It could be that you are traveling to a game of Maccabi Haifa, Hapoel Haifa or even the Israeli national team – but one thing is certain: finding a parking space near the Sammy Ofer Stadium in Haifa is not a simple thing. In today’s post we are going to list all the ways in which you can get to the stadium on matchday, where is it best to park, what to eat when in the area and some more tips worth knowing.
Sammy Ofer Stadium, established in 2014, is considered the most modern stadium in Israel. The stadium is located on the southern slopes of Haifa, in the Neot Peres neighborhood, near Matam Park, and contains 30,870 seats, 36 private viewing booths, 4 locker rooms and a gilded roof in an area of 27,000 meters. It is named after businessman Sammi Ofer, who funded 15% of the cost of its establishment.
The stadium, and why you should arrive early
The stadium’s north, east and south stands contain more than 25,000 seats, while the west stand consists of six floors with 5,000 seats, locker rooms, press booths, team clubs and silver, gold and diamond VIP clubs as well as 36 private viewing booths.
The stadium operates 18 buffets and kiosks that include counters with a cumulative length of about 130 meters, and hundreds of toilets. From a personal experience, except at the peak moments of the halftime during matches, there is usually no congestion in the restrooms and kiosks, and their quantity is sufficient in relation to the amount of crowd in each stand.
On the other hand, a major weakness of the stadium is the entrance to it, which requires the use of a QR code printed on the ticket in order to pass through the carousel gate. Again, from personal experience, very often the card reader fails to read the code from the mobile device of the person trying to enter, the printed pass is not the right size, or several scan attempts are required for no particular reason. Sometimes this creates congestion at the entrance to the stadium so we would recommend arriving early rather than a minute before kickoff.
Parking at the Sammy Ofer Stadium
Near the Sammy Ofer stadium there are parking lots with 1,550 parking spaces (P1-P5), but they are closed only for the use of paying subscribers. In any case, the police will usually not allow access to the area.
But do not worry, near the stadium there are over 6,500 parking spaces in the surrounding areas, in a short walking distance. The main one is the parking lot in Tirat Carmel, called the southern parking lot (P6) and is located right on Road 4. This is a spacious field that allows parking for a few hundred vehicles and is about a 10 minute walk from the stadium.
Our recommendation – try to park near the exit, as the traffic out towards Road 4 creeps slowly after matches, and congestion is high.
To navigate to the car park you can use Waze: https://waze.com/ul/hsvbf7wuqn, or on the following map –
For those who prefer to walk a little more before the match and save the traffic jams after it, you can park a little further south on the ascent to Tirat Carmel – along the road that connects to Road 4, and in a field in front of the gas station. It’s a little further from the above parking lot, but the exit is much faster.
In addition, it is also possible to park in the Shufersal Deal and Home Center complex in Tirat Carmel.
For those arriving especially early, there are car parks closer to the stadium: the Congress car park, Hot, Intel, Matam, Sha’ar Carmel, the beaches, the Haifa mall and the Castra car park (you can easily search for them in Waze).
Public transportation to Sammy Ofer Stadium
For those who don’t have a car or prefer to avoid the parking issues, public transportation is not a bad option. The stadium was built near the Hof Hacarmel Central Station and the Hof Hacarmel train station – a 10-minute walk away. There is a local bus station that was built in the vicinity of the stadium, and is active only during hours when events take place in the stadium. you will need a Rav Kav though.
Here, too, keep in mind that the trains back to the center of Israel that leave after the matches are very busy: both at the entrance to the train station and on the ride itself (where it is not certain that you will have a seat).
Where to eat near the Sammy Ofer Stadium
There are quite a few good restaurants near the Sammy Ofer Stadium, but keep in mind that they are not really close to the complex and require about 15 minutes of walking.
In the center of Castra, you will find Raffaello Restaurant (a nice young Italian restaurant), Mina Tomei (asian), and Basarella (burgers). In the adjacent Haifa Mall you will find Fat Vinnie (pizzeria), Aroma and Greg (cafes), Oshi Oshi (Asian), Shawarma Hazan, New Deli, McDonalds and Golda ice cream. Of course this is a quick sample and as befits large malls there are more options available.
The only restaurant right next to the stadium is a Burger Salon shop, which is actually located in the stadium complex itself. Keep in mind that it is very busy on match days, but also sells beers and alcohol and the atmosphere there is definitely electrifying.
In Conclusion
Although the Sammy Ofer Stadium is built generally close to some good public transportation options, there is not much to do and on days of a big match the traffic to it is going to be congested. It is advisable to plan your departure times well in advance, and try to maximize the amount of people in each vehicle.
In the end when it comes to parking near Sammy Ofer Stadium we have two rules. The first – the earlier you arrive, the closer you can park (as we detailed). The second rule, on the other hand, is that those who park closer to the stadium often get stuck in a traffic jam at the exit. Try to find the right balance.
From the experience of quite a few matches, we would recommend most people to head to the parking lot in Tirat Carmel (P6) and try to park near the exit. As mentioned, every match day is different, and it depends on the time you can arrive and your ability (and desire) to walk by foot.