Euro 2016 - almost 3 years on

Just happened to listen to the Zara Larson song 'This one's for you' and its brought the memories flooding back coming up to what will be 3 years in a few weeks.

I have to say as a Football Fan this was the ultimate dream for me, to watch Wales play in a major tournament on foreign soil and France were worthy hosts.

I love Cardiff City and have had some great moments watching us with the FA Cup final being top of the tree but this surpassed anything.

I was based in the South of France and travelled to each group game by Plane and Car. The comaradarie between fans was immense, made loads of new friends and just had a generally fantastic time.

Back home I watched all the other games with friends and family with big house parties with everyone getting involved, old and young, men and women.

Would be good to see what other people's memories of it were and here some stories of people's adventures during what was a fantastic year for Welsh National Football fans.

I went to 2 of the group games (Slovakia and Russia) with my mate and had an amazing time, I still get giddy over the fact i went out there to support my country in their first tournament for 50+ Years. I traveled by Train to Bordeaux which was an experience in itself! The metro line in Paris we needed was closed so we had to get a taxi across Paris which was the scariest taxi ride i've ever had, the driver did not give a damn about other car users . Missed our connecting train to Bordeaux so we had to get the next one so we were sat in the middle of the carriages with about 10 other lads for 4 hours! Obviously singing the anthem in Bordeaux and going mad for Robson-Kanu's shinned shot will stay with me forever. In Toulouse me and my mate went to the fan park and watched the France game and i was amazed by the passion of the french fans, they absolutely belted their anthem. I wish i could go back and experience it all again!

There's loads of fantastic Welsh fan video's on YouTube. When I have spare time I quite often watch them. Fortunate enough to have gone to every game and doubt anything will come close to beating the excitement of those 4 weeks.

Only managed to get to Bordeaux because of work situation. Got permission to leave work early & caught the train from Hampshire to Waterloo & crossed L/n to St Pancras to catch the Eurostar. My nephew arrived from Paddington just in time after jumping off his bus stuck in traffic and legging it to St P. Bit of banter on the train with Norn Ireland and Ingurland fans (the Ingurland fans were 'old school' Brizzle Rovers and reminisced about 'brushes' with Cardiff in the past. All good humoured. Stayed near Gare Montparnasse, so we could catch the Bordeaux stress free in the morning. Watched France beat Romania in a local bar. French fans were mental. Caught the early train to Bordeaux and remember vividly getting off the train with hundreds chanting 'Hal Robson, Hal Robson Kanu' and thinking to myself 'wouldn't it be amazing if he scored' ... little did I know!
Typical French, there was a bus strike on the side of the river we were staying so had to queue ages for a taxi! Dropped off our stuff at the hotel and decided to walk towards the stadium (about 1 and a half hours away) in the hope of catching a taxi on the way ... Saw nothing and started to panic so stopped at a police station and asked for help ... LOL! Gendarme phoned his cousin who was a taxi driver who dropped us off near the stadium. And as they say, the rest is history. ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT. Came back from the game to watch Ingurland draw with Russia at a big fan park.

First time for me to watch Wales overseas. Never forget it.

1st stop. Dibs tours to La Rochelle. Passed the Sangatte refugee camp as we left Calais, where a chorus of "You Jack Bastards!" started up. Pissed myself laughing!

Dibs bus down to Bordeaux for the Slovakia game. Ticket via UEFA, good price £. My mate and I thought we'd go to the ground early, have a few beers and soak up the atmosphere, only to discover once inside that the beers was alcohol free First time in years I'd watched a football game sober.. The anthem was amazing, Welsh everywhere, the result was better. Bumped into people I hadn't seen for years. After the game too much drinking in a bar watching the England game meant we missed Dibs' bus back to La Rochelle. Bloody expensive flea-pit of a hotel next to the train station, train back to LR the next day.

Couple more days in LR eating great seafood, watching Welsh lads jumping into the harbour, more booze, before the long journey up to Amiens where the bus got stuck in one of the almost medieval back streets near the station. Blame the sat nav apparently.. England game in Lille, ticket by paying the most in a charity auction £££ We almost, almost won it. The only time of the whole trip where there was a hint of trouble with a few pissed up wankers after the game shouting sheep shaggers.

Back to UK after the England game, watched the Russia and N. Ireland games on TV.

Got a Belgium ticket via Viagogo £££££. Eurostar over to Lens. Travelodge type hotel 30 mins by taxi from the game for €440 for 2 nights! What a day/night. Sat in the Belgium end with a smattering of Welsh fans around, but the anthem still sounded amazing. The result actually brought tears to me eyes. Drinking all night, train back to UK in the afternoon.

Watched the semi final while sat in a bar in Dublin on a biz trip. One game too far for the team. Wonder if Ramsey and Ben Davies had played how different the result may have been...?

I hate to think how much I spent on tickets, travel, booze, hotels, I still don't want to work it out, but well in excess of £3k. But whatever the cost it was worth it. Absolutely amazing time, something I probably will never experience again in my lifetime. Unless.....

There were 5 of us in our party. Myself, my daughter, Nips, Chris and his girlfriend. I bought an Epsace Renault just for the occasion as we did all our travelling on the roads.

The day before the first game in Bordeaux we left Cardiff at 10 am to get to the midnight ferry at Dover. I had travelled down from Derby the following night. We thought there would be heavy traffic going to Dover hence our early start. Well the traffic was light ot say the least I we got to the port around 4 pm. Instead of waiting for the midnight ferry we got on the next one. We had to pay full fair as well again. We got to Calis around 7pm and started our trip to Bordeaux which was an 8 hour drive but with pit stops we arrived around 6 am on the day of the first match.

On the way down we diverted to a small village to get some food to eat. We hit a bar that had a large screen outside with the France opening game on. We settled doen there and ordered our food. As half time came the owner said they were closing the bar and restuarant. They switched the screen off and we had to leave. Talk about a sleepy village environment.

Upon arriving in Bordeaux we had 5 hours to wait before we were allowed in our apartement. We went to an Irish bar where they had the rugby on. The place was filled with us Welsh. That was the start of the local French loving us Welsh. Everywhere we went we were applauded. After our win against Belgium the local bar risked staying open an extra hour waiting for us to return from the match. The local police turned a blind eye to us appearing around the corner and walking into the pub. Brilliant experience overall and hopefully we can do it all again soon.

First time for me to watch Wales overseas. Never forget it.

1st stop. Dibs tours to La Rochelle. Passed the Sangatte refugee camp as we left Calais, where a chorus of "You Jack Bastards!" started up. Pissed myself laughing!

Dibs bus down to Bordeaux for the Slovakia game. Ticket via UEFA, good price £. My mate and I thought we'd go to the ground early, have a few beers and soak up the atmosphere, only to discover once inside that the beers was alcohol free First time in years I'd watched a football game sober.. The anthem was amazing, Welsh everywhere, the result was better. Bumped into people I hadn't seen for years. After the game too much drinking in a bar watching the England game meant we missed Dibs' bus back to La Rochelle. Bloody expensive flea-pit of a hotel next to the train station, train back to LR the next day.

Couple more days in LR eating great seafood, watching Welsh lads jumping into the harbour, more booze, before the long journey up to Amiens where the bus got stuck in one of the almost medieval back streets near the station. Blame the sat nav apparently.. England game in Lille, ticket by paying the most in a charity auction £££ We almost, almost won it. The only time of the whole trip where there was a hint of trouble with a few pissed up wankers after the game shouting sheep shaggers.

Back to UK after the England game, watched the Russia and N. Ireland games on TV.

Got a Belgium ticket via Viagogo £££££. Eurostar over to Lens. Travelodge type hotel 30 mins by taxi from the game for €440 for 2 nights! What a day/night. Sat in the Belgium end with a smattering of Welsh fans around, but the anthem still sounded amazing. The result actually brought tears to me eyes. Drinking all night, train back to UK in the afternoon.

Watched the semi final while sat in a bar in Dublin on a biz trip. One game too far for the team. Wonder if Ramsey and Ben Davies had played how different the result may have been...?

I hate to think how much I spent on tickets, travel, booze, hotels, I still don't want to work it out, but well in excess of £3k. But whatever the cost it was worth it. Absolutely amazing time, something I probably will never experience again in my lifetime. Unless.....

Me and my mate got caught out by the alcohol free beers too! Dare say it happened to a few people

Where on a tram,
Where on a tram
Thumping out on the tram
A sea of red locals looking dumfounded as we made our way to wales first in the euros in Bordeaux
Belting out the anthem
At the 1st game will stay with me forever,
And back into Bordeaux
To celebrate with locals in the old part of the city
Joining in with the party atmosphere till the early hours

Me and the misses had a week in Bordeaux,a private apartment in the old quarter next to a big bell tower
For a week before the game ,bril
Memories.

Love it lads. Keep the story's coming, thought we were going to her stranded in Lens after the a england game, ended up getting a cab back to lille on uber. Gutted, got pissed in robaix and flew back down south the next day ready for the drive to toulouse

Doing that to my wrist on my first night in Bordeaux. Had it in a cast for the rest of the trip.

Nightmare.

Wouldn’t change it for the world though.

Awesome trip.

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