Expedia Launches The Ronaldinho Route 10 Freestyle Bus Tour Of Paris For The UEFA Champions League Final

Football legend Ronaldinho turns tour guide with a 90-minute money-can’t-buy experience, taking football fans around central Paris on an open top bus, as he performs freestyle tricks along the way! 

• Expedia launches unique tour after its football travel study reveals fans love culture as much as football!
• Fans can enjoy the Route 10 Freestyle Tour curated by Ronaldinho himself, including Brits' favourite spots like the Eiffel Tower (48%), Arc de Triomphe (35%) and Stade de France (25%).
• For your chance to win the tour and tickets to the UEFA Champions League Final visit www.expedia.co.uk/lp/b/freestyletour
• Paris stays* booming by 30% ahead of the UEFA Champions League Final as fans of Liverpool FC & Real Madrid CF clamour for places to stay in the city, but it appears the Spanish are keener than the Brits!

London, 10^th May 2022 – Expedia, the official travel partner of the UEFA Champions League, is teaming up with Brazilian football legend and one of the world's best players, Ronaldinho, to launch an immersive 90-minute tour of Paris aboard an open-top bus, for football fans visiting the city for the UEFA Champions League Final. This money-can’t-buy experience is up for grabs alongside tickets to the final.

Named the Route 10 Freestyle Tour after his famous shirt number and love of freestyle football, the tour has been tailor-made by the former Parisian-based player on the back of a study of 2,000 British football fans, about what they love to do when they travel to watch the beautiful game. 

Forget the clichés about football fans! They love culture as much as football

Fans travel not only to watch the match but also to experience the culture of the city, as 57% admit that travelling for football makes them feel more cultured. 45% even admit to learning the basics of the local language before each trip and over half (51%) use their passion for football as an excuse to visit new cities. 

Other than watching football when away for a game, fans like to see the main city attractions (42%), sample the local cuisine (38%), go shopping (34%), go on sightseeing tours (28%) and spend their money on drinks (49%). 

All aboard for Ronaldinho's Route 10 Freestyle Tour

With 57% of fans desperate to explore a new town or city when visiting for a football match, the Ronaldinho Route 10 Freestyle Tour gives culture vulture fans the chance to do just that. More than any other player, Ronaldinho represents the joy of football and his time in Paris was a major goal post in his career, as he started his European football journey there. Now the Brazilian showman is taking his freestyle skills back to Paris, as he turns expert guide for this 90-minute tour. 

The tour will let fans take in the views of the most famous monuments along the Seine, check out the Brazilian’s favourite shopping mecca, the Champs Elysée, stop at Ronaldinho's favourite Parisian neighbourhood for a culinary treat, and end with a drink at a hotel rooftop bar to take in the sights of the beautiful city. But what makes this tour so unique, is that the freestyle master will entertain the group with his best tricks along the way! 

Four lucky winners and a friend each will enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime experience, along with bagging themselves coveted tickets to the UEFA Champions League Final at the Stade de France on 28 May. To enter the prize draw to win, head to @ExpediaUK on Instagram between 10^th – 16^th May, follow the page, go to the competition grid post and tag the friend you’d like to take with you to the final. Your friend must also follow @ExpediaUK. More information can also be found at www.expedia.co.uk/lp/b/freestyletour

Ronaldinho, 42, said: “During my career I have played in and visited many stunning cities, but Paris has a special place in my heart, it was my first European home. I am so excited to be partnering with Expedia for my Route 10 Freestyle Tour, so I can pass on my love and passion for the city and really make sure fans are making the most of their travels outside of the 90 minutes of football.

More and more sacrifices

The Expedia Football Flyers study also revealed that Brits would be willing to do just about anything to attend the UEFA Champions League Final, even if it means jeopardizing their personal and professional lives. They’d be prepared to invent an excuse to dodge a date with a friend or partner (13%), spend the last pennies of their savings on a ticket (14%), use up the last of their work annual leave (25%) or even pull a sickie from work (16%)!

Their passion for football would even push them to deprive themselves of their other passions in life, as fans would be prepared to give up partying with friends (24%), desserts (24%), alcohol for a month (21%), a date (18%) or even sex (16%) if it meant making it to the UEFA Champions League Final. Sacrifices for football are regularly made though with 17% having missed a wedding or wedding anniversary to go to a match, with more than one in 10 fans admitting to missing their honeymoon or a funeral! 

Football travel companions have changed a lot in recent years 

Forget a lads weekend away, football is watched as a family or even as a couple, because when Brits are asked who they like to go to the football with, they first cite their partner (38%), with some heading to the turnstiles with their mother (10%) or grandparents (8%). It doesn’t matter who you go to the game with as long as they’re a diehard fan, as 6 out of 10 Brits (61%) insisted their travel companion must also be a fervent football fan. Not to mention the 24% who have already travelled with someone they did not like (such as an ex or a colleague) for the sole purpose of enjoying their tickets for the game!

Football is priceless for many fans, as the survey revealed that football fans would spend less money on their partner's birthday or Christmas gift than on a match abroad. With fans on average spending £390 on a football jaunt abroad, compared to a night out (£225), designer clothes (£270) or treating their partner on a special occasion (£306).

It seems money is no object for Liverpool FC and Real Madrid CF fans as with their teams now making it to the final, Expedia has already seen a 15% increase in Brits searching for accommodation in Paris for the night of the Final. However, the Spanish seem to be the ones desperate to see their team lift the trophy once more, as Paris searches by the Spanish are up almost 35%.

Marwan Badran, vice president of Retail Markets EMEA at Expedia Group: "The pandemic left 44% of fans feeling deprived of football, as they’d missed so many live matches over the past couple of years. Therefore, we’re not surprised that fans are now making up for lost time and embracing football travel opportunities, exploring more, spending more, as they head back to stadiums around the world in their droves. As the official travel partner of the UEFA Champions League, we’re so excited for the final to be heading back to the beautiful city of Paris after more than 15 years and we wanted to offer fans this money-can´t-buy experience with one of the world’s greatest ever players, Ronaldinho, so they can really enjoy the city and all it has to offer with our unique Route 10 Freestyle Tour."

Even if you are not one of the lucky winners for the Route 10 Freestyle Tour, be inspired by his itinerary and follow in Ronaldinho's Parisian footsteps by booking these activities on Expedia: 

• An open top bus tour - Freedom to explore the French capital at your own pace and discover the iconic sites including Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame or Louvre. Great way to discover the city's history, art and architecture!
• A Parisian culinary experience – Nothing says France more than a wine and cheese tasting, so when visiting the capital why not indulge in a private two-hour tasting. Or if you have a little more time on your hands, this Ultimate Paris Food Tour of charming Marais is a must, and you’ll see how historical French food is and visit the oldest market in Paris and lunch like a local.
• A 2-hour Private Champs-Elysée walking tour – Explore the most famous street of Paris, Champs-Élysées and its magnificent sites on a private guided walk. Admire its opulence, its epic width and exuberant façades; also, learn about the surprising story behind its creation and historical and political importance.
• Book a stay at Hotel Raphael to enjoy the Rooftop garden in the Centre of Paris with amazing views.