The Lions are playing in Germany. At that point, I'm not planning a football weekend. I'm planning a vacation that happens to include a Lions game.
Detroit's first international game since 2015 gives Lions fans a chance to do something completely different. International flights, hotel location, sightseeing, game-day transportation and the amount of time you spend in Germany all matter here. Munich can be the entire vacation, or the game can become the centerpiece of a much bigger trip.
New England Patriots vs. Detroit Lions
Sunday, November 15, 2026
3:30 PM Central European Time
9:30 AM Eastern Standard Time
FC Bayern Munich Stadium · Munich, Germany
FOX
Detroit is the designated home team for the Munich game.
The football game is special. So is the fact that you're in Munich. Give yourself enough time to enjoy both instead of spending most of the trip recovering from the flight, going to the game and heading right back to the airport.
You don't need a complete itinerary yet. Start by deciding what you're actually making the flight to Europe for.
Keep Munich as the focus, but still give yourself a few days before the game to adjust to the time change, see the city and enjoy being in Germany.
Give the city several nights. Build in Old Town, food, sightseeing and time when nobody has to watch the clock.
Munich can anchor a longer Germany trip with another city or Bavarian destination before or after game weekend.
Turn the Lions game into one stop on a larger European vacation. The game date becomes the fixed point and the rest of the trip gets built around it.
Munich has more moving pieces than a normal Lions road trip. A cheap flight or hotel can stop looking cheap once the rest of the trip gets added around it.
Decide how much time you can realistically give the trip before locking yourself into airfare.
I would want some breathing room before game weekend. International travel, delays and jet lag are not things I'd want to deal with on Saturday night.
Look at the full routing, travel time, connection schedule and arrival time instead of automatically choosing the lowest fare.
Choose the hotel for the entire Munich stay, not just its relationship to the stadium.
If you're continuing elsewhere in Germany or Europe, think about that before choosing flights and hotel nights. It can change the smartest way to structure everything.
For most travelers, I'd rather have a hotel that makes the whole vacation easier than choose one only because it looks close to the football stadium on a map.
A strong choice if being close to Marienplatz, historic Munich, restaurants and major sights matters most.
Useful for travelers who want a balance of sightseeing, restaurants and access to Munich's public transportation.
Can make sense if rail connections or continuing to another German or European destination are part of the trip.
A hotel farther out can sometimes offer better value, but I'd want a straightforward transit connection before deciding the savings are worth it.
Munich is part of the reason this trip is different. Leave room for historic Munich, Bavarian food, neighborhoods, museums and whatever else interests you instead of trying to squeeze the entire city into Saturday afternoon.
One of the easiest places to start exploring Munich, with historic streets, landmarks, restaurants and shops nearby.
Traditional restaurants and beer halls are part of the Munich experience even if beer isn't the reason you're going.
There is plenty to do beyond football and nightlife, especially if you're giving the city several days.
With enough time, Munich can also work as a base for seeing more of Bavaria instead of changing hotels every night.
If you want a larger vacation, add another German or European stop before or after Munich rather than cramming everything into one city stay.
This isn't a required itinerary. It's just an example of why arriving before the weekend gives the trip room to breathe.
Arrive in Munich, check in and don't schedule the first day like you're trying to win an award for sightseeing.
Explore Old Town and central Munich. Have a real day in the city instead of treating it like the waiting room for Sunday.
More sightseeing, food and whatever Lions-related activities are available as game weekend gets underway.
Game day. The 3:30 PM local kickoff gives you the morning, but I'd still leave plenty of time for transportation, crowds and stadium entry.
Fly home, stay longer in Munich or continue to the next part of the vacation.
International NFL games don't work exactly like planning a normal road game in the United States.
Ticket availability and authorized package options can change. I would verify the current NFL information before making nonrefundable plans that depend on having game tickets.
3:30 PM local time in Munich.
Know your route to the stadium before Sunday and check current game-day transit guidance as the trip gets closer.
An international NFL game is not the day I'd try to arrive at the last possible minute.
Recheck official stadium and NFL guidance shortly before the trip for entry rules, bag policies and transportation information.
Even by NFL standards, this is an unusual part of Detroit's schedule.
Detroit at Miami · Sunday, November 8
New England vs. Detroit in Munich · Sunday, November 15
Tampa Bay at Detroit · Sunday, November 22
Chicago at Detroit · Thanksgiving · Thursday, November 26
For Lions fans, Munich is the centerpiece of a pretty wild November: Miami, Germany, back to Ford Field and then Thanksgiving four days later.
If I were picking one 2026 Lions game to build an entire vacation around, Munich would be the obvious one for me. I wouldn't fly all the way to Germany, see almost nothing and come home just so I could say I went to the game. I'd give Munich a few real days and probably look pretty hard at adding somewhere else before or after it. The Lions game is what gets the trip started. Germany is what can make the trip something completely different.
Tell me who's traveling, how long you have and whether you're thinking Munich only, a bigger Germany trip or a larger European vacation. We can start with the game date and build the rest of the trip around it.
Start Planning My Lions Munich Trip →This is an independent fan-focused travel guide from Rob Sturdy Travels. It is not an official Detroit Lions, New England Patriots, NFL, FC Bayern Munich or stadium page. Game, ticket and travel information can change; verify current details before travel.