What you need to prepare if you’re travelling for an away day

There’s nothing like following your favourite team on an away day. Granted, there’s always something special about cheering them on at home, but part of the thrill of being a football fan is heading on the road to support them as they face someone else’s home crowd.

It’s easy to pop down the road to watch a match on a Saturday afternoon, and even easier to show your support from the sofa. It’s something else entirely to put the effort in to travel with the team.

But any seasoned sports fan will tell you that it always pays to make sure that you have done your preparation before you head out.

When it’s a local derby, it might be a half hour in the car. But if you’re heading all the way north from Brighton, or if you’re heading overseas to cheer on the national team, then you had better think carefully about what you’re going to need. The last thing you want is to be stranded somewhere or bored out of your skull on the bus.

Check your travel route ahead Of time
Let’s start with the basics, shall we? If you are going to be following your team on the road, you need to know how you are going to get to the ground on the day.

It’s always better to have a route figured out at least by the night before instead of leaving it to the last minute and hoping that your Satnav will be able to handle the responsibility for you.

And if you are taking public transport, then you definitely need to think as far ahead as possible. Rail fares have a habit of skyrocketing in price when you’re not looking, and if you’re hoping that a coach is going to get you there on time, you might be in for a nasty shock when you go to book your ticket. If you leave any of this to the last minute, you are running the risk of missing the kick-off.

Think about the strikes
If there is one thing that can strike fear into the heart of a supporter who follows their team on away days, it’s industrial action.

Depending on where you live, you may have had plenty of experience with public transport strikes over the last few months.

Trains and buses in the United Kingdom have been grinding to a halt on a regular basis as the government and the unions can’t seem to come to an agreement, but we’ve seen strikes everywhere.

You might think that this wouldn’t make a difference if you’re driving but remember that there will be a lot more cars on the road if you’re travelling on a strike day.

If you’re travelling abroad, this could be even more important as it may be more difficult to figure out an alternative route.

Have some down-time distraction prepared
There’s always that point where the excitement of a long trip for an away game starts to ebb away. Suddenly, the fact that you are going to be in for many more hours of travelling still hits you, and if you haven’t got some distraction options prepared, those hours are going to feel like an eternity.

It’s also worth noting that you might have more downtime than you had planned for if you are travelling for an overnight stay on either side of the match.

Your hotel might not always be right around the corner from a pub or restaurant that you’d fancy going to, and there’s the added fun of jetlag if you are travelling abroad for a match. Playing a few games at an online casino is a great way of passing the time and keeping your mind active. And if you do your research, you can find some bonuses without requirements to sweeten the pot a bit. You can find casino promotions and game guides that offer a range of no-wager bonuses and free spins, because they know that it should be all about the fun.

Check out travel insurance
This point is particularly important if you are travelling abroad to catch a big game. It’s no fun to think about everything that could possibly go wrong, which is why having comprehensive travel insurance can take that stress away for you.

Yes, it does mean paying for something that you hopefully won’t have to use. But if you do need it, you will be so glad that it’s there.

Say you miss your flight, and you end up needing to rebook, or can’t cancel your hotel reservation. Say you slip and fall and need to go to the hospital.

Or say your car breaks down and you can’t get back without paying an extortionate amount for alternative travel. If you’ve covered every eventuality ahead of time, you can just relax and enjoy yourself.

Pack your essentials and emergency kit
Following on from the point above, there is always going to be something that you’ve forgotten to take with you. Most people have been through this whole process in the past, so start by making a list.

The first thing on there should be what you’ve forgotten to take in the past. For a lot of people, that’s their phone charger. You don’t want your battery to die while you’re waiting to find out where you’re meeting your friends.

So, you should probably think about investing in a charging bank, too. If you’re going abroad, then you need to double and triple-check that you have remembered your passport.

Oh, and if you’re going anywhere on public transport, then you need to remember your headphones. There’s always someone who’ll be talking loudly about something that you couldn’t care less about, which is where that noise-cancelling technology comes in particularly handy.

Don’t forget to take a reusable water bottle. Plastic waste is no joke, and it’s so easy to create a huge amount of trash when you’re travelling.

Finally, you’ll need to put together a decent emergency kit if you’re driving. Extreme weather events are on the rise and can come out of nowhere. Pack some blankets, a spare tire, hazard lights and more.

Make sure you budget properly
Given how much prices have been going up over the last couple of years, an away day for a big match definitely feels like a treat.

Everyone is paying for more their food shops, their petrol, their taxes, and their energy bills recently and to say that money is tight is an understatement.

It seems unfair that you are going to have to budget a trip that should be a break from the norm so carefully, but it is the best way to ensure that you don’t have any nasty surprises at the cashpoint.

Start by thinking about your travel costs. You’re going to have to factor in petrol money if you’re driving, or your tickets for however you’re getting there.

Your train is probably going to cost more than your accommodation if you spend the night, but budget that too. What can you afford to spend on meals and drinks? Make sure that you give yourself a bit of a cushion for any unexpected costs.