Hotels for Six Nations 2027: France v Scotland

Travelling supporters mix with locals on the metro, scarves tied to bags, songs starting long before anyone reaches the ground. Expect the usual Six Nations theatre: anthems sung at full volume, flags draped over shoulders, a crowd that takes the occasion seriously without losing its good humour.

France were admitted to the championship in 1910, turning the Home Nations into the Five Nations and adding continental flair to a tournament until then confined to Britain and Ireland. Their meetings with Scotland now carry a poignant dimension: since 2018 the two nations have played for the Auld Alliance Trophy, named for the centuries-old bond between the countries and dedicated to players lost in the First World War.

The stage is the Stade de France, opened in 1998 in Saint-Denis on the northern edge of Paris and christened with that year's football World Cup final, its bowl seating around 80,000. Quickly reached from the centre on RER lines B and D or Metro line 13, it puts a rugby weekend within easy reach of everything the French capital offers. A Six Nations trip to Paris blends the drama of a full stadium with the city's boulevards, museums and cafes, and hotels fill early for the occasion.

France's national stadium, the Stade de France in Saint-Denis just north of Paris hosts football and rugby internationals, cup finals and the very biggest stadium concerts. The surrounding area is urban and busy, geared to moving huge crowds, with central Paris a short train ride away. RER lines and the Métro serve stations right beside the stadium, linking swiftly into the city. Booking a room near a convenient RER stop, or centrally in Paris, makes reaching the ground and returning afterwards straightforward.