Stade de France visitor guide, France

The Stade de France is the French national stadium, situated in the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis. It was built for the 1998 football World Cup at a cost of €285 million euros (£260m).

It has an all-seater capacity of 80,000 and is used by the French Rugby Union team during the Six Nations and other major tournaments including the Top 14, France's domestic rugby union championship.

In 2007, it was the principal stadium used in the Rugby World Cup, making it the only stadium in the world to have hosted both Football and Rugby World Cup finals.

The stadium has a modern bowl layout, with a chrome circular exterior that gives it a space-age appearance. It has three tiers and a moveable stand that can be retracted to uncover part of an athletics track.

There are more than sixty refreshment stalls inside the stadium as well as numerous food stalls and beer tents around the ground.

Stadium tours are available every day except event days, and can be booked online.

As seems to be the case with most other national stadiums, there is no on-site hotel at the Stade de France.

Getting To Stade De France

There are numerous public transport options to the stadium, which is served by both RER trains and the Metro from central Paris.

Take the RER B to La Plaine Stade de France, or RER D to Stade de France St Denis – both of which are a five-minute walk from the stadium

If using the metro, take Line 13 (to 'Saint-Denis Universite') from station St. Denis-Porte de Paris.

The train journey from the centre is quick, though sports fans mixing with rush-hour commuters can lead to over-crowding, not to mention rising tensions.   

Situated as it is on the northern outskirts of the city, the Stade de France is surprisingly accessible by car from the UK, and the whole journey can be done there and back in one day.

Access to the stadium by car is restricted, though car park badges can be purchased at the same time as buying your event ticket.  

One option could be to park on Rue Cristino Garcia, which is a 10-minute walk to the stadium, along the Avenue de Stade de France. This would be extremely useful if staying in a hotel near the stadium with no parking facilities.