Update 03/10/2021
On October 3rd, Valve announced that all Ticket sales for The International 10 have been suspended, and all tickets sold will receive an immediate refund.
The decision came after carefully evaluating the COVID situation in and around the The International 2021. The decision might have been partially motivated by Chinese players contracting the virus while at the venues. All matches at TI10 will be played without a live audience, and the event will begin as planned on October 7.
This guide can still be useful to anyone already in Bucharest, and we will keep it live regardless of Valve’s recent decision.
The International 10 (TI10) tickets are finally on sale after its impromptu delay. Valve is still keen on ensuring TI10 gets its much-deserved stadium treatment, this year at Arena Națională in Bucharest, Romania.
We would be lying if we didn’t admit that TI10 felt rushed, and fans only had three months to plan their trip to TI10. Nevertheless, we will be covering everything you need to know to arrive in Romania.
TI10 Tickets
The TI10 tickets are currently on sale, with two-day passes split across three different tickets. The two-day passes for Oct 12-13 and Oct 14-15 cost approximately $59.00 (249 Romanian Lei) per pax. Whereas the final two-day pass for Oct 16-17 will set you back by $236 (999 Romanian Lei) per pax.
Do note that the TI10 ticket prices above are excluding the one-percent administration fee. Furthermore, you could also opt for the CareTix service, which is great to consider if you somehow need to cancel your order and get a refund later. CareTix service costs an additional $11.82 (49.95 Romanian Leu) if you aren’t certain you could make it for TI10.
An important disclaimer to note is that the CareTix service only works for cancellations before Oct 2, or ten days before TI10.
Once you got your TI10 tickets off your bucket list, the next important item is your accommodation. Unless you don’t mind sleeping on the streets, here are several reliable hotels to book. We took into consideration the walking distance to the Arena Națională, the facilities, and its ratings as well.
The iconic Hilton Hotel branch is a good 4-star option. It certainly lives up to its reputation with 4.4 ratings. Facilities range from fitness centre, restaurant, room service, and a bar. More importantly, it’s only 2 minutes away from the closest train station at Nerva Traian or the Bd. Octavian Goga bus stop.
Hence, these are affordable transportations to travel to the arena. Alternatively, if you’re feeling adventurous, a 3.2km walk to the arena isn’t too shabby either. At the time of publishing, prices for Oct 12-16 costs about $76, making it a great deal for what it’s worth.
For the heavy splurges, Holiday Inn costs around $210 per night, but it comes with its luxury.
With 4.9 ratings, reviewers shared that the rooms were spacious and were worth every penny. It also has the usual facilities expected from a 4-star hotel, but what makes Holiday Inn stands out is its stone’s throw distance from the Arena Națională.
At only 1.5km, it’s a feasible option if you want a taste of luxury and didn’t want to spend much on overpriced taxi rates.
There are plenty of accommodations on offer on both Booking.com and Airbnb in varying price ranges. You may also find like-minded Dota 2 fans taking in potential spectators at bargain prices. Inquire around Reddit to couch surf if you are on a budget.
Plenty of hotels and rental options in the area
While we did suggest walking as reliable means of transport, buses and train stations are abundant in Bucharest town. Public transports as mentioned are affordable, but perhaps you have concerns about COVID-19 and social distancing.
Taxis can be found around the city, but the taxi industry in Bucharest is infamously known for its staggering rates. Unless you’re a citizen around that neighborhood, you might want to consider using the Uber app for e-hailing services instead.
If you are arriving by plane, it would be preferable to get a taxi into town for a fare around 8-10eur. Alternatively, you can take BusLine783 to Piața Victoriei and take the subway to Arena National and nearby areas. If you arrive by train, the best way to go about it is to catch the subway near the train station all the way to Costin Georgian, and walk the final kilometer.
Be mindful that the entire area around the stadium might be closed down for traffic, and you might need to walk about 600meters to get to the entrance.
Getting around the stadium area
Amidst the pandemic, travel has become significantly strict, but it’s not impossible to land in Romania successfully. Romania’s COVID-19 travel restrictions adopts its own national classification of risk areas/countries, whereby:
There will also be two types of criteria depending on whether you own the EU Digital COVID certificate or non-compliant certificates/not having any certificate at all.
Firstly, if you have the EU Digital COVID certificate, and you travelled from the green area, you will be immediately permitted entry into Romania. Yellow areas will require you to take a PCR test that shows negative results in the last 72 hours before you are permitted entry. Lastly, for red area visitors, it’s a compulsory 14-day quarantine regardless of your PCT test results.
For many non-European countries’ citizens, your COVID-19 vaccination certificate may not be compliant. Regardless, you will not need to quarantine as long as you have already been vaccinated for more than 10 days. Besides that, the requirements are relatively similar. If you are visiting from a green area, it’s still immediate entry into Romania. For yellow zones, you will need to show a pre-departure negative PCR test result taken within 72 hours. Lastly, red zones will need to undergo a 14-day quarantine period.
Now then, once you got everything crossed on the checklist, hold your excitement just a little longer for the International 10. While you’re at it, you might want to enjoy the tourist attractions around Bucharest, but be sure to remain vigilant about COVID-19 standard operating procedures to adhere.
For those who aren’t too keen on traveling to Bucharest,our full coverage starts this week and will follow the entire TI10 journey with daily news and updates. For our dedicated betting readers, Dota 2 odds on TI10 matches will certainly be the second best thrill if esports betting is up your alley, and we will fully analyze and asses every potential scenario for you.
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