Who doesn't love an away day? The joy of waking up early in the morning, piling in the car or coach with your mates and heading off to watch your team play in some far-off town or city. The only thing better than an away day is an away day that takes you abroad.
Whether it's with club or country, heading abroad to follow your team is one of the best parts of football, as it can serve as the perfect excuse for a quick holiday; after all, you have just spent seven hours on a plane, why shouldn't you spend a few more days exploring the city you're in?
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Perhaps the most exciting continent to go to for an away day is South America. Football is always better in South America, whether it be the vast stadiums, intense atmospheres or glorious weather.
With that in mind, we here at Football FanCast have created a list of the ten best South American away days based on the stadium and the location.
10 Estadio Hernando Siles
La Paz, Bolivia
Bolivia's Estadio Hernando Siles, located in the capital of La Paz, is the first, and the highest stadium on our list.
At more than 3000m above sea level, the ground is one of the most interesting stadiums on the continent, although it was at the centre of a row in 2008 when FIFA finally suspended a ban on games at high altitude.
The ban was initially in place over concerns that visiting teams would be at a severe disadvantage in such conditions, as playing at such an altitude makes breathing more difficult when not acclimatised.
This effect was seen when a visiting Argentina side was thrashed 6-1 in 2009 despite being clear favourites ahead of the game. Whether it's fair or not, games at the Estadio Hernando Siles Stadium are undoubtedly worth seeing as you might just witness an upset yourself.
Some of the best non-football sights in the area include Plaza Murillo, the Basilica of Saint Francis, and if you want to go a bit further out from the city, the Valle de la Luna or the Valley of the Moon is a hiking trail worth visiting.
As Bolivia is one of the cheaper countries in South America, your money should go that little bit further as well.
9 Estadio Olimpico Pascual Guerrero
Cali, Colombia
The Estadio Olimpico Pascual Guerrero is the only stadium from Colombia on our list, but it works as the home ground for three professional teams: America de Cali, Atletico, and Boca Juniours de Cali.
The stadium itself has an interesting design, as unlike a lot of the other venues on this list, it has a partial roof that covers every seat in the ground. While this wouldn't be unusual in the UK, it certainly gives it a more distinctive look in South America.
Aside from football, Cali is famous for its love of salsa dancing, so an away day here might be the perfect opportunity to get your dancing shoes on.
There are also many beautiful buildings, with a particular density of historic churches in the city, given its colonial links to Spain.
Price-wise, Cali is the third-cheapest city on the continent, and you'll be able to enjoy yourself without worrying about the budget.
8 Estadio Monumental Banco Pichincha
Guayaquil, Ecuador
We are heading to Ecuador for the next entrant on our list, SC Barcelona's Estadio Monumental Banco Pichincha, and yes, you read that right, the team that plays in this stadium are called Barcelona.
Unsurprisingly, the club was founded by a Spanish immigrant who named it after his native city back home. In honour of this connection, FC Barcelona were the first team to play the Ecuadorian side at the stadium's grand opening in 1987. One of the attendees to that game was Pele, who is said to have compared the stadium to the Maracana.
It's a visually stunning stadium, with the bright yellow stands giving it an incredibly distinctive look. Plus, adding a massive stand behind one of the goals only adds to the atmosphere on matchday.
The team is based in Guayaquil, the second-biggest city in the country and lies along the impressive Guayas River.
While the history, culture and beautiful weather are reason enough to visit the city, it is also the only way to see the famous Galápagos Islands, giving potential visitors another reason to make their way to Ecuador.
You might want to bring a little extra in the way of spending money, however, as the city is the fifth most expensive in South America.
7 Estadio Nacional
Santiago, Chile
Chile's Estadio Nacional Julio Martinez Pradanos is the next stadium on our list, and despite a shocking past, it has become one of the best football grounds in South America.
Nowadays, the stadium is used by the national team and first division club Universidad de Chile, with the atmosphere created by both being among the best on the continent.
The stadium's design is fairly standard for the region, with the most significant difference to most grounds being its vast size, as it can fit up to 48,000 fans.
The city of Santiago is one of the best destinations for an away day for the sheer number of things you could do away from the football.
If museums are your thing, you must visit the Musei de la Memoria y Los Derechos Humanos. Prefer the outdoors? You can hike in the hills and mountains that run alongside the city.
If you'd rather just chill out, you can visit the countless vineyards surrounding the city and enjoy some local wine. There really is something for everyone in Santiago.
Unfortunately, the one downside is that all of this comes with a cost, and Santiago is the most expensive city in South America.
6 Estadio do Morumbi
São Paulo, Brazil
We're heading to Brazil for this one and to one of the country's most successful clubs, São Paulo.
Sao Paulo's stadium, the Estadio do Morumbi, is one of the great footballing venues in world football, as it combines interesting architecture, a massive capacity, and a ferocious atmosphere into one package.
The 72,000-person stadium takes the bowl design seen all over the continent and runs with it. Two smaller stands run around the pitch before the ground expands to a frankly enormous single stand that encircles the entire pitch. There really is nothing like it in the UK, and it creates an awe-inspiring sight when the fans are going and the tifos are flying.
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While the city might be most famous to football fans for the team that shares its name, many other things make it great.
For architecture lovers, few cities will be as interesting as São Paulo due to its moniker as an 'open air museum' following the various styles used in its construction over the years.
The one downside is that it is the third-most expensive city in South America.
5 Estadio Centenario
Montevideo, Uruguay
Uruguay's Estadio Centenario in the capital city of Montevideo is one of the most historically significant stadiums on the planet, and that's not hyperbole.
The massive 60,000-person stadium was used as the main venue in the inaugural FIFA World Cup, held almost a century ago, in 1930. In fact, this ground is so crucial to the world's game that FIFA have proclaimed it a 'Historical Monument of World Football' – the only one in the world. It will also host a World Cup match in 2030.
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Football isn't the only selling point to Montevideo, though, as the city is jam-packed with stunning architecture, fascinating cultural and historical sights, and beaches along the Rio de la Plata.
If you only have time to see one part of the city, visit the Old Town as it combines all of the above.
4 La Bombonera
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Onto the capital of the world champions next, and it's Boca Juniors truly iconic La Bombonera stadium.
The ground is arguably just as famous as the team that plays in it, partly thanks to the incredible atmosphere and tifos created by the 49,000 fans that regularly sell the place out.
Something else that makes it stand out compared to other famous stadia is its unique layout. Where many of the other stadiums on the continent are designed to be huge bowls, La Bombonera has three sides shaped like a bowl but then one completely straight edge which runs parallel to the pitch.
This design gives the stadium an instantly recognisable profile and adds to the intense atmosphere on match days.
Buenos Aires has lots to offer visitors away from the football, from stunning architecture such as El Ateneo Grand Splendid to historical sights like the Palacio Paz.
Another benefit to an away day here is that your money will go much further, as the city is the fourth cheapest major city on the continent.
3 Mas Monumental
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Okay, so Buenos Aires makes its second appearance on this list in a row, but we really couldn't include Boca Juniors' La Bombonera and then ignore River Plate's Mas Monumental; that would be criminal.
The non-football attractions remain the same for this inclusion, so we'll focus on what makes a game at Mas Monumental so special.
The first thing is the sheer size of the place. At maximum capacity, the stadium can support 84,567 fans, and when they get going, and the flares start flying, it feels like there are ten times as many as that in the ground.
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Unlike La Bombonera, Mas Monumental is a straightforward bowl shape, although the vast number of seats gives a uniqueness not found in many other bowls across South America.
If you are heading to Argentina, visiting Mas Monumental and La Bombonera should be at the top of your to-do list.
2 Estadio Monumental U
Lima, Peru
From the largest stadium in Argentina to the largest in Peru, Lima's Estadio Monumental U.
The stadium is home to the most successful team in Peruvian football, Club Universitario de Deportes. The team have won 26 national titles in its 99-year history but is going through something of a barren spell at the moment, as the last of those 26 came in 2013.
Unsurprisingly, one of the benefits of having such a large stadium is that the atmosphere during a game is easily one of the best atmospheres you'll ever experience. The sea of people around you is like nothing we see here in the UK.
The stadium's design is also awe-inspiring, with its cauldron-like profile making the huge crowds all the more imposing for the players on the pitch. The fact that mountains are visible from the stands only further improves the experience.
Lima has plenty to offer visitors away from the football, from the stunning architecture in the Plaza de Armas to fascinating historical sites like the Huaca Pucllana ruins. If you have more time, then you might even be able to see Machu Pichu.
In terms of affordability, Lima sits right in the middle of South American cities.
1 Estadio do Maracana
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
So, there couldn't really be a list of the best South American away days that didn't include arguably the most iconic stadium in all of football, let alone Brazilian football, the Maracana.
The stadium is so intertwined with the history of Brazilian football, and it's easy to see why. With a maximum capacity of 80,000 fans, there aren't many better places to watch the beautiful game.
What can you do away from the football, though? Well, a lot.
If you fancy a nice chilled-out day, then you can't do much better than the world-famous Copacabana Beach.
If you are after something a bit more cultured, check out the Rio Museum of Art, and should you want to get a view of the whole city, head up to see Christ the Redeemer atop Camelback Mountain.
Rio de Janeiro is easily one of the best cities on earth for an away day, even if the prices are a little of the high side.
