Introducing the 2012 European Soccer Excursion

Travel In Sandals (TIS) is back in action for 2012...sort of.  Unfortunately, we couldn't get the whole band back together this year...in fact, this edition of TIS is going to be a one-man show.  However, you can expect the same fun exploration of food, culture, sites and of course nightlife.  Plus, it’s a lengthier trip - 33 days total - and I'll have special guest Q&As with fellow travelers, one-on-one discussions with locals, and I'll be posting a lot more video footage of the various adventures.

The theme of this year's trip is "European Soccer Excursion," which means I'll be hitting 10 cities (at least) across Europe and attending soccer matches in about five of them.

The theme for this 2012 soccer trip stems from a month-long soccer work project I just wrapped up here in the U.S.  I was fortunate enough to help manage press and public relations for the Herbalife World Football Challenge, one of the largest and most successful soccer exhibitions ever staged in North America.  During this project I established several relationships with European soccer clubs such as Chelsea FC, Real Madrid, Celtic FC, AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain, and others.  I am now taking advantage of those relationships and going to their hometowns to experience how they do “football.”

Here’s the itinerary and a map of the proposed trip.  I have some trains and hotels pre-booked, but several of the accommodations and travel arrangements will be coordinated on the fly. 

Aug 23 - Depart LA to London

Aug 24-27 - London - (8/25 Chelsea v Newcastle)

Aug 28-31 - Glasgow/Edinburgh - (8/29 Celtic v Helsingborgs in Glasgow)

Sept 1-4 - Madrid (9/2 Real Madrid v Granada)

Sept 5-8 - San Sebastian (north shore of Spain)

Sept 9-13 - Barcelona (no games)

Sept 14-16 - Milan - (9/16 AC Milan v Atalanta)

Sept 17-19 - Villa Dianella in Vinci, Italy - www.VillaDianella.it

Sept 20-22 - Bastia on the island of Corsica (9/22 Paris Saint-Germain AT Bastia)

Sept 23-25 - Paris

Sept 26 - Return to LA