😡Santiago in chaos: the ordeal for Racing and Estudiantes fans

The anxiety is growing for the final of the Torneo Clausura between Racing and Estudiantes, but the journey to Santiago del Estero has turned into a real odyssey for the fans. The remoteness of the venue, combined with high demand, has caused a logistical collapse affecting flights, buses, and accommodation.

Sky-high prices for travel

The first major obstacle is the lack of flights. Since it's not peak season, the province only has 12 weekly flights. This has resulted in most tickets being sold out, and the few available have skyrocketed to exorbitant prices. For example, a round-trip ticket for the weekend with a low-cost airline can exceed $1,095,000, a significantly higher value than on normal days ($80,000).

Aerolíneas Argentinas has added occasional charter flights, but even these packages, with round trips, are around $887,000. The option to fly to San Miguel de Tucumán is also overwhelmed, with additional transfer costs.

Anoche a las 21 ya no había vuelos a Santiago del Estero. Y viajar al aeropuerto más cercano (Tucumán, a 2 horas) hoy cuesta 700 mil pesos. Sumado a que la capacidad hotelera en SdE está casi 100% ocupada.

Esto no es federalizar el fútbol. Esto es burlarse del hincha. pic.twitter.com/AhnRvaG7UM

— Juanma Tucci (@juanmatucci) December 9, 2025

For those opting for land transport, the outlook is not much better. Long-distance bus tickets also quickly sold out and raised their prices: from $76,000 (semi-bed) to $108,200 (bed) just for the one-way trip.

Besides the cost (minimum $152,000 round trip), fans will have to face a journey of between 14 and 18 hours, which prevents traveling on the same Saturday as the match. By car, the journey from Buenos Aires is more than 12 hours, adding toll and fuel expenses.

Hotels completely overwhelmed

The accommodation situation is critical. The demand for the final is compounded by the celebration of the first block of the Pro League of Hockey, where Los Leones and Las Leonas compete this week. This event, scheduled months in advance, has overwhelmed the hotel capacity of Santiago del Estero.

#Racing vs #Estudiantes: Muy poca disponibilidad hotelera en Santiago.
🚫🏨 La ciudad es sede de la #FIHProLeague justo esa semana (9-14 dic) y el hockey internacional ocupó todo. Si viajan, aseguren su lugar o miren ciudades vecinas. ⚽️🏑 pic.twitter.com/TH5Cat9J7i

— Chino Acosta 🗣️🎙️ (@Sacostaracing) December 8, 2025

The few options available near the Estadio Madre de Ciudades have extremely high rates, reaching up to $242,343 per night. Faced with this, many fans will have to opt to stay in Tucumán, despite the distance.

¡VAMOS TODOS A SANTIAGO! ✈️

A partir de las 11 se habilita la venta exclusiva para socios/as del Pack Chárter, desde https://t.co/Ytc9fABIW0.

✅ Incluye áereo, traslado interno en SDE y entrada a platea.

💳 Hasta en 6 cuotas sin interés.

🛫 Vuelos c/ salidas desde Ezeiza pic.twitter.com/72v818Q8rT

— Socias/os Racing Club (@RacingSocios) December 10, 2025

The promotions launched by the clubs

To mitigate the inconveniences, both Racing and Estudiantes have made special packages available to their members. Estudiantes facilitated about 20 buses with tickets at $100,000, while Racing offered seven charter flights and about 40 buses. The club packages, which include entry, accommodation, and transportation, cost $275,000 (bus) and around $1,000,000 (air).

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.

📸 Joaquín Camiletti - 2025 Getty Images