The Best Travel Destinations For High-End Sport

One of the most time-honored traditions in sports is traveling to watch them. No matter where events are staged, there will always be fans who take whatever measures are necessary to get there and view the competition in person.
We often think of this as being true among the higher-profile events like the college basketball tournaments each spring, and certainly those events do mobilize the masses. But for those with a more refined or esoteric taste in athletic competition, there is still a wanderlust for fans.

Unfortunately, the smaller numbers of people traveling for those events and their different interests for lodging can complicate travel plans. When 100,000 people are in town for a stock car race, every hotel within 100 miles is ready to accommodate. When 10,000 are coming to a large city, there is less preparation.

It’s this situation that can call for the use of a travel agency. Booking not just any room but the room that meets your expectations requires someone with local knowledge and resourcefulness. There are several situations where this can be illustrated.

Horse Racing

Thoroughbred competition is unique in its ability to draw fans of all stripes. As a result, as events like the Kentucky Derby come along, everything from campsites to 4-star hotels are booked solid in Louisville for the first Saturday in May.

As you make plans to go to Churchill Downs, a good agent can find Kentucky Derby travel packages that will meet your expectations for quality, location, and amenities. In the incredible bustle and activity of Louisville hotels, a travel agent will be able to wade through and use his or her network and skills to take care of your plans so that you can focus on more important things, like what to wear.

Golf

Once again, there’s a muddying of the waters for the high-end traveler thanks to the huge crowds of casual golf fans that also want to come to town. If you have managed to get your schedule to accommodate a trip to Pebble Beach, the last thing you want to do is get stuck in a subpar hotel. Yet the process of booking online is notoriously deceptive, so a travel agent can be your best friend.

Hotels for golf events have very different requirements than those for shorter events like horse races. Golf fans may attend some or all of the event, coming and going through the day if rain delays take place. They may choose to leave early if their favorite golfer misses the cut or withdraws. And because a golf tournament takes several days, there’s always the possibility that work demands could force last-minute changes.

This makes lodging a complex arrangement for golf fans. A good travel agent will know how to navigate channels and get a hotel that meets your unique itinerary and flexibility.

Tennis

The great events like Wimbledon and the French Open are notoriously difficult to travel for. Players withdraw or lose, short-circuiting your efforts to watch them play. Weather interferes. Flights are delayed. The list goes on and on. And compounding it all, it includes international travel, which carries its own list of complications.

Utilizing a travel agent for these events is essential. Like golf, they continue for several days with unpredictable changes. And like the Kentucky Derby, they attract huge crowds of varying tastes. With an experienced travel firm, you’ll have an agent who has that multinational experience who can handle your flights, hotels, and incidentals like currency exchange, leaving your mind and time free for other things. You’ll also get an itinerary that makes the most of your trip to England.

Travel agents have always been a good option for any type of excursion, but for the simple trip using basic lodging you can get by without them. Major sporting events are a whole different situation. Using a travel agent is a must for the best in athletic competition.