German and French fans lead in car travels to the women's football championship in Switzerland
An analysis of anonymised parking transaction data from the global mobility platform Arrive reveals that Germany and France topped the list of nationalities driving to host cities during this summer’s European women’s football tournament in Switzerland. The findings show a strong link between geographic proximity, team performance, and fan travel patterns. However, fans from Iceland, Denmark and Sweden also stand out due to the distance fans had to travel.
The 2025 women’s European football championship, hosted in Switzerland, drew fans from across Europe to eight host cities. Arrive’s data shows that countries bordering or near Switzerland dominated car traffic, with Germany in the top, and France second, followed by Italy, the Netherlands, and Spain.
“Living fairly close to a destination the car often becomes the natural choice. It offers flexibility, comfort, and control over the journey. But that choice only works if the city provides the right parking infrastructure. Well-planned parking isn’t just convenient; it’s the backbone of making events accessible, reducing congestion, and ensuring a positive visitor experience,” says Scott Booker, General Manager Parking at Arrive.
The parking data also shows how the tournament schedule influenced traffic flows. Teams that advanced further in the competition generated, as expected, more visits to Swiss cities. For example, France and Germany met in Basel for a quarter-final, while Spain’s run to the final boosted visits to Bern, Zürich and Basel. Sweden and England’s quarter-final in Zürich also drove notable traffic spikes from both nations.
While proximity played a major role, several non-bordering countries still showed high volumes of parking transactions. Sweden and Denmark both recorded strong numbers despite much longer drives. Notably, the Danes showed their strong support, with fans travelling to Switzerland in significant numbers despite the team being eliminated in the group stage. The United Kingdom, including both England and Wales, also recorded a high volume of parking, indicating that many fans chose to drive rather than fly.
When adjusting for population size, the picture changes. Iceland tops the list of most dedicated car-travelling fan bases, followed by Denmark, Sweden, Norway and the Netherlands.
Top visiting nations by total parkings (from most to least)
- Germany
- France
- Italy
- Netherlands
- Spain
- Denmark
- Sweden
- Norway
- Belgium
- Finland
- United Kingdom
- Poland
- Iceland
- Portugal
Top 5 most dedicated car-travelling fan bases (per million inhabitants)
- Iceland
- Denmark
- Sweden
- Norway
- Netherlands
Methodology
The analysis is based on anonymised parking transaction data from Arrive Group’s parking apps, EasyPark and RingGo, in Switzerland between 30 June and 29 July 2025, covering the full tournament period. When users sign up for an account, they provide their phone number, country and also select the country where they primarily park, which is referred to as the market country.
