Have you missed out on tickets for the 2012 Olympics in London? Never mind: there are plenty of exciting world-class sporting events abroad to enjoy next year, perhaps as part of a holiday or a themed trip away.
You could organise your travels independently, but there are a number of specialist tour operators who put together packages for sports fans. These typically include tickets to the event or match along with accommodation and flights, ferry or train travel.
Follow the Tour
Have you missed out on tickets for the 2012 Olympics in London? Never mind: there are plenty of exciting world-class sporting events abroad to enjoy next year, perhaps as part of a holiday or a themed trip away.
You could organise your travels independently, but there are a number of specialist tour operators who put together packages for sports fans. These typically include tickets to the event or match along with accommodation and flights, ferry or train travel.
Follow the Tour
For big rugby fans, there could still be time to arrange your tickets and head out to New Zealand for the Rugby World Cup which runs from the 9th September through until 23rd October. And for those who prefer forward planning, official travel packages which include match tickets, travel and accommodation are available, which can be tailored to suit your needs. If that all seems a bit too soon, England’s rugby team are also touring South Africa for a three-Test series in summer 2012.
If you’re more of a cricket fan, the English team will play two Test matches and three ODIs (One Day Internationals) in Sri Lanka in March and April next year; then there’s also the World Twenty20 championships in Sri Lanka in September. Or if tennis is more your thing, and you don’t want to risk another wet Wimbledon, how about escaping the January weather for the Australian Open Championships next year in Melbourne?
If you don’t fancy travelling quite so far, the rugby Six Nations championships in February and March next year involves matches in London, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Dublin, Paris and Rome – ideal for a short city break. Meanwhile, football fans could try a VIP Spanish soccer weekend; packages are available to see famous teams such as Barcelona and Real Madrid on their hallowed home turf, with top tickets, a luxury hotel and private transfers to the game included in the price.
If watching pure athletes pushing the limits of human endeavour is more your thing, then the World Indoor Athletics Championships – including 60m sprints, 400m, 800m and 1500m races, pole vaulting, high jump, hurdling, long jump and triple jump events – take place in Istanbul in March 2012. Or, for a change of pace, golf fans could take in the atmosphere at the 2012 Ryder Cup, to be held in September at the famous Medinah Country Club course, just outside Chicago.
Motorsport in Monaco and beyond
Formula One fans could make the trip to glamorous Monaco for the Grand Prix in May – and for an extra bit of glitz – you could do this as part of a luxury cruise, starting from Nice and taking in the resorts of the Cote d’Azur. Grand Prix packages are available for most fixtures in the F1 calendar, whether you fancy grandstand seats in Singapore followed by a few days at a beach resort, a city break in stylish Milan, chilling out by Lake Como for the Monza event, or a Eurostar jaunt to Brussels for the Belgian Grand Prix.
Alternatively, hardier outdoors types could pack their tents, sun-cream and plenty of caffeine for the ‘Le Mans 24 Hours’ summer event in northern France. The world famous motorsport race is a test of endurance for drivers and spectators alike, lasting a full 24 hours.
On the other side of the globe, the legendary Targa Tasmania road rally in April features historic and classic cars driven to their limits. Meanwhile, iconic events on the other side of the Atlantic include the 24 Hours of Daytona (Florida), 12 Hours of Sebring (also Florida) or the Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta.
Local heroes
There’s nothing quite like the atmosphere of an ice hockey match in Canada, an American football game, or baseball derby in the USA, Aussie Rules football down under, or a GAA (Gaelic football) match in Ireland. Even if you wouldn’t necessarily watch these events at home, they can be the perfect way to get a real flavour of a culture when visiting a new place.
Travel advice: Whether you go as part of an organised tour, or buy an all-inclusive luxury package, it can be a good idea to make sure that you organise your travel money in advance, and you have suitable travel insurance. You’ll need some foreign currency for use at the event, and currency exchange may not be possible at a foreign stadium or circuit.
Issued by Sainsbury’s Finance