TILOCK: My ultimate 2026 Virginia football road trip guide

Virginia does not leave Scott Stadium all too often this season. Seven of its 12 games will be played in Charlottesville. Most of the other five are not egregiously far, as the Cavaliers are spared from the West Coast trip.

Hitting the road to go to a game is incredibly fun. Some of my favorite memories of covering the 2025 season came when I road-tripped with my peers Albert Tang, Benvin Lozada, Ben McNiff, Aimee Crosbie, and others from The Cavalier Daily. A road trip is not just a means of going somewhere. It really is the journey that counts.

Here are the four road games (and one neutral site game) ranked by proximity, and how to get there.

1: At Virginia Tech (Blacksburg, Va.)

Just under 150 miles away, a drive from Charlottesville to Virginia Tech should take about two and a half hours. Alternatively, fans could fly from Washington International Dulles Airport to Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport and then drive or bus to Blacksburg (total of a little over two hours).

The greater difficulty might be acquiring tickets — it is a safe bet that Hokies fans will pack Lane Stadium for a major rivalry game. If you can make it work, though, the Commonwealth Clash in Blacksburg is a raucous battle that is absolutely worth attending.

2: At Wake Forest (Winston-Salem, N.C.)

From Charlottesville, Winston-Salem is 207 miles away (estimated drive of three hours, 21 minutes). Most importantly, there is a Culver’s close to Wake Forest. If you have never been to the Wisconsin-born fast food chain, you are missing out. Do yourself a favor and stop by to get custard, a butter burger, cheese curds, and more.

3: West Virginia (Charlotte)

The estimated drive from Charlottesville to Charlotte is four hours and 20 minutes (272 miles). There is also the direct flight option from the Charlottesville-Albemarle Airport, which takes about one hour and 27 minutes. There are options to get one round-trip ticket for under $300.

Charlotte also has a Culver’s, but that is not the main reason to go there. Bank of America Stadium is a fun venue, with loads of incredible restaurants nearby. Charlotte is also home to some top-notch coffee shops and farmers' markets.

4: At Florida State (Tallahassee, Fla.)

These last two games are where travel begins to become difficult. A drive from Charlottesville to Florida State takes about 12 hours (739 miles). It would most likely involve a slog through I-95, which is like playing Russian roulette with weapons of mass destruction.

However, if you do opt to drive, you can plan stops at three different Buc-ee’s locations. Buc-ee’s is an oasis in the desert, a warm blanket on a chilly winter’s eve. You can find clean-ish bathrooms, genuinely good food, tons of gas pumps, and the pinnacle of American consumerism. Worth it.

If a 12-hour drive is too long, you could fly to Charlotte or Atlanta, then connect to Tallahassee. That would chop a few hours off. The fastest option would be to take a direct flight from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), which takes just under two and a half hours.

5: At SMU (Dallas, Texas)

This is pretty far. The best option is to fly from DCA to Dallas Love Field Airport, which takes about three and a half hours. That would be the reasonable thing to do.

However, if you want to take the crazy option, you could drive from Charlottesville to Dallas, which takes 18-plus hours (1,208 miles). The route takes you from beautiful southwestern Virginia through the entire length of Tennessee, a big chunk of Arkansas, and then eastern Texas. Along the way, you could stop at five-plus Buc-ee’s, Memphis, Knoxville, Nashville and Little Rock.

Tacos from a farmers market in North Carolina. | Photo by Xander Tilock

Alternatives

If going to Charlottesville (or other venues) can be too difficult, do not fret. Virginia will be on national TV at least a few times this year:

Saturday, Aug. 29 vs NC State at 3:30 (ESPN)

Saturday, Sept. 19 vs West Virginia at 7:30 (ACC Network)

Friday, Oct. 23 vs Duke at 7:00 (ESPN)

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