Is attending a major sporting event on your bucket list? Does the thought of attending the Super Bowl make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up with excitement? There are many different sporting events you can put on your calendar. For example, the World Series, the World Cup, the Masters Golf Tournament, the Kentucky Derby, the Olympics, and WWE. Traveling to such major events can be a challenge, especially if they are held in another state or even another country. For the trip to be successful, you’ll need to do some careful planning.
Make Your Plans Well in Advance
As soon as you know an event is taking place, you need to start making arrangements. For a start, you’re going to need to buy tickets, before they all sell out. Think about how you’re going to get to the venue as traveling can often be an issue if you leave the arrangements until the last minute.
If you’re going to be staying in a hotel before and after the event will you be looking for one close to the venue or in outlying areas where they’ll be cheaper? If you stay a fair distance from the arena or stadium, how are you going to get to the game? Public transport, taxi or rental car are the most obvious options. These are going to add to the cost, and it could work out cheaper if you pay a little more for your hotel and walk to the venue.
Buying Tickets
For major sporting events, there are often scams involving counterfeit tickets. To reduce the chances of getting scammed only buy your tickets from a reputable seller or site such as ticketsales.com. There may also be licensed ticket brokers outside the stadium, but prices will be higher. Avoid buying tickets from someone you don’t know, either from an online ad or a person standing outside the stadium.
Get There Early
To ensure you catch all the pre-event ceremonies get to the venue a couple of hours early. Imagine how gutted you’ll be if you miss the kick-off because you’re still trying to find somewhere to park. To make the most of your bucket list event, you must get there early and be able to soak up the atmosphere of the crowd.
Save Money by Buying Outside the Venue
Inside any sporting venue you can expect to pay high prices for food and souvenirs. Buy your food outside the arena and you’ll not only save money. The food you find outside is also better.
For souvenirs, you’ll get the best deals if you wait until the event is over and buy from vendors outside the venue. Rather than pack up all their stock it’s likely they’ll be willing to offer you a bargain. This is particularly true if the souvenir has a date or year on it.
Two more tips worth mentioning are to plan you trips to the restroom. Halftime is going to be the busiest and you might find yourself still waiting in line when the game resumes play. Bring your smartphone with you as it’s going to be useful for finding nearby places to eat and keeping your itinerary organized.