A direct, overnight flight from LAX, departing at 11 pm and arriving in Auckland at 7 am is the way to travel halfway across the world. With the time zone shifts, we spent about 12 hours on the plane in total. In our world, Sunday didn’t exist, departing on a a
Saturday night and arriving on Monday morning local time. The time zones have been the trickiest to convert with games being played with anywhere between 9-15 hours difference, depending on the Australia or New Zealand stadium and the USA time zones.
Immigration and customs were extremely smooth, taking less than 10 minutes to get through each. Automated kiosks made the immigration lane move quickly. Customs lines moved quickly as well. You can expect World Cup signage woven throughout the airport and fans in USA gear added to the excitement. Claiming luggage is always the longest process, and I imagine you’ll need a checked back for the layers you will need.
New Zealanders drive on the left hand side here. Uber is an option, but we opted for a rental car. We didn’t have a reservation, but were able to claim a small SUV for the next 6 days from Avis. Auckland is a very walkable city within the respective pockets and public transit is convenient. With restaurants, grocery stores, housing, and businesses close together, no matter where you are staying, you have options of Asian-influenced restaurants and American food choices at your doorstep. It’s not far to travel between the pockets of entertainment, taking between 5-10 minutes via car. For those that want to visit Devenport, the ferry is a 5 minute commute and the cityline views are more than worth it.
Morningside is the residential neighborhood immediately surrounding Eden Park, the stadium for games in Auckland. There’s a series of pubs lining the road near the stadium, while the remaining 3/4 of the stadium surroundings are houses. The road to the Morningside Tavern, a popular pub and the home location for the American Outlaws (the US supporters group and fans) is about half a mile away and will be blocked off on game days.
Auckland provides an aesthetic and vibe very similar to Seattle or Portland, a port city with industrial zones and a hearty downtown. It’s not overly crowded and limited vehicular traffic makes it easy to get around.
Everyone we’ve encountered is extremely kind and helpful. We haven’t met many locals that are big soccer fans, but everyone is genuinely excited for the World Cup to be here.
This is a big one. It’s cold. Weather changes quickly throughout the day. From deceivingly sunny skies, to rain, to simply overcast and windy, I have to recommend layers, sunglasses, and a rain jacket or umbrella. We experienced a change of skies multiple times over the course of the day. For evening games, plan on a heavier jacket and hat.
Visit Morningside Tavern before games or simply to watch matches. The staff are phenomenal and you are guaranteed to meet additional football fans.
