A professional padel event is one of the best excuses for a trip that this sport offers. The host city fills with players of every level, local clubs run open sessions and social tournaments around the main draw, and for a week the whole place talks padel. It is also the week when hotels near the venue double their prices and every court within twenty minutes is booked by visitors with exactly your idea. A little planning makes the difference between a brilliant week and an expensive one.

Start with the calendar, then the city

The professional circuit publishes its schedule months ahead, but dates and venues can move. Treat the first announcement as a pencil mark and wait for the organiser to confirm the venue before you book anything that cannot be cancelled. Flexible hotel rates cost a little more and are worth it here.

Then think about the city rather than the event. A week in Madrid in spring is a good trip with or without a tournament. A week somewhere with little else to do and few public courts is only good if the padel on show is enough on its own.

Decide which days you really want

Most events run for roughly a week, with qualifying at the start and the finals at the end. Many travelling fans assume finals weekend is the only part worth seeing. In practice the early days often give better value: cheaper tickets, more matches on more courts and the chance to sit close to the glass. Finals weekend gives you atmosphere and a full stadium, but you will watch fewer matches from further away.

A sensible plan for a first visit is to arrive for the middle of the week, watch two full days of early rounds, and leave the weekend for your own padel or one big session in the stands.

A planning checklist

Confirm the venue and session times with the official organiser before booking flights.
Book accommodation on a flexible rate, ideally on a direct metro or tram line to the venue rather than next door to it.
Reserve your own court time as early as possible, and look at clubs on the other side of the city from the venue.
Check what the ticket covers: some sessions include several matches, others are a single match on the centre court.
Pack for long hours outdoors: a hat, sunscreen, water and a cushion if seating is temporary stands.

Finding games during event week

Local clubs know that visitors are coming and many respond with extra social formats, open Americanos and coaching clinics. These sell out quickly, so register as soon as they are announced. If the city is busy, clubs in outer neighbourhoods or nearby towns are often quieter, cheaper and happy to fit a pair of visitors into a game.

Rally and Roam level-matched group trips can take care of court booking for you, which removes the biggest headache of event week. If you are travelling independently, message clubs directly a few weeks ahead and say what level you play.

We booked our courts before our flights. The tournament was the reason for the trip, but the games we played each morning are what we still talk about.
Priya Raman, club player from Leicester

Budget for the week, not the ticket

Tickets are rarely the biggest cost. Accommodation during event week, taxis back from late sessions and meals near the venue add up faster. Eat away from the stadium where you can, use public transport for the evening sessions and keep one day free of padel altogether. You will come home with more energy, and probably with a better bandeja, after watching how the professionals hit theirs.

Planning a padel trip around a professional event