Costs when travelling to tournaments?
how much does it cost to travel to ssf4 tourneys within the u.s.? i live in tx and since most tourneys are usually 2 day events and are held in either calif. or in ny i was wondering about how much it would cost for like airfare, hotel, food, etc.?
Responses (1 total)
That's a pretty good question, and many factors go into determining what the costs of travelling to a tournament are. Here's all the ones I can think of:
Travel
If the tournament requires a significant amount of travel, then you should expect to incur this cost. How much it is depends on how soon you are making your travel arrangements and how far away the tournament is.
For example, if I am going to Evo (ok, I'm definitely going), I'm in NYC, so more than likely, I'm going to have to fly. That said, when I know the dates, I'll have notifications from sites like Travelocity, Kayak, Bing which will look at prices from NYC-area airports to LV.
However, if you are from Cali and going to Evo, it might make more sense for you to drive (I know a number of people that do). You can save a good amount of money, but of course, you make up for it with a cost in time.
Lodging
This is related to travel. If you are travelling a significant distance, you are going to need a place to stay. If the tournament is a larger tournament, the organiziers will usually have deals made for hotel rooms at a discounted rate. This holds especially true if the tournament is held in a hotel (see Evo, East Coast Throwdown 2, etc.).
Nourishment/Food
Even the smallest tourneys (say, 20) take hours to complete and you are inevitably going to get hungry at some point. If the tournament is larger, then expect to be even more hungry. Have some money set aside for food during.
If you are staying overnight, then also be aware that you will probably want three squares (breakfast, lunch, dinner) so bring money for that as well.
Socialization
There's a tremendous social aspect to tournaments, and people always want to hang out and do things. Even if I go to a local tournament, I'm usually having dinner with some of the organizers and players afterwards. Have some money for this. Of course, if you are travelling and staying for a few days, then some of this money will overlap with your daily food budget.
Of course (assuming you are of age), it might lead to a night out on the town (drinking, etc.), so if you are up for those activities, budget for that as well.
Tourism/Souvenirs
Are you travelling someplace you haven't been to and want to take in additional sights and/or activities? If so, account for that. Have someone at home you want to get a souvenir for, or maybe something for yourself? Account for that.
Evo is a particularly good example for something like this. It's in Las Vegas, and there's just way too many ways to lose your money there (albeit in the most entertaining of ways).
@Mr.3-SiXty: I think that it would be helpful to know more about the tournaments that you are travelling to. Are they close, far? What are the purposes for going? Are you there to just compete, or to socialize? All of these play a factor. - casperOne ♦ Nov 12 '10 @ 15:50