Top tips for sports travel

With Sports Tours International you can book your travel package with guaranteed event entry to take part in the world’s most popular sports events. Below you will find some useful tips to best prepare yourself before you travel.

Booking flights

On some of the Marathons that Sports Tours offers like the Tokyo Marathon, the Boston Marathon, the New York City Marathon and the Chicago Marathon flight inclusive travel packages are available. On other Marathons and on cycling events you need to book your own flights in addition to the travel package with Sports Tours International. To browse flights, a great website is Skyscanner. For Skyscanner’s own tips on when to book, have a look here

Top Tip – As hotel and flight comparison websites and airline websites routinely track your visits, you should use an incognito window when booking flights and hotels online or use different computers/ IP addresses. Some sites will raise the price just because you’ve visited before.

Apparently the day of the week makes a difference as well. Most cheap seats are available at the weekend and the start of the week according to this article where you can find some additional tips.

When booking your flights check the airline’s policy on transporting sports equipment or over-sized baggage. We have looked into this for you so please find a list below of some of the most commonly used airlines who offer direct flights from the UK and Ireland into Europe.

Cost of transporting your bike by airline (correct February 2016)

It is worth bearing in mind that for mishandled baggage or lost luggage claims, the legal upper liability limit of airlines is just €1,131 per passenger. If you’re carrying something valuable, either get a ‘special declaration of interest in the delivery of your luggage’ from the airline or carry the item in your hand luggage. If you have an expensive bike then you have to make sure that you cover your bike with additional insurance when you are travelling. Read more here

Please note that for the full T&C’s of each airline you have to refer to their websites.

• Easyjet – £35 each way with a 30kg weight limit
• British Airways – Included as part of your 23kg allowance. £36 for an additional 23kg each way.
• KLM – €55 each way but must be pre-booked
• Air France – Included as part of your 23kg allowance. £20 for an additional 23kg each way but has to be pre-booked.
• Jet2 – £30 each way with a maximum of 30kg and has to be pre-booked
• FlyBe – £38 each way with a maximum of 30kg and has to be pre-booked. Note from their T&C’s: other exceptional items than Golf bags and Skis (so bikes) can only be carried on a standby basis subject to availability.
• Virgin Atlantic – Free with 23kg maximum weight
• Ryanair – €60 or £60 per item each way so £120 for a return trip with max weight of 30kg
• Swissair – €50 each way on European flights
• Vueling – €45 each way on European flights

When you book a sports travel package

Take out travel insurance when you book your holiday and not just the week before you travel. If you take out a sports travel specific policy then you can rest assured that not only your equipment, activities and travel are covered but you are also covered if you need to cancel your trip through injury for example. There are many options and you need to take out the policy which is right for you  but please find details of the Sports Tours International policy here – For details of insurance for sports travel packages, please visit the travel insurance page. For some tips on how to stay safe whilst you travel, please have a look here

Some other useful travel tips

• If you forget your charger or you don’t have an adaptor, charge devices through the USB slot on the TV in your room
• You can save a lot of luggage space by rolling rather than folding your clothes
• Scan important documents like your passport, travel insurance docs and boarding card before leaving for your trip and store them on your phone or tablet
• Get the largest allowed size of carry on case and put your event essentials in there so you can do the event even if your suitcase doesn’t make it like running or cycling shoes and kit, underwear, cycling helmet etc.
• Use Cash Machines (ATMs) instead of airport currency exchange bureaus to save money. Usually they will offer much lower rates than what you can get from the airport currency exchanges.

With Sports Tours International you can book your travel package with guaranteed event entry to take part in the world’s most popular sports events. Below you will find some useful tips to best prepare yourself before you travel.

Booking flights

On some of the Marathons that Sports Tours offers like the Tokyo Marathon, the Boston Marathon, the New York City Marathon and the Chicago Marathon flight inclusive travel packages are available. On other Marathons and on cycling events you need to book your own flights in addition to the travel package with Sports Tours International. To browse flights, a great website is Skyscanner. For Skyscanner’s own tips on when to book, have a look here

Top Tip – As hotel and flight comparison websites and airline websites routinely track your visits, you should use an incognito window when booking flights and hotels online or use different computers/ IP addresses. Some sites will raise the price just because you’ve visited before.

Apparently the day of the week makes a difference as well. Most cheap seats are available at the weekend and the start of the week according to this article where you can find some additional tips.

When booking your flights check the airline’s policy on transporting sports equipment or over-sized baggage. We have looked into this for you so please find a list below of some of the most commonly used airlines who offer direct flights from the UK and Ireland into Europe.

Cost of transporting your bike by airline (correct February 2016)

It is worth bearing in mind that for mishandled baggage or lost luggage claims, the legal upper liability limit of airlines is just €1,131 per passenger. If you’re carrying something valuable, either get a ‘special declaration of interest in the delivery of your luggage’ from the airline or carry the item in your hand luggage. If you have an expensive bike then you have to make sure that you cover your bike with additional insurance when you are travelling. Read more here

Please note that for the full T&C’s of each airline you have to refer to their websites.

• Easyjet – £35 each way with a 30kg weight limit
• British Airways – Included as part of your 23kg allowance. £36 for an additional 23kg each way.
• KLM – €55 each way but must be pre-booked
• Air France – Included as part of your 23kg allowance. £20 for an additional 23kg each way but has to be pre-booked.
• Jet2 – £30 each way with a maximum of 30kg and has to be pre-booked
• FlyBe – £38 each way with a maximum of 30kg and has to be pre-booked. Note from their T&C’s: other exceptional items than Golf bags and Skis (so bikes) can only be carried on a standby basis subject to availability.
• Virgin Atlantic – Free with 23kg maximum weight
• Ryanair – €60 or £60 per item each way so £120 for a return trip with max weight of 30kg
• Swissair – €50 each way on European flights
• Vueling – €45 each way on European flights

When you book a sports travel package

Take out travel insurance when you book your holiday and not just the week before you travel. If you take out a sports travel specific policy then you can rest assured that not only your equipment, activities and travel are covered but you are also covered if you need to cancel your trip through injury for example. There are many options and you need to take out the policy which is right for you  but please find details of the Sports Tours International policy here – For details of insurance for sports travel packages, please visit the travel insurance page. For some tips on how to stay safe whilst you travel, please have a look here

Some other useful travel tips

• If you forget your charger or you don’t have an adaptor, charge devices through the USB slot on the TV in your room
• You can save a lot of luggage space by rolling rather than folding your clothes
• Scan important documents like your passport, travel insurance docs and boarding card before leaving for your trip and store them on your phone or tablet
• Get the largest allowed size of carry on case and put your event essentials in there so you can do the event even if your suitcase doesn’t make it like running or cycling shoes and kit, underwear, cycling helmet etc.
• Use Cash Machines (ATMs) instead of airport currency exchange bureaus to save money. Usually they will offer much lower rates than what you can get from the airport currency exchanges.