5 Tips For Planning Travel Around Major Sporting Events

Each year, millions of people travel all over the globe to see the world’s greatest athletes compete in major sporting events. But in 2024, a lot more people are expected to travel for these types of events than normal, due to the US Open, the Tour de France, and the Summer Olympics all taking place. It’s no secret that going to see these athletes perform in person is such an incredible experience, but it can also take a lot of planning.

To help you out, our team has done extensive research regarding the ins and outs of traveling to major sporting events, and have come up with some tips to help ensure that your planning goes as smoothly as possible. From deciding which event to attend to booking everything in advance and more, here are 5 tips for planning travel around major sporting events.

1. Decide Which Event You Want to Attend

2024 is full of some incredible sporting events, and it can be hard to decide which you want to attend. But this should be the first thing on your list of to-do’s. You’ll want to take a look at all of the upcoming major sporting events, and see which ones you would enjoy watching in person. Once you have narrowed down the list to 2-3 events, you should take into consideration when and where these events are.

For example, if you want to go and see an international soccer match that is taking place next week, you may have a hard time getting all of your plans in order to go and watch the game. But a soccer match that is happening a few months down the line gives you enough time to plan everything and ensure that you’re able to find airline tickets and lodging.

2. Book Everything Far in Advance

A lot of people enjoy attending major sporting events, which means that everything can get booked up pretty quickly. To ensure that you’re able to make the most of your trip and not miss out on anything, you should try and book everything as far in advance as possible. Booking early can help you save money, and gives you more options when it comes to choosing flights, hotels, and restaurants. Further, making your plans in advance may give you better ticket options for the sporting event.

3. Do Your Research

It’s crucial that you do your research ahead of time so that you know what you’ll be getting yourself into once at your destination. One of the most important things that you’ll want to consider is where your hotel is located. With major sporting events comes large crowds, and it may be more challenging than normal to get from point A to point B. This is why we suggest choosing a hotel that is centrally located, so that if public transportation is too crowded, you can simply walk everywhere. 

Another thing to keep in mind is that there are usually many rules at sports venues. For example, some arenas and complexes don’t allow you to bring in large bags, may prohibit certain items, or could require you to wear a mask. Familiarize yourself with these rules ahead of time so that you understand what you can and cannot do. Trust us, this can save you a huge headache!

4. Ensure That Your Travel Documents Are Valid

Though there are some fantastic sporting events coming up that will take place in the United States, there are also plenty that will occur in international destinations. International sporting events are some of our favorites, as they allow you to see new places all while watching incredible athletes compete. But international trips do take some planning, including making sure that all of your travel documents are valid.

First things first, check the expiration date of your passport. Most international destinations require that you have at least 6 months of validity beyond the date that you will be departing from that country. So if your passport is expired or will be expiring within the next six months or so, you should get your passport renewed before leaving on your vacation. 

If it will be your first time leaving the country, you’ll need to obtain a new passport. Fortunately, getting a new passport is actually quite simple when you choose to obtain it with Swift. Our team makes the process easy so that you don’t have to worry. We will work with you every step of the way to ensure any issues are addressed, and do our best to get your new passport to you in time for your travels.

One final travel document you may need is a visa or e-Visa. Some countries require that you get a visa or e-Visa before entering, and it’s essential that you check to see if you need to procure a visa before you leave, as this could be the difference between you getting to watch your chosen sporting event or having to stay home.

5. Arrive at the Event Early

You’ve planned your trip, arrived at your destination, and the time has finally come.. It’s event day! You’ve waited so long to go and watch this incredible sporting event, and you should make the most of it by getting to the venue early. Arriving early allows you to get through security with plenty of time to spare, so that you can walk around and check out all of the cool things that the venue has to offer.

Many sporting events offer delicious food for you to try, sell fun and unique apparel, and may even have games or activities for you to participate in. Make the most of your time there and take everything in. Enjoy each moment, take photos, and make memories with your friends and family. Seeing a major sporting event is such a marvelous experience, and it’s something that you’ll truly never forget. 

Major Sporting Events Coming Up in 2024

There are still many major sporting events coming up in 2024 and some of them are just around the corner! No matter if you like tennis, bicycle racing, or want to see athletes from the USA win gold, there’s sure to be an event that you will enjoy going to see. With that said, here are some of the major sporting events that are still to come in 2024:

Tour de France

Location: Starts in Florence, Italy and ends in Nice, France

Event Dates: June 29th – July 21st

Summer Olympics

Location: Paris, France

Event Dates: July 26th – August 11th

US Open Tennis Championships

Location: Flushing, New York

Event Dates: August 26th – September 8th

America’s Sailing Cup

Location: Barcelona, Spain

Event Dates: October 12th – October 20th

We want to know.. which of these sporting events do you plan on attending in 2024? Let us know in the comments!