Giving Shelter to Soccer Fans

Germany is expecting over a million foreign visitors for this summer's soccer World Cup, from June 9 to July 9. After the match, they're all going to need a place to sleep that leaves enough euros in their pocket for a celebratory dinner.

The average price for accommodation during the World Cup is 190 euros ($241) per night -- including everything from a youth hostel dorm room to a multi-star hotel suite, according to the FIFA World Cup Accommodation Services. That's a price some fans can't afford, according to Ergin Iyilikci, spokesperson for ImmobilienScout24, an online real estate agent that has set up a special Web site for people looking to rooms during the World Cup.

"The average hotel rates can make for a pricey night," he said, explaining why young people and families are especially interested in Internet sites where they have a chance to stay in the homes of other soccer fans at more affordable rates or free of charge.

Even for those willing to pay hotel prices, it is likely that there will not be enough rooms available, according Nikola Günther, who runs another site connecting tired World Cup fans with empty beds.

Demand expected to increase in May and June

"As soon as the decision was made that the World Cup would take place in Germany, we realized the number of hotel beds would not be enough," Günther said, adding that the site's average price is between 20 euros and 40 euros per night.

The more than 15,000 housing ads, including everything from a spare couch in the living room, to entire apartments and even a multi-room villa, currently outstrip demand, but that's expected to change as the Cup approaches.

The lists of accommodation are free to people looking for a place to stay, some, however, charge potential hosts as a way of filtering jokers registering their neighbor's house from serious offers. Hosts are given free reign in determining how much to charge guests.

"We're convinced supply and demand will keep the prices under control," Iyilikci said. "People who want 500 euros a night won't find anyone interested in their place."

Rooms cheaper, more personal in host's home

Many of the people offering to put up a stranded soccer fan or two, like Munich's Gerhard Schubert, aren't asking for any payment at all.

"I would much rather stay somewhere more personal than a hotel when I travel and thought I could give the same chance to someone else," said the 43-year-old soccer fan, who is offering to pull out the sofa-bed in his guest room free of charge. "I know how expensive Munich can be."

Andreas Schlüter, 27, said he and his roommate thought offering their Hamburg apartment's extra room to soccer fans was a great idea.

"The World Cup is called 'A Time to Make Friends,' and I think that should be brought to life," he said, adding that he isn't worried about sharing his apartment with hooligans. "I think only open people with good intentions take part in things like this."

Just over half of Germans are willing to take the World Cup motto to heart by housing fans, according to a study commissioned by ImmobilenScout24.

Fans make good city guides for other fans

The types of personal exchanges that take place when fans from different countries also show that fans can be friends and rivals at the same time, according to Marc Bialojahn of Ein Dach für Fans (A Roof for Friends).

"For 90 minutes a healthy rivalry dominates everything -- that's good because that's what makes soccer great," he said. "Then you can talk reasonably to each other and go out and have a beer together."

An advantage of staying with a fellow fan instead of in generic hotel room is that soccer fans tend to know where the city's best bars, restaurants and places to watch the game are, Bialojahn added.