World Cup Final Stadium Ranked Worst for Fan Access

A new Holafly travel study says MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, which will host the World Cup final on July 19, ranks last among the 16 North American host cities for ease and cost of getting to matches. The report says the venue offers the most limited and most expensive transport options, even before factoring in the high ticket prices for the final itself.

Fans will effectively have only two ways to reach the stadium: the official World Cup shuttle service or NJ Transit. The official buses will depart only from three locations, Port Authority, Midtown East near Grand Central, and Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine in New Jersey. Those taking the train will need to get to Secaucus Junction and then board a direct shuttle to the stadium.

The biggest problem is price. A round-trip NJ Transit ticket from Penn Station will cost $98, after a public backlash forced the fare down from an initial $150. Even the reduced fare is said to be 775% above the normal price. The average ticket in the area costs $12.90, compared with $4.02 across the other host cities.

NJ Transit will also run two ferries, each carrying 600 passengers, across the Hudson River from Weehawken back to New York. Travel time is another drawback, with the trip to the stadium taking an average of 47.5 minutes each way. At the top of the ranking is Houston, Texas, with eight transport options and an average fare of just $2.50. Monterrey and Vancouver follow, while Dallas, Guadalajara and Miami sit just above New Jersey at the bottom of the list.