Live sports are hugely exciting. There’s a thrill in the air when you actually sit in the stadium or arena to watch your favourite player or team play. But, the process of getting yourself to a stadium can be complicated, stressful and time-consuming. With all that in mind, you need to carefully prepare yourself for any travel to a sporting event. Let’s take a look at some of the key things you need to consider.
Grab your tickets
One of the first things to do is book tickets. This may seem easy, but it’s not as straightforward as you might think. Depending on the sport and the stadium, you need to carefully consider the seating plan before selecting where you wish to sit. Additionally, where you sit will affect the price, so make sure you know what you’re prepared to pay, and budget for it, before you start shopping for tickets.
Importantly, you should always use a trusted ticketing platform when buying your tickets. You should never purchase tickets from someone online, nor should you buy from a tout right outside the stadium. If you want to watch a sporting event live, then you can check in here to find, book or even pre-order tickets for your chosen event.
Book accommodation and transport
Once you know where you’re headed to, you need to start planing your stay and how you’re going to get there. When it comes to booking accommodation, doing so in advance is essential if you want to get a good deal and be close to the stadium.
If you’re planning on staying for a few days, before or after the live sporting event, you may want to consider where you stay based on other attractions as well. You should look at the city as a whole. Consider the transport options in and around the city where you are watching the event. Make sure you check how it works, and what options there are available to you. Then, choose accommodation that’s near convenient lines of transport if that’s what you need. Alternatively, look for accommodation near major attraction sites or restaurants.
Transport to the city as a whole should also be booked. Depending on how far you will be travelling you may need to book planes, trains, coaches, rental cars or parking spaces. Again, as with accommodation, booking early is better. You will be able to get yourself better discounts and cheaper deals in the long run.
Packing for the experience
As you’re going to be going for a mini holiday to see the match or game, you do need to make sure you’re prepared for all eventualities. Carefully check the weather in the city or even country you are heading too. This is essential if you’re going to be sitting in a stadium for an extended period of time. Depending which sport you’re going to see, games can last anywhere from 90 minutes for football, to more than four hours for games like American football and tennis and up to several days for test match cricket.
This means you may need to have a hat, sunscreen and so on to protect yourself from the heat of the day, or warm clothes to protect against cold nights, or even both for day-long events. Make sure you also have clothing to protect you from the wind and rain should there be inclement weather forecast during the event.
Additionally, if you’re staying in the area for longer, make sure you have appropriate clothing to enjoy some of the other sites there as well. And have sensible shoes to make sure you’re able to have fun no matter where you are.
Other essentials to remember
Of course, it’s not just about the outfit, there are other essential items you should also pack as well. This means preparing any travel documents such as passports and ID cards should you be travelling abroad. Importantly, you should also make sure you have any medications and a first aid kit with you if you have specific health conditions.
If you’re planning on making some memories at the sporting match or game, then make sure you have a camera or your smartphone with you. Not only should it be charged, but make sure you’ve packed a charger, so it’s primed the day before. Better still, bring along a portable battery pack so that you can keep topping up your phone throughout the game. The last thing you want is for your phone to die just as you’re taking a picture.
Have some fun
At the end of the day though, it’s all about having fun. Make sure you get in the spirit of the game while you’re there, though ensure you understand the rules and etiquette at sporting events if you’re in another country. You should have fun, but so should everyone around you.