50 days to Euro 2016!

Today marks 50 days until the start of the European Championships in France, and as kick off draws nearer the excitement is really starting to grow.

The international friendly matches over Easter provided us with a taste of how each team’s preparations were coming along. And in just a few weeks – once the domestic season is done and dusted – we will see them in action again at the end of May for the final warm up games before the tournament.

Many question the value of having friendly matches during the crucial closing stages of the season and see them as an unwelcome interruption. For national team managers, it presents an invaluable opportunity to assess the condition of their squad, and fine tune their preparations ahead of the tournament.

And how are the ‘Know Before You Go’ team preparing? Through our ‘Be on the Ball’ campaign we’re working with the Football Associations, supporters groups and the Football Supporter’s Federation, to engage with fans and help them plan their trip to France.

At the Easter friendly matches, our handy, pocket-sized ‘Fan Cards’ were distributed to fans attending the friendly games at Wembley, Windsor Park and the Principality Stadium.

More recently we launched our new page on GOV.UK, which will carry all of our messages and guidance, and will act as hub for our campaign.

For British nationals, the proximity of France makes for an easier and more attractive proposition, and we can expect hundreds of thousands to make the trip. But even though the journey might be a simple one, it’s still important for fans to think ahead, and make sure they have everything in order.

We’ve compiled a handy checklist of things for fans to tick off before they go.

It’s never too early to start preparing, and that goes for international football managers, as well as travelling fans.

For more information and travel advice visit gov.uk/euro2016. You can also follow @FCOtravel and sign up to travel advice alerts for France.