Rental Car
Pick Up Your Rental
Pick upKansas City · Jul 4
Drop offCincinnati · Jul 8
Total miles676 mi
Getting There · Step 1
Stay Tonight · Kansas City, MO
Hotel
Kansas City Overnight
Check-inSat, Jul 4
Check-outSun, Jul 5
First pitch8:10 PM ET
Book near downtown or the ballpark so your first-game arrival stays simple.
DAY 1
Saturday, July 4
First pitch at 8:10 PM ET — Kansas City Royals vs. Philadelphia Phillies at Kauffman Stadium tonight — Red, White & Bobby Bobblehead + July 4th Fireworks tonight.
Stop 01 of 03
Kansas City, MO · Sat Jul 4
Kauffman Stadium
Kansas City Royals · MLB
8:10 PM ET
vs. Philadelphia Phillies
Must Eat at the Park
KC Burnt Ends
Kansas City-style burnt ends — the crispy, caramelized points of a smoked brisket. The defining food of KC BBQ.
Local Beer
Boulevard Unfiltered Wheat
Kansas City's defining craft brewery. The Unfiltered Wheat is a KC staple at the K.
Boulevard Brewing
George Brett and the Pine Tar Game
Pilgrim Notes · Kansas City Baseball History
Stay Tonight · Kansas City, MO
Kansas City Overnight
Check-inSat, Jul 4
Check-outSun, Jul 5
First pitch tomorrow at 7:45 PM ET. Leave by 1:14 PM.
Mon Morning
When to Depart
Leave by1:14 PM
Drive to St. Louis291 mi · 5h
Game time7:45 PM ET
Leave on time to allow for fuel, food, and parking.
Breakfast Stop · Kansas City, MO
Before You Hit the Road
Town Topic Hamburgers
Midnight diner on Broadway since 1937. Open 24 hours. The burger is the point but the breakfast menu has fueled Kansas City's night owls and early risers for 85 years. Order at the counter.
Eggs + hash + coffee
Open 24 hours
Worth the Detour · +15 min
Ted Drewes Frozen Custard Route 66
The Route 66 frozen custard stand held upside-down to prove its thickness since 1941.
St. Louis, MO · 15 min detourKansas City → St. Louis
291 mi · 5h · regional run
DAY 3
Monday, July 6
Kansas City to St. Louis is 5h — a solid drive, so leave early and plan a stop along the way. First pitch at 7:45 PM ET — St. Louis Cardinals vs. Milwaukee Brewers at Busch Stadium tonight. Ted Drewes Frozen Custard Route 66 is worth 15 minutes off the highway.
Stop 02 of 03
St. Louis, MO · Mon Jul 6
Busch Stadium
St. Louis Cardinals · MLB
7:45 PM ET
vs. Milwaukee Brewers
Must Eat at the Park
St. Louis-Style Toasted Ravioli
Pasta filled with meat, breaded and deep-fried, served with marinara dipping sauce — a St. Louis original.
Local Beer
Busch Beer
The stadium is literally named for this beer. Historically appropriate in every way.
Anheuser-Busch
Musial, Gibson, and the Cardinal Way
Pilgrim Notes · St. Louis Baseball History
Stay Tonight · St. Louis, MO
St. Louis Overnight
Check-inMon, Jul 6
Check-outTue, Jul 7
First pitch tomorrow at 7:10 PM ET. Leave by 11:02 AM.
Wed Morning
When to Depart
Leave by11:02 AM
Drive to Cincinnati385 mi · 6.6h
Game time7:10 PM ET
Long drive — consider stopping overnight in Cincinnati.
Breakfast Stop · St. Louis, MO
Before You Hit the Road
Goody Goody Diner
St. Louis breakfast institution. Pancakes and biscuits-and-gravy have anchored pre-Cardinals mornings for decades. No-nonsense diner that has stayed exactly itself while the city changed around it.
Pancakes + bacon + coffee
Open 7 AM–2 PM daily
Worth the Detour · +10 min
Hartman Rock Garden Springfield
50 hand-built miniature American monuments in a Springfield machinist's backyard.
Springfield, OH · 10 min detourSt. Louis → Cincinnati
385 mi · 6.6h · regional run
DAY 5
Wednesday, July 8
It's a 6.6h haul from St. Louis — plan to break this into two days or drive the night before. First pitch at 7:10 PM ET — Cincinnati Reds vs. Philadelphia Phillies at Great American Ball Park tonight. Hartman Rock Garden Springfield is worth 10 minutes off the highway.
Stop 03 of 03
Cincinnati, OH · Wed Jul 8
Great American Ball Park
Cincinnati Reds · MLB
7:10 PM ET
vs. Philadelphia Phillies
Must Eat at the Park
Cincinnati Chili Dog (Skyline)
Cincinnati chili served over a hot dog (the Cheese Coney). Skyline Chili has operated in Cincinnati since 1949.
Local Beer
MadTree Axis IPA
Cincinnati's most celebrated craft brewery. Axis IPA is their flagship.
MadTree Brewing
The Big Red Machine
Pilgrim Notes · Cincinnati Baseball History
What to Budget
Estimates only — prices vary by availability
Tickets · 3 games (avg $46)$138
Hotels · 4 nights (avg $155)$620
Fuel · 676 mi at $0.18/mi$122
Ballpark food & drinks$150
Total Estimate$1,030
* 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 ...