The European Gridiron Adventure!

Georgia Tech plays Boston College in Dublin, Ireland to start the 2016 season (click to enlarge)

The European Gridiron Adventure

Last summer, a very exciting rumor was made official: my beloved Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets would open the 2016 college football season in Dublin, Ireland against Boston College in the Aer Lingus Classic! This news gave me another excuse to head to Europe - not that I needed much of an "excuse." However, at the same time, I was very nervous - my previous two trips to Europe had a lot of flexibility as far as dates and destinations. This time, I would have a specific date and place I needed to be. If there were not award flights and hotel nights available near that date, how expensive could such a trip be? Sure, you may be thinking, "Who says you have to go if you can't make it work?" True, but I have quite an attendance streak for Georgia Tech football games in progress - 106 as of the end of the 2015 season - and I would love to keep it going.

Last fall, I got to work researching destinations, potential itineraries, and flight options. With a lot of work, it all came together and my girlfriend and I are planning to visit Spain and London prior to arriving in Dublin to see the Jackets. (Ok, before I see the Jackets; she's going shopping while I am at the game with my sister and friend!) We will then have a few days in Dublin before we head back to the States.

I will document my travel planning in a series of posts as I approach the trip. The first thing I will cover will be airfare: how I selected our destinations, choosing flights and the actual booking. Stay tuned!

European Gridiron Adv.Derek Cook