There is nothing quite like the thrill of being in a stadium and seeing your favourite athlete win an Olympic Gold Medal, or your football team lifting the World Cup.
Watching on TV doesn’t quite cut it. You get none of the atmosphere or the camaraderie with other fans.
So it’s no surprise that more and more people are travelling for sporting events. Whether that is a major tournament or following a favourite team home and away, sports tourism is becoming big business.
It’s also a great way to see the world. You can often end up visiting places you may never normally have considered.
I’ve attended a few sporting events on my travels. A couple of events I’ve used as an excuse to visit that country again and others it’s just been coincidence that I’ve been visiting that city.
Either way, it has always made my trips that little bit extra memorable.
So if you like sports and travel and are looking for a reason to book that next trip, here are some of the best sporting events worth travelling for.
Olympics: various
The Olympic Games are the world’s largest sporting festival.
Held every four years, in a different host city, the Games are the pinnacle of many sports.
Over 200 nations take part with thousands of competitors participating in a variety of competitions. There are two editions of the Games, Summer and Winter, which alternate every two years.
The Games we see today were first held 1896 in Athens. However, these were inspired by the original Olympic Games held in ancient Greece over 2,700 years ago.
There is nothing quite like the Olympics rolling into town. Even if you are not a fan of sport it’s hard not to get swept up in atmosphere of an Olympic Games.
They are probably the ultimate sporting event worth travelling for. If you are looking for a huge party with lots of great sporting action then this is the event for you.
My Olympic Story
I feel like I’m kind of cheating here with the Olympics as they were practically on my doorstep in 2021 so no travelling required. However, if you could only travel for one sporting event this is the one I would pick so I’ve included it.
My Olympic story started way back it was announced London would be bidding for the games. As well as being keen to watch all the different sports, I commuted past the site earmarked for the Olympic Park everyday so my fingers were well and truly crossed that we would be the wining bid.
Fast forward to 6 July 2005 and I was nervously huddled around a TV with some work colleagues waiting to hear the results. Even writing that I can still hear the cheer that went up around the office when it was announced that London had won.
For the next seven years I made sure I sat on the right side of the train every journey to and from work so I could catch a glimpse of the Olympic Park as it took shape.
Through the ticket ballot I managed to get tickets for the football final and closing ceremony. I was pleased for the ceremony as had thought that would be an impossible dream but disappointed with no athletics tickets.
I didn’t let that deter me though. Having been an avid concert goer for many years I knew there was always a way to get tickets, even to events that are supposed to be sold out.
Treating ticket hunting like its own Olympic sport, I came across a group of ticket hunters on Twitter and began picking up hints and tips on how to get tickets.
Persistence paid off and by the time the games started not only did I have tickets for couple of athletics sessions, I had also snagged some swimming heats, beach volleyball, dressage and most excitingly (and unexpectedly) the Opening Ceremony.
There are so many highlights from those few weeks in 2012. London seemed a different city. The atmosphere was buzzing, people had a spring in their step and strangers chatted to you on the tube (a rare occurrence). Amazingly, even the trains managed a few weeks with no delays (unheard of usually).
The sporting action didn’t disappoint either. I was lucky enough to see Jessica Ennis on her way to winning gold in the heptathlon, Usain Bolt smash the 200m final and David Rudisha break the Men’s 800m World Record.
If I was really pushed to say what the ultimate highlight was I’d have to say the Opening Ceremony. I thought there was no chance of getting a sniff of a ticket, let alone being able to buy two sets (one for my parents and one for me).
I didn’t really know what to expect but it ended up being one of the best nights of my life. Sitting in the Olympic Stadium, on a cool summer evening, watching the spectacle unfold is a memory I’ll never forget.
Cricket: The Ashes – Australia/UK
These days it seems the cricket season is all year round. As well county cricket up and down the UK, the national team play at home in the summer and away in the winter. So if you are looking for a bit of winter sun, then this is the sport to follow.
The Ashes series, contested by Australia and England, is the jewel in the crown.
The series of five test matches is held roughly every two years with each country taking turns to host.
The teams battle it out to get hold of one of the most famous trophy’s in sport – the Ashes urn – and bragging rights until the next series.
So swap the UK winter for an Aussie summer
Plan your trip to the Ashes with my guide to planning a holiday to Australia.
My cricket story
I was backpacking Australia during 2002/03 at the same time as the Ashes were being fiercely contested (well kind of).
My hostel friends invited me to the Sydney test and although I knew nothing about cricket, I thought it would be day out if nothing else so why not? It turned out to be a great day, but I really couldn’t understand why people were queuing for day five tickets as we made our way home in the evening.
Fast forward to 2005 when like the rest of the UK I got swept up in Ashes fever when England finally won back the coveted urn. Being desperate to visit Australia again I decided to travel out for the return series in 2006, to watch the last three tests, visit some friends and catch another New Year’s Eve in Sydney.
I started in Perth reasoning that at least the series would still alive at that point. And it was…just. England ended up losing the series there. However, I didn’t let that deter me and ended up having a great month that brought home the advantages of travelling for sport – getting to see the world and making new friends.
I met people at that match in Perth who I then met up with in Melbourne and Sydney. By chance they had also booked the same New Year’s Eve event as I had so had a great night with my new friends.
I’ve also visited New Zealand to watch the cricket. This was a slightly different experience to Australia, less matches and smaller grounds but no less enjoyable. Maybe a little more actually.
With smaller venues, it’s more like watching a match at a UK country ground. As amazing as it was to watch be at the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne, for me, cricket doesn’t work in a big stadium. You are too far away from the action and lose some of atmosphere.
There is nothing quite like sitting on the grass banks enjoying the match. It’s a shame a lot of these old grounds are being replaced by modern arenas.
Forumla One: The Australian Grand Prix
The Formula One season usually kicks off in Melbourne so that’s another great excuse for a trip to Australia.
Melbourne is one of the world’s greatest sporting cities and this is no more evident on Grand Prix weekend. The party atmosphere continues for days and you can’t help but get swept along with it.
Heading into the autumn, the weather is still pleasant and there is plenty to explore in and around Melbourne, including the Great Ocean Road. So it is the perfect place to mix a sporting event with a bit of sightseeing.
As for the race itself, as the season opener and the first chance to see the cars in action, it’s one of the most anticipated races on the calendar.
If Australia is a little far there are plenty of other opportunities to mix travel and a race. Formula One traverses the globe for almost three quarters of the year. Asia, Europe, the USA and South America are all on the race calendar so there should be a city (or race) that takes your fancy.
With races covering four days including practice, qualifying and of course race day you can have a long weekend trip or tag it onto a short holiday to really make most of the excitement of a Formula One race.
My F1 Story
Many many years ago I used to work for a company that sponsored a F1 team so that is where my interest in the sport came from.
When travelling around Australia coincided with the start of the season, I jumped at the chance to go to the opening race.
With the ticket prices seemingly so much cheaper than here in the UK, I opted for a ground pass that gave access to all four days at the track – the two practice days, qualifying and of course, race day. However, you don’t get a reserved seat with this pass.
Race day started nice and early, joining the queues before the park opened, to ensure we got good viewing spot in one of the general admission areas. While the weather wasn’t the Aussie sun I’d hoped for, my favourite driver came second so it was a successful day!
I’ve been luckily enough to have been in Melbourne for a few sporting events and the city really comes alive with it’s love of sport. Even just leaving the hostel each day you could feel a buzz around the city and even hear the roar of the cars from what seemed like miles away.
Tennis: Australian Open
Travelling around the world for most of the year, Tennis is another great sport to follow if you want to mix seeing some world class sport while exploring new places.
The Australian Open is the first Grand Slam of the year so is highly anticipated. The tournament lasts two weeks so you can get a decent holiday in as well as seeing some of the world’s top tennis stars.
The other major tournaments include, Wimbledon, US Open and the French Open.
My tennis story
Totally unplanned but my first visit to Melbourne had me arrive in the middle of the Australian Open. Not one to miss up an opportunity, I bought a ground pass for the day of the final.
This pass got me into the site to soak up the atmosphere while watching the match on a big screen just outside the main court. While not quite the same as being inside centre court, it was still a great atmosphere and probably the closest I’ll get to a tennis final.
Many of the big tennis tournaments offer this so if you happen to be in city at the same time it is well worth considering. You get all of the buzz of the final but without the price tag!
More sporting events worth travelling for
Many other sports also offer opportunities to see the world while also catching some top class sporting action.
Rugby: UK, New Zealand
If you are a rugby fan, there are plenty of opportunities to see the world while following your team.
The annual six nations tournament offers the chance of trips to England, Wales, Scotland, France, Ireland and Italy.
If you prefer something further afield, look out for the Rugby World Cup. Held every four years, the world top teams battle it out to be crowned champions. The tournament has been held in Australia, New Zealand, Japan, the UK and South Africa in the past.
Golf – UK, USA
The major golf tournaments don’t visit quite as many countries as some of the sports mentioned above but there are still some great places to visit to catch a game and do a bit of sightseeing.
Major Golf tournaments include The Majors, The Ryder Cup, the European Tour and the PGA tour and played in the USA and UK.
Football: UK, Europe
With big tournaments almost every year, regional competitions and domestic leagues you could pretty much follow your team all year round.
Or you can take a trip to see a team in another country, or a match at an iconic stadium such as Barcelona at the Camp Nou. The options are almost endless when it comes to football.
The big matches and tournaments include
- FA Cup Final – London,Wembley Stadium, 15 May 2021
- FIFA World Cup – Qatar 2022
- UEFA European Championship – London 2020/1
The final word…
So if you like travelling and sport there is no shortage of opportunites to explore a different country while cheering your favourrite team on.
Combining the two is a really great way to see the world. As well as visiting new places, perhaps some you might never have gone to, you have the thrill of watching some of the best sport in the world. You can have shared experiences with your fellow supports and meet new friends who you immediately have something in common with.
Have you travelled for a sporting event? Let me know in the comments below.
I love the atmosphere you get from events – whether they’re sporting, musical, comedy…whatever. This may come as a surprise, but I’d really love to go to a gymnastics event. I used to be a budding gymnast when I was younger and I’m sure being a spectator would take me back to childhood!