http://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/stories/2007/01/08/daily53.html?jst=b_ln_hl Never been in a "host city" before, let us know what we need to do for anyone travelling in.
I think first order of business may be to get them to reserve end zone seats, near the pirate ship, for the Sam's Army/US contingent. Cannon shots for our goals. Sweet.
What is the best part of town for hotels? I would like to know if my rental car will be there when i try and leave.
What's your price range? You can stay along the beaches, near the stadium, along the water on the Tampa side, out near Busch Gardens. We're a tourist economy, for the most part, so there are a lot of choices.
Yeah, price is the issue. I have found several hotels (cheaper ones) that claim that they are within walking distance of the stadium. That would mean I wouldn't need a rental car, but are they riskier to stay in as opposed to more expensive places?
That might vary on a case by case basis. Places to the west of the stadium, on Westshore Boulevard or Cypress Avenue can be very nice. Places to the east of the stadium are more residential. Along Dale Mabry (might also be called US 92) is mostly commercial stuff, including the infamous Mons Venus and 2001 Odyssey. If you want to let me know the names of places I'll be happy to provide an opinion. We used to get very inexpensive rooms at the Admiral Benbow on Westshore for our annual New Year's Eve party. It's still there, but under a different name. I can check and see if we can get a block of rooms at a discount for visiting Sammers.
I found the Comfort Inn for $119 a night, so i figure that will do. It is walking distance from the stadium and has a shuttle bus to/from the airport. Just flying in for the match and leaving the next morning. Thanks and see you all there!
That's a decent enough location. For anyone else interested, here's a link to that hotel: Comfort Inn near Raymond James Stadium
If this game indeed does happen in Tampa, there are quite a number of Sam's Army folks from the Tampa Bay area that will ensure things get organized quite well. All we are waiting for is the announcement to be made official.
Here's an article from the TAMPA TRIBUNE about the proposed match on March 25th: http://www.tbo.com/sports/MGB9156KVWE.html It looks like it's really going to happen!
I want to book my trip now but it's still not confirmed. These guys are killing me. Plane fares will go up soon, I want to book now! Edit: I just checked the airline prices and they went up from $110/ticket to $210/ticket. Grrrr ! Guess I better buy them now.
Go ahead and book a room if you need one, though. You can normally cancel in advance with no penalty.
It's Confirmed!!! Start making your reservations! http://ussoccer.com/articles/viewArticle.jsp_281625.html http://sports.yahoo.com/sow/news;_y...slug=afp-fblusaecufriendly&prov=afp&type=lgns Ticket Info: http://www.ussoccer.com/articles/viewArticle.jsp_281624.html
I will be making the trip down for Georgia for my third USMNT cap (Birmingham WCQ v. Guatamala and WC 2006 tuneup v. Morocco in Nashville). I was at the UGA-Wisconsin Outback Bowl at Raymond James Stadium last year and it is a wonderful place to see a game. There are lots and lots and lots of places to stay in Tampa and Clearwater. Also, outlying places (such as Bradenton) have good accomodations as well. Tampa is a beautiful city but the stadium is not in the friendliest of neighborhoods - although it isn't as bad as other either. I'm excited for this one. Should be a great full international matchup.
Cool. Mom and Dad, my sister, brother-in-law and their three kids all live in Bradenton. I know where my wife and I will be staying.
I'm there The bar scene in Tampa is really nice as well, any plans for sat night bar, sunday tailgating as of yet?
My friends and I are planning a Tailgating party early in the morning that day (Possibly 8am, 'cause kickoff is at Noon). I'm sure they'll be plenty of other people tailgating there too. Tampanians always look for any excuse to drink.
Sams Army ticket info : http://www.sams-army.com/index.php?Mlist=event&Mid=103 I'm still working on getting out there.maybe fly out saturday morning , stay the night in tampa , go to the game , fly back sunday night so I dont miss any school. What kind of turn out are we expecting?
That is a very good question.. I've only lived in Florida for 9 months or so, so I am unaware of the number of supporters here in the South...
I'll be discussing this trip with my girlfriend tonight and it's going to take some convincing... what are the beaches like? If we stay at or very near the beach how far will we be from the airport and the stadium? Is that into peak spring break time? I hope not!! I'm gonna look into some hotel rooms any help will be appreciated I'll now better what my price range is when we decide how long we'll be staying.... If I find something I'll post it to get comments from the locals and to help others...
The Tampa airport is within a couple miles of Raymond James I believe. I live on the Atlantic side beach but I've heard the Tampa beaches are amazing, like St. Petersburg and Largo and other gulf side cities. Most college spring breaks are a week before the match, at the same time my college in Daytona Beach is that week, but it shouldn't be that much of a deal. I will for sure look into the hotel room deal as I plan on staying there sat night myself, i'm bringing my dad for his first cap! Cheers
What I'm thinking about is driving down on Thursday and staying in Clearwater on the beach (but let me know if there are comparable beaches closer) and then either driving back Sunday after the game or Monday after a good nights rest. It's about a 7 hour drive I think and I can fly cheap on buddy passes but then I have to worry about getting a rental car.