Looking for one of the best baseball bus trips available? Check out our Midwest 3 tour package. You'll get to see four of the Midwest's best baseball stadiums in four days. We'll travel in a private luxury motor coach to the stadiums and between the games, we'll setup baseball stadium tours and other escorted tours when the schedule allows.
This tour starts in the Motor City where the Angels will be in town to take on the Detroit Tigers. Comerica Park, pictured at the left, is a great park to visit. The team and the city really did a great job with this ballpark.
The next day we'll drive to Cleveland to see the Twins take on the Indians at Jacob's Field. (I know it's Progressive Field but that still doesn't seem right...)
Sunday morning we'll take a short drive to Pittsburgh for an afternoon game at PNC Park, another very well done stadium that replaces a 60's/70's vintage concrete bowl that was so prevalent in those days. Don't forget your Primanti Brothers sandwich!
We'll wrap up the last of our tour vacations for the summer with a stop in Cincinnati. We'll snag a tour of the Reds Hall of Fame Museum before seeing the NL Central division rivalry between the Cardinals and Reds at 7:10PM. I'd recommend the Montgomery Inn barbeque. Can't go wrong there!
This baseball vacation package promises to be a great time. For more details on this baseball tour and our other sports tours, visit BigLeagueTours.com.
Here's a great sports trip that everyone will love. Our group will be based in the heart of San Francisco, within walking distance of shopping and restaurants and just a short trolley ride away from the Wharf and Pier 39. The first day of this baseball stadium road trip, we'll take in a game at McAfee Stadium where the A's will host the Cincinnati Reds - a throw back to the 1990 World Series.
The second day, our travelers will be able to explore the sites of the city on their own. Visit the Golden Gate bridge, take a wine tasting tour of Napa Valley, our shop till you drop in San Fran's fashion district. The third day of the tour will feature a game between the Red Sox and Giants at AT&T park. Schedules permitting, we'll take a private baseball stadium tour of the park that sits right on the bay.
This is one of our baseball travel tours that also offers an interesting optional add-on. Come in a day early to catch the Cubs take on the Mariners at Safeco Park in Seattle. We'll add on game tickets, a hotel stay, and airfare to get you to San Francisco in time for the game at McAfee.
This is not only one of our sports travel packages that would make great baseball gifts for men, but it's tour that will make a great tour for couples! To see more about this and other MLB Tours being offered by Big League Tours, visit our website now to get all the details.
July 24, 2009 - After a day of everyone being on their own - siteseeing, shopping, lounging around, whatever their hearts desired - we headed up to Miller Park in Milwaukee to see the Brewers take on the Braves. (Just a quick sidebar - I think all of the stimulus money has gone into construction between Chicago and Milwaukee...UGH!)
There was a threat of a thunderstorm that was supposed to arrive around 8PM so the roof was closed on the baseball stadium in anticipation of that. We've been to games at Miller Park where the roof was closed for batting practice and then opened for the game but this was our first visit where the roof stayed closed for the game. Here's a photo of the baseball stadium taken from our seats. Great place to see a game!
I really enjoy going up to Milwaukee. It's one of my favorite stops on our sports tours. The fans there have always had a good time. And now that the team has been playing well, they are equally into their Brewers as they are into their sausages and beer!
Wishing that we had kept score at the perfect game the previous day, we scored this game. No perfecto here, though. In fact, just the opposite - lots of offense from both sides. Click here to see the box scores and write up from the game.
Whether on a sports travel package or on your own, Miller Park is a great place to hit on a baseball travel tour.
While on vacation in Florida, we decided to make a baseball road trip to catch a Marlins game in Miami. The game was on Sunday afternoon against the Phillies. The stadium is really easy to find as it sits just off of the Turnpike.
We arrived at the baseball stadium early to walk around and check things out. We found Dolphin Stadium very easy to get around in but it was definitely built for football. For instance, our seats were in the first row just outside the first base line but we found ourselves having to turn sideways to see the plate as our seats were pointed towards centerfield. I'm sure that the true baseball fans will be glad to get the new baseball stadium that's planned to open in 2012.
We expected that there would be plenty of Phillies fans (phans?) on hand. The winners of the World Series always have a good following on the road. What we didn't expect is that there would be so few Marlins fans. After all, the Marlins got off to a great start. They were at the top of the NL East, for crying out loud. I didn't see an official attendance figure but I'm guessing there weren't 15,000 people there.
Florida is always known for its baseball spring trips, but you can also take in some interesting sports tours throughout the MLB season. Check out our premier sports travel packages or contact us to be your baseball road trip planner for the custom tour of your dreams!
Our 2009 sports tours begin with our East Coast 1 Tour to New York, Cooperstown and Boston. We'll take in a game at the brand new Yankee Stadium. We will then head to Cooperstown and spend the day at the National Baseball Hall of Fame as well as in the village. The next day we'll head to Boston for a private tour of Fenway Park, hang out on Yawkey Way, and take in a Red Sox game.
But the highlight of this tour, and all of our baseball travel tours, will be our Big League Player Experience. This time we will be joined by former Red Sox catcher, Rich Gedman.
Gedman broke into the Big Leagues in September of 1980 when he pinch hit for Carl Yastrzemski. In 1981, Rich was named as The Sporting News Rookie of the Year. He was also named an All Star in 1985 and 1986.
Gedman's career statistics include include a .252 batting average, 88 home runs and 382 RBI's. His Big League career ran until his retirement in 1994.
Check out our website for more details about this and other exciting group travel tours offered by Big League Tours.
Two of baseball's greatest players are moving to Cooperstown this year. Jim Rice, a lifelong member of the Boston Red Sox, and Ricky Henderson, a lifelong member in U-Haul's frequent mover program, were elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.
If you haven't ventured to Cooperstown before, it's something that every baseball fan should do at least once in their life. It's great to take family tours through the Hall, sharing memories of players, games and baseball stadiums from the perspective of multiple generations of Major League Baseball fans.
This summer, we're offering a group travel tours package that includes a game at Fenway Park, a game at the new Yankee Stadium, and a full day to explore the Hall of Fame. You can see the details of this trip and all of our Sports Tours on our website.
Baseball Travel Tours are Unique With Big League Tours
The age old question when travelers are looking at sports packages with Big League Tours is simply what makes you different?
Big League Tours specializes in baseball road trips across all of the United States and Toronto, Canada. We are serious about getting you, the travelers, a unique experience, memories to last a lifetime and an all out great vacation.
Here are some of the comparisons you can get with Big League Tours and with other sports tour companies:
Hotels outside of the city not by any major attractions or the stadium itself.
Big League Tours offers hotels in the heart of the city allowing you to have easy access to attractions and things you might want to do while you aren't at a baseball game. Ex: In New York City we stay in Manhattan where you are in walking distance of Times Square, Central Park, 5th Ave. and much more.
Seats at the games somewhere up in the upper decks.
Big League Tours only purchases tickets in lower level seating. Allowing guests to experience the baseball game like they most likely never have, close up and in all of the action.
Baseball stadium tours is most likely not even an option.
Big League Tours offers private baseball stadium tours when the time is allotted.
One on one meet and greets with retired and current players? Again most likely not going to happen.
Big League Tours offers player experiences whenever they can. Some retired players we have used in the past have included: Bill "Spaceman" Lee, Dick Drago and Ron Kittle just to name a few.
Well, those are just a few of the things that makes Big League Tours so different from the rest. We hope to see you in '09! Check out our website to see which tour you would like to be part of!
Remember don't just go to a game, become part of it!
A Few Tips For Being Prepared On A Big League Tours Trip
Have you purchased your small group tours for '09 and are ready for the excitement? Have you ever went on a trip and forgot some little thing that you wish you hadn't? It happens to a lot of us here are some simple ways to ease your travels while going on sports tours in '09.
Some tips for travelers heading on a tour with Big League Tours in '09:
Make a list of everything you want to take on the sports vacation
Pack rain gear; rain coat, umbrella etc.
Pack a set of warm clothes
Bring a mitt if you plan on being in the outfield during batting practice
Bring a baseball, hat, etc. we have meet and greets with players and alumni on most of our baseball vacation packages and they are always willing to sign memorabilia
Check and make sure your bag or book bag will be allowed in the stadium
Don't forget your camera
These are just a few reminders for what to bring while on sports vacations with Big League Tours. We're always willing to answer questions so if your not sure about something ask us! If you haven't booked a trip with us yet check out our website. We look forward to meeting you for the first time or seeing you again in 2009!
Many More People Will be Taking Small Group Tours into the US
In October President Bush spoke to an audience regarding a Visa Waiver for seven countries--the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, and South Korea. All seven countries had met all the requirements to be entered in the United State Visa Waiver Program.
Citizens from these countries will be allowed to enter the United States without a Visa. Currently, United States citizens are allowed to enter these countries already without a visa. These seven countries agree to give the United States any information about threats to the people of the United States. They have also agreed that all travelers pre-register online before their visit.
So, if you decide to take a trip to the United States in the summer of '09 consider taking one of our many sports tours and enjoy one of our favorite past times.
Sports Vacations in St. Louis Having been a lifelong Cincinnati Reds fan, I have never been a fan of the Cardinals. However, I have to give credit to the Cardinals organization, the city of St. Louis, and the Cardinals fans - going to a game at Busch Stadium is a great time. The stadium has a great atmosphere, is very appealing aesthetically, and allows fans to experience baseball the way that it should be enjoyed.
Here's a photo of former Cardinal, So Taguchi signing autographs prior to the game. So was a St. Louis fan favorite and received a standing ovation when he pinch hit during the game.
It's a great place to visit if you are going to plan family tours, small group tours, or sports tours of any size. Watch for the tours that we offer next year that include games in St. Louis or with the Cardinals on the road. You'll enjoy great seats, great accommodations, and great baseball. We hope you'll join us!
Sports Tours Likely Not Affected According to a recent report from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), average domestic airfare rates rose 4.4 percent from the first quarter of 2007. As it turns out, those rates are still lower than Spring of 2001. The report also shows the 100 cities that have the highest and lowest average fares. You can view more of the story on wnbc.com in New York or the full report on the BTS website.
While most folks planning sports packages or sports vacations will also include airfare into the price, a shift of 4.4% is not likely to dissuade travelers from booking the baseball vacation packages of their dreams. In fact, the relatively low increase of airfare as a percentage compared to the increases seen in gas prices might lead some to opt to fly instead of drive on their baseball vacations.
Want Great Seats? Stadium Tours? Meet a Player? Great Hotels? Time to Explore? I started this business a few years ago because I didn't like how other tour companies were offering their baseball trips. Many of them offer 10 - 14 day trips that require you to ride on a bus for hundreds, if not thousands, of miles. They stay in hotels that are outside of the cities so that you don't really get to explore them while you're there. And, unfortunately, the seat locations aren't great.
Here are a couple of blog entries from their customers:
"We then headed up to our seats (in Yankee Stadium) which were just a few feet from the
moon. Like at Shea we were 4 rows from the top but this time we were in
right field. We could not see most of the right field fence so we hoped
all activity would be in left field...It sounds like our seats are pretty horrible tomorrow night too so hopefully we can scope some better seats."
"2800 miles of riding in a bus with almost no
sleep and too many hot dogs but what an adventure it was." I bet. Not my kind of adventure...
"Tickets were in the upper deck and I made a vow in 1991 never to sit up there again. We left the group to suffer from fear of falling out of their seats..."
If the sound of these comments leaves you concerned about booking other group travel tours, check out our 2008 sports tours and rest assured that you'll never have an experience like they've described.
Okay, I realize that this has very little, if anything, to do with baseball travel tours or sports packages of any kind. But, I found it pretty amusing and thought that folks who have joined us on our sports vacations would, too. I particularly like the cheesy 70's-style game show music they use for the intro. Maybe we can get host Tom Dickson to join us on one of our sports tours where we can blend all sorts of baseball related stuff? Enjoy!
The Unexpected Parts of Sports Travel Packages July 8, 2008 - It's always fun to head out on one of our group travel tours knowing that we're going to meet MLB players through our Big League Player Experiences. However, what you don't know is whether there will be an opportunity to meet other players while we're taking our sports travels.
One such opportunity presented itself to us in Boston. There's a sandwich shop out on Yawkey Way that bares the name of famed Red Sox pitcher, Luis Tiant. The shop is the El Tiante, which serves up a cuban sandwich amongst other spicy favorites. (Even my daughter knew about this stand since it was featured on Rachael Ray!) And occasionally, it serves up autographs from the legend himself.
So get out there on your own baseball trips and look for the really cool stuff. You never know what might be waiting for you when you get there. Of course, if you want to ensure that your sports tours are filled with the cool stuff, book your baseball vacation packages with us. We'll make sure that it you get all the good stuff!
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.
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