ARLINGTON, TX, June 25 (Reuters) - With barbecue smoke drifting between rows of camper vans and Argentina flags fluttering above rooftop air conditioners, World Cup supporters are discovering that the hottest ticket in Texas might not be inside the stadium but in the campground outside.
A few miles from Dallas Stadium in Arlington, fans from Argentina, Germany and England have turned an RV park into a miniature World Cup village, swapping hotel lobbies for folding chairs and communal grills as soaring accommodation prices push supporters to seek cheaper ways to follow their teams.
The Dallas/Arlington KOA Holiday campground has seen demand surge during the tournament, with general manager Nona Gomez saying nearly all 159 RV sites were occupied for several high-profile matches.
"For the England game, it was pretty packed," Gomez said. "For Argentina and Austria, we had 24 sites left. We also had a lot of walk-ins from people who didn't have reservations."
For Argentine fan Santiago Meneses, travelling in a motorhome with five friends was born as much out of necessity as adventure.
"Prices are incredibly high, both for tickets and accommodation," he said. "In previous World Cups, the costs were at least 50% lower. We thought this was a good opportunity to cut costs and have a different kind of adventure."
The campground has become a social hub where strangers share beers, compare itineraries and grill late into the evening before heading to matches.
"We get more culture than just staying in hotels because we meet so many nice people from the U.S. and around the world," said German supporter Leroy Behrens, who is touring the southern United States with his father.
The financial arithmetic is compelling. RV pitches cost roughly $57 to $76 per person per night, while hotel rooms around Arlington have climbed well into the hundreds of dollars during marquee fixtures, with rates surging even higher for the tournament's latter stages.
The campground's location also helps fans avoid hefty post-match ride-share fares, with the stadium only a short drive away.
Life on four wheels comes with compromises, however. Meneses joked that the communal bathrooms become crowded at peak times, while Behrens admitted squeezing three people into a camper in the Texas heat was hardly luxurious.
Still, neither regretted their decision.
"We couldn't miss Messi's last World Cup, whatever the cost," said Meneses.
For Behrens, however, the rising price of attending football's biggest tournament reflects a broader trend.
"Football is for the fans and not for the rich people," he said. "It's hard to see that most people can't come to the stadium because it's too expensive."
(Additional reporting by Manuel Ausloos, writing by Julien Pretot in New York; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
