World Cup Tickets: It's Not Too Late

It's still possible to snag tickets to the June 9-July 9 World Cup soccer matches in the 12 German cities hosting matches. Here's how.

· Tickets: Event organizer Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) is selling tickets through the July 9 championship game in Berlin. At this stage, it's offering tickets on a first come first served basis. Although most of the tickets are gone, FIFA is still accepting applications. As the dates of games approach, unclaimed tickets will be available at FIFA-run vending stations in the host cities. Prices are $45 to $130 for individual games and $155 to $776 for the final match. To apply for tickets in advance, or for details on who's playing when or how to get tickets from vendors, visit the FIFA Web site athttp://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com.

Scalpers are already offering tickets on eBay and other Web sites, and will almost certainly hawk them in the host cities, too. But acquiring them through this route can be risky. The rules are that legally purchased tickets can only be traded among relatives or in dire hardship cases. Cup authorities have embedded special chips in the issued tickets to try to ensure that only the purchaser can use them.

RazorGator Inc (800-852-7771,http://www.Razorgator.com) and Ticketcity (800-765-3688,http://www.ticketcity.com), both reputable brokers, are also still offering tickets -- though the price is hefty. At Ticketcity, individual tickets for late June matches are running in the $1,000 to $1,500 price range, a spokesman said. Razorgator's prices are comparable. Razorgator has a few packages left: For the semifinals in Munich, for example, the company is featuring a July 4-7 package that includes three nights in the Maritim hotel, two tickets to the July 5 semifinal match, breakfasts and transfers. Price is $3,749 per person double.

· More info: Soccerphile.com (http://www.soccerphile.com) is a privately run trip-planning organization that offers lots of useful tips and links to other sites. For general information on travel to Germany and World Cup updates: German National Tourist Board, 212-661-7200,http://www.cometogermany.com.

-- Gary Lee