The world cup is a huge sporting event that always brings in quite a crowd. It goes for an entire month, making it an easy way to see a new country and watch some of the games. This round it is being hosted in Russia, a country with a storied history, thriving businesses, and that has long been on the bucket list of most travelers. So what makes the 2018 Football World Cup the best time to go?
1. Locations
The tournament is going to be held across 12 different venues, spanning many different areas of Russia. Anyone who wants to catch as many games as possible will be doing a lot of traveling, but will also have a huge number of chances to see other parts of Russia. Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Kaliningrad, Sochi, and seven other cities have stadiums and will host at least one game in the tournament.
2. Things To Do
Outside of going to the games, Russia has a large amount of different cultural activities for you to experience. Official vendors, online groups, and tour companies will also be offering world cup specific activities such as whole area tours, specialized betting pools, transit to and from a number of games in a given area with activity nights for nights without games, and many other events in which you can partake.
If you don’t feel like trying your betting odds at the 2018 World Cup, you can join groups that are focused on history, art, drinking, dating, or even around visiting different luxury resorts. Tour companies in Russia have been putting together amazing packages for anyone who wants to stay during the world cup.
3. Food
While most people think of Vodka when they think of food and drink in Russia, Russian cuisine actually has a large variety of amazing different foods that any food blogger will want to try. We recommend trying Shchi – a rich cabbage soup, Pelmeni – the best dumplings you will ever taste, Shashlyk – Kebab cooked on a charcoal grill and lightly spiced, and Pirozhki – filled meat buns. Be sure to wash them down with local spirits for the ultimate Russian experience.
4. Fan Merchandise
A number of different stores will be open around the world cup stadiums, offering merchandise for every country in attendance. If you are planning to pick up any souvenirs, you will likely want to stop by one of these official vendors. Some stores will be moving with the different games, while others will stay in one place, serving only one stadium. Limited edition merchandise should be available for a very reasonable price.
As you can see, there are a huge number of different activities for you to do while in Russia for the 2018 Football World Cup. Tour companies, hired guides, and even do it yourself options are all available to travelers who want to experience the chaos of a major sporting event and the long distance travel offered by one of the largest countries in the world.
