Two things that mix quite well together for the enthusiastic traveler are sports and destination cities. For sensible economic reasons, tourist destinations are often associated with major sports leagues and teams. So if you happen to be a sports fan that is also looking for a place to take a quick vacation, then those two worlds collide quite nicely.
So, some traveler’s tips for people in that situation – look for affiliations between teams and locations or companies, hit up the big cities, see if you can hit up games during major events and smaller ones, be sure to always look for deals on tickets, and consider renting places to stay from both individuals and companies.
Look For Affiliations
Many sports teams have an affiliated city, resort, company, or brand. That means if you want to see the San Diego Chargers, for instance, you can find a resort that has an affiliation with them somehow. It could be because of location, history, or common commerciality, but there can be big discounts if you look for advertisements or deals through the right channels.
Hit the Big Cities
Traveling to big cities means traveling to places with major market sports teams. It’s really that simple of an equation. Because more money flows in big urban areas, and things like parking, population, and construction opportunities go hand in hand with that money, it makes complete rational sense from an economic perspective. And that means a solid opportunity for you, the traveler, to catch a vacation break in a big city with tons of things to do, and probably a stadium or two within the city limits as well. Are you an AFL fan? If so, you might want to visit Australia, specifically, Melbourne or Victoria. Grab your favourite team t-shirt (from sites like afl merchandise) and hit Melbourne. You don’t want to miss a great chance to see your favourite team, right?
Go On Major Days, and Off Days
There’s a big difference between certain stadiums on days of big events (like the Super Bowl) or small events (like the Browns playing some Thursday night). But if you want to get the full picture of a team, or an area for that matter, then go on both of these occasions. Absorb and appreciate those differences.
Look For Deals On Tickets
You never want to pay full price for sports tickets if you don’t have to. It might take a little bit of planning or patience, but there are ways to get heavy discounts on tickets a number of different ways. Always be sure to keep your methods legal, but there’s no shame in trying to save a few bucks so that you can spend it on stadium hot dogs instead!
Consider Renting From Individuals Or Companies
There are major hotel chains that can accommodate your needs to be next to a stadium. Or, there are individuals who rent homes or rooms out on a more casual basis. As an informed consumer, you should accept both of those as possibilities, and pick the one that makes the most sense for you budget and time limits.
