There are many reasons to travel. Maybe you want to see old ruins of an ancient period gone by, or you’re headed on a food tour, or you’re going to see your favorite band tour. But one of the more underrated reasons is to travel for a big sports game. It doesn’t matter if you’re going to Canada to see your first ice hockey game, or headed to the next World Cup to cheer on your national team, what matters is having a great time.
However, it’s important to remember that big games especially encourage huge numbers of tourists to head to that particular destination. If you think peak time tourism is bad in some places, just wait until there’s an Olympics or football world cup on. It can shift the economic strategies of some countries for that year, these are such massive ventures.
As such, traveling for the big game is often a skill and an art just as much as playing for the sport is. In this post, we’ll discuss some tactics you can use for better success:
Pre-Scout The Hotels
Remember that you’re not the only person who’s thought about going to this game, so the best places get booked up extremely quickly, and the prices can spike dramatically. This is especially true for hotels that are perhaps even named after the stadium nearby. F you want to save cash, it’s helpful to research places as soon as you know the game schedule.
For example, if you know the venue, it’s also useful to check out the surrounding area. You might assume that the closest hotels are the best bet, but that’s not always true if they’re getting noisy from excited crowds or if you just prefer a calmer atmosphere. Sometimes, a place a little bit further away gives you a much better experience. For instance, if you’re planning a trip to a baseball game, you might want to try to stay near Yankee Stadium at a local hotel that’s a small train ride away from the main area.
Consider Wait Times
Getting to the game itself is going to be a mission, so you should absolutely include in long wait times for anything to do with your transport planning. This applies no matter if you’re hopping on the bus, calling a taxi or Uber, or using an underground train system, as you’re going to be sharing that space with thousands of other excited fans.
It’s often recommended to arrive at the stadium or arena way earlier than you think you need to. That gives you some wiggle room if there are delays with public transit or if the security lines are moving slowly, which they most often do in the larger games. If you have even an hour of extra time, it means you can relax, grab some food, and really take in the atmosphere, free from the stress of being late.
Extend The Trip Out
If you’re traveling a long distance for one game, why not add a few extra days to your trip? It makes the travel time feel a lot more worthwhile, and you may find that with all the waiting and transport on the big game day, you may feel as though you can’t get much else done.
You’ll also remember the game more if you get to see more of the city or town you’re visiting, as it’s a special event. If you come a couple of days early, your hotel booking quote is liable to be much cheaper too.
With this advice, you’re most likely to enjoy traveling for the big game.
