You decided to go to a Grand Prix! It’s going to be a lot of fun, but there are many things you need to do to prepare for the event. Today, I’m going to talk about how to efficiently travel to a Magic tournament, whether it’s across the country, across the world, or down the street. Let’s start with flights.

Flights

When booking flights, there are two websites I use to find the best deals: Kayak.com, and Fly.com. These websites are basically search engines for all airline websites, and they will find the best deals for you.

If you are planning on traveling to a lot of tournaments, I highly recommend you fly on only one airline. That way, you can accumulate frequent flyer miles, which you can use to earn free flights or upgrades to first class. Using only one airline will save you money in the long run. I usually accumulate enough miles to take a free flight every four months or so, and with the costs of flights these days, it really adds up. Another great thing about the frequent flyer program is that the airlines have partner airlines that award points as well. For example, I fly on Delta, and they are partners with Korean Air, KLM, Air France, Alaska Air, and a few others. If I fly on any of those airlines, I will earn points for Delta. Always remember to give them your frequent flyer number, and if they don’t take the one you have, sign up for theirs.

Transportation

Okay, you made it to your destination; now, how do you make it to the venue from the airport? The easiest way is to take a taxi. Taxis are the quickest, most convenient way to go to your destination. The only problem with taxis is that they are very expensive.

In some cities, the cab drivers can be pretty shady. You should always make sure there is a taxi meter in the cab. If there isn’t, the driver can charge you anything he wants and is likely to rip you off. Use the Internet to find out the names of the cab companies. You can also find out the cost of your taxi ride on the company’s website.

Another mode of transportation is a shuttle. Some venues and hotels offer shuttle service to and from the airport. The best way to find out if shuttles are available is to call the venue or the hotel you are staying at. Shuttles are usually $15 to $30 per person, and sometimes you can get a deal if you book a return trip. Some places even offer complimentary shuttle service.

My favorite mode of transportation is public transportation, including busses, trains, trolleys, and the like. Most major cities have excellent public transportation, so be sure to find out how to get around before you go. Public transportation is very cheap, but it usually can take a little longer than a taxi or shuttle.

Sometimes, renting a car is the way to go. Smaller cities, such as Lincoln, Nebraska, have very limited taxi cab services and no public transportation. In addition, everything is so far apart that you can’t walk anywhere. At the GP in Lincoln last month, the player hotel was fifteen miles from the convention center. Walking there would have taken hours! Poor Martin Juza did not rent a car and had to call a cab to get to and from his far away hotel each day. There was only one cab company in the entire city, so it took hours to wait for a cab.

Most cities in the Midwest have poor public transportation, so depending on how far your hotel is from the venue, renting a car may be cheaper than paying cab fares for the weekend.

Not everyone can rent a car. Most rental companies require the driver to be at least twenty-five years old. If you are under twenty-five, you can still rent a car, but you have to pay a very large fee. You also need a credit card, which is needed in case anything happens to the car. If you don’t have a credit card, some companies will let you rent a car, but you will need to pay a huge cash deposit.

Doing a little research goes a long way. For example, Thursday night before Grand Prix: Austin, I was on Facebook and saw many posts from friends that said, “Arriving in Austin at [time X]; who wants to split a cab?” That was very upsetting to me. I took the bus from the airport to the Austin Convention Center, and it cost me exactly $1. If you just look up the bus schedule, you won’t have to spend all that money on cabs. All you do is find out the name of the city’s public transportation service, and they will have a website with the bus and train schedules.

Hotels

So, you made it to the venue, but where are you going to sleep tonight? One option is a hostel. Hostels are very cheap, but they have very low security and privacy. You will probably be sharing a bedroom and a bathroom with multiple people. You need to watch your stuff very carefully because hostels are known to have thieves.

If you’re not into the no-privacy thing, a hotel is the next best thing. There are many ways to find a hotel for you. The tournament organizer usually has a few hotel options at a reduced rate. A lot of Magic players choose to stay at those hotels, which means you will have no problem finding a late-night Draft.

If you are on a budget, there are usually cheaper hotels nearby. I went to a Grand Prix last year, and I stayed at the player hotel because the rate was very cheap at $90 a night. When I got there, I saw that there was a Comfort Inn across the street, which was cheaper and had free breakfast! I never made that mistake again.

Now, when I’m looking for a hotel room, I use Google Maps to search for hotels near the venue. I find a lot of results that the tournament organizer does not offer. I try to look for hotels that offer free breakfast and free Wi-Fi. Sometimes, staying at the player hotel is cheaper, but it’s good to keep your options open.

Finally, the last option is to find friends who live nearby and stay with them. This is by far the most budget-friendly option. One thing to keep in mind if you go this route is to not be a bad friend. Try not to make a mess at friends’ houses, and don’t eat all of their food. You should also take your friend out to dinner or pay his tournament entry fee as a way to say “thanks” for the hospitality.

Carpooling

You just found out that your state is getting a Grand Prix! You are so excited and book a hotel immediately. It’s only a five-hour drive, so flying there doesn’t make much sense, so you decide to get your Magic buddies together and drive there.

Driving can be easier and more convenient than flying for a lot of reasons. First, everyone in the car splits the cost of gas and tolls, reducing the travel costs. Second, you can bring food from home, so you don’t have to overpay for food at the airport. Third, you can leave whenever you want. If you don’t make Day 2, you can just drive home that night if you want, saving money on hotel costs.

There are a few guidelines to follow when deciding on whom to choose for your carpool. One is to make sure everyone can afford the cost of gas, tolls, and food. In 2005, I drove to Charleston, SC for the Pro Tour. One of the people in my car had no job and no money. He barely managed to pay for the gas and tolls, and whenever we stopped to get food, he would underpay on the bill. A few times, he said he paid his share, but he didn’t, and we were wondering why we kept coming up short.

Next is making sure everyone in the car is clean. The last thing you want to be doing is clean up after people when the road trip is over. If might take months for that smell to come out of your car. You don’t want to have an unpleasant experience for five hours on the road because of that one person who didn’t shower.

Another thing to consider is whether to choose people who are interesting to talk to. If you’re going to be driving for hours late at night, you don’t want your entire car to be playing Ascension on their iPads while you are falling asleep at the wheel.

Last, make sure that at least one other person in the car knows how to drive and is willing to share some of the driving with you. On one road trip I was on, my poor friend Dan “Damn” Hartman drove his stick-shift car to Washington, DC, and there were exactly zero people in the car who knew how to drive it. He had to drive the entire eight hours each way all by himself. Poor Dan was so tired after that, and I wouldn’t blame him if he never wants to drive to a Magic tournament ever again.

International Travel

You just qualified for your first Pro Tour! It’s taking place overseas, and you’re super-excited. You just applied for your passport, and it should be coming in the mail in a few weeks. Your flight and hotel are booked. What else do you need to know before you go?

The first thing is currency. Most banks carry foreign currency, and you can exchange money at your local bank for a low rate. If you wait until you land at the international airport, you will have to pay a fee and receive an awful exchange rate, therefore having less money to spend on food and other travel expenses. ATMs are the best ways of obtaining currency in foreign countries. Any ATM will accept your debit card, and the rates are usually fine. Also, most places will take your credit card, but be sure to call your credit card company and tell them you will be traveling—otherwise, they will think that some random person charged your card, and they will lock your account. You don’t want to be spending money on an international call to your credit card company to get them to turn your card back on. If this does happen, make sure to ask them to reimburse you for the call. They will usually apply a credit to your account.

The next thing to consider is what kind of documents you’ll need to make it into a country. Usually, you just need a passport, but some countries require you to have a visa. I went to GP: Brisbane in Australia last year, and they require a Visa to enter the country. I didn’t know that until I tried to check in for my flight that day. I spent the next hour sitting in the airport applying for a visa online. I was fortunate in that they approved it right away, and I made it onto my flight!

Some places have entrance fees to enter their country. Chile, for example, requires all Americans to pay a $140 fee just to go there. However, once you pay the fee, you don’t have to pay it again until your passport expires. So, if you plan on going to Chile a few times, once you pay the $140, you’re all set for the next time you go.

It’s always good to do research about places you are traveling to before you go. A lot of countries have weird laws that we’re not used to. In 2008, I went to Pro Tour: Kuala Lumpur, which is located in Malaysia. That country is very different than the United States. The entire country is Muslim, so they don’t drink alcohol at all. They serve it in some hotels, but it’s very expensive. They also have a death penalty for the possession of drugs. Yes, if they catch you bringing marijuana into Malaysia, YOU WILL DIE! I know some people sneak pot on planes and get away with it, but if you’re going to Malaysia, it’s not worth the risk . . . unless you don’t mind dying. Malaysia also has giant bugs that carry diseases. I was actually told to bring strong bug spray to spray down all of my clothes before going outside. That’s definitely something I’m not used to being an American living in a city.

When I travel to foreign countries, I pack very lightly. I don’t check bags because airlines are very good at losing them—just ask Brian Kibler. When I went to Spain, my first flight was delayed, and I ended up missing my second flight. When I finally arrived in Valencia, my bags were nowhere to be found. I had my claim check slip, though, so I was lucky that they were able to locate my luggage at the other side of the airport. This was not true for poor Tim Landale, who lost his slip and was stuck wearing a tank top and basketball shorts all week. Most airlines allow you to carry two bags on a plane, so if you bring a backpack and small suitcase, you will never have to check your luggage at all.

Another thing to consider when traveling overseas is time zones. When you fly to another country, you will probably be going forward many hours in time. I live in the Eastern Time Zone, and Europe is seven to nine hours ahead of me, Japan is twelve to fourteen hours ahead, and Australia is roughly an entire day ahead. So, when you board a plane to go to your destination, you need to factor that in. That means that if you are going to Australia and the Pro Tour is on Friday, you need to leave on Tuesday at the latest—it takes a day to get there, and you lose a day due to the time change, which means you will arrive on Thursday.

A common problem that most Magic players suffer from is jet lag: being extremely tired due to traveling and changing time zones. The best way to combat this is to arrive in the country a few days early to become used to the time zone. Also, get lot of sleep before you actually set foot on your plane. I have a hard time sleeping on planes, so I always make sure I am well rested before I leave for the airport. It’s also very important to go to sleep at night in your new time zone—even if you’re not tired. Being sleep-deprived and jet lagged will definitely affect your results in the tournament.

I hope these tips will help you when you travel to future Magic events. I will have Part 2 of my Magic life story for you next week, but until then, be sure to follow me on Twitter @AllWeDoIsWinMtg. I’ll be at Grand Prix: Nashville this weekend, and if you see me, feel free to say “hi”! Thanks for reading!