With the Buffalo Bills 2026 schedule here, it’s time for a very important article — a ranking of the best road trips for Bills fans to take this season.
Let’s get right to it.
(I’m purposely not including trips to the Patriots, Jets, or Dolphins for obvious reasons. If I had to pick the marquee AFC East road trip in 2026, it would unequivocally be the Miami trip, and not just to experience 70-plus degree weather in middle of winter. The game is January 3, which, near the holidays, could be somewhat
easier for fans. logistically.)
6. At Houston Texans (Week 1, September 13, 1pm)
Houston is the fourth-most populated city in the country, so if you want a true big-city experience outside of the Eastern part of the US, this trip would emphatically check that box. It’s also in the Top 10 of largest US cities by area. I had a friend who went to the Texans game a season ago. First thing he texted me when he was there was how spread out the city was, and how that it was reasonably inconvenient to get around.
Don’t get me wrong — Houston has much going for it, and with over 10,000 restaurants/bars, you’d be much more likely to get overwhelmed with your food choices than not having enough for Friday and/or Saturday night out before the game. If you do make this trip, the average high temperatures in Houston in mid September are between 88 and 91, so prepare yourself. However, I do know from a friend who lived in Houston a while back — because of the harsh heat, Houston’s downtown is fully equipped with air conditioning in essentially every building.
The timing of this away game doesn’t help its cause in these rankings either with the home opener at new Highmark Stadium just four days later.
5. At Minnesota Vikings (Week 9, November 9, MNF)
The average high temperate on this date in Minneapolis is between 45-47 degrees, not too bad for early November, right? Anyway, my brother-in-law is from just outside Minneapolis — therefore my sister has been there many times — and after her first visit there in the dead of winter, she raved about the Minneapolis Skyway System downtown. It’s a fully enclosed footbridge system that connects over 80 buildings and spans a total of 9.5 miles throughout the city center. Pretty damn cool.
U.S. Bank Stadium is a beaut, and I really think this game will be one of the more fun regular-season contests for the Bills this season. Star power galore offensively, and I’m of the belief Minnesota will be extraordinarily boom-or-bust on the defensive side. Low-key fun trip here, yet not one I’d have circled in Sharpie on the calendar.
4. At Las Vegas Raiders (Week 6, October 18, 4:25pm)
The placement for this game may ultimately depends on your level of excitement about entering a casino. Although I’ve never been to Las Vegas after turning 21, I assume even if you’re not a gambler, the strip has to be incredibly entertaining, and the Allegiant Stadium gives off serious Star Wars vibes as one of the more futuristic, sleek new stadiums in the NFL.
Hotel accommodations won’t be hard to come by, but they’ll likely put a dent in your pocket. I checked Google Hotels for that weekend in Vegas — prices started in the upper $400 range. That’s not meant to deter you from exploring this as a road trip option. There are over 270 hotels in Las Vegas, more than 2,500 restaurants, and 150 casinos. Plus, the average high that time of year on the strip is between 75 and 82, so you can extend the summer weather a little longer if you make this venture westward mid-October for what should be a game inside a stadium with plenty of Bills fans.
3. At Los Angeles Rams (Week 5, October 12, MNF)
This remains the game I’m most looking forward to on the Bills regular-season schedule from a football perspective, so I’m allowing a little of that bias to seep into this placement in the rankings.
I don’t have to describe Los Angeles’ amenities to you — I’m sure you’re well aware. I did have to do a few training sessions in L.A. earlier in my career, and what I can more specifically tell you is that it’s one of the least walkable cities in the country. I, personally don’t love that. And, of course, traffic is notoriously congested in Los Angeles to a level WNYers cannot comprehend until they experience it.
If you’re east of downtown — where SoFi Stadium is located — the traffic subsides drastically, and you’re roughly a Buffalo-to-Amherst drive away from all the iconic beaches like Venice Beach, Santa Monica Beach, Manhattan Beach, and Hermosa Beach on the Pacific Ocean. Fish tacos there hit different.
This game on Monday night does hurt its ranking due to traveling/time-off-work logistics. Otherwise it would’ve resided in the No. 2 spot.
2. At Denver Broncos, (Week 16, December 25, 4:30pm)
OK, so I completely understand the sanctity of family time at Christmas. But I do know how passionate Bills fans are. When the club played on Thanksgiving in 2019, 2021, and 2022, I personally knew of many families that morphed their normal holiday gathering into a Bills-themed voyage. My extended family went to Detroit for that Thanksgiving contest with the Lions in 2022 and loved every second of it.
I also realize not every Bills fan celebrates Christmas.
With an aunt and cousin who lived in the Denver area for 30-plus years and a few friends who’ve moved there recently, I can confidently tell you Denver is an awesome city with tons to offer. Of course you could arrive early and ski the day before, there are over 70 breweries within Denver’s city limit, and it features a bustling food scene. And yeah, heading to that stadium, in what will likely be familiar weather conditions, in a massive revenge game for the Bills, will be a blast. With the Bills in town, this is the ideal time/place for a change of Christmas scenery if your family is down for that deviation this year.
1. At Green Bay Packers (Week 14, December 13, SNF)
My aforementioned brother-in-law (from Minneapolis with family originally hailing from Chicago) is an enormous Bears fan — and even he told me getting to Lambeau Field is an absolute must. Particularly because he knows how much I love football. It’s that type of pilgrimage. His urging has always stuck with me due to how keenly aware I am of his massive dislike of the Packers.
And Green Bay, Wisconsin and Orchard Park, New York feel like football town brothers, don’t they? I mean even after new Highmark Stadium is up and running, the Bills home will still emanate a very residential, hometown vibe particularly compared to the rest of the league.
And Lambeau Field is literally in the backyard of some Green Bay residents. Also, this game in December, under the lights should provide exquisite football aesthetics along with being a clash between serious contenders in each conference.
If I could go to any Bills away game during the 2026 regular season, I would pick this one, in Green Bay against the Packers.
Which away game entices you the most?
