Following a team through the 2026 World Cup can mean crossing a continent: the 16 host cities stretch from Vancouver to Miami and from Mexico City to Boston, and the distance between two group-stage venues for the same team can exceed 3,000 kilometres. Choosing the right transport for each leg saves money, time and energy, and the best plan usually mixes flights for long hops with trains and buses for shorter ones.

For anything over about 1,000 kilometres, flying is almost always the right call: domestic American flights are frequent, and booked early they often undercut train fares on the same route. Los Angeles to Dallas, New York to Miami and Toronto to Vancouver are all short flights in practice once airport time is included, but remember to add two hours for check-in and security and to check whether your stadium city uses a secondary airport with cheaper fares.

Book flights with hand luggage only where possible, and avoid tight connections after a matchday: summer thunderstorms in Texas and Florida regularly delay evening departures, and a missed connection the night before your next match is a miserable start to a matchday.

The northeast corridor is the train traveller's gift at this tournament: Amtrak links Boston, New York and Philadelphia with frequent, comfortable services, and the journey from New York to Philadelphia takes just over an hour, city centre to city centre. That makes it realistic to stay in one city and attend matches in another, saving a hotel change entirely.

Elsewhere, trains are scenic but slow: cross-country rail is a holiday in itself, not a practical matchday transfer. Long-distance buses are the budget option everywhere, with very low fares on popular routes, but they are slower and less comfortable, so reserve them for daytime hops under five hours.

The golden rule is one travel day between matches in different cities: never schedule a flight for the morning after a late match in another city unless you have no choice. Cluster your matches geographically where possible, for example a northeast swing of Boston, New York and Philadelphia, or a Texas pair of Dallas and Houston, and fly between clusters rather than zigzagging across the map.

Finally, price the whole journey, not just the headline fare: airport transfers, stadium parking, checked bags and a night in an airport hotel can turn a cheap flight into an expensive day. A slightly dearer direct flight into the right airport is often the cheapest option overall.

A multi-country World Cup trip adds a layer of planning that single-country travellers never face: crossing from the United States into Canada or Mexico means border controls, different visa or authorisation rules, and sometimes a long wait at busy crossings. Travellers should carry a passport valid for the whole trip, check whether they need an ESTA for the United States, an eTA for Canada or a tourist card for Mexico, and keep both digital and paper copies of every document. Land crossings by bus or train can involve waits of an hour or more on matchdays, so build that time into any itinerary that crosses a border on the day of a game.

Money and phones need attention too: the three host countries use different currencies, and while cards work almost everywhere, small vendors and transit machines may prefer local cash. Mobile roaming charges vary sharply between carriers, so check your plan or buy a local SIM or eSIM for the country you are visiting. With documents, currency and connectivity sorted before departure, a three-country trip becomes a highlight of the tournament rather than a source of stress, and the contrast between host cultures is one of the great pleasures of this particular World Cup.