This season sees the start of a new era in the German professional leagues with the creation of a third national tier. The league comprises of the four relegated Liga 2 teams and the 8 teams from the previous Regionalliga Nord and Sud who finished in 3rd to 10th places respectively. The top two in those divisions (Rot-Weiss Ahlen, Rot-Weiss Oberhausen, FSv Frankfurt and FC Ingolstdat 04) were promoted directly into Liga 2. The teams who will compete in the first ever season at this level are:-
Kickers Offenbach - Offenbach - Bierberer Berg Stadion - Capacity: 26,500. Bus 102 runs from the central station in Offenbach to the stadium, or you can get a train from Frankfurt (S1, S2, S8 or S9) to Offenbach Ost then a 10 minute walk. Admission is €2 to €29 for a seat or €10 for a place on the terraces. It is a very English stadiums with two huge terraces behind the goals, and a smart main stand. Nearest airport is Frankfurt Main.
Erzebirge Aue - Aue - Erzebirgsstadion - Capacity: 16,397. A bus runs from Aue station on its way to Chemnitz past the stadium in the north of the town. Admission is 11 to €22 for a seat and €8 for a place on the terraces. Nearest airport is Aletnburg, served daily by Ryanair from London Stansted, although it is quite a way away.
SC Paderborn - Paderborn - Paragon Arena - Capacity: 15,000 (New stadium for 2008). From the station you can get bus line 6 or 68 in the direction of Sande for the new stadium. Admission is €5 to €24 for a seat and €11 for a place on the terraces. The nearest airport is Paderborn that is served daily by Air Berlin from London Stansted.
Carls Zeiss Jena - Jena - Ernst Abbe Sportfeld - Capacity: 15,610. From the station take trolley bus 4, 5 or 35 in the direct of the stadium.Admission is €11 to €22 for a seat and €8 for a terrace place. The stadium is located in the south of the lovely town. Air Berlin fly here a couple of times a week from London Stansted.
Fortuna Dusseldorf - Dusseldorf - LTU Arena - Capacity: 51,500. From the main station catch any U-Bahn line that terminates at the Messe Nord. The stadium is next to the Messe. Admission is €11 to €35 for a seat. Air Berlin fly here daily from London Stansted.
Union Berlin - Berlin - An der Alten Forsterei - Capacity: 20,500. Union's new stadium will be ready later in the season. Catch S3 in the direction of Erkner and get off at Berlin-Koepenick for the stadium. Admission is €21 for a seat or €10 for a terrace place. Ryanair, Easyjet, BA and Air Berlin fly here daily from a variety of airports in the United Kingdom, as do Lufthansa.
Werder Bremen II - Bremen - Platz 11 - Capacity: 5,500. Alternative games in the main stadium and the training ground. Catch line 10 in direction of Sebaldbrueck for Platz 11 from the station. Admission is €12 for a seat and €6 for a place on the terrace. Ryanair fly to Bremen daily from London Stansted, as too do Easyjet.
Wuppertaler SV - Wuppertal - Stadion am Zoo - Capacity: 23,067. Catch any S-Bahn in the direction of the Zoo for the stadium. Admission is €13 to €18 for a seat and €9 for a terrace place. The town is almost part of the Dusseldorf sprawl and the nearest airport is Dusseldorf International.
Rot-Weiss Erfurt - Erfurt - Steigerwaldstadion - Capacity: 20,000. Bus line 1 in the direction of Thueringenhalle is the best way to reach the stadium, which is located in the south of the town and walkable from the station. Admission is €8 to €20 for a seat, a standing place it is €7 to €9. Erfurt does have an airport that is seasonally used by Ryanair, otherwise the nearest is Leipzig, 80 miles east.
Dynamo Dresden - Dresden - Rudolf-Harbig Stadion - Capacity: 28,500. Located a short walk from the central station, although Tram 11 passes by as well. Admission is €10 to €18 for a seat and €5 to €9 for standing. Dresden is served by Germanwings from London Stansted on a daily basis.
Kickers Emden - Emdem - Embdena Stadion - Capacity: 7,300. A 15 minute walk north of the central station. Admission is €22 for a seat and €9 for a standing place. Nearest airport is Bremen, served by Ryanair daily.
Entract Braunschweig - Braunschweig - Eintract Stadion - Capacity: 25,000. Located in the far north of the town, Trolleybus 4 and 7 go direct to the stadium. Admission is €11 to €22 for a seat and €9 behind the goal on the terrace. The nearest airport is Hannover which is around 35 miles to the west and served daily by BMI, Air Berlin and BA.
VFB Stuttgart II - Stuttgart - GAZi Stadion auf der Waldau - Capacity: 11,493. U-Bahn line 7 in the direction of Ostfildem goes towards the stadium which is located next to the TV Tower. Admission is €10 to €20 for a seat and €6 to €10 to stand on the terraces. Nearest airport is Stuttgart which is served by Germanwings and BA from London a number of times per day
VFR Aalen - Aalen - Scholz Arena - Capacity: 11,183. A 15 minute walk from the stadium down Rombacher Strasse. Admission is €15 for a seat and €10 for a terracing place. Nearest airport is Stuttgart which is around 75 miles to the south west of the town.
Sandhausen - Sandhausen - Hardwaldstadion - Capacity: 10,231. Bus line 720 and 721 runs to the Haltestelle Sportzentrum which is close to the stadium. Admission is €17 to €20 for a seat, or €10 for a terrace place. The nearest airport is either Frankfurt Main (80 miles north but less than an hour by train) or Karlsruhe Baden Baden, which is served by Ryanair from London Stansted and is 50 miles to the south west of the town.
SPVGG Unterhaching - Munich - Generali Sportpark - Capacity: 15,053. Located in the southern Munich suburbs, reached by S-Bahn line 5 to Fasanenpark. Admission is €17 to €35 for a seat, and €9 for a terrace place. Nearest airport is Munich.
Wacker Burghausen - Berghausen - Wacker Arena - Capacity: 10,000. Relatively new stadium located just a 10 minute walk from the station. Admission is €15 to €21 for a seat and €5 to €8 for a standing place. Nearest airport is Frankfurt Main around 30 miles to the south.
Bayern Munich II - Munich - Grunwalder - Capacity: 10,240. Training ground of TSV located close to U-bahn line 1 stop at Wettersteinplatz. Admission is €10 to €15 for a seat and €5 if the terracing is open. Nearest airport is Munich which is served by BA, Easyjet and Air Berlin amongst others from the UK.
Jahn Regensburg - Regensburg - Staedtisches Jahnstadion - Capacity: 10,724. Stadtbus 1 runs to the stadium in the direction of Pruefening, with the nearest stop at Goetheoder Lessingstrasse. Admission is €14 to €18 in the seats and €5 to €9 for a terrace place. The nearest airport to Regensburg is Munich International.
Stuttgarter Kickers - Stuttgart - GAZi Stadion auf der Waldau - Capacity: 11,493. U-Bahn line 7 in the direction of Ostfildem goes towards the stadium which is located next to the TV Tower. Admission is €15 to €37 for a seat and €6 to €10 to stand on the terraces. Nearest airport is Stuttgart which is served by Germanwings and BA from London a number of times per day
More information on the location of the stadiums can be found at Footiemap.com. Thanks to Worldstadiums.com for supplying a number of the pictures above. Pictures of Bremen and LTU Arena Dusseldorf are copyrighted by GTC Media Ltd.
Kickers Offenbach - Offenbach - Bierberer Berg Stadion - Capacity: 26,500. Bus 102 runs from the central station in Offenbach to the stadium, or you can get a train from Frankfurt (S1, S2, S8 or S9) to Offenbach Ost then a 10 minute walk. Admission is €2 to €29 for a seat or €10 for a place on the terraces. It is a very English stadiums with two huge terraces behind the goals, and a smart main stand. Nearest airport is Frankfurt Main.
Erzebirge Aue - Aue - Erzebirgsstadion - Capacity: 16,397. A bus runs from Aue station on its way to Chemnitz past the stadium in the north of the town. Admission is 11 to €22 for a seat and €8 for a place on the terraces. Nearest airport is Aletnburg, served daily by Ryanair from London Stansted, although it is quite a way away.
SC Paderborn - Paderborn - Paragon Arena - Capacity: 15,000 (New stadium for 2008). From the station you can get bus line 6 or 68 in the direction of Sande for the new stadium. Admission is €5 to €24 for a seat and €11 for a place on the terraces. The nearest airport is Paderborn that is served daily by Air Berlin from London Stansted.
Carls Zeiss Jena - Jena - Ernst Abbe Sportfeld - Capacity: 15,610. From the station take trolley bus 4, 5 or 35 in the direct of the stadium.Admission is €11 to €22 for a seat and €8 for a terrace place. The stadium is located in the south of the lovely town. Air Berlin fly here a couple of times a week from London Stansted.
Fortuna Dusseldorf - Dusseldorf - LTU Arena - Capacity: 51,500. From the main station catch any U-Bahn line that terminates at the Messe Nord. The stadium is next to the Messe. Admission is €11 to €35 for a seat. Air Berlin fly here daily from London Stansted.
Union Berlin - Berlin - An der Alten Forsterei - Capacity: 20,500. Union's new stadium will be ready later in the season. Catch S3 in the direction of Erkner and get off at Berlin-Koepenick for the stadium. Admission is €21 for a seat or €10 for a terrace place. Ryanair, Easyjet, BA and Air Berlin fly here daily from a variety of airports in the United Kingdom, as do Lufthansa.
Werder Bremen II - Bremen - Platz 11 - Capacity: 5,500. Alternative games in the main stadium and the training ground. Catch line 10 in direction of Sebaldbrueck for Platz 11 from the station. Admission is €12 for a seat and €6 for a place on the terrace. Ryanair fly to Bremen daily from London Stansted, as too do Easyjet.
Wuppertaler SV - Wuppertal - Stadion am Zoo - Capacity: 23,067. Catch any S-Bahn in the direction of the Zoo for the stadium. Admission is €13 to €18 for a seat and €9 for a terrace place. The town is almost part of the Dusseldorf sprawl and the nearest airport is Dusseldorf International.
Rot-Weiss Erfurt - Erfurt - Steigerwaldstadion - Capacity: 20,000. Bus line 1 in the direction of Thueringenhalle is the best way to reach the stadium, which is located in the south of the town and walkable from the station. Admission is €8 to €20 for a seat, a standing place it is €7 to €9. Erfurt does have an airport that is seasonally used by Ryanair, otherwise the nearest is Leipzig, 80 miles east.
Dynamo Dresden - Dresden - Rudolf-Harbig Stadion - Capacity: 28,500. Located a short walk from the central station, although Tram 11 passes by as well. Admission is €10 to €18 for a seat and €5 to €9 for standing. Dresden is served by Germanwings from London Stansted on a daily basis.
Kickers Emden - Emdem - Embdena Stadion - Capacity: 7,300. A 15 minute walk north of the central station. Admission is €22 for a seat and €9 for a standing place. Nearest airport is Bremen, served by Ryanair daily.
Entract Braunschweig - Braunschweig - Eintract Stadion - Capacity: 25,000. Located in the far north of the town, Trolleybus 4 and 7 go direct to the stadium. Admission is €11 to €22 for a seat and €9 behind the goal on the terrace. The nearest airport is Hannover which is around 35 miles to the west and served daily by BMI, Air Berlin and BA.
VFB Stuttgart II - Stuttgart - GAZi Stadion auf der Waldau - Capacity: 11,493. U-Bahn line 7 in the direction of Ostfildem goes towards the stadium which is located next to the TV Tower. Admission is €10 to €20 for a seat and €6 to €10 to stand on the terraces. Nearest airport is Stuttgart which is served by Germanwings and BA from London a number of times per day
VFR Aalen - Aalen - Scholz Arena - Capacity: 11,183. A 15 minute walk from the stadium down Rombacher Strasse. Admission is €15 for a seat and €10 for a terracing place. Nearest airport is Stuttgart which is around 75 miles to the south west of the town.
Sandhausen - Sandhausen - Hardwaldstadion - Capacity: 10,231. Bus line 720 and 721 runs to the Haltestelle Sportzentrum which is close to the stadium. Admission is €17 to €20 for a seat, or €10 for a terrace place. The nearest airport is either Frankfurt Main (80 miles north but less than an hour by train) or Karlsruhe Baden Baden, which is served by Ryanair from London Stansted and is 50 miles to the south west of the town.
SPVGG Unterhaching - Munich - Generali Sportpark - Capacity: 15,053. Located in the southern Munich suburbs, reached by S-Bahn line 5 to Fasanenpark. Admission is €17 to €35 for a seat, and €9 for a terrace place. Nearest airport is Munich.
Wacker Burghausen - Berghausen - Wacker Arena - Capacity: 10,000. Relatively new stadium located just a 10 minute walk from the station. Admission is €15 to €21 for a seat and €5 to €8 for a standing place. Nearest airport is Frankfurt Main around 30 miles to the south.
Bayern Munich II - Munich - Grunwalder - Capacity: 10,240. Training ground of TSV located close to U-bahn line 1 stop at Wettersteinplatz. Admission is €10 to €15 for a seat and €5 if the terracing is open. Nearest airport is Munich which is served by BA, Easyjet and Air Berlin amongst others from the UK.
Stuttgarter Kickers - Stuttgart - GAZi Stadion auf der Waldau - Capacity: 11,493. U-Bahn line 7 in the direction of Ostfildem goes towards the stadium which is located next to the TV Tower. Admission is €15 to €37 for a seat and €6 to €10 to stand on the terraces. Nearest airport is Stuttgart which is served by Germanwings and BA from London a number of times per day