Barcelona is an incredible city. But following your beloved Club isn’t just about matches in the Catalan capital — it’s also about trips across Europe. More and more people are choosing to follow Barcelona “on the road”, from Naples to Newcastle. Especially since such a trip, thanks to affordable match tickets, can actually turn out cheaper than travelling to Spotify Camp Nou itself.
Besides going to Camp Nou, I also travel quite regularly to away matches. In this post, you’ll find everything you need to know to become one of those away-day regulars. After all — “awaydays are the best days”!
WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS TO ATTEND AN AWAY MATCH?
There are only two ways to sit among Barça fans at an away game:
1️⃣ become a socio (club member)
2️⃣ join a penya (official fan club)
There are no other options. If you’re neither a socio nor a penyista — you simply cannot buy a ticket in the away end. Full stop. Who are socios and how to become one — I explain that HERE.
SOCIO OR PENYA — WHICH ONE TO CHOOSE?
Becoming a socio isn’t cheap — it currently costs 226€ per year. Joining a penya, on the other hand, is much more affordable — usually no more than 25€ per year, though every fan club has its own rules.
There are over 1,000 official penyas worldwide, but the vast majority are based in Spain. So there might not be one near where you live. But it’s worth checking — the full list of official penyas is available on the FC Barcelona website.
💭 I’m both a socio and the founder of Penya Blaugrana de Lodz. I travel to away games regularly and know this system inside out.
SOCIOS HAVE PRIORITY
This is important. Socios have priority when it comes to ticket allocation for the most sought-after away games, and the ticket pool for socios is significantly larger than the one for penyas.
⚠️ A concrete example? For the match against Atlético Madrid on 14 April 2026 at the Metropolitano, 2,336 tickets were allocated to socios and only 484 to penyas. That’s quite a difference.
Ticket prices are the same for all fans — regardless of whether you’re a socio or a penyista.
HOW MANY TICKETS DOES THE AWAY CLUB RECEIVE?
It depends on the competition.
In the Champions League, the rule is straightforward: the away club receives 5% of the stadium’s total capacity. The bigger the stadium, the more tickets. At a large ground, that can mean several thousand seats.
⚠️ Not the full 5% goes to socios and penyistas. Some tickets go to so-called “compromisos del club” — the Club’s obligations. These include, for example, tickets for sponsors and their partners.
In La Liga, the situation is different — there are no set minimums. The numbers are generally much lower, usually just a few hundred tickets.
⚠️ If you’re planning a trip to El Clásico at the Bernabéu, you’ll need to be very lucky! The away sector usually has only around 200–400 tickets available. Personally, I haven’t had any luck in the draw for several years now and I still haven’t been to the new Bernabéu. Such is life.
THE DRAW — WHEN DEMAND EXCEEDS SUPPLY
If the number of applications exceeds the number of available tickets, a draw is held. Every fan has an equal chance of being selected — no one gets preferential treatment.
💭 As socios, you can apply together as a group. What does that mean? Either everyone gets tickets, or no one goes. It’s incredibly convenient when planning flights, hotels and the whole trip — no risk of half the group making it and the other half not.
THE ESPANYOL DERBY — THE EXCEPTION TO THE RULE
Espanyol does not allocate any tickets to Barça fans for the away section. And equally, Barça does not give tickets to Espanyol supporters. This has been the case for many years, and there’s no sign of it changing.
So if you’re planning a visit to RCDE Stadium, you’ll have to go incognito and sit in the home end. Keep that in mind!
AWAY TICKET PRICES
Tickets must be paid for in advance. But here’s the good news — the prices are not sky-high.
In the Champions League, there’s an upper price limit, which this season is capped at 70€.
In La Liga, some clubs have signed up to the “Grada Visitante” agreement, which sets the away ticket price at 30€. You can find more information about this on the La Liga website. Unfortunately, Barça is not currently a member of this agreement.
If you don’t win the draw, the money is refunded to your account.
TICKET COLLECTION — ALWAYS IN PERSON
And here we get to the key logistical point. Barça away tickets must be collected in person on matchday. The collection point is usually a hotel in the city centre.
⚠️ A few important rules to remember:
Bring your ID — without it, you won’t receive your ticket.
Tickets are personal and non-transferable — one person = one ticket.
You cannot collect a ticket on someone else’s behalf. No exceptions!
You also cannot apply on behalf of someone who is not a club member or penyista.
⚠️ The ticket collection point usually closes 2–3 hours before kick-off. Make sure you arrive on time! For popular away trips, there can also be a queue, so plan your timing accordingly.
HOW TO APPLY FOR AN AWAY GAME?
Socios apply for away games through their account on the FC Barcelona website. As I mentioned, you can apply as a group — either everyone goes, or no one does.
Penyistas apply through the penyista system. Once you’ve submitted your application, your Penya manager needs to approve it. Every penya has its own system and rules, so it’s worth asking about the details. If you’re accepted, ticket collection works exactly the same way as it does for socios.
⚠️ ONE IMPORTANT CHANGE: from the 2025/26 season, you must be registered in the penya system for at least 6 months before you can apply for tickets. There is no such requirement for socios — if you have a socio card, you can apply straight away.
TO WRAP UP
Away trips with Barça are an incredible experience — the sight of the away section chanting “Barça, Barça, Baaaarça!” in a rival stadium is something that gives you a massive buzz. But to be there, you need to be either a socio or a penyista. There are no shortcuts.
If you have any questions — feel free to ask! Leave a comment below this post.
You can always find recaps from all my away trips on Instagram and Facebook.
Visca el Barça! 🔵🔴
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