Ruhr Football Weekend: 2 or 3 German Games From One Base

Weekends where 2 or 3 games fit

9 of the next 10 weekends with home games here fit two or more, over the next 12 weeks.

1. Sat, Oct 10 to Sun, Oct 11

   2 games possible

   Sat, Oct 10

   • 4:30 PMMSV Duisburg v Hoffenheim II3. Liga · DuisburgSee tickets

   Sun, Oct 11

   • 1:30 PMVfL Bochum v Arminia Bielefeld2. Bundesliga · BochumSee tickets
   • 3:30 PM1. FC Köln v Borussia MönchengladbachBundesliga · KölnSee tickets
   • 7:30 PMFortuna Düsseldorf v Verl3. Liga · DüsseldorfSee tickets

2. Sat, Oct 17 to Sun, Oct 18

   2 games possible

   Sat, Oct 17

   • 2:00 PMFortuna Düsseldorf v FC Saarbrücken3. Liga · DüsseldorfSee tickets
   • 3:30 PMFC Schalke 04 v 1. FSV Mainz 05Bundesliga · GelsenkirchenSee tickets

   Sun, Oct 18

   • 3:30 PMBayer 04 Leverkusen v SC FreiburgBundesliga · LeverkusenSee tickets
   • 4:30 PMMSV Duisburg v FC Viktoria Köln3. Liga · DuisburgSee tickets
   • 5:30 PMBorussia Mönchengladbach v TSG 1899 HoffenheimBundesliga · MönchengladbachResale from £32 · Seat Unique from £39See tickets

3. Fri, Oct 23 to Sat, Oct 24

   2 games possible

   Fri, Oct 23

   • 6:30 PMVfL Bochum v VfL Wolfsburg2. Bundesliga · BochumSee tickets
   • 7:00 PMRot-Weiß Essen v SSV Jahn Regensburg3. Liga · EssenSee tickets

   Sat, Oct 24

   • 3:30 PM1. FC Köln v FC Schalke 04Bundesliga · KölnSee tickets
   • 6:30 PMBorussia Dortmund v Eintracht FrankfurtBundesliga · DortmundSee tickets

4. Fri, Oct 30 to Sat, Oct 31

   2 games possible

   Fri, Oct 30

   • 7:00 PMFortuna Düsseldorf v SV Meppen3. Liga · DüsseldorfSee tickets

   Sat, Oct 31

   • 2:00 PMMSV Duisburg v Stuttgart II3. Liga · DuisburgSee tickets
   • 3:30 PMBorussia Mönchengladbach v SC Paderborn 07Bundesliga · MönchengladbachResale from £41 · Seat Unique from £50See tickets
   • 3:30 PMFC Schalke 04 v RB LeipzigBundesliga · GelsenkirchenSee tickets
   • 3:30 PMBayer 04 Leverkusen v VfB StuttgartBundesliga · LeverkusenSee tickets

5. Sat, Nov 7 to Sun, Nov 8

   2 games possible

   Sat, Nov 7

   • 2:00 PMRot-Weiß Essen v Alemannia Aachen3. Liga · EssenSee tickets
   • 3:30 PMBorussia Dortmund v SV 07 ElversbergBundesliga · DortmundSee tickets

   Sun, Nov 8

   • 1:30 PMVfL Bochum v Karlsruher SC2. Bundesliga · BochumSee tickets
   • 3:30 PM1. FC Köln v Bayer 04 LeverkusenBundesliga · KölnSee tickets

6. Sat, Nov 21 to Sun, Nov 22

   2 games possible

   Sat, Nov 21

   • 2:00 PMFortuna Düsseldorf v SG Sonnenhof Grossaspach3. Liga · DüsseldorfSee tickets
   • 3:30 PMBayer 04 Leverkusen v SC Paderborn 07Bundesliga · LeverkusenSee tickets
   • 3:30 PMBorussia Mönchengladbach v Borussia DortmundBundesliga · MönchengladbachResale from £107 · Seat Unique from £165See tickets
   • 6:30 PMFC Schalke 04 v VfB StuttgartBundesliga · GelsenkirchenSee tickets

   Sun, Nov 22

   • 7:30 PMMSV Duisburg v Hansa Rostock3. Liga · DuisburgSee tickets

Times are local. A same-day double is only shown when both kick-offs are confirmed and the gap covers the match, getting out, the train and getting in, so two games at 3:30 PM on Saturday never count. Our feed does not mark 2. Bundesliga and 3. Liga times as confirmed, so those games count once per day here even when a double would work: check the club's site.

The clubs, from a base in Essen

Your match ticket is your transit ticket at Schalke 04, VfL Bochum, Rot-Weiss Essen, MSV Duisburg, Fortuna Düsseldorf and Borussia Mönchengladbach: your match ticket covers a return trip on VRR buses and trains on matchday, until 3am. The clubs below with their own rule say so.

• Borussia Dortmund

  24 min from Essen

  Bundesliga · Signal Iduna Park · Dortmund

  Tickets: General saleHow to get Borussia Dortmund tickets

  Transit: Your match ticket is a 2nd-class transit ticket across North Rhine-Westphalia on matchday.

• Schalke 04

  10 min from Essen

  Bundesliga · Veltins Arena · Gelsenkirchen

  Tickets: Members firstHow to get Schalke 04 tickets

• VfL Bochum

  10 min from Essen

  2. Bundesliga · Vonovia Ruhrstadion · Bochum

  Official ticket page

• Rot-Weiss Essen

  In Essen

  3. Liga · Stadion an der Hafenstraße · Essen

  Official ticket page

• MSV Duisburg

  23 min from Essen

  3. Liga · Schauinsland-Reisen-Arena · Duisburg

  Official ticket page

• Fortuna Düsseldorf

  29 min from Essen

  3. Liga · Merkur Spiel-Arena · Düsseldorf

  Official ticket page

• 1. FC Köln

  67 min from Essen

  Bundesliga · RheinEnergieStadion · Köln

  Tickets: General saleHow to get 1. FC Köln tickets

  Transit: Valid as a 2nd-class VRS fare there and back on matchday, for home league games, DFB-Pokal ties, friendlies and U21 matches.

• Bayer Leverkusen

  54 min from Essen

  Bundesliga · BayArena · Leverkusen

  Tickets: Members / ballotHow to get Bayer Leverkusen tickets

  Transit: Valid in the extended VRS and VRR area from 4 hours before kick-off until 3am, once you fetch the free transit ticket (Fahrkarte tab in the Bayer 04 app).

• Borussia Mönchengladbach

  67 min from Essen

  Bundesliga · Borussia-Park · Mönchengladbach

  Official ticket page

Fastest train times listed by Deutsche Bahn. Allow extra time on matchdays.

When kick-off times are confirmed

• The DFL, which runs the Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga, confirms exact days and kick-off times in blocks of matchdays, not all at once.
• On 10 September 2026 it confirmed Bundesliga matchdays 5 to 11 and 2. Bundesliga matchdays 7 to 13, running to the end of November. The next block is expected in the week of 2 November, after the DFB-Pokal round of 16 draw.
• Until your weekend is in a confirmed block, treat the day as likely and the time as unknown.

Before you book

1. 1Pick your weekend once its kick-off times are confirmed. Before that, only book things you can cancel.
2. 2Book a refundable room in Essen. Everything else on this page is a short train ride away.
3. 3Buy match tickets in each club’s sale phases. Members usually buy first, so check the club’s ticket page or our guide for when the public sale opens.
4. 4Check how your ticket works as a transit ticket. Some clubs need you to fetch a separate free transit ticket first.