Package Tours Make A Stop In Pittsburgh

The next stop on our tour was Pittsburgh, PA to see the Pirates take on the Cincinnati Reds.  We were all very impressed with PNC Park it was even nicer than we had heard. I loved Camden Yards and many parks have been based off of its design including PNC Park.  It is very pleasing to the eye, well kept, and fun for all ages.  My only complaint would be when you are in the outfield area it can get a little confusing to where you are supposed to go, but I found my way back to home plate.  This was also such a great experience because we were in the fourth row from the visiting team, Cincinnati Reds, dugout.  This gave us a great view of the players as the came in and out of the dugout and an amazing view of the entire field.  However, being this close to the field along the baseline can be dangerous so we had to be aware at all times.  Unfortunately, just like all the games before the home team lost again.  I don't know if our group being there put a jinx on all the home teams, but the home team lost again.  The Cincinnati Reds took the Pirates for a win 3-1.  We were able to see Chris Dickerson, the rookie of the team, first career RBI in the sixth inning.  To read more about the games or to see official stats please click here.

 Package Tours Take It To Wrigley Field

Sunday was the last day of Midwest 1 and what better way to end it with heading out to Wrigley Field.  This was the game I had personally been looking forward to for the whole MLB road trip.  On this day the Cubs took on the St. Louis Cardinals and being a Cardinals Fan anyone who knows the two teams know they have somewhat of a rivalry.  So, I came to the game decked out in my Cardinals gear ready to see a great game.  Wrigley Field is one of the oldest stadiums left so the atmosphere and the feeling of being there is like no other.  Everyone who comes is ready to have a great time and enjoy some of America's favorite past time.  Unfortunately for me, the Cardinals did not have such a great game, but it was a great to see Ryan Dempster's 13Th win this season.  The Cubs won the game 6-2 and ended up winning the series 2-1.  To see the official stats click here.

Group Travel Tours by the Lake
August 8, 2008 - Each year, this is one of my favorite sports packages that we offer. We get to incorporate White Sox, Brewers and Cubs games all while staying in the heart of the Windy City.

This year, our package tour began at U.S. Cellular Field with our Big League Player Experience with Ron Kittle. Ron was the American League rookie of the year in 1983 and was a noted power hitter throughout his career. This Player Experience was held inside the ballpark before the gates opened up and in the Jim Beam club section. The fans traveling with us were able to listen to Ron share some stories about his career, ask him questions about the game, and watch the White Sox take batting practice from seats with a perfect view.

The game featured Mark Buerle pitching against Jon Lester and the World Champion Boston Red Sox. We had great seats as a group on the third base line between the dugout and home plate - an awesome place to watch a game. The White Sox were pleased to walk away with a victory with a 5-3 score. We headed back to the hotel with plans to head to Miller Park on Saturday.

Taking a Private Stadium Tour of Fenway Park
Tuesday, June 24, 2008 - Fenway Park has a charm to it that is unlike any other baseball stadium that I've ever visited. I'd have to say it's my favorite park. We began our visit to Boston with a private escorted tour of Fenway. (We were lucky enough to get Kim again. Great job, Kim!) The tour is a great mix of history and facts about the team, the ballpark and baseball in general.

One of the things that we like to do on our package tours is to bring in MLB players to share their experiences, sign autographs for our guests, and to have their pictures taken. This baseball trip was no different. We brought in Dick Drago, a pitcher with the Red Sox in the '70's. Dick pitched in the 1975 World Series and shared many stories about playing during that era. He's pictured with our group as we toured the ballpark.

While there are any number of sports travel packages that fans can choose from, we think that our Player Experiences are a key differentiator for Big League Tours. It's a way for us to make the baseball road trip into a truly MLB road trip!

Visiting the Most Hallowed of All Baseball Stadiums
Sunday, June 22, 2008 - It seemed only fitting that we went to Yankee Stadium on a Sunday. It's definitely a religious experience for some, especially those Yankee fans who take our baseball vacation packages. (Yes, we even take Yankee fans!)

Since this is the last year for this Yankee Stadium, everybody and their brother wants to get there for the first time or at least one more time before it's torn down. I'm convinced that the final game of the season at Yankee Stadium will be our generation's equivalent to Woodstock. 55,000 people will actually be in attendance but millions will claim to have been there...

Whether you are a Yankees fan or not, this is one MLB road trip that you should make before it's too late. It's amazing to see a facility that's 86 years old, that was built to the scale that it was, and is still in such good shape. It's also great to see where so much history has been created. It's not too late to check out package tours that are still available to see the House that Ruth Built before it's gone!

Baseball Travel Tour Heads to Philly
Saturday, June 21, 2008 - After a day of site seeing in Washington DC, we loaded up the bus to head up to Philadelphia. This time, our package tour called for us to see the game in Philly, to load back onto the bus and to head on in to New York City to spend three nights in the Big Apple.

We arrived at the ballpark in Philadelphia and were reasonably impressed with what the city has done for its sports franchises. All of their professional teams had facilities within a half mile of each other with easy parking and walking and what appeared to be reasonable security, too.

Citizens Bank Park has a few features that it shares with other parks. The concourse areas along the base lines reminded us of the New Busch Stadium. The outfield concourse felt like Coors Field. It was very party-like with vendors, restaurants and shops, and places to hang out and catch the game.

We visited the center field viewing area which is pretty unique to the Bank. It's a standing room only section that was well occupied and, contrary to what you might think, fans were really engaged in the game. It was a great view of the park with the exception of the walls blocking the view of the action in center field. It was such a gorgeous night that we decided to hang out up there for a while. The team only sells SRO tickets on the nights of sell outs but this would be a really fun place to hand out with friends or to go if you are on family tours or small group tours.

We were impressed with Citizens Bank Park. It was very well done and had a great atmosphere. At this point the baseball road trip was half way over - 3 games down, 3 to go. Next stop, New York City.

What Makes Baseball Vacation Packages Special?
Sometimes it's choosing the right tour operator who puts together sports travel packages that include some really cool features. But sometimes, the things that happen on the package tours can't be planned.

One of those unplanned events happened on our latest MLB tour when Josh Hamilton spent time signing autographs for fans along the third base line at Nationals Park. Josh became a favorite of ours last year when he made such a tremendous come back with the Cincinnati Reds. We hated to see the Reds trade him this past winter but it has been a trade that has worked out really well for both clubs.

The Reds received Edinson Volquez, who has just pitched lights out for them and leads the majors in ERA. The Rangers received Josh Hamilton who is a legitimate contender for baseball's coveted triple crown. And, it seems that the Rangers are doing everything they can to help support Josh's clean walk. Kudos to the Rangers ownership and management.

Here he is signing my son's baseball. Thanks for helping to make this baseball road trip special, Josh!

 Rain Out At Shea
Friday, May 9th - Today the inevitable happened. When your business revolves around outdoor sporting events, you know that at some point you're going to get wet and that at some point you're going to have games canceled or postponed. That day finally arrived. After dodging rain outs all across America for a couple of years, we suffered our first one at Shea Stadium. All wasn't lost, though.

Part of the attraction of MLB road trips is to see the stadiums. While it was raining most of the time we were there, we were still able to walk around and see quite a bit of the stadium. In fact, it was quite nice. Most of the fans stayed away from Shea so we were able to check it out without fighting a large crowd. We essentially turned the time into our own baseball stadium tour. In addition, you could clearly see the new stadium, Citi Field, from inside the old ballpark. Here are some of the folks from our group. That's Citi Field in the background.

About half of the guests on our package tour were staying an extra night in New York City and were able to return to Shea to see the game (and it was a gorgeous day!). Unfortunately for me, I wasn't one of those lucky enough to see the game...

In my opinion, seeing Shea Stadium isn't worth a trip on it's own. If you are going as part of a baseball vacation package or baseball road trip of your own that includes other baseball stadiums, then it's worth making a stop. If nothing else, it will give you a greater appreciation for the new stadiums that are built with the fans in mind.

There have recently been a number of airlines that have filed bankruptcy or have been forced to stop flying leaving travelers stranded or unable to leave. Learning that your flights have been canceled and that your airline is no longer in business can not only be a nuisance but it can also be costly as well. So as we swing into the height of the sports vacation season, travelers should question whether or not travel insurance is right for them. There are a couple of things to keep in mind as you plan your summer baseball road trips.

Paying By Credit Card
Consumer protection laws allow you to dispute charges on your credit card for up to 60 days. This is a useful tool if you've been charged expenses within two months of your trip. It won't, however, provide you any relief from expenses incurred 61 days or longer from your trip. In addition, it won't assist you with additional expenses that you will incur as a result of a delay, such as extra nights at a hotel, meals, etc.

Travel Insurance
Most travelers planning a trip with sports travel packages, purchase the trips much farther in advance than 60 days. Consumer protection laws won't be helpful in those instances. Travel insurance, on the other hand, can assist you by covering all aspects of your trip. If your flights are canceled or your airline files bankruptcy, trip insurance can cover the cost to replace the flight and additional expenses that you incur.

Travel insurance can also protect you from unforeseen events in your life that could prevent you from traveling. Consider an illness that affects you or a member of your family tour or small group tour. If travel insurance is in place, each member of the family or group could be reimbursed for their costs if they can't make the tour.

The price for travel insurance varies based on the cost of your package tour and the age of the travelers. For example, a traveler between the ages of 35-59 who purchases a trip for $1,500, would likely pay $70 - 75 for travel insurance. Not an expensive premium for the coverage it provides.

What About Rain Outs?
Since our tours revolve around baseball vacations, we're often asked if travel insurance covers rain outs. Unfortunately, the answer is no. Travel insurance can't guarantee that everything will happen as planned but can only guarantee that you'll get there and back.

Many times, we talk with individuals in an organization or group who are put in charge with organizing a group travel tour who doesn't normally handle travel - i.e. customers are coming into town, the "team mom" is planning a trip, an incentive package is offered to employees, or a group of friends wants to meet in a new city.

If you've never planned a large or small group tour, the task can be daunting, especially if the tour is in a city with which you are unfamiliar. Sports tours, particularly sports travel packages, can be a great way to minimize your effort and stress and allow you to relax while you successfully host the group tour.

Whether it's a baseball road trip you seek or some other sports tour, consider working with a tour operator who can offer you a package tour customized to your group, many times obtaining discounts because of their travel network, and providing you a service that will save you valuable time.

If you are trying to choose a baseball vacation package for your family vacation, you might want to consider some of the differences between a package tour and a custom tour.

Custom tours offer you the most flexibility when choosing everything about your trip from the dates, to the location, to the accommodations and transportation. You can also choose how many baseball games you'll see, where your seats will be located, and if you'll include any extras like stadium tours.

There can be some downsides to a custom trip. First of all, the cost can be much more expensive than package trips since you won't be getting the benefit of group purchasing. Second, if you are traveling in unknown cities, you typically won't have the benefit of a host since most custom tours are not escorted tours. And finally, the travel between cities will likely mean that you are doing the driving yourself.

Package tours, on the other hand, offer a lesser amount of flexibility. The dates are set, the location and itineraries are set, and the prices are typically set.

The benefits are that you can typically find a tour that will contain all or most of what you are looking for and you'll get the benefit of group purchasing. In addition, most packages will be escorted tours, eliminating the worry of being in a city that you are unfamiliar with.

Many baseball vacation packages will also include features that you wouldn't likely be able to do or afford on your own. Taking private baseball stadium tours is one example of something very affordable on a group tour. Another feature could be special chances to meet with MLB players.

So if you're planning a baseball vacation this summer, consider whether a package tour or a custom tour is right for your family.

I hate group travel. This admission will seem odd coming from a guy who owns a baseball travel / tour operator business - but it's true. I don't like being told that I only have one hour to see this or an hour to do that. I like flexibility in my schedule to do what I want.

Some baseball vacation packages will give you that flexibility and give you an opportunity to do things that you might not be able to do on your own. For instance, traveling by motor coach can get you to places more easily than trying to drive there on your own. (Have you been to Cooperstown? It's really close to...nothing!)

Groups can also arrange for private baseball stadium tours, on-field time at the stadiums, or meet & greets with baseball players. The cost of these events on your own might be difficult to do.

Most group tours are escorted tours. This gives you someone with local knowledge to guide you throughout your trip. Where should we eat dinner? How long will it take us to get to a certain site? Etc. All things that should make your trip more enjoyable.

And finally, package tours should provide you with the convenience of getting a unique trip with one phone call. You won't have to track down hotel reservations in a city you don't know, tickets in a stadium you don't know, transportation, and on and on.

There can be many advantages for taking the trips that will even make them enjoyable for a guy like me, who hates group tours - except ours...