Rental Car
Pick Up Your Rental
Pick upCleveland · Aug 5
Drop offWashington · Aug 8
Total miles497 mi
Getting There · Step 1
Stay Tonight · Cleveland, OH
Hotel
Cleveland Overnight
Check-inWed, Aug 5
Check-outThu, Aug 6
First pitch6:40 PM ET
Book near downtown or the ballpark so your first-game arrival stays simple.
DAY 1
Wednesday, August 5
First pitch at 6:40 PM ET — Cleveland Guardians vs. New York Mets at Progressive Field tonight — 125th Anniversary Tumbler Cup tonight.
Stop 01 of 03
Cleveland, OH · Wed Aug 5
Progressive Field
Cleveland Guardians · MLB
6:40 PM ET
vs. New York Mets
Must Eat at the Park
Polish Boy Sausage
A kielbasa in a bun topped with french fries, coleslaw, and hot sauce. A Cleveland original found nowhere else.
Local Beer
Great Lakes Dortmunder Gold
The Cleveland craft institution. Dortmunder Gold has won more awards than any Ohio beer.
Great Lakes Brewing
The Longest Championship Drought and One Perfect Game
Pilgrim Notes · Cleveland Baseball History
Stay Tonight · Cleveland, OH
Cleveland Overnight
Check-inWed, Aug 5
Check-outThu, Aug 6
First pitch tomorrow at 6:40 PM ET. Leave by 12:45 PM.
Fri Morning
When to Depart
Leave by12:45 PM
Drive to Pittsburgh256 mi · 4.4h
Game time6:40 PM ET
Leave on time to allow for fuel, food, and parking.
Breakfast Stop · Cleveland, OH
Before You Hit the Road
West Side Market
Ohio City since 1912. The greatest market hall in the Midwest. Over 100 vendors — pierogi, kielbasa, fresh bread. Grab breakfast from multiple stalls and eat in the main hall. A Cleveland essential.
Fresh pierogi + kielbasa + bread from multiple stalls
Open 7 AM Wed/Fri/Sat/Sun
Lunch Stop · I-76/80 E, Mahoning Ave exit
Midway Fuel-Up
Simon's Deli
Youngstown. The triple-decker club that Rust Belt travelers have been stopping for on I-76.
Triple-decker club
Worth the Detour · +10 min
Zanesville Y-Bridge Ohio
The only Y-shaped bridge in the world. Cross it from any side, end up where you started.
Zanesville, OH · 10 min detourCleveland → Pittsburgh
256 mi · 4.4h · easy leg
DAY 3
Friday, August 7
Cleveland to Pittsburgh is 4.4h — a solid drive, so leave early and plan a stop along the way. First pitch at 6:40 PM ET — Pittsburgh Pirates vs. New York Mets at PNC Park tonight. Zanesville Y-Bridge Ohio is worth 10 minutes off the highway.
Stop 02 of 03
Pittsburgh, PA · Fri Aug 7
PNC Park
Pittsburgh Pirates · MLB
6:40 PM ET
vs. New York Mets
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-inFri, Aug 7
Check-outSat, Aug 8
First pitch tomorrow at 6:45 PM ET. Leave by 1:06 PM.
Sat Morning
When to Depart
Leave by1:06 PM
Drive to Washington241 mi · 4.2h
Game time6:45 PM ET
Leave on time to allow for fuel, food, and parking.
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 · +15 min
The Graffiti Warehouse
A massive legal graffiti mural wall in Baltimore's Station North arts district. Blocks of paint on brick that changes constantly. The city funded it. The art never stops.
Baltimore, MD · 15 min detourPittsburgh → Washington
241 mi · 4.2h · easy leg
DAY 4
Saturday, August 8
Pittsburgh to Washington is 4.2h — a solid drive, so leave early and plan a stop along the way. First pitch at 6:45 PM ET — Washington Nationals vs. Cincinnati Reds at Nationals Park tonight — Hawaiian Shirt and Shorts Set tonight. The Graffiti Warehouse is worth 15 minutes off the highway.
Stop 03 of 03
Washington, DC · Sat Aug 8
Nationals Park
Washington Nationals · MLB
6:45 PM ET
vs. Cincinnati Reds
Must Eat at the Park
Ben's Chili Bowl Half-Smoke
A half-smoke sausage with Ben's chili, mustard, and onions. Ben's Chili Bowl has been a DC institution since 1958.
Local Beer
DC Brau Penn Quarter Porter
DC's first packaged craft brewery since Prohibition. The porter is excellent.
DC Brau Brewing
Baseball Returns to Washington After 33 Years
Pilgrim Notes · Washington Baseball History
Shift 2 days to catch Hawaiian Shirt and Shorts Set at Nationals Park.
• Hawaiian Shirt and Shorts Set at Nationals Park
• Kids Lunch Box (12 & under) at Nationals Park
• Family Fun Day: 500-Piece Puzzle (Kids 14 & under) at PNC Park
• George Washington University College Night at Nationals Park
What to Budget
Estimates only — prices vary by availability
Tickets · 3 games (avg $46)$138
Hotels · 3 nights (avg $155)$465
Fuel · 497 mi at $0.18/mi$89
Ballpark food & drinks$150
Total Estimate$842
* 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 ...