Florida Panthers Travel Guide for Fans

There is something about pulling up to Amerant Bank Arena on a Florida Panthers night, the back-to-back Stanley Cup banners hanging inside the rink, the warm South Florida air still hanging over the parking complex, and the buzz of a fanbase that has finally tasted championship hockey. After years of building Florida Panthers travel for fans heading down to Sunrise from across the United States and Canada, I can tell you the difference between a great South Florida weekend and a stressful one comes down to a handful of decisions made before you leave home. This Florida Panthers travel guide pulls together what my team has learned about Sunrise, the rink, and the Sawgrass Mills area so your trip runs the way it should. I walk you through where to stay near the bowl, how to reach the rink on a hockey night, where Panthers fans eat near the building, and how to lock in the right Florida Panthers tickets for your budget. If you would rather skip the planning altogether, our Florida Panthers travel packages bundle hotels, tickets, and flights into one booking.

What makes a Florida Panthers trip special right now is the timing. The Florida Panthers are the reigning back-to-back Stanley Cup champions, and the venue has become one of the loudest, most rewarding rinks to visit in the league. The rink sits in Sunrise, just west of Fort Lauderdale and roughly thirty-five miles north of Miami, anchored by the Amerant Bank signage on the front of the building, a short drive from Sawgrass Mills, Everglades National Park, and the South Florida beaches. That blend of Panthers championship hockey and a winter-warm climate is why Florida Panthers travel has exploded into one of the most popular NHL trips on our books.

Throughout this Florida Panthers travel guide you will find links to deeper resources my team maintains, covering hotels near the rink, transportation, Florida Panthers tickets, behind-the-scenes tours, and where Florida stays on the road. Think of this page as your starting point for Florida Panthers travel and click through to whichever guide matches the part of your South Florida trip you are sorting out. The planning principles hold whether you follow the Florida Panthers from city to city or you are flying down for your first Sunrise visit.

Why Every Fan Should Travel for a Florida Panthers Game

Watching the Florida Panthers on television is one thing, but standing inside the rink while they pour over the boards is another entirely. Hockey moves at a speed broadcasts flatten, and in person you finally see the whole sheet at once, the way a defenseman steps up at the blue line and the constant motion cameras never catch. You hear the puck rattle off the end glass and feel the crowd inhale before a power play, and that sensory rush is why so many people build an entire Florida weekend around the hockey.

The South Florida crowd is the other half of what makes Florida Panthers travel worth the trip. The bowl holds just over 19,250 for hockey, and on a big night the bowl generates a wall of noise that rises and falls with every shift. Once a quieter building, the rink has been transformed by the championship run, and you become part of a crowd that has waited a generation for this moment. A midweek matchup against a divisional rival carries its own intensity, while a playoff atmosphere reaches a pitch that rattles your chest. Once you have felt the building erupt over an overtime winner, the appeal of traveling to Sunrise for Panthers hockey stops being a question and becomes a habit.

Beyond the action, Florida Panthers travel gives you an excuse to dig into a part of the Sunshine State that rewards exploration. The rink sits in Sunrise but you are minutes from Fort Lauderdale Beach, the Sawgrass Mills outlet complex, and the canals of Florida, so you can sleep, eat, and travel against a beach-town backdrop instead of fighting urban traffic. You can build a complete Panthers weekend that pairs the hockey with poolside mornings, oceanfront dinners, and a drive into the Everglades, none of which require deep planning once your trip is anchored to the team's schedule.

Best Hotels Near Amerant Bank Arena for Florida Panthers Games

Where you stay shapes Florida Panthers travel more than almost any other choice. The simplest rule I give every traveler heading to Sunrise is to prioritize the corridor that fits your trip, because the area around the venue is more suburban than the downtown setups in Boston or Detroit. Hotels cluster in three zones: walking distance to Sawgrass Mills and the rink, the Plantation corridor a short drive east, and the Fort Lauderdale beach strip thirty minutes south. Each carries its own trade-off between price, proximity to the bowl, and access to the rest of South Florida.

Budget should steer the search rather than shrink the fun, and Sunrise offers strong hotels across every price tier within reach of the venue. Travelers watching their spending can find well-located hotels near Sawgrass Mills, often a short ride from the rink, at properties like La Quinta Sunrise and Hampton Inn Sawgrass. People ready to treat themselves often pick the Renaissance Fort Lauderdale West or AC Hotel Sawgrass Mills, both of which pair upgraded rooms with easy access to Panthers games. Booking your hotel as part of Florida Panthers packages alongside your Florida Panthers tickets is the move that keeps the South Florida trip simple and well priced.

The area around the bowl is built more for cars than for foot traffic, with Sawgrass Mills, the rink, and the major hotels separated by short drives rather than blocks. Each hotel carries its own trade-off between price, proximity, and amenities, which is why I lay them out side by side in the dedicated guide. For the full breakdown near Amerant Bank Arena, explore the complete guide below, and see how the right hotels feed into Florida Panthers packages.

Best Hotels Near Amerant Bank Arena for Florida Panthers Games

How to Get to Amerant Bank Arena

Reaching the venue cleanly is one of the most underrated parts of a Florida Panthers trip, and it is where I see first-time visitors lose the most time. Unlike northern markets with rail lines into the rink, the area was built for the car, with Amerant Bank Arena sitting at the intersection of the Sawgrass Expressway and Sunrise Boulevard. From most hotels in the area you can drive to the bowl in fifteen minutes or less, with surface parking surrounding Amerant Bank Arena. Reserving a garage spot in advance and mapping your exit before the crowd hits the Sawgrass Expressway is the smart move on a Panthers night.

If you are flying in, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport sits about thirty minutes from the rink, and Miami International is roughly forty-five minutes south on I-75. Many Panthers fans staying in Fort Lauderdale beach hotels drive the corridor west on Sunrise Boulevard, which moves well on most game nights but slows around puck drop. For travelers without a car, Broward County Transit runs limited bus service to the Sunrise Civic Center, but the rideshare network handles most non-driving Panthers fans, particularly those staying along the coast.

A few details about Amerant Bank Arena are worth knowing before you go. The address at 1 Panther Parkway in Sunrise puts the rink minutes from Sawgrass Mills, the Plantation hotel corridor, and the highways into Miami and Fort Lauderdale. Out-of-town fans staying along the beach often find leaving an hour before puck drop is plenty, while those coming from Miami should add buffer for I-75 traffic. The full directions live in the guide below, plus how transportation pairs with Florida Panthers packages.

How to Get to Amerant Bank Arena for Florida Panthers Games

Top Restaurants Near Amerant Bank Arena

Few parts of a Florida Panthers weekend are more enjoyable than eating your way through the Sunrise and Sawgrass Mills area before puck drop, and the dining near the building has become a genuine reason to arrive early. I always tell people to treat the meal as part of the evening rather than an afterthought, because the right pre-game table sets the tone for everything that follows. The area around the bowl is dominated by the Sawgrass Mills mall complex and the Plantation restaurant row, where you find everything from quick counter bites to upscale sit-down rooms.

For Panthers fans who want to stay close to the rink, a cluster of spots sits inside Sawgrass Mills and the adjacent plazas. Duffy's Sports Grill, a short walk from the building, is the unofficial pre-game home of Panthers supporters, packed with team history, screens, and a menu built for the hours before puck drop. The Capital Grille at Sawgrass Mills handles fans who want a steakhouse evening before the game, while Yard House inside the mall covers the big group with a long beer list and an even longer menu. TacoChula, a Sunrise local favorite, offers Mexican plates and a quick turn for fans on a tighter window.

If you would rather slow the evening down, Fort Lauderdale rewards a short drive east. Boatyard on the Intracoastal Waterway turns out fresh seafood with a view that reminds you why people move to South Florida. Coconuts on the marina pairs casual fare with a sunset patio that fills early on weekends. For an Everglades-edge experience, the Cajun shacks along Highway 27 are a Panthers fan secret. The streets and plazas around Sunrise cover everything in between.

Where the Florida Panthers Stay on the Road

A question I hear more often than you might expect is where the team itself stays when they travel, and the answer offers a useful window into how the professional side of the sport operates. Like most NHL clubs, the Florida Panthers gravitate toward upper-tier hotels close to the opposing rink, prioritizing properties that deliver privacy, security, and the quiet recovery space a roster needs between games. The logic mirrors the advice I give Panthers fans, which is that proximity cuts down on friction and lets the team focus on hockey rather than the commute.

The patterns hold across the league and are worth understanding if you want to travel the way the pros do. Visiting clubs like Florida tend to book established luxury hotels in the heart of downtown, the same properties that combine top-tier service with an easy walk or short ride to the rink. When the Florida Panthers visit Toronto, for example, they favor prestigious properties near the harbor that put them within reach of the rink, and a similar logic plays out in every market they enter. Those choices reflect years of accumulated knowledge about which hotels handle a traveling roster best.

My road hotels guide breaks down the kinds of hotels Florida and their opponents favor across the league, and it helps you find comparable hotels that fit your budget. You do not need a professional travel budget to stay somewhere excellent, since many of these properties offer rooms accessible to visitors who book ahead. Understanding how the Florida Panthers approach their own travel gives you a smarter framework for planning yours.

Where the Florida Panthers Stay on the Road

Best Seats and Ticket Options at Florida Panthers Games

Choosing where to sit is one of the most personal decisions in a Florida Panthers trip, and the right answer depends on what you want from the night. Down in the lower bowl at the building, the seats close to the glass put you near enough to feel the speed and hear the chatter, where every hit along the boards lands right in front of you. Seats along the blue line in the lower level give the cleanest sightline of plays developing end to end, which is why they are among the most coveted Florida Panthers tickets and the first to go for marquee dates.

For Panthers fans chasing a true premium night, the club and lower bowl Florida Panthers tickets offer a different kind of value. These mid-tier tickets pair excellent sightlines with access to upgraded lounges, shorter concession lines, and a more comfortable concourse, which makes them a favorite for travelers who want a polished evening without the price of glass seats. Groups marking a milestone often find these levels strike the right balance.

Budget-minded Panthers fans should not overlook the upper level at Amerant Bank Arena, because views from the upper bowl at Amerant Bank Arena are genuinely strong. Hockey is one of the few games where elevation helps, since a higher vantage point lets you read the flow end to end. Many savvy travelers I know deliberately choose upper-level seats both for the value and for the panoramic view. The right Florida Panthers tickets ultimately come down to an honest read, and the best Florida Panthers tickets fit into packages built around your dates.

Best Seats and Ticket Options at Florida Panthers Games

Florida Panthers Tours at Amerant Bank Arena

One of the most rewarding ways to deepen Florida Panthers travel is to add a tour of the rink, especially given how much has changed inside the building during the championship era. The team runs guided behind-the-scenes experiences that take you well past anything a ticket allows, walking you through the spaces where the team actually works. Standing in a locker room, looking out from a press box, or stepping toward ice level gives you a perspective on the team you simply cannot get from your seat.

What you actually see depends on the day, but the highlights cluster around a few areas every Panthers fan wants to experience. Access to the team spaces is usually the centerpiece, offering an insider's look at where players prepare. Walking near ice level lets you appreciate the true scale of the sheet and the steepness of the lower bowl, a perspective that reshapes how you watch the Florida Panthers later. Many tours also fold in the premium spaces and the displays that now honor the back-to-back Stanley Cup runs.

Pairing a tour with the rest of your weekend is easy, since they run on non-game days and slot neatly into a South Florida itinerary. I often suggest travelers arrive a day early, take the tour while the building is quiet, and return for the game with a deeper appreciation. Sawgrass Mills sits right outside the doors, with the Plantation corridor and Fort Lauderdale all within reach, and the tour can fold into Florida Panthers packages.

Florida Panthers Tours at Amerant Bank Arena

Game Day Checklist for Florida Panthers Fans

After building so much Florida Panthers travel, I have learned the gap between a smooth gameday and a stressful one comes down to a handful of details handled in advance. The single most important item is your Florida Panthers tickets, loaded onto your phone and confirmed before you leave the hotel, so the tickets are ready, since wrestling with a login at a crowded gate is the last thing you want as puck drop nears. If you are driving in, your parking reservation belongs right alongside those Florida Panthers tickets, sorted ahead of time.

Dressing for South Florida is the next layer, and it matters more here than first-time visitors expect. The rink itself runs cold, so even on a warm South Florida night you want a light layer for inside the bowl, and the parking lot walk back to your car can feel humid even in winter. Wearing Panthers colors is part of the fun too, so a Panthers jersey, hat, or scarf earns you a place in the South Florida crowd.

Carry your Florida Panthers tickets, a portable charger, a valid ID, and a card for cashless spots. Arriving early gives you time to walk the concourse, find your section, and soak in the pre-game atmosphere without rushing. Having your hotel, Florida Panthers tickets, and transportation locked in before you arrive removes the variables that derail so many South Florida weekends, and bundling those pieces through Elite Sports Tours is the simplest way to handle it.

Plan Your Florida Panthers Trip With Elite Sports Tours

After years of sending hockey fans into the Sunshine State, I built Elite Sports Tours to take the guesswork out of the parts of a Florida Panthers trip that have nothing to do with the hockey itself. The hardest part has never been wanting to go; it has been coordinating Florida Panthers tickets, hotels, and flights into a single plan that holds together. Rather than piecing together separate reservations and hoping they line up, you can build complete Florida Panthers packages in one place, with your hotel and your seats locked together near the rink. Bundling those pieces into Florida Panthers packages does more than save time on the South Florida trip, since these packages also unlock pricing and combinations you will not find booking each element on its own.

What sets our Florida Panthers packages apart is the way every piece of these packages reinforces the others. When your hotel sits near the rink and your Florida Panthers tickets are confirmed in the same booking, the whole weekend flows. My team can fold flights and South Florida hotels into your plans to round out the Florida Panthers packages, turning a scattered set of bookings into one coordinated trip. For high-demand games and any playoff run, locking in Florida Panthers packages early protects your inventory as the biggest dates sell through.

Explore the Florida Panthers Travel Packages available through Elite Sports Tours, and pair them with the guides linked throughout this page to build a South Florida weekend tailored to your budget. Our packages are designed for fans who want one source of truth, and these packages keep the weekend coordinated from booking to gate. We handle the coordination on our packages, you handle the cheering, and the hockey takes care of itself. Our packages reward fans who plan ahead.

FAQs About Florida Panthers Travel for Fans

How much are Florida Panthers tickets?

Florida Panthers tickets swing widely depending on the opponent, the day of the week, and where you sit, so understanding the tiers of tickets up front matters. Upper-level Florida Panthers tickets for a midweek matchup against a non-rival are the most affordable Florida Panthers tickets at Amerant Bank Arena, while lower-bowl and glass seats against a divisional rival sit at the top of the range. Premium club Florida Panthers tickets land in between. Because pricing shifts with demand, the most reliable way to lock in value is to bundle your seats with a hotel through Florida Panthers packages rather than chasing the market on its own.

What is the best section to sit in at Amerant Bank Arena for a Panthers game?

The best section at Amerant Bank Arena depends on what you want from the night. The lower-bowl sections along the sides give the closest view of the speed and physicality, while seats near the blue line deliver the cleanest sightline end to end. Fans who value comfort often prefer the club seats at Amerant Bank Arena, which balance a strong view with upgraded amenities. Budget-minded visitors are frequently surprised by how good the upper-level views are at Amerant Bank Arena, since elevation actually helps you read the flow of hockey.

How do I get from Fort Lauderdale to Amerant Bank Arena?

Getting to Amerant Bank Arena from Fort Lauderdale is refreshingly straightforward, because Sunrise Boulevard runs directly from the coast inland to the rink. From most beach hotels you can drive the corridor in twenty-five to thirty-five minutes, depending on game-night traffic, and Amerant Bank Arena sits right off the Sawgrass Expressway interchange. Rideshare from Fort Lauderdale is also common for Panthers fans without a car. I-595 offers an alternative inland route for travelers coming from south Broward County.

Where should I stay for a Florida Panthers game?

The smartest place to stay depends on your trip style. Fans who want to maximize game-day convenience pick a hotel near Sawgrass Mills, like the AC Hotel or DoubleTree Sunrise Sawgrass Mills, both within a short ride of the rink. Travelers who want to combine Florida Panthers hockey with South Florida beaches should base in Fort Lauderdale, then drive the corridor west on game days. The Plantation corridor between Sunrise and Fort Lauderdale offers a middle path, with hotels like Hyatt Place Plantation and Renaissance Fort Lauderdale West.

How early should I arrive at Amerant Bank Arena before a Panthers game?

I generally recommend arriving sixty to ninety minutes before puck drop, which gives you time to clear security at Amerant Bank Arena, find your section, grab something to eat, and settle in. Warmups begin around half an hour before the game and are worth catching, since you get an up-close look at the team before the building fills. Arriving early lets you beat the worst of the Sawgrass Expressway traffic at Amerant Bank Arena. If you are planning a pre-game meal at Sawgrass Mills, build in extra time, because tables fill quickly on Panthers nights.

How early should I book a Florida Panthers travel package?

The earlier you plan, the better your options, especially given the back-to-back Stanley Cup runs that have made Sunrise one of the hottest NHL travel destinations. For high-demand games, heated divisional rivalries, and any playoff run, I recommend locking in your Florida Panthers travel package three to six months ahead, because the best seats and the strongest hotels near Amerant Bank Arena disappear first. Through Elite Sports Tours, planning ahead opens up Florida Panthers packages pricing that grows harder to secure as the date approaches, so treating Florida Panthers packages as the first step is always the smart move.

Can I add other South Florida attractions to my Panthers trip?

Absolutely, and folding extra experiences into a Panthers weekend is one of my favorite ways to help travelers get more from a South Florida trip. Few regions reward exploration the way South Florida does, with Fort Lauderdale Beach, the Everglades, the Miami arts scene, Sawgrass Mills shopping, and the Keys all within reach of Amerant Bank Arena. A Panthers night pairs naturally with a beach morning, an afternoon airboat tour, or a day in Miami. Through Elite Sports Tours, my team can arrange these additions.

Why should I book my Florida Panthers trip with Elite Sports Tours?

Elite Sports Tours exists to make Florida Panthers travel simple and coordinated. Booking with us gives you access to Florida Panthers packages that combine Florida Panthers tickets, hotels near Amerant Bank Arena, and optional flights into a single plan, along with the value that comes from building those packages around your dates. My team brings hands-on knowledge of Sunrise and our Florida Panthers packages, so we point you toward the right seats, the best-located hotels, and the local details that make a trip work. We handle the coordination so you can focus on the team and the South Florida coast.

Explore More Florida Panthers Travel Guides

Planning a trip to see the Florida Panthers involves more than just buying a seat. Hotel location, venue access, seating strategy, and transportation timing can all shape your South Florida weekend. These guides break down each part of the planning process so you can compare seats, hotels, and Florida Panthers travel options more efficiently.

• Best Hotels Near Amerant Bank Arena for Florida Panthers Games: Compare where to stay based on price, location, and convenience for a Panthers trip.
• How to Get to Amerant Bank Arena for Florida Panthers Games: Learn the most efficient transportation options, including driving routes, parking, and rideshare tips.
• Where the Florida Panthers Stay on the Road: See where the team stays in each NHL city and how those locations can guide your own planning.
• Best Seats and Ticket Options at Florida Panthers Games: Break down the seating tiers to find the right balance between view, price, and experience.
• Florida Panthers Tours at Amerant Bank Arena: Take a closer look at behind-the-scenes access and the attractions around Sunrise.
• Florida Panthers Travel Packages: Explore complete Florida Panthers Travel Packages that include tickets, hotels, and optional flights.

Editorial Note

This guide was written by the Elite Sports Tours team because Sunrise is one of the most frequently booked NHL trips on our books right now, particularly after the back-to-back Stanley Cup runs that have made Florida Panthers travel one of the league's hottest itineraries. The combination of a championship roster, a warm-climate destination, and a fanbase that travels in numbers makes Sunrise one of the most rewarding NHL travel weekends to plan. Everything in this guide reflects what Elite Sports Tours is actively booking for Florida Panthers fans on Travel Packages.

Travel Disclaimer

Florida Panthers home schedules, venue policies, transit routes, hotel availability, and ticket pricing all change throughout the season. Always confirm specific Sunrise gameday details with the team organization, the hotel, and the transport provider directly before traveling. Elite Sports Tours updates Travel Packages and Florida Panthers tickets as the schedule and venue policies change.

Updated June 2026