THE ONE THING YOU NEED TO KNOW
North America is enormous. The US alone spans four time zones. Dallas to Los Angeles is a 3-hour flight. Boston to Vancouver is 6 hours in the air. Driving across the country is a commitment — it is roughly the same distance as London to Riyadh.
If you are following a team across multiple host cities, fly. Domestic US flights are cheap, frequent, and reliable. Amtrak and Greyhound are romantic but will eat days of your tournament. See the full schedule to plan your routing around match dates.
KEY FLIGHT TIMES BETWEEN HOST CITIES
| Route | Flight | Alt |
|---|---|---|
| New York ↔ Boston | 1h 15m | 4h Acela / 4h drive |
| New York ↔ Philadelphia | 1h | 1h 15m rail / 2h drive |
| New York ↔ Miami | 3h | — |
| New York ↔ Los Angeles | 6h | — |
| Dallas ↔ Houston | 1h | 3.5h drive |
| Dallas ↔ Kansas City | 1h 30m | 8h drive |
| Los Angeles ↔ San Francisco | 1h 30m | 6h drive |
| Seattle ↔ Vancouver | 40m | 3h drive + border |
| Atlanta ↔ Miami | 1h 45m | 10h drive |
| Toronto ↔ New York | 1h 30m | 8h drive |
| Mexico City ↔ Guadalajara | 1h 15m | 6h drive |
| Mexico City ↔ Monterrey | 1h 30m | 10h drive |
RAIL — WHERE IT WORKS
Rail is a genuine option only on the US Northeast Corridor. Amtrak's Acela and Northeast Regional run reliably between Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Washington DC. Book 2–3 weeks out for $60–$180 one-way. For the Final at MetLife, the Boston–NY rail route is the best way to get in-and-out of the city without dealing with airports.
Canada's VIA Rail runs Toronto–Montreal (not a host city) and west to Vancouver (a 4-day journey — do not plan around this for tournament travel).
Mexico has limited intercity rail. Fly between Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey.
BORDER CROSSINGS
All international travellers need a valid passport. Americans crossing into Canada or Mexico do as well — driver's licenses are not sufficient for land or air entry.
US → Canada: Toronto and Vancouver are easily reached by direct flight. Driving across land borders (Seattle–Vancouver, Buffalo–Toronto) typically adds 30–90 min on match-adjacent days. Canadian eTA required for most non-US passport holders flying into Canada.
US → Mexico: Fly. Driving is possible but slow. An ESTA/visa waiver that covers the US does not cover Mexico — check visa requirements for your passport separately. Most nationalities can enter Mexico visa-free for tourism.
Canada → Mexico: No direct rail or reasonable road option. Fly via a US hub.
RENTAL CARS
Rental cars make sense in Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami, Houston, Kansas City, and Atlanta — cities where transit does not reach the stadium well. Avoid them in Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Seattle, Toronto, Vancouver, and Mexico City — parking is a nightmare and transit works.
Book 2+ months out. Tournament rates run $70–$140/day. Insurance is essential for international drivers — check with your home insurer first.
COORDINATING TRANSPORT
Fans in the same nation often coordinate car rental splits and ride-sharing through platforms like Fanpath — a full-size SUV rental split 4 ways drops per-person cost from $120/day to $30/day, and someone in the group usually has a driver's license and an empty trunk seat.
GROUND TRANSIT INSIDE HOST CITIES
| City | Stadium Transit | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| New York / NJ | NJ Transit Meadowlands rail | ★★★★★ |
| Philadelphia | Broad Street Line direct | ★★★★★ |
| Atlanta | MARTA direct | ★★★★★ |
| Seattle | Walkable from downtown | ★★★★★ |
| Houston | METRORail Red Line | ★★★★☆ |
| Los Angeles | K Line + shuttle | ★★★★☆ |
| Toronto | GO Train / 509 streetcar | ★★★★☆ |
| Vancouver | Walkable / SkyTrain | ★★★★★ |
| Boston | Commuter rail match-day specials | ★★★☆☆ |
| Bay Area | Caltrain + VTA shuttle | ★★★☆☆ |
| Mexico City | Tren Ligero (Line 12) | ★★★☆☆ |
| Dallas | Rideshare / dedicated shuttle | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Miami | Tri-Rail shuttle | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Kansas City | Rideshare only | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Guadalajara | Uber (20 min from Centro) | ★★★☆☆ |
| Monterrey | Uber (25 min from Centro) | ★★★☆☆ |
Written by the WC26 editorial team · Flight times and transit data sourced from airline schedules and city transit authorities · Last updated April 2026