Game On! Ultimate Sports Travel Adventures Around the World

Join travel experts Ryan and Julie as they explore the exciting world of sports travel, combining your passion for sports with incredible destinations. Discover exclusive sports vacation packages, VIP experiences, and insider tips for planning the ultimate sports-focused getaway.

Wimbledon VIP Experience

• 7-day London itinerary with VIP Wimbledon seats
• Private Egyptologist-led British Museum tour
• Thames speedboat ride & Bond film location tour
• Warwick Castle exploration
• Booking tip: Tickets nearly impossible for general public

Swiss Alps Skiing at Zermatt

• 4-day ski pass with cross-border access
• Hotel Alper location steps from lifts
• High-altitude glacier exploration
• Vibrant après-ski scene experience
• Wellness amenities and spa services

Scotland Golf Tour

• 6-night customizable CIE Tours package
• Edinburgh Castle and Royal Mile exploration
• Play at King's Course (opened 1919)
• St. Andrews golf experience - Castle and Jubilee courses
• Historic venues: 2014 Ryder Cup locations
• Whiskey distillery visits

 2026 Monaco Grand Prix

• Luxury hotel selection in Monaco
• VIP race viewing from yachts and private terraces
• F1 car driving experience options
• Exclusive party invitations and Amber Lounge access
• Helicopter airport transfers
• Michelin star dining experiences
• Personal meet-and-greets with teams

World Cup 2026

• Follow specific teams across host cities
• All 16 host cities available
• Experienced event hosts for local guidance
• Early booking essential for best access

 2028 Los Angeles Summer Games

• Customizable itinerary based on preferred sports
• Major city exploration combined with events
• Personalized experience design

Planning & Booking

• Book extremely early - major events sell out immediately
• Use specialized travel partners for ticket access
• Consider full destination experience beyond the game
• Research local customs and dress codes

Practical Considerations

• Pack for climate and venue requirements
• Budget extra for souvenirs and experiences
• Arrive early to combat jet lag
• Get comprehensive travel insurance - events can be canceled

Cultural Immersion

• Explore local sports traditions (like Gaelic games in Ireland)
• Try regional cuisine at venues
• Connect with local fans and communities
• Visit hi

Transcript

j_1_06-08-2025_201018: 0:00

Hello and welcome to All Things Travel. Today we're diving into sports travel, those incredible experiences that combine your favorite games with amazing destinations. We'll be sharing some fantastic sports travel opportunities from Kensington Road trips and CIE tours that will turn your passion for sports into the trip of a lifetime.

ryan_2_06-08-2025_201018: 0:22

Listen in sports fans with travel advisors and destination experts. Ryan and Julie, I'm your travel teaching you everything you need to know to have a magical vacation, and she's a Disney loving Maryland mom of three and a specialist in family travel. Whether we're discussing incredible destinations, top vacation tips, or sharing our personal sports travel stories, it's always all things travel. Julie, when you brought up the idea of recording this, this topic is near and dear to me because this is really what got me into travel other than my personal family travel when I was a university professor, um, I taught. Sport management in the college business and um, I taught an international sports governance and we traveled to and and and Greece and Italy. And when we were I. We would study the sports culture of that area, and we would meet with the Olympic with the, the national football meet with local community sports and the students would really get a sense you know, the culture through would really learn to love, you know, the world in a different way. It was interesting to see how different those kids were after having that experience with sport and travel.

j_1_06-08-2025_201018: 1:45

That is just so cool. And I always think it's so funny, like I remember when I first learned that that was what you taught the.

ryan_2_06-08-2025_201018: 1:53

Mm-hmm.

j_1_06-08-2025_201018: 1:54

Academic world, because my major was kinesiology, so we took all

ryan_2_06-08-2025_201018: 1:59

Right, right.

j_1_06-08-2025_201018: 1:59

sport, so sociology of sports, psychology of sport classes. So was just so funny that we had that connection

ryan_2_06-08-2025_201018: 2:04

Well,

j_1_06-08-2025_201018: 2:05

that

ryan_2_06-08-2025_201018: 2:06

yeah.

j_1_06-08-2025_201018: 2:06

sport is so connected to everything.

ryan_2_06-08-2025_201018: 2:08

And, and it was interesting because I would travel with sport management students and then the other class that would travel with us was a sports medicine like, so we might go to the front office of a basketball team and Um, his course might go meet with a physio or go meet with a strength and additioning coach. So, you know, you kind of had two different takes on international sport.

j_1_06-08-2025_201018: 2:31

is so cool. Wow. So I'm excited that, I think this is gonna be a fun topic. I think this is something that people don't always think about. So kind of

ryan_2_06-08-2025_201018: 2:38

Yeah.

j_1_06-08-2025_201018: 2:38

horizons. But lot of these trips we're gonna highlight are trips that I have been. piecing together and planning out this year that people have been really asking about this lately. So I'm excited to share more about traveling and traveling with a sport focus.

ryan_2_06-08-2025_201018: 2:54

So why sports

j_1_06-08-2025_201018: 2:56

number one, it's a great excuse for a trip. If you really are into sports and and you're like, oh, let's go see Liverpool, which is the trip I'm working on right now for a client. Sure. Let's make a whole trip out of it. You go over there. I a couple

ryan_2_06-08-2025_201018: 3:09

Yep. I've certainly had, um, the rec some conversations with, uh, with folks with the TV show and the uh, in international football. Definitely.

j_1_06-08-2025_201018: 3:18

I have clients going to Ham soon

ryan_2_06-08-2025_201018: 3:22

Very cool.

j_1_06-08-2025_201018: 3:23

gonna tour that area and that. So

ryan_2_06-08-2025_201018: 3:24

Yep.

j_1_06-08-2025_201018: 3:25

for his trip. gives you that instant cultural connection with some really authentic experiences. sports gives you immediate access to the local communities, their traditions, and makes you feel a part of their. Culture and not just the touristy attractions sports is kind of a universal language. If you're at the stadium in, different country and you don't speak that language, you can still bond with everybody but cheering for that same team. Yeah.

ryan_2_06-08-2025_201018: 3:51

Yep.

j_1_06-08-2025_201018: 3:53

there's also that big sense of adrenaline and adventure. You it's a very different experience to be in a stadium with everybody and you there's a close game, there's a lot of competition going on. It's very thrilling. And then the next day you're off exploring a historic area of the city. Just a great way to upgrade plus up your trip a little bit.

ryan_2_06-08-2025_201018: 4:14

I kind of look at this in two different again, because of how we going a, an event. You know, so watching rugby in Ireland a, a professional football in England, you know, that, but then you know, in Ireland, you know, learning about Gaelic and learning a sport like hurling you know, you see, you know, eight year olds that are like kicking your butt at this game because they know how to do it and you don't. It, it, to, to learn about a culture and also be part of it. I, I know I've got a friend that lives down in Florida and he, at least now he travels quite a bit, but he used to, to really not like to travel and the only way that his wife could get him to travel was to go see El Classico, which was the soccer match between Rial and, and Barza his. That was his international connection, um, and the way that it got him to start traveling.

j_1_06-08-2025_201018: 5:08

That's really smart of her.

ryan_2_06-08-2025_201018: 5:11

Well, we've got some really exciting, um, to kind of wet your appetite when it comes to sports travel. What's the first,

j_1_06-08-2025_201018: 5:17

so this one is a really unique one because it's a very limited event. The, this is a completely customizable trip because this is done through Kensington. Now obviously if you're going and there's a specific sporting event, those couple of days surrounding the sporting event know, there's not a lot of wiggle room there, can

ryan_2_06-08-2025_201018: 5:36

Mm-hmm.

j_1_06-08-2025_201018: 5:37

else about the trip. So this is a Wimbledon VIP experience and essential London trip seven day

ryan_2_06-08-2025_201018: 5:44

Very cool.

j_1_06-08-2025_201018: 5:45

And some of the things that you can do while you're on this itinerary is you're gonna uncover ancient Egypt at the British Museum with a private Egyptologist led tour. very

ryan_2_06-08-2025_201018: 5:55

cool.

j_1_06-08-2025_201018: 5:55

than going to see Wimbledon.

ryan_2_06-08-2025_201018: 5:57

The, the British Museum it's an embarrassment of riches it's, it's things from all over the

j_1_06-08-2025_201018: 6:02

Awkward,

ryan_2_06-08-2025_201018: 6:03

an Egyptologist lead is, is an amazing experience.

j_1_06-08-2025_201018: 6:06

You're gonna indulge in an afternoon tea one of London's most iconic department stores. You can go on a speedboat, ride down the Thames, do I say that?

ryan_2_06-08-2025_201018: 6:16

Mm-hmm.

j_1_06-08-2025_201018: 6:17

And explored London's iconic bond film spots. You're gonna have VIP seats at Wimbledon, at the ladies semi-finals on July 10th. So this I've actually looked into this itinerary for clients. Getting tickets is challenging.

ryan_2_06-08-2025_201018: 6:33

Near, impossible.

j_1_06-08-2025_201018: 6:34

very

ryan_2_06-08-2025_201018: 6:35

Near, impossible.

j_1_06-08-2025_201018: 6:36

Like the general public there, there's not like a GA seat like they

ryan_2_06-08-2025_201018: 6:39

Right,

j_1_06-08-2025_201018: 6:40

they're season ticket holders and Kensington has a contract to buy seats from certain ticket holders, that last day of your trip, you're exploring Warwick Castle and you're going to the twa. It's kind of that more traditional trip to London.

ryan_2_06-08-2025_201018: 6:54

very very cool. What a great trip. Well, not just watching sports, but being uh, a Swiss Alp ski vacation at the Zermatt Resort where you can, um, unlock cross border skiing with a four day. Nia Pass exploring Zermatt and Matterhorn staying steps away from the lift. And it also has wonderful wellness amenities. So I'm gonna be sitting there getting a massage and sipping a whiskey by the fire while Julie skis, and she can come tell me all about it.

j_1_06-08-2025_201018: 7:27

am not

ryan_2_06-08-2025_201018: 7:27

Um, On this trip, you can explore the high altitude glacier. you can experience zuma's vibrant apre ski scene atop the mountain bars where I can lie to everybody and them I had gr a great time on the slopes. And you are also gonna be able to consult with ski specialists to, really get a bespoke ski holiday so you can really decide how you wanna spend it. getting that thrill for ski and taking in kind of that European experience. And again, this is through Kensington and what a great way to experience skiing. That's gonna be very different than your normal winter activity.

j_1_06-08-2025_201018: 8:07

And I think that's a great one to double with, a couple days in Zurich and

ryan_2_06-08-2025_201018: 8:13

Yeah.

j_1_06-08-2025_201018: 8:13

doing this where you've got that ski pass. That sounds amazing.

ryan_2_06-08-2025_201018: 8:16

yep. Absolutely.

j_1_06-08-2025_201018: 8:18

right, we're gonna switch gears a little. This is one of the most common sports that I get requests for. I know you probably feel the same, Ryan.

ryan_2_06-08-2025_201018: 8:26

Yep. this package that we're gonna talk about. I've actually sent this out to a group that are, that are trying to, get a multi-generational golf trip going.

j_1_06-08-2025_201018: 8:36

so Ryan said it golfing. So many clients want to go golf in Ireland, Scotland

ryan_2_06-08-2025_201018: 8:42

I.

j_1_06-08-2025_201018: 8:42

the place. And of course we think of Scotland because that's where St. Andrews is, and that's where a lot of golfers wanna go play golf. So this is a six night trip. CIE tours, most of their trips are guided for these sports trips, they are very customizable and you actually have a private driver. You could also do the driving on your own if you would prefer that. the great thing about this is you're seeing these historical sites. Balanced by days of golf in between there. So you're gonna start at Edinburgh Castle and then you're gonna go explore the Royal mile. The first, day or two you're gonna transfer over to Glen Eagle. and in the afternoon play a round of golf at the King's course that opened in 1919. how historical and cool is that? That just

ryan_2_06-08-2025_201018: 9:25

Very cool.

j_1_06-08-2025_201018: 9:26

you're gonna stay at the hotel right there that used to host some important events like the G eight Summit and the Ryder Cup. So next day you're playing a round of golf, at the PGA Centenary course, venue for the 2014 Ryder Cup. the history that takes place at these places is just so cool to step on those greens as well. You're gonna have a couple days here where you're kind of doing more historical type things, visiting some castles, specifically Sterling Castle, where Mary Queen of Scott's once lived. And then a two night stay at a hotel in St. Andrew's where you get a chance to play a round of golf at St. Andrew's. you're gonna be playing the Castle course, which is the newest edition over there, but it's set on top of a cliff. You get views of St. Andrew's and that whole area. You're also going to be going to a local whiskey distillery, and then the next day playing another round of golf at the Jubilee course, which is supposed to be one of the most challenging courses over in St. Andrew's. just

ryan_2_06-08-2025_201018: 10:25

Fabulous.

j_1_06-08-2025_201018: 10:26

You can't just. Travel to Scotland and make your way to St. Andrew's and say, oh, I'm gonna go play at St. Andrew's today. It does not work that way. it is challenging to get in there. It's challenging to get a reservation. So booking a package like this where you've got multiple days of these green fees set up and your tee time to reserved is really important. If this is what you are wanting to do,

ryan_2_06-08-2025_201018: 10:49

Well, that's great. We've got some other ideas for sports trips that you may not have thought about, but first, Julie, I wanna talk about where the world is. All things travel. So as I looked at new locations this week, Columbus, Ohio popped up, and Columbus, Ohio is obviously the home of the Ohio State University. So there's obviously all of that big 10 action. We're talking about sports today, but as I thought about places to meet my uh, listener here. This is very much a Ryan place to be and this is the North market. And the North market is 140 9-year-old vibrant public market made up of Ohio's best independent merchants, farmers, and makers. You can eat, drink, shop, and enjoy the best of what's local, fresh, and authentic. That sounds exactly up my alley, doesn't it, Julie?

j_1_06-08-2025_201018: 11:45

Yes, it does. Well,

ryan_2_06-08-2025_201018: 11:47

hey Columbus, we are so excited you're listening. I would love to buy you a drink, a donut, who knows what we could find, maybe a nice local sandwich at the North Market I'd love to talk to you about travel. So do me a favor, reach out to us wonder and beyond travel.com and click contact Me'cause I'd love to send you a little thank you gift for being featured on the show today. All right, Julie, so we've talked about golf, we've talked about skiing, we've talked about tennis. What else can we do when it comes to sports travel?

j_1_06-08-2025_201018: 12:18

we are gonna highlight a couple trips that we are partnered with road trips for, and these

ryan_2_06-08-2025_201018: 12:25

Yep.

j_1_06-08-2025_201018: 12:26

the. Big sporting events, like things that you might not think that you can actually go to. The great thing about these packages is they are really very inclusive. it includes a lot of things surrounding the events, some VIP experiences,

ryan_2_06-08-2025_201018: 12:43

Yeah.

j_1_06-08-2025_201018: 12:43

then it also gives you some options for add-ons, and that's where you can do a little bit of customization.

ryan_2_06-08-2025_201018: 12:49

So my son, Caleb, who was on the show a few weeks ago, he plans to go into engineering and specifically motor sports engineering. Um, and

j_1_06-08-2025_201018: 12:59

know

ryan_2_06-08-2025_201018: 13:00

this first trip he would just feel like he died and gone to heaven. Uh, I mean, this would be a, this would be a trip that he would talk about forever.

j_1_06-08-2025_201018: 13:09

think you need to plan it for his graduation. Then. Like,

ryan_2_06-08-2025_201018: 13:12

Okay.

j_1_06-08-2025_201018: 13:12

are you waiting for? Come on.

ryan_2_06-08-2025_201018: 13:14

sure. Okay. Let's talk about this trip to the 2026 Monaco Grand Prix. And so we're working with road trips. this is a package That takes you to the Grand Prix. You have a selection of top luxury hotels in Monaco. You have preferred race viewing, including yachts, private terraces, and being the guest of a team. You have a knowledgeable onsite host to elevate your experience in Monaco, so you get to know the area around you. You have invitations to top parties and events. You have an exclusive pre and post-event tour and recommendations, including Julie. Driving an F1 car, and there's some other options and possibilities. Listen to the types of things you can do with this company. You can get tickets to a private terrorist yacht, hospitality, or paddock. And paddocks are where the cars are. So you would be with the teams uh, vi. P invitation to the famous Amber Lounge. A private, um, guide throughout your entire trip that takes you around to different places such as, Khan and San pe. You can have helicopter transfers from the airport, Michelin star dining. Tickets to the qualifying and sprint rounds, access to tour the Royal Palace, personal meet and greets, round trip transfers, my gosh, I would have to get a completely new wardrobe to go on this trip. I don't, I'm not this fancy,

j_1_06-08-2025_201018: 14:57

Right. it sounds amazing. You are pampered. You are immersed like you are part of the event basically.

ryan_2_06-08-2025_201018: 15:05

Absolutely. So continue with the, with another type of trip that we can take, Julie.

j_1_06-08-2025_201018: 15:11

All right, so this is for the World Cup, and this one specifically is about the 2026 World Cup packages in USA, Mexico and Canada. These are a little bit more customizable because there are so many dates and so many rounds and so many different host cities that you can go to. So you really do have a lot of options. They also have a cool option that you can like say, I wanna follow the US team, and that's how

ryan_2_06-08-2025_201018: 15:37

Yeah.

j_1_06-08-2025_201018: 15:37

will be built. Just following one specific team in different locations. That's kind of a cool way to do it as well. you're gonna have a large selection of Luxury vetted hotels that you get to choose from in all 16 of the host cities, depending on which one you end up in, You're gonna have an experienced event host to provide assistance throughout your World Cup. And that person is also gonna be there to help you, you know, where should I go? Grab dinner. They're gonna tell you, tell you to go

ryan_2_06-08-2025_201018: 16:04

Right.

j_1_06-08-2025_201018: 16:05

What else can I do while I'm here? They're Making sure you have the best trip that you can. I love this option because I love how customizable it can be and how much soccer you can see while you're there.

ryan_2_06-08-2025_201018: 16:14

another option and I'm not really gonna, Go in depth because it has everything that these two other trips have. But that's the 2028 summer games in Los Angeles where you're able to really design your preferred summer games experience with an itinerary based around not only the sports that you want to see, the dates that you want to go, but also what you want see when you're in la obviously all of these events are in major cities for a reason. Because you wanna experience that as well. thinking about not only going and seeing the games, but seeing Los Angeles as well. Julie, it's, it's always been one of my dreams to go to the Olympics and gosh, if it's gonna be in the United States.

j_1_06-08-2025_201018: 16:55

Ryan, my friend that is coming on the cruise with us, has been to like all the Olympics,

ryan_2_06-08-2025_201018: 17:02

Okay.

j_1_06-08-2025_201018: 17:02

can

ryan_2_06-08-2025_201018: 17:03

All right.

j_1_06-08-2025_201018: 17:04

it.

ryan_2_06-08-2025_201018: 17:04

great. Sounds great. Well, Julie, what are some tips when it comes to planning a trip like this? And I bet I know the first one because you've already said it.

j_1_06-08-2025_201018: 17:16

It is gonna be a huge shock early for major events. Gosh, we sound like a broken record,

ryan_2_06-08-2025_201018: 17:23

Yeah.

j_1_06-08-2025_201018: 17:24

I have looked into planning many of these types of trips, whether it's just going to a game in Liverpool or Manchester or going to Wimbledon or golfing at St. Andrew's or, going to the World Cup. I've looked into a lot of these packages for clients and what I'm always told from the travel partner is. it's hard to get tickets if you do not have a package booked with a specific travel partner that partners with these, sport companies.

ryan_2_06-08-2025_201018: 17:51

Yeah.

j_1_06-08-2025_201018: 17:52

and number two, they book basically the day that they come out for release the tickets come out for release. so I don't know if you've ever really looked hard into going to the Olympics, but basically the day those events are released, you need to get on and pick your events

ryan_2_06-08-2025_201018: 18:07

Yep. Yeah.

j_1_06-08-2025_201018: 18:08

There's only a small amount of tickets allocated, so you need to really get on for any sort of these type of events. You also wanna make sure you're considering the full destination experience, so don't just think you're just gonna go, go to the game and go back to your hotel. The best type of sports travel includes exploring local cultures, trying some regional cuisine, visiting the historic sites, and Connecting with local, so kind of make sure you're getting that bit of history and culture in with your sports as well.

ryan_2_06-08-2025_201018: 18:38

obviously, depending on where you're going around the world, packing for the climate and A World Cup in the United States and Canada is very different than a World Cup in South America or the Middle East Or are you traveling in the summer or are you going to a winter event that is inside, but yet you're gonna be outside when you're a tourist. So thinking about how all that, plays out and then. With a lot of these things, you do need to budget in some extra, when you're at St. Andrew's playing golf, you're gonna want to have lunch, you're gonna want the, the polo shirt from every place you golf. Right? this is a time to kind of splurge a little bit when it comes to I am here, we are doing this, and so budget for that when it comes to these types of trips.

j_1_06-08-2025_201018: 19:29

you'll be budgeting for your new wardrobe when you go to the Grand Prix.

ryan_2_06-08-2025_201018: 19:33

And when I have to go to Monaco and watch the race from a yacht. Yes.

j_1_06-08-2025_201018: 19:37

should probably start saving right now. you also wanna be aware and research some of the local customs. different sports in different countries may have unique traditions, so you wanna be aware of that. Local culture, proper etiquette. If there's like dress code, maybe they dress up for the games. and knowing the traditional food and drinks that might be associated with the events. Not everyone is going to potentially have a hot dog and french fries available.

ryan_2_06-08-2025_201018: 20:02

Yeah, consider time zones and jet lags, you know, if you're going to, uh, the match, you don't want to arrive the day of the match. I, I had, um, two ladies I worked with last summer that were going to watch the Phillies play in London and, figuring out what the best time to arrive before the game so that they could, Enjoy the game rather than feel stressed that they were going to get there.

j_1_06-08-2025_201018: 20:29

my gosh.

ryan_2_06-08-2025_201018: 20:29

And then with all of this, you know, we sound like broken records, but you see how intricate some of these trips are, get travel, insurance, sports events can be canceled, postponed, move, and it has nothing to do with your trip. It just happens. And so getting that travel insurance so that you don't lose those potentially. Hundreds and thousands of dollars that you put towards these tickets or this experience really, really matters. So as we wrap up here, Julie, do you have any sporting event that really is something that you've thought about traveling for?

j_1_06-08-2025_201018: 21:10

Yeah, and it's one that we didn't talk about because NFL schedule just came out. I love NFL football that I could

ryan_2_06-08-2025_201018: 21:17

Yeah.

j_1_06-08-2025_201018: 21:17

any team play NFL football. and

ryan_2_06-08-2025_201018: 21:20

I record with you on Sunday nights. I'm very aware of your love of NFL Football.

j_1_06-08-2025_201018: 21:25

are always having to switch our schedule. When the

ryan_2_06-08-2025_201018: 21:27

Yeah.

j_1_06-08-2025_201018: 21:28

a night game, I'm always like,

ryan_2_06-08-2025_201018: 21:29

yep.

j_1_06-08-2025_201018: 21:30

would love to go to an NFL game, right now, like their schedule, they've got so many abroad. Um,

ryan_2_06-08-2025_201018: 21:36

Yeah. Yeah.

j_1_06-08-2025_201018: 21:37

and I don't think it would have to be my team. I'd honestly probably prefer it not to be my team because that sounds too stressful. rather see not my team, but you mentioned the Olympics, so I would love if you, you know, now you've got two of these trips to start planning Ryan.

ryan_2_06-08-2025_201018: 21:51

right. All right. the world is full of wonder and your next great adventure is waiting at Wonder and Beyond Travel. We work with you to create a one of a kind journey, taking the stress off your plate so you can focus on the joy of exploring and the memories that will stay with you forever. If you're ready to start planning or just want to dream a little bigger, head on over to Wonder and Beyond travel.com. We would love to help you get started. You can reach us at Wonder and beyond travel.com. We look forward to talking to you next week on All Things Travel, when we give you some tips for that first trip to Europe.

j_1_06-08-2025_201018: 22:36

​Ryan

ryan_2_06-08-2025_201018: 22:37

So Julius, we were, oh, go ahead. That's what I was gonna do.

j_1_06-08-2025_201018: 22:40

So,

ryan_2_06-08-2025_201018: 22:41

Julius Rewrap,

j_1_06-08-2025_201018: 22:42

I'm not talking. You talk.

ryan_2_06-08-2025_201018: 22:45

because you know, I'm gonna interrupt you as soon as you start talking.