As a reaction to the challenge of traveling during the last two FIFA World Cups, Russia is offering every ticketholder free transportation between host cities during the 2018 World Cup.
"Free travel is a guarantee which we signed at the highest level during our bid," Alexey Sorokin, head of the organizing committee, said Saturday.
Fans will be able to use their game tickets to access train and buses when traveling between the tournament’s 11 host cities in the western part of Russia, which range from St. Petersburg in the north to Sochi in the south.
According to Sorokin, Russian organizers suggested to FIFA that teams play their three group games in two adjoining clusters of venues, which would eliminate the cross-country travel necessary for some teams during the current World Cup in Brazil.
In addition to free transportation, the Russian government will control hotel prices during the tournament as a means to prevent price gouging.
Written by Andrew Murrell
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