The Figure Skater’s Guide to Competition Travel: How to Prepare for an Out-of-Town Competition
There is something exciting about taking your skating on the road.
A new rink. A new city. A hotel room with a suspiciously loud air conditioner. Finding a grocery store because someone forgot their favorite snacks. Meeting skaters from different clubs. Walking into an unfamiliar arena and realizing, Okay… this is where I compete.
Out-of-town competitions can be some of the most memorable experiences in a skater's journey. But they also require a little more planning than a competition down the road.
When you travel for a competition, you're not just packing your skating bag. You're coordinating transportation, accommodations, meals, equipment, schedules, recovery, coaching, and everything else that comes with being in a new place.
The good news?
A little preparation goes a long way.
And once you've handled the logistics, don't forget the most important part:
Enjoy the trip!
Start With the Competition Schedule
Before you start packing, understand what you're actually traveling for.
Look carefully at the competition schedule and determine when your skater needs to arrive, when they need to check in, when practices are scheduled, when their event takes place, and whether there are additional activities such as official practices, meetings, or awards.
Don't assume that because your skater competes Saturday afternoon, you can automatically fly in Saturday morning.
Depending on the competition, there may be an official practice, registration requirement, or other reason to arrive earlier. Your coach can also help you determine how much time your skater realistically needs to acclimate to the rink and prepare.
Once you know the skating schedule, you can build the rest of the trip around it.
That means figuring out flights or driving times, hotel check-in, transportation to the rink, meals, and—hopefully—some time to actually experience the city you're visiting.
Pack for the Skater, Not Just the Competition
One of the easiest ways to make competition travel more stressful is to assume that everything you need will be easy to find once you arrive.
Maybe it will.
But do you really want to spend the night before competition searching three different stores for the right shade of tights?
Probably not.
Before you leave, think through everything your skater uses during a normal competition weekend and pack accordingly.
Your competition bag should include the obvious things—skates, guards, gloves, costumes, warm-up clothes, music if required, and any competition paperwork or credentials—but the little things can be just as important.
The “What If?” Kit
Every experienced skating parent eventually develops one.
Pack extra laces. Bring an extra pair of tights if your skater wears them. Have backup gloves. Pack hair supplies. Bring extra costume fasteners, safety pins, and anything else your skater routinely uses.
If your skater has a particular brand or style of tights they rely on, don't assume you'll find them in the city you're visiting.
The same goes for familiar personal items. If your skater has a favorite hair product, athletic tape, water bottle, snack, or other competition-day staple, bring it from home.
Competition travel is not the time to discover that your skater absolutely cannot tolerate the replacement product you found at the airport.
And don't forget the boring stuff:
Chargers.
Phone batteries.
Medications.
Toiletries.
A change of clothes.
Something comfortable to wear after skating.
A bag for wet clothes.
A reusable water bottle.
Those aren't exciting items, but they can save you a lot of frustration.
Bring Familiar Food and Snacks
This one deserves its own section because food can become surprisingly complicated during competition travel.
When you're in a new city, it can be tempting to simply eat whatever is convenient. Sometimes that's unavoidable—and that's okay.
But if your skater is accustomed to certain foods and snacks around training, bringing some of those familiar options with you can make the weekend much easier.
Think about what your skater normally reaches for before or after skating and pack portable versions when possible.
That might mean things like:
granola or energy bars
crackers
pretzels
fruit or dried fruit
sandwiches
trail mix
yogurt or other refrigerated options if practical
nut or seed butters, when appropriate
familiar breakfast foods
electrolyte drinks or hydration options your skater already uses
The goal isn't to create a rigid competition diet.
It's to avoid suddenly changing everything about how your skater eats simply because you're in another city.
If your skater normally has a particular breakfast before skating, finding a hotel or nearby restaurant that can accommodate that routine can be incredibly helpful. A small grocery run after arriving can also give you options for the room.
And remember that competition weekends can involve long stretches of waiting. Your skater may not be hungry at the exact time you expected them to eat, or the competition schedule may change.
Having familiar snacks available gives you flexibility.
The same principle applies to hydration. Bring a water bottle and make staying hydrated easy throughout the day.
Don't Forget Recovery
Travel itself can be tiring.
Sitting in a car for hours, flying, sleeping in an unfamiliar bed, walking around a new city, and spending long days at the rink all add up.
That's why recovery should be part of your travel plan.
Sleep is especially important. If possible, give your skater enough time to settle into the hotel before expecting them to immediately operate at full competition intensity.
Bring comfortable clothing, anything your skater normally uses for recovery, and whatever helps them maintain their usual routine.
That might include stretching or mobility work, a massage ball, resistance bands, or other tools recommended by their coach or qualified professional.
And don't underestimate the value of simply getting off your feet.
A competition trip can be exciting enough that everyone wants to be constantly on the go. But if your skater has an important event the next morning, spending three hours walking around a tourist district probably isn't the best recovery strategy.
Which brings us to…
Yes, You Should Actually Enjoy the City
This may be the most important part of the entire article.
Travel competitions should be fun.
Yes, your skater is there to compete. Yes, there are schedules to follow. Yes, you want them rested and prepared.
But you're also in a new city.
Go see something.
Try a restaurant.
Visit a museum.
Walk around somewhere interesting.
Find the local landmark.
Have a team dinner.
Get a fun dessert.
Take pictures.
Let your skater experience the place they're visiting.
There is a tendency, especially as competition becomes more serious, to make every trip feel like a business trip. Hotel. Rink. Hotel. Rink. Competition. Airport.
And sometimes that's exactly what the schedule requires.
But when there is downtime, soak it in.
One of the beautiful things about competitive skating is that it can take young athletes places they might never otherwise visit. A skater from Austin might compete in Colorado, Chicago, Boston, California, or somewhere else entirely. Those trips become part of their story.
The goal isn't to spend the entire weekend sightseeing.
It's to find the balance between being focused and being present.
Your skater can take their competition seriously without making the entire trip serious.
Build in a Little Flexibility
Competition schedules change.
Flights get delayed.
Ice times move.
Warm-ups run late.
Restaurants have long waits.
Someone forgets their room key.
That's travel.
Build some flexibility into your plans whenever possible.
If you have a tightly scheduled itinerary with something happening every 30 minutes, one delay can make the entire day stressful.
Instead, leave some breathing room around important events. Know where you're going before you need to be there. Give yourself extra time getting to the rink. Have backup food options. Keep important skating equipment with you rather than putting it somewhere you can't access easily.
And if something does go wrong?
Take a breath.
One unexpected problem does not have to derail the entire competition.
Know How You're Getting to the Rink
This sounds obvious, but it is worth planning in advance.
If you're driving, know where the rink is and whether parking is available.
If you're flying, figure out how you're getting from the airport to the hotel and from the hotel to the rink.
If you're using rideshare services, make sure you know approximately how long the trip takes at the time you'll actually be traveling.
And if several teammates are staying at the same hotel, consider coordinating transportation.
Traveling together can make the entire experience easier—and more fun.
Just remember to leave enough time for competition-day traffic, parking, credentialing, and getting through the rink.
Being early is almost always less stressful than being rushed.
Traveling With Your Coach or Team
One of the biggest differences between a local competition and an out-of-town event is that your coach may be traveling too.
At a local competition, you may simply pay your normal lesson or competition coaching fees.
When a coach travels with a skater, there are additional expenses associated with getting that coach to and from the competition and housing them while they're there. Depending on the coach and event, there may also be travel-day or competition-day fees associated with coaching.
This is a normal part of competitive skating.
When you're budgeting for an out-of-town competition, don't only calculate your family's transportation, hotel, meals, and entry fees. Ask your coach or skating school in advance what travel-related coaching expenses you should expect.
That way, there are no surprises when the competition gets closer.
Why Traveling as a Team Can Help
This is another reason team training can be such a benefit.
When several skaters from the same training program attend the same competition, families may be able to share some travel logistics and, depending on the coach's arrangements, the costs associated with having a coach attend the event.
A coach traveling with several skaters can provide support across the group rather than each family trying to arrange completely separate coaching coverage.
There's also a huge social benefit.
Your skater gets to travel with teammates, cheer for other skaters, celebrate each other's successes, and experience the competition together.
Some of the best memories from competitive skating don't come from the medal ceremony.
They come from the hotel breakfast with teammates.
The ridiculous team dinner.
The late-night laughter.
The bus ride to the rink.
The group photo.
The moment everyone realizes they've been wearing their competition jackets inside out for an hour.
That's the team experience.
Budget for the Whole Trip
Travel competitions can become significantly more expensive than local competitions, so it is worth looking at the entire cost before committing.
Your competition budget may include:
Competition costs: Entry fees, practice ice, testing or credential fees where applicable, and other event-related expenses.
Your travel: Flights, gas, rental cars, parking, rideshare, baggage fees, and other transportation.
Accommodations: Hotel or other lodging for the length of the trip.
Food: Meals, snacks, groceries, and travel-day food.
Coach travel: Transportation, lodging, and applicable travel or competition coaching fees for your coach.
Equipment and extras: Emergency purchases, replacement tights or laces, costume repairs, souvenirs, and the inevitable coffee that someone desperately needs at 5:30 a.m.
None of this means that every competition needs to be an elaborate family vacation.
Some families keep costs down by driving instead of flying, sharing accommodations, bringing groceries, or coordinating transportation with teammates.
The important thing is to understand the full cost of the competition, not just the entry fee.
If you're considering traveling regularly for competitions, talk with your coach about which events make sense for your skater's goals. Not every competition needs to become a travel competition.
Competition Day: Keep the Routine as Familiar as Possible
Once you arrive, try to make competition day feel as much like competition day at home as possible.
Follow the plan your coach has established.
Eat familiar foods.
Hydrate.
Allow enough time to get ready.
Arrive at the rink with plenty of time.
Don't suddenly decide that competition morning is the perfect opportunity to try a brand-new breakfast, a new warm-up routine, or a new pair of tights.
This is where all that preparation pays off.
Your surroundings may be different, but your routine can still feel familiar.
And remember: your skater does not have to know every detail of the rink before they can skate well. Part of becoming a competitive skater is learning how to adapt.
Different rink.
Different ice.
Different schedule.
Same training.
Give Yourself Permission to Be a Tourist
After the competition is over, take a breath.
The program is done.
The pressure is off.
Now go enjoy the city.
Even if your skater didn't have the performance they hoped for, they still traveled somewhere new. They still competed. They still gained experience. They still have a story to tell.
Don't let one result erase the rest of the weekend.
Go get that dessert.
Take the goofy picture.
Buy the souvenir.
Visit the landmark.
Celebrate your skater.
And if they had a great competition? Celebrate that too.
Competitive skating is a long journey. There will be plenty of time to analyze the program, review scores, and figure out what comes next.
You don't have to do that every minute of the trip.
The Goal Is to Travel Well—Not Perfectly
The more you travel for skating, the easier it becomes.
Eventually, you develop your own competition-travel checklist. You learn which snacks survive a flight. You know exactly how many pairs of tights your skater needs. You have backup laces in every bag you own. You know which hotels have the best breakfast and which rinks have the world's least convenient parking.
But even experienced skating families can't control everything.
The goal isn't to create a perfectly predictable competition weekend.
It's to be prepared enough that the unexpected doesn't become a crisis.
Pack thoughtfully. Understand the schedule. Protect your skater's routine. Plan for the additional costs. Communicate with your coach. Give yourself plenty of time.
And then?
Enjoy the trip.
Because someday, your skater may not remember exactly what they scored at that competition.
They may remember the city.
They may remember traveling with their teammates.
They may remember their first time competing somewhere completely unfamiliar.
They may remember the restaurant everyone loved, the hotel pool, the team picture, or laughing with their coach after a long day at the rink.
Those experiences matter too.
At Skate VIDA, We Travel as a Team
At Skate VIDA, we know that competitive skating doesn't stop when you leave your home rink.
Our skaters travel to competitions throughout the season, and we encourage families to approach those trips as both athletic experiences and life experiences.
We help skaters prepare for the competition itself while also helping families understand what to expect when traveling with a competitive skating team.
Because the goal isn't just to produce better competitors.
It's to help young athletes become adaptable, confident, independent people who can walk into an unfamiliar rink, take a deep breath, and say:
“I've got this.”
And then, when the skating is done, go explore somewhere new.
Frequently Asked Questions About Competition Travel:
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In addition to your skater's normal competition equipment, pack backup laces, extra tights, gloves, hair supplies, costume repair items, chargers, medications, toiletries, comfortable clothes, a reusable water bottle, and familiar snacks or foods. It is better to bring small backup items from home than to spend competition weekend searching for replacements.
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Bring familiar foods and snacks your skater already enjoys and knows they tolerate well. Portable options can include granola or energy bars, crackers, pretzels, fruit, sandwiches, trail mix, and other convenient foods. The goal is to maintain familiar fueling and hydration habits rather than completely changing your normal routine while traveling.
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Arrival time depends on the event schedule, official practices, registration requirements, travel distance, and your coach's recommendations. Check the competition schedule carefully and plan enough time to arrive without feeling rushed. For many travel competitions, arriving at least a day before the skater competes can provide valuable time to settle in and adjust to the rink.
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Coaching arrangements vary, but competitive skaters often travel with their coach or another coach from their training team. Families should discuss travel plans and all applicable coaching, transportation, lodging, and competition fees with their coach before registering for an out-of-town competition.
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When a coach travels to an out-of-town competition, families may be responsible for the coach's applicable transportation, lodging, travel-day, and competition coaching expenses. The exact arrangement varies by coach and skating program. Families should ask about these costs before committing to a travel competition.
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Families can reduce costs by driving when practical, sharing accommodations, bringing groceries and snacks, coordinating transportation with teammates, and traveling as part of a team when possible. Having several skaters attend the same competition can also help distribute certain coaching travel costs.
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Yes—when the schedule allows. Competition should remain the priority around practice and performance times, but exploring the city can make travel competitions more enjoyable and memorable. Keep sightseeing reasonable around important skating events and allow plenty of time for rest and recovery.
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Stay calm and focus on the next controllable step. Travel delays, schedule changes, forgotten items, and other unexpected problems happen. Having backup supplies, extra time, familiar snacks, and a flexible plan can make these situations easier to handle. Your coach can also help prioritize what matters most when plans change.