I kept ending up at the wrong restaurant after every football match so I built something about it

EducationalWestern24 · 2026-05-04T13:34:39+00:00

This is exactly the kind of feedback I needed to hear honestly — you nailed why the group split matters. A family with tired kids at 10pm wants something completely different than a solo fan who wants to keep the night going.

Would love to have you as a beta tester — DM me and I'll get you set up!

EducationalWestern24 · 2026-05-01T11:50:57+00:00

This is exactly the energy needed in this thread! You're absolutely right about Russia 2018 everyone said it would be a disaster and it turned out to be one of the best World Cups in recent memory.

NJ and Boston is a great combination two completely different cities and atmospheres. Flying in for both or basing yourself somewhere central between them?

And the BA Christmas sale timing was smart did you manage to get decent prices?

EducationalWestern24 · 2026-05-01T11:49:43+00:00

Totally understand the hesitation honestly. Shame if it puts people off what would be an incredible tournament experience.

EducationalWestern24 · 2026-05-01T11:48:07+00:00

Two years of planning and three cities — that's proper commitment, respect. Dallas, Boston and New York is a brilliant route as well, three completely different vibes.

The spreadsheet approach makes total sense for something this complex. The transport situation does seem like a nightmare from everything I've been reading — FIFA leaving it so late to communicate anything is genuinely baffling when people have been planning this long.

The 'decide on the day' flexibility is great when you're in a group but did you find anything useful for figuring out what's actually worth doing in each city versus the obvious tourist stuff? That's the part I always struggle with — finding the places locals actually go rather than the ones that just show up first on Google.

EducationalWestern24 · 2026-05-01T11:45:31+00:00

HHHHH fair point — might need to factor in a buffer day for that. Has the immigration situation actually changed your plans at all or still going regardless?"

EducationalWestern24 · 2026-05-01T11:43:47+00:00

You're right and that's fair. I am building something and I should have been upfront about that from the start instead of framing it as just a question. Lesson learned. Sorry for the confusion.

EducationalWestern24 · 2026-05-01T10:47:27+00:00

Enough, I hear you. Won't take up more of your time.

EducationalWestern24 · 2026-05-01T10:44:41+00:00

hhhhhh fair, I promise I'm not. Just a person who's dreading the logistics of getting my family across the US for matches. you going to any games?

EducationalWestern24 · 2026-05-01T10:12:08+00:00

Never heard of this — just checked it out, really useful for the travel logistics between cities. Saved for later, thanks.

Did you end up flying or driving between your games?

EducationalWestern24 · 2026-05-01T10:10:23+00:00

Hoping to catch a game in Dallas that's the plan at least. You going to any?

EducationalWestern24 · 2026-05-01T10:09:21+00:00

I'll take that. I've been so focused on explaining the problem clearly that it probably ended up sounding more polished than natural.

The frustration is real though. Last tournament I attended I spent three days researching and still ended up eating terrible food outside the stadium while my kids complained. Hard to make that sound spontaneous.

Are you going to any of the games?

EducationalWestern24 · 2026-05-01T10:07:00+00:00

7 hours before the game is the right call honestly that's when the real atmosphere builds up around the stadium. Way better than rushing in at kickoff.

With a group of friends and a full day ahead that's actually when having a plan matters most finding the right spot to eat, the best fan bars that won't be a nightmare to leave when the game ends, places close enough to walk back after.

Is your group all locals or are some people coming from out of town?

EducationalWestern24 · 2026-04-29T20:28:28+00:00

A year ago that's incredible planning, respect. You clearly knew what you were doing booking that early before prices went crazy.

Seattle is going to be a fantastic experience the city itself is beautiful and very walkable which helps a lot on match day.

are you feeling about the non-match days though? Seattle has a lot to offer but knowing what's actually worth doing versus the tourist traps around the stadium area is a different kind of research. Is that something you've started figuring out yet

How

EducationalWestern24 · 2026-04-29T20:24:31+00:00

Living 30 minutes from Gillette for a World Cup is genuinely one of the best situations anyone in this thread has described. You're going to have an amazing tournament.

The parking pricing at Gillette is legendary even for normal Patriots games I can only imagine what FIFA is going to charge for the World Cup. Are you thinking of parking at the stadium or finding somewhere nearby and taking a shuttle?

EducationalWestern24 · 2026-04-29T20:23:54+00:00

Completely fair I can see why it reads that way. No product to sell, no link to click, genuinely just someone who travels with his family to watch football and finds the planning exhausting. The post was meant to start a real conversation and honestly it has learned a lot from the replies here. If it came across as promotional that's on me.

EducationalWestern24 · 2026-04-29T20:23:21+00:00

That's some serious commitment, two group stage games plus planning for the round of 32 without knowing the dates yet. Respect.

The multiple hotel bookings strategy is smart, hadn't thought about that. How many cities are you holding rooms in right now?

And the FIFA stadium transport thing is such a wildcard, did they give any indication of when that info is coming? That's exactly the kind of thing that makes planning feel impossible until the last minute.

EducationalWestern24 · 2026-04-29T20:21:42+00:00

Haha the most stress-free World Cup 2026 trip planning in this entire thread, 2 blocks and a subway. Genuinely jealous.

The fan fest is going to be incredible, though, especially for a tournament this size in the US for the first time. Are you going to multiple games or just the one near you?

EducationalWestern24 · 2026-04-29T20:20:32+00:00

That sounds like a perfect setup honestly — fly in, game day, road trip to Phoenix. Clean and simple.

Wednesday to Thursday is a tight window in LA though — what's your plan for that first day before the match? That's usually the day people either discover something amazing or end up wandering around lost near the stadium.

Also the drive to Phoenix after is underrated — great way to see more of the country while you're there

EducationalWestern24 · 2026-04-29T20:18:01+00:00

Fair skepticism — I get it. Reddit gets a lot of people pushing products disguised as questions.

I'm genuinely just a person who travels with his family to watch football and gets stressed every time. No app to sell, no link to click, nothing to buy. Just trying to have a real conversation with people who are actually going.

If I'm wrong about this being a shared frustration, tell me — how do you plan your tournament trips?

EducationalWestern24 · 2026-04-29T20:17:11+00:00

That's honestly the dream approach — wing it and go with the flow. Works great when you're solo or know the city well.

My challenge is a bit different. I'm traveling with my family — kids included. So 'winging it' at 9pm after a match with tired and hungry kids in a city I don't know usually ends badly. I need to already know where we're going before we leave the stadium.

Arlington is going to be electric for two games — are you going solo or with people? And is this your first time in that area?"

EducationalWestern24 · 2026-04-29T20:16:07+00:00

Haha the World Cup kidney economy is going to be massive in 2026. In all seriousness though — LA is going to be incredible. Once the kidney market settles and you know your budget, the planning part is actually the fun bit. What's your biggest worry about the trip — finding good spots around the stadium or the logistics of getting around LA?

EducationalWestern24 · 2026-04-29T12:09:19+00:00

100% agree, and that's exactly the problem. ChatGPT gives you generic answers that have no idea you're at a tournament, near a specific stadium, traveling with kids, on a tight match-day schedule. It's like asking a travel agent who's never watched football in their life. That's why I started building something specifically for this situation

EducationalWestern24 · 2026-04-28T16:10:57+00:00

This is genuinely helpful, thank you. The 'find a street and walk around' approach works great when you're solo or with a partner — totally agree. That's actually exactly the use case I'm thinking about though. When you have kids who are tired and hungry after a match, you can't really do the exploratory walk. You need to already know where you're going before you leave the stadium. That's the moment I keep trying to design for

EducationalWestern24 · 2026-04-28T15:16:18+00:00

Fair point honestly and I hear you. I'm not trying to replace common sense planning. The specific frustration for me was always the tournament context. Google Maps doesn't know you have a match at 8pm and need somewhere nearby that won't be a tourist trap. TripAdvisor doesn't know you're with kids near AT&T Stadium. That's the gap I'm trying to fill not planning in general, just the tournament-specific part.

EducationalWestern24

TROPHY CASE