:quality(85):upscale()/2026/06/22/968/n/43463692/09f98d486a39b3c9eb8961.67196209_.png "For Your Next Girls Trip, Try Sports Travel")
When I walked into SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on June 13, my throat caught with emotion. I'd never seen a sports arena teeming with so much fervor. American flags waved high above my head, vuvuzelas blared, strangers high-fived and wished each other luck. The security guards and ticketing staff were all smiles. It hit me then: I was about to watch the US men's national team face off against Paraguay in the World Cup. Having grown up playing soccer, the moment was surreal.
I'll caveat this with an admission: I'm not, in general, a big sports fan. While I support women's teams any chance I get and I do enjoy watching soccer, I'm generally apathetic when it comes to major sporting events. I'll go to one or two games per season for Bay Area teams, but if I'm being honest, I'm mostly just there for the good time.
I'd also never considered traveling for sports before. Plenty of my friends plan trips to see their favorite athletes and teams, whether to catch the US Open in New York City or to splurge on getting a glimpse of Formula 1. And with the World Cup this year in 16 cities across North America, plus the Olympics coming to LA in 2028, sports-related travel is only projected to grow.
All to say, when I was invited by Airbnb on a group press trip to watch the USA vs. Paraguay World Cup game, I felt a bit out of my element. But after a few days in LA, I learned that sports-related travel can be extremely fun - especially when you're surrounded by likeminded friends. Our trip consisted of a group of several women in media, and we balanced getting hyped for the game with massages, hikes, and quintessential LA experiences. I love that this trip brought together a group of awesome women who could rattle off the top international players in one breath and their favorite natural wines in the other.
I also realized that sports travel, when done right, gives your trip a purpose, and it still holds opportunity for all the other things that you might love about travel, like adventure, good food, a healthy dose of relaxation. I'm not the only one: according to a report from Priority Pass, more travelers are pairing sports and wellness for the ultimate travel experience.
Here were the elements that convinced me a girls' trip with sports and wellness elements mixed in is a winning combination.
The Location and Lodgings
If you're a diehard fan, marquee sporting events like the World Cup, Olympics, and Formula 1 can give you an excuse to travel to a place you've never been before for a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience.
But even if it's a city you know well - I've been to Los Angeles a dozen times - you can still use the trip to explore a neighborhood you've never spent much time in. We stayed in a huge house in La Brea, which was centrally located for a massive city like LA. It meant that we could walk to the famous vintage shops on Melrose (which I hadn't done since high school) or hop in a Waymo to reach the beach. Of course, you also want to take into account the travel to and from the sporting event you're there to see. Thankfully, we were only a 45-minute drive to the stadium.
Staying in a house, versus a hotel, also changed the feel of our trip. Our airy Airbnb allowed enough space for us to spread out, but it also naturally encouraged spending downtime and meals together (I especially loved the communal feel of the kitchen) - and when you're traveling with friends, that's what vacation is all about.
The Event Itself
When it comes to making sure everyone enjoys the sporting event itself as much as possible, logistics are king. Do your research on the best way to get to the arena and how long you'll need for security; also consider booking a car service or reserving Ubers ahead of time. In our case, pre-game performances started two hours before the match, so we left extra early to make sure we didn't miss them.
Having a clear exit plan with the entire group also made all the difference. While some folks in our group arrived separately, we all left together, which made getting out of the packed stadium much more seamless. Logistical snafus can famously bring down the vibes in a group, so giving everyone different roles to make sure you're prepared for the main event is key.
The day of the event, I'd also recommend keeping the rest of your itinerary light. Dedicating an entire day to getting rested, ready, and hyped up for the big game, all together, allows you to truly convalesce around a celebration. Maybe you plan a special activity like decorating T-shirts as a group or you reserve a kickoff brunch at a fun restaurant; whatever it is, this is the time to lean into the inexplicable "collective effervescence" of a sporting event.
The Rest of Your Itinerary
While the game might be the main event, make sure whatever extra time you have on your trip, you're planning the things you genuinely enjoy, both for some solo time and to make memories with the group. Airbnb set us up with several different Airbnb Experiences to craft itineraries that felt true to our travel style. I opted for a Runyon Canyon hike with rescue dogs, an in-home massage, and a yoga class and soundbath that the practitioner set up in the backyard.
But while those were restorative self-care options, the time spent all together as a group was so special. One of my favorite parts of the trip was a private chef dinner at the house: we were all able to eat delicious World Cup-inspired fare in the comfort of our sweatpants.
Ultimately, a sports and wellness trip with friends is about making sure you're able to enjoy a thrilling experience with people you love, a new place worthy of exploring, and downtime for you to unplug. After that initial moment of awe when I stepped into the stadium, I spent the following few hours screaming my head off, jumping up and down whenever the US scored (which was a whopping four times), and genuinely embracing being a fully fledged sports fan, right alongside newfound friends. I surprised myself a little at how much I enjoyed it all, and that was thanks to the gift of the game.
Related: I Booked a "Dopamine Reset" Trip After Feeling Distracted and Dysregulated Lena Felton (she/her) is a senior director of special projects at PS, where she oversees sponsored packages, tentpole projects, and editorial partnerships. Previously, she was an editor at The Washington Post, where she led a team covering issues of gender and identity. She has been working in journalism since 2017, during which time her focus has been feature writing and editing and elevating historically underrepresented voices. Lena has worked for The Atlantic, InStyle, So It Goes, and more.Hence then, the article about for your next girls trip try sports travel was published today ( ) and is available on popsugar ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
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