How to Buy Premier League Tickets: A Step-by-Step Guide for American Families
Buying tickets to a Premier League match sounds simple, until you try to do it from the United States. What starts as excitement quickly turns into navigating membership systems, shifting schedules, and limited availability, especially when you’re trying to secure four seats for a specific match during a fixed travel window for your family.
After attending matches at Arsenal, Manchester United, and Chelsea, this guide breaks down exactly how the process works, what to avoid, and the most reliable way for American families to secure tickets.
Step 1: Understand How Premier League Tickets Actually Work
Premier League tickets are controlled individually by each club, and demand is extremely high. Unlike U.S. sports leagues, there isn’t a central marketplace where you can simply browse and buy.
Most tickets are allocated first to:
Season ticket holders
Official members
Local supporters
This structure limits general public availability and makes early planning essential.
Step 2: Choose the Right Way to Buy Tickets
There are three ways to buy tickets, but only two are recommended.
Buy Directly From the Club
Start here: https://www.premierleague.com/tickets
Buying directly ensures:
Legitimate tickets
Clear refund and transfer policies
No risk of invalid entry
The downside is that many clubs require memberships and release tickets in limited windows.
Use Authorized Resellers (Mostly Hospitality)
Each club lists official hospitality partners. These vendors sell premium packages with guaranteed seats. This is the route we used for multiple matches and the one that provides the most certainty.
Avoid Unofficial Resale Platforms
Resale sites can work, but they introduce risk. Even with buyer protection, there’s uncertainty around ticket validity and delivery. For international travel with kids, that risk isn’t worth it.
Step 3: Regular Tickets vs Hospitality
Regular tickets are the most affordable but also the hardest to secure. They often require memberships, ballots, and patience.
Hospitality tickets, while more expensive, offer:
Guaranteed seats
Earlier availability
A more controlled and comfortable experience
For families planning a trip around a specific match, hospitality is typically the better option.
Step 4: Plan for Schedule Changes
This is one of the most important steps. Matches are often listed as Saturday at 3:00 PM when schedules are first released, but that timing frequently changes due to other club competitions and broadcast selections. Bigger clubs like Arsenal, Manchester United, and Chelsea, are especially affected.
Matches can move to:
Saturday evening
Sunday
Monday
Hospitality guarantees your seat, but not the kickoff time. For the games we attended, all of them had a date change or time change due to tv broadcast schedules and UEFA club competitions the team were competing in. In fact, for the Chelsea vs Tottenham game, the date changed a few weeks prior to the game and luckily we were still planning on being in London for that new date, but did have to shuffle around some other plans we had.
Step 5: Build Your Itinerary Around the Match
Instead of squeezing a match into a tight schedule, plan your itinerary with flexibility.
Recommended approach:
Arrive at least one day before the match
Avoid early departures the next day
Leave buffer time for travel
This removes stress and allows you to fully enjoy the experience.
Step 6: Book Early
For high-demand matches, especially derbies or top clubs, tickets should be booked three to six months in advance. Waiting too long limits availability and increases prices.
Step 7: What It Actually Costs
Based on our experience:
Arsenal hospitality: ~€1,668
Manchester United hospitality: ~£1,796
Chelsea hospitality: ~£1,540
Prices vary depending on the match and package, but this is a realistic range for a family of four.
Learn more here: The Ultimate Premier League Hospitality Ticket Comparison for Families
Step 8: Best Option for Families
For local fans, regular tickets may work. For American families planning a once-in-a-lifetime trip, hospitality offers:
Certainty
Simplicity
Comfort
Better overall experience
Our Real Experiences
If you want to go deeper, here are full breakdowns of each matchday experience:
Read our full Premier League Hospitality Comparison Guide
Read our Manchester United Hospitality Review (Old Trafford) - coming soon
Read our Arsenal Hospitality Review (Emirates Stadium) - coming soon
Read our Chelsea Hospitality Review (Stamford Bridge) - coming soon
Final Thoughts
Buying Premier League tickets requires a different approach than most U.S. sports, but once you understand the system, it becomes much more manageable. The key is to prioritize certainty, plan for flexibility, and make decisions early.
When done right, attending a match becomes one of the most memorable parts of your trip, not just because of the game itself, but because of everything surrounding it.
