The exact time and kickoff of our Round 6 fixture away to Castres is expected to be confirmed at the conclusion of this weekend’s European games.
As of now, we know that the game will be played on the weekend of 20th/21st/22nd January in the French town and regardless of the date, travel options are limited for the Blue Army looking to travel.
Carcasonne (65kms away)
Depending on the kick-off time we are allocated, the Ryanair flights in on Friday and back home on Sunday may work. Prices currently start from €147 return.
Possible special airport transport bus service
Subject to demand, the OLSC may once again run a bus transfer services between Carcassonne airport-Castres-Carcasonne airport. Bus hire in France on weekends is expensive so the likely price is expected to be circa €50pp return payable in advance. Exact details will be confirmed once the service is open for bookings.
Toulouse (78kms away)
Unfortunately, flights with Aer Lingus are seasonal and do not operate at this time of the year.
Charter flights
Joe Walsh Tours is at this point, not planning on running any supporters charter for this trip. The OLSC are in discussions with JWT about this and will advise on any further updates via leinsterrugby.ie and our social media channels.
Options via the UK
British Airways fly to Toulouse via London Heathrow T5, Easyjet fly from Bristol, London Gatwick and Luton. Ryanair also fly to Carcassonne from Glasgow, Manchester, London Stansted and East Midlands which may work for some supporters.
Trains and rental cars
France has an extensive rail and motorway network. Airlines normally have deals arranged with their car rental partner for those interested in driving. Trains are another option but be warned, services on the weekend can sometimes be limited. See www.sncf.com for timetables and prices.
Match tickets
Anyone who has been to a French away game will know how vocal their supporters can be. To this end, we strongly encourage Leinster supporters to purchase from the official away allocation. Details will be sent to Season Ticket holders by the ticket office before Christmas.
OLSC Away Guide
The OLSC, in association with Bank of Ireland, will once again be publishing an Away Guide for the weekend. This will be free to download from leinsterrugby.ie and the usual social media outlets from the evening of Tuesday, 17 January 2017.
Further travel updates
Once this fixture is confirmed, the OLSC will continue to publish regular travel updates to help supporters plan their trip. This will be available on this website as well as the OLSC Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts.
Should you have any further questions, please email olsc@leinsterrugby.ie
