to the stadium are signposted from the junctions along the way.
Car and bus parking areas for visiting supporters can be reached through Berni-Klodt-Weg (check the location HERE)
As for buses, the appointed parking accommodation will be the Gelsenwasser car park, for which there is a parking fee of 20 euros.
Cars can be parked at the E2 car park instead: the fee can be paid either at one of the pay machines or conveniently via the APCOA app. Parking will be free of charge from two hours before kick-off.
The use of public transport is free of charge in the whole Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Ruhr (vrr.de) area. From Gelsenkirchen central station (Hauptbahnhof) the tram stop is underground. Take the 302 to Gelsenkirchen-Buer and leave the tram at the VELTINS-Arena stop. The journey takes approx. 15 minutes. The return way is again via tram 302, the last train runs at 00:39.
Opening times The Away Fan Zone will open two hours before kick-off (namely, at 16:45 CEST).
Prohibited Articles The following items cannot be brought into the Stadium: bags and suitcases over A4, smoke canisters, fireworks, flares and bottles
Bags Only small handheld bags and suitcases, which do not exceed A4 size, will be permitted in the stadium.
Smoking Policy Smoking is prohibited in all areas.
Payments Being the Veltis-Arena a cashless venue, contactless payments using EC, debit or credit cards (including mobile phone payments such as ApplePay, GooglePay, etc) are required in all areas. Cash payment will not be accepted.
Tickets Fans are advised to print PDF tickets in A4 size too.
Fan zones and meeting point The designated meeting point for Atalanta fans is in the centre of Gelsenkirchen-Buer near Sankt-Urbanus-Kirchplatz. 5, 45894 Gelsenkirchen (click HERE for the general location), no fan-zone near the stadium has been set for the game.
All useful information about the stadium, in addition to regulations and any other relevant documents, are available HERE
Please also note that it is strictly forbidden to occupy and restrict access to the access stairs within the stadium. In the event of a breach of any of the aforementioned provisions, the Club will be sanctioned by UEFA.
For further information, please check Shakhtar Donetsk's official website.