With the European Fixture announcement imminent, the Clan update you on our forthcoming travel plans.

The fixtures for Connacht's European Challenge Cup games will be announced around 2pm this afternoon (Friday).

The dates and times for Rounds 1-4 will be announced as well as the weekends for Rounds 5 and 6.

We will then quickly begin making plans for away trips.

The travel section of the website has been updated with some preliminary info on flights, and details for each game can be found on the Travel menu above.

By far the easiest of the European matches to travel to is Newcastle Falcons with several flights each day.

Brive is quite a challenge to reach, with Carcassonne probably the best option, but only if the game is on a Saturday. Fridays and Sundays will require some creative thinking.

The game against Enisei STM still doesn't have a confirmed venue and as yet we are unsure if that will even be confirmed tomorrow. Several options have been floated, from Sochi to Dubai, or somewhere closer to home. The dream of travelling on the Trans-Siberian Railway all the way to Krasnoyarsk will probably have to wait though, as it will be hard to find a playable surface at -20C.

But before the European action kicks off, there are a few Clan members travelling to some Pro12 matches, with a good crew going to the first outing in Glasgow, and momentum building for a trip to Swansea on World Cup semi-final weekend to face the Ospreys.

Plans are already afoot to run a bus to Thomond Park for the game in November and to the RDS on New Year's Day.

So if you missed out on World Cup tickets, or just baulked at the extravagant prices, never fear, come follow the Clan to rugby hotspots near and far, and maybe even to places you never thought you'd find yourself shouting for Connacht.