With the NFL’s schedule release comes the opportunity to start planning road trips for the season. For the 49ers there are a handful of good road cities on their calendar this season, but not all road trips are created equal.
The holiday schedule, plus potential weather issues depending on the time of year a game takes place can either make or break the quality of a potential road trip.
We went through and ranked the 49ers’ road games through the lens of a person planning to go watch the team on the road this year:
9
Week 2 at Los Angeles Rams
Does this even count as a road trip for 49ers fans in the Bay Area? Anyway, it’s in mid-September so it’s liable to be super hot and that doesn’t sound like that much fun to see a team the 49ers visit every season.
8
Week 12 at Seattle Seahawks
This is nothing against Lumen Field or the city of Seattle. The Pacific Northwest is for the most part a really nice place to spend a weekend, and the atmosphere at that stadium is going to be really fun. Traveling around the Thanksgiving holiday stinks though. Hard pass unless it’s part of a longer vacation where travel doesn’t fall in the days leading up to or following Thanksgiving.
7
Week 17 at Washington Commanders
Again, this is nothing against our nation’s capital. DC is a really terrific place to hang out. Two things push it to our second-worst road trip. First, it’s probably going to be colder than heck with the game happening on New Year’s Eve day. Second, FedEx Field is not great, nor is it close to downtown DC.
6
Week 15 at Arizona Cardinals
The Phoenix area is pretty underrated. There’s good food, good hiking, a good basketball team in the area, and mid-December is a good time to visit the Valley. It doesn’t get crazy cold, but you’ll also avoid the unbearably high temps that come for most of the year. One gripe – Glendale isn’t super close to Phoenix so there’s a little bit of a jaunt to get to the stadium. Getting to AZ this time of year though beats going if they’re down there earlier in the season.
5
Week 10 at Jacksonville Jaguars
It’s pretty rare the 49ers visit the Jaguars. It’s even rarer that they do it when both teams are good. The uniqueness alone might make this a trek worth making. Jacksonville wouldn’t be a bad trip, it just doesn’t quite stack up to some of the other matchups coming.
4
Week 6 at Cleveland Browns
Cleveland gets a bad rap, but there’s at least good beer there and the possibility of a playoff baseball game if the Guardians ever get things figured out this season. Fans will likely get really good, crisp Fall weather in mid-October while hanging out with a good football fan base. Cleveland may not be a long-term vacation destination, but don’t sleep on it as a place to chill for a weekend.
3
Week 1 at Pittsburgh Steelers
A season opener at Acrisure Stadium? Yes please! The vibes in that place are going to be incredible, and by all accounts it’s a good stadium in a good city. A bonus here is the Pirates are in town the day after the 49ers-Steelers game which means a trip to what’s regarded as one of the best ballparks in Major League Baseball can be squeezed in if one were so inclined.
2
Week 7 at Minnesota Vikings
Monday Night Football games are just a little bit different. The energy is excellent and the Vikings play in a beautiful new stadium that’s in downtown Minneapolis. Plus there’s the added benefit of the mid-to-late October weather that will only make it feel even more like football season.
1
Week 13 at Philadelphia Eagles
Philly is a terrific city. The fans are pretty nuts, so maybe keep a low profile, but being in the building for the NFC championship game rematch would be a blast.
