G Adventures’ Away Games Takes Fans Beyond the Premier League Match
A trip built around the Manchester Derby also offered a closer look at local football culture, from a seven-goal match at Stockport to the pubs around Old Trafford.
Photo: Samuel Regan Asante / Unsplash
Away fans have always been a big part of sports. Traveling to cheer on your favorite team in enemy territory adds another layer of intrigue to the game—and means the players don’t have to go into battle alone. In the past, only the most die-hard fans would travel long distances to follow their teams on the road. Recently, though, sports tourism has boomed. It accounted for around 10% of global travel spending in 2025, according to the World Economic Forum, which also forecasts that the market could exceed $1.7 trillion by 2032.
When the Raiders moved to Allegiant Stadium, their new home in Las Vegas, in 2020, opposing fans quickly began planning trips to Sin City around their game tickets. The appeal is easy to see: catch your team on the road and perhaps a show or two while you’re in town. Likewise, the U.S. Open has long attracted visitors to the Big Apple. (During this year’s tournament period, domestic air arrivals to New York were up 15% from the same period last year, according to Amadeus.)
Soccer, in particular, is proving a natural fit for sports tourism. Between the success of this year’s World Cup and access to broadcasts of some of the world’s biggest leagues, more Americans have a reason to follow the game. And for fans who have spent early mornings watching on the couch or at the pub, there’s an obvious next step: seeing a historic stadium in person, with time to explore London, Madrid, or Barcelona while they’re there.
But while booking a trip to Europe may be de rigueur for most advisors, securing matchday tickets to the continent’s biggest games can be another story. To help, tour operator G Adventures has launched Away Games, a small-group trip series that gives visiting fans a chance to experience both the match and its host city like a local.
The first trips are in England and Spain, built around clubs including Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Real Madrid and FC Barcelona. The main event is a ticket to a featured fixture, with hospitality access that varies by club and departure. Groups are also paired with a G Adventures CEO (Chief Experience Officer) who knows the game and the local football culture.
Before kickoff, guests can tour the stadium and visit local pubs to take in the pre-match atmosphere. Beyond the featured game, the trips include another live football match, a food tour, and time to explore the city. That second match can offer a very different look at the sport.
During a recent trip to Manchester with G Adventures, I had the opportunity to take in the Manchester Derby between Manchester United and Manchester City, a fierce rivalry where getting a ticket can be as nerve-wracking as the game itself. With that sorted, I was free to soak up the atmosphere at historic Old Trafford. But first, we watched a match that brought us even closer to the action.
A day before the derby, we took a private transfer to Edgeley Park to watch Stockport County F.C. take on Leicester City F.C. in a League One matchup. Getting a taste of lower-league football before the big match was a pleasant surprise. The stadium’s more community-focused atmosphere offered a look at what these clubs mean to the people around them.
Before kickoff, there was a petting zoo for children and live music—a scene quite different from what awaited us at Old Trafford. Our seats were mere feet from the pitch, close enough to feel that the players could hear every insult, chant and word of encouragement from the crowd. The match itself delivered plenty of goals, too: Leicester won 4–3.
The next day, the real goal was United’s home ground. Hours before kickoff, we took a stadium tour that gave us access to the player dugouts and the pitch itself, stopping just short of letting us kick the ball around. There were plenty of photo opportunities in the same seats the players and managers would occupy later that day, plus a chance to stand beside the pitch with the stadium to ourselves.
Pre-match hospitality lounge access let me fuel up before heading to our seats for kickoff. Then the match began, and the singing and cheering took over. Our CEO for the trip, Grace Smyth, was there every step of the way, guiding us to pubs, helping us navigate the stadium, and becoming part of the group herself. She says that connection to the wider football community is what makes Away Games special.
“Away Games gives you front row access not just to the main event match of a Premier League match but to local life,” Smyth said. “Sitting with the 80,000 people who fill the stadiums every week, experiencing the local matches with teams you never even knew existed, and feeling a part of a community.”
After the match, I headed back to the hotel and prepared for dinner with a group that had, by then, bonded over both games. We felt like a team of our own, ready to head out and face the next challenge together.
Away Games trips include four nights in a centrally located four-star hotel, an arrival transfer, a featured-match ticket with hospitality access, a stadium tour, a second live match, and a private food tour. Groups are capped at 16 travelers. Advisors should check the price and hospitality details for the specific departure; match dates and kickoff times may also shift.
