Traveling To The Big Event
A few weeks ago, I got lucky. Traveling to Verona in northern Italy to visit the most iconic, outdoor, and definitely one of the oldest venues in the world to see fully staged, magnificently produced operas, the Arena of Verona, has long been on my bucket list. Despite crisscrossing Europe dozens of times, it just never materialized.
Then, Voila! I was in Paris, I had a weekend free up, so I went online to see if I could find one ticket Arena of Verona's La Traviata. Unfortunately for me it was opening weekend for Verona's Summer Season! But alas, I found a single ticket in the center section, the 18th row, and ... on the aisle. Woohoo! Just like hitting the jackpot, but in this case you don't win big, you pay big, but I digress. Then, to see if I could get a hotel room (that was harder), then the plane ticket, which from Paris to Verona, which is just over an hour flight, was the easiest and cheapest task of all.
I mention this because Bella Adventures books a lot of major event travel; our clients attend Olympic games, Grand Prix's, Wimbledon, concerts and festivals around the world, like La Tomatina in Spain (the world's largest food fight), and the Venice Carnival in Italy. And there is definitely a method to the booking madness.
Thinking about traveling overseas to a major event? Our advice first and foremost is to call us! Let us take this on for you!
However, if you are ready to give it a go, here is how we suggest you proceed:
RESEARCH ORDER
1. Check out air fares / train fares and availability, to see what options you have as you most likely have limited flexibility with a fixed event date. And if it is a major event, expect flights to the nearest airport/train stations to be pricey.
Alternative: Consider airports and stations a little further out or adjust your trip dates so you're
not traveling right around the event date.
2. Check out accommodation prices and availability, and see what options are available. For major events, like the Verona Opera, many locals will make their homes or apartments available on online marketplaces like Airbnb. Still, buyer beware, only use thoroughly vetted marketplaces and when in doubt, try and find a branded hotel that you know.
Example: My aforementioned trip to Verona was put together just a few weeks before the event. All the
hotels were booked, and the Airbnb's were, to put it politely, picked over, so I opted for Moxy Verona. A little further out than I would have liked, but it was a Marriott-branded hotel, they acknowledged my Marriott status and I was pleasantly surprised, see my review here.
3. Equipped with this knowledge, you can now search for that elusive golden ticket, and if you find what you are looking for, you can seize the (ticket) day!
CHECK OUT - REVERSE AND REPEAT
Get that ticket!
Secure the airfare
Secure your accommodations
Couple of other things to remember when traveling during major events:
4. If ground transportation plays an important role in your trip, secure a rental car or private car sooner than later. Major events can put a strain on local car rental companies and private car services and Uber too.
5. While we never like to over plan trips, major events also mean tours, restaurants and other activities will fill up fast. Make sure your itinerary highlights are secured well in advance.
6. And last but not least, traveling for major events can certainly put a strain on your wallet. Protect your trip from all kinds of mishaps (like the major event itself cancelling) with Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) trip insurance. We engage a variety of providers based on the event, location, trip components and travel party.
If you need help with planning a trip to an event, or even better, need suggestions on upcoming events to build an itinerary around, reach out to us, we've got just the ticket.