Spring Training Beckons

With only two of the 32 NFL teams in the Super Bowl, the odds are that your team didn’t make it. Take heart — baseball season is just around the corner. Spring training gets under way in just a couple of weeks, and a trip to either Florida or Arizona, where the major league teams have their training camps, can make an enjoyable and affordable spring vacation venue.

Hotel room rates are reasonable, say travel consultants, since the training camps are generally in less expensive areas of the two states. Ticket prices are dirt cheap too, ranging from $5 to $25, a fraction of what you’d pay at a major league park. You can also attend non-game practice sessions free and you can generally take a tour of the facilities for the cost of parking your car. In addition to the low cost, baseball fans get some perks at spring training that they’d never have in a major league stadium, including smaller ballparks that encourage interaction between the players and the fans. The close contact gives fans, especially the younger ones, far more chances to get autographs than during the regular season.

Venues in Arizona are fairly close to each other, so booking a hotel in a central location can be a good idea. In Florida, the teams are either on the west coast or the east coast, so you may have to choose which side of the state you want to go to. Make sure you check your team’s schedule before you make any reservations. You can do that at Spring Training Online. For a look at some travel packages, try Spring Training Tours.