Rental Car
Pick Up Your Rental
Pick upPittsburgh · Apr 19
Drop offChicago · Apr 21
Total miles514 mi
Getting There · Step 1
Stay Tonight · Pittsburgh, PA
Hotel
Pittsburgh Overnight
Check-inSun, Apr 19
Check-outMon, Apr 20
First pitch1:35 PM ET
Book near downtown or the ballpark so your first-game arrival stays simple.
DAY 1
Sunday, April 19
First pitch at 1:35 PM ET — Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Tampa Bay Rays at PNC Park today. Don't leave without Primanti Brothers Sandwich.
Stop 01 of 02
Pittsburgh, PA · Sat Apr 19
PNC Park
Pittsburgh Pirates · MLB
1:35 PM ET
vs. Tampa Bay Rays
Must Eat at the Park
Primanti Brothers Sandwich
Pittsburgh's most iconic food in its natural habitat. Meat and cheese on airy Italian bread loaded with tomatoes, coleslaw, and french fries inside the sandwich. Designed for Pittsburgh truckers in 1933.
Local Beer
Fat Head's Bullpen Tap Bar
Eight rotating taps positioned directly above the Pirates bullpen. The only bar in baseball where you can watch a reliever warm up while drinking a Head Hunter IPA. Arrive before first pitch for a seat at the rail.
Fat Head's Brewery · North Olmsted, OH
Maz, Clemente, and the Most Beautiful View in Baseball
Pilgrim Notes · Pittsburgh Baseball History
Stay Tonight · Pittsburgh, PA
Pittsburgh Overnight
Check-inSun, Apr 19
Check-outMon, Apr 20
First pitch tomorrow at 7:40 PM ET. Leave by 9:18 AM.
Mon Morning
When to Depart
Leave by9:18 AM
Drive to Chicago514 mi · 8.9h
Game time7:40 PM ET
Long drive — consider stopping overnight in Pittsburgh overnight.
Breakfast Stop · Pittsburgh, PA
Before You Hit the Road
Pamela's Diner
Multiple locations. Obama ordered here on the campaign trail. The hotcakes are thin, buttery, perfect.
Crepe-style hotcakes
Worth the Detour · +10 min
Field of Corn (Cornhenge)
109 concrete ears of corn arranged in rows like Arlington National Cemetery outside Columbus. Each one weighs 1,500 lbs and stands 6 feet tall. There is no satisfying explanation.
Dublin, OH · 10 min detourPittsburgh → Chicago
514 mi · 8.9h · long haul
DAY 3
Tuesday, April 21
It's a 8.9h haul from Pittsburgh — plan to break this into two days or drive the night before. First pitch at 7:40 PM ET — Chicago Cubs vs. Philadelphia Phillies at Wrigley Field tonight — Loyola University Cap tonight. Field of Corn (Cornhenge) is worth 10 minutes off the highway.
Stop 02 of 02
Chicago, IL · Mon Apr 21
Wrigley Field
Chicago Cubs · MLB
7:40 PM ET
vs. Philadelphia Phillies
Must Eat at the Park
Chicago-Style Hot Dog
A Vienna beef hot dog on a poppy seed bun, dragged through the garden: yellow mustard, bright green relish, onions, tomato wedges, a pickle spear, sport peppers, and celery salt. No ketchup. Ever.
Local Beer
Old Style Lager
Served at Wrigley since 1950. The single most identified brand with Cubs baseball. The bleachers run on Old Style.
Pabst Brewing
The Friendly Confines and the Longest Drought in Sports
Pilgrim Notes · Chicago Baseball History
Shift 2 days to catch Scouting America & Girl Scout Patch at Wrigley Field.
• Scouting America & Girl Scout Patch at Wrigley Field
• DePaul University Cap at Wrigley Field
• Loyola University Cap at Wrigley Field
• Cubs Survivor 50 Cap and Adventure Wrap at Wrigley Field
What to Budget
Estimates only — prices vary by availability
Tickets · 2 games (avg $46)$92
Hotels · 2 nights (avg $155)$310
Fuel · 514 mi at $0.18/mi$93
Ballpark food & drinks$100
Total Estimate$595
* Estimates only. Prices vary.
How This Trip Was Planned
Our Algorithm
We evaluate many stop orders (up to seven parks: every permutation; larger trips: smart samples plus nearest-neighbor paths from home) and keep the version that preserves the most ballparks on your list with the least driving between games, inside an expanded or standard date ...