Your complete resource for baseball travel.
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College Clubs. Very often the top universities have clubs in large cities,complete with hotel service. As with airline clubs, there is an annual membership fee. If you travel a lot, seek quality accomodations without top prices, this strategy may be worth your while. Most have extensive reciprocity agreements with other university clubs throughout the nation, and sometimes these include foreign locations as well.
Craigslist. Craigslist is, for some cities, an excellent way to get tickets either below price, or more reasonably priced than other ticket resellers. It does run the risk of being scammed, however, but we've used it quite successfully for ticket purchases in San Francisco.
Hotel Recommendations. Ballpark Travel attempts to find reputable hotels and motels, at different price points, near the ballparks. When possible, we've either stayed there, talked to people who've stayed there, or received other recommendations. If the lodging is not a name-brand, then a physical inspection is required for us to make sure it's the kind of place I'd let a family or elderly parents stay in.
Rental Cars: BPT likes Avis because they have great service, convenience, and, most importantly for ballpark travelers, may have the lowest one-way charges for those trips when you fly into one city and fly out of another. But in all cases a few tips for renting cars exist to get the best deals. Join the rental agency customer club for lower rates and greater convenience. Sometimes airport locations are the most expensive, but not always, so it might be worthwhile to take a shuttle to your hotel, and then pick up the rental car locally when ready to roll. Last minute Saturday rentals are often the least expensive. Smaller cars not only save gas, but if you don't want one, they will often give you a larger car with no additional charge. Confirm with your insurance company and credit card in advance for whether you are covered. Typically your insurance will cover liability, and the credit card will cover collision. Finally, while it's less expensive to get the off-airport brands, if you're traveling with kids or bulky luggage, it might be worth saving yourself some time and hassle for a few more dollars a day, since that off-airport trip can add another 30-40 minutes till you are behind the wheel.
Tickets. For the greatest choice in seats there are two strategies. First, for games that aren't going to sell out, buy the tickets at the ballpark. Make sure you tell the representative about your needs (e.g., in the shade). Don't assume they'll give you the best for the cost. We walked up to the Braves ticket box and got tickets 10 rows behind home plate, for $27 each. But we asked. The second strategy is to call their box office. Again, you'll get the best choice. This strategy is especially important when purchasing for larger groups, where having people in adjacent rows might be fine, but not something that an online service can provide. If you have to go through Ticketmaster, you'll pay service fees (often hefty) but it's the convenience. Online purchasing is usually my last choice, although I try it first, because it might just get you what you need, and if the game is likely to sell out, usually the only seats available are outfield and upper deck. We provide StubHub because increasingly it's the legal scalping venue for in-demand games. See also Craigslist, above.
