How do teams normally make travel arrangements?

[Cory]

Well, I have no idea whether flying or busing would be cheaper, but to get an idea of how much it would cost to fly, you can search travelocity, expedia, etc, plus Southwest and other "discount" airlines that the main travel sites dont search. After that, you can call the airlines with the cheapest prices and see if you would get a group discount.

FIRST usually has a few hotels listed for each regional. They usually aren't the cheapest. You can also use websites like expedia and travelocity to find hotels. I know that this year we found the hotel we stayed at in Sacramento through the AAA book for California. You should be able to find these books for any state.

[Madison]

From New Jersey to Ohio, taking a bus will almost assuredly be cheaper. Flying from New York to Cleveland is very expensive.Use online travel services to find hotels that are convenient to the regional site and compare their prices. Call each of them and ask if they have any discounts available for groups, as well, as you'll likely need 12 or 13 rooms. Also, remember to call the hotels directly -- not any toll-free reservation lines. You'll usually be much better off for talking a hotel's manager directly than to some agent three thousand miles away.

If one hotel gives a better price than the other, call back and forth and see if they'll give you a better offer.

[Jay H 237]

Originally Posted by Cory

you can call the airlines with the cheapest prices and see if you would get a group discount.

I just learned something from KathieK the other day.
If you (actually this goes for any team or group) try getting airfare as a "school sports travel team" instead of a regular group discount you might get better rates and options.