How to get to the 2026 World Cup
✒️ By the worldcup-travel.com team | 📅 Updated 5 June 2025
The 2026 World Cup is going to be the most geographically diverse World Cup tournament in history, and we are here to help you get there. Spread across an entire continent, three countries, and 16 cities, planning your 2026 World Cup travel is daunting, sure, but we are hopefully going to make it all a bit easier.
On this page:
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Start your 2026 World Cup travel planning early
As we gear up for the 2026 World Cup kicking off in Mexico City on June 11, 2026, a lot of information is yet to be confirmed, including all the teams that have qualified and where they will play their group games. But fans should act fast as demand is sure to drive up prices. So, think of this as a jumping off point for your 2026 World Cup travel plans.
Our site also has a transport page for each of the 16 World Cup host cities, which will provide the specifics you need for those locations.
Flying to the 2026 World Cup
Depending on where you’re departing from, 2026 World Cup flights will likely be your primary option to get to the tournament. Also, given the distance between some of the cities - Hello Toronto! Hello Mexico City! - you’re going to need to fly between them. Our host city transport guides include info on flights to and from each city. Also - especially as we get closer - prices to fly to the 2026 World Cup are likely to surge, and nonstop flights might sell out faster than layover options.
Use travel miles, or find the cheapest 2026 World Cup flight deals
If you have miles or points through a loyalty program, this is a great place to start searching for flights. (If you don’t have a credit card that earns you points or miles, we suggest opening one up right away to try and get a new customer bonus.)
Tip: When it comes to comparing options, we highly recommend searching on Kiwi.com for flight itineraries that combine multiple airlines (they call it “Virtual Interlining”, with flight combos that often aren’t available anywhere else). This can help streamline the booking process and increase your savings.
2026 World Cup road trips & car rental
If you are travelling between cities that are close to each other, a World Cup road trip could be a great option for getting around (Note, the distances between USA, Canada, and Mexico might not be the kind of “close” you are used to.)
Driving is a great way to see regions beyond the host cities and gives you the freedom of staying a bit further outside of a city or away from a stadium. Hiring a car and hitting the open road could make for the trip of a lifetime.
Here are our thoughts on good options for World Cup road trips:
2026 World Cup road trip ideas
Northeastern USA World Cup Road Trip – Boston, New York City/New Jersey, and Philadelphia. (You could even add Toronto in there as well, if you are open to driving across the border.)
Central USA World Cup Road Trip – Kansas City, Dallas, and Houston.
Pacific Northwest World Cup Road Trip – Vancouver and Seattle. (Another cross-border drive.)
California World Cup Road Trip – San Francisco and Los Angeles. (Don’t be fooled by these being in the same state – it’s still a minimum of seven hours between them!)
Mexico World Cup Road Trip – Monterrey, Guadalajara, and Mexico City.
2026 World Cup car rental
Car travel is the most used form of transport in North America, so renting a car might be a good option when planning 2026 World Cup travel. Car rental options are always available at airports, or further out of the city, which can sometimes be cheaper, although you’ll have to factor in the cost and time of getting to the vehicle.
In addition to big car rental companies, there are also peer-to-peer car rental options, where you rent a person’s car rather than from a company. There might be increased options for this as people look to cash in on the 2026 World Cup.
Tip: When looking for 2026 World Cup car rentals, we recommend the following:
Trip.com is part of the same group as Skyscanner.com, and allows you to search car rental deals from all of the big companies - with free cancellation, no credit card fees, and often with extra discounts as an incentive 🤑 .
Qeeq.com - where you will always pay the lowest price! Their Price Drop Protector 📉 tracks prices daily, and if the rental price drops after you book, Qeeq rebooks at the lower price and saves you the difference. They offer lots of extra benefits, like free cancellation, no credit card fees, payment via crypto, and keep a list of the latest offers on their Car Rental Deals page.
Public transport at the 2026 World Cup
Using buses & trains between host cities
One of the most budget-friendly ways to travel at the 2026 World Cup could be by bus. If the route exists, a bus could be an inexpensive way to get between host cities closer in proximity. We would not recommend getting a Greyhound bus from Boston to Kansas City, though.
Trains could also be cheaper than a flight or car rental, but your only option for rail travel in the USA is Amtrak, really. North America is not as well-connected via rail as some international fans may be used to, especially if you’re from Europe or Asia.
Additional bus and rail services may be added to cater to 2026 World Cup demand, so you’ll definitely want to sign up to our email list so we can update you on that. You can also view our 2026 World Cup host city guides for more info on buses and rail options in each location.
