Europa League: Essential travel information for Brighton and Hove Albion fans in Rome as major strikes to impact fans after flight delays

The Seagulls take on Roma in the first leg of their last-16 Europa League tie this evening (Thursday, March 7) – their first ever knockout round in European competition.

Albion, who topped their group, come up against a side who finished as runners up last season have only lost one of their last 23 games in the Europa League.

Ahead of the match, the club has held meetings with the Italian Police, AS Roma and UEFA in preparation.

A club spokesperson said: “The fan meeting point for free shuttle buses is Piazzale delle Canestre.

“AS Roma and the Italian Police strongly recommend, for both speed and safety, that fans use the shuttle buses provided.

“Fans are advised to arrive at the shuttle bus meeting point from 2.30pm, with the first coaches leaving from 3pm and last ones around 5pm. Coaches will be in multiple convoys and will have a police escort, with the journey expected to take 30 minutes (but may be longer in peak rush hour).

“Turnstiles will open from 3.45pm.

“Fans are required to carry a passport or driving license, which will be checked at both the shuttle bus location and outside the away turnstiles (copies of ID will not be accepted). Tickets are be printed with names and details on, any ticket holders whose ID does not match will be refused entry.

“After the game supporters will be taken by shuttle bus to Piazza dei Cinquecentro, near Termini rail station.

“Expect a hold back of up to 60 minutes post-match for the fans in the visitor supporter seating.

“Street crime, including pickpocketing can take place in Rome. Be vigilant, take sensible precautions and have valid travel insurance. For safety advice please click here.

“Italian police advise it is better to avoid flags and colours in the city.”

Travel information

Fans travelling to Rome from the UK, by plane, experienced severe delays on Wednesday.

Flights from Heathrow were delayed by up to four hours. Click here to see the latest delays and cancellations.

Some fans have been travelling via different airports and stations across Italy to get to Rome. These people have been warned that a train strike is planned on Friday (March 8).

"Trenitalia has notified us of a train strike on Friday March 8th and your journey may be impacted,” an email to customers read.

"The strike will affect certain high-speed and regional trains departing between 12am to 9pm.

“It is hard to predict which trains will be cancelled, however we recommend that you verify the status of your train prior to heading to the train station here.

“We apologize for this inconvenience and regret that it is beyond our control.

“If your train is affected, here are some alternatives to get you back on track with your journey:

“We will issue you a full refund for rail tickets you purchased that are impacted by this strike.

"Visit ItaliaRail to book a new train that works for you. If you rebook for the date of the strike, please check that the train is on this guaranteed departure list.

“After you rebook, please send us your ItaliaRail confirmation so we can refund any booking fees and issue you an additional 10% off the cost of your tickets.

“If you can't find an alternative train that works for you and you must travel on the same date, we suggest bus transport. Here are some resources for bus travel: Itabus, Flixbus, Getbybus.

“If any additional information becomes available, we will post it on our Italy Travel Updates page at our ItaliaPass community.

“Thank you for your understanding and patience. If you have additional questions or concerns, please contact our dedicated email at: [email protected].”