For some devoted Lions fans, Sunday’s game against the New England Patriots isn’t just another matchup on the NFL schedule.
It’s the centerpiece of a transatlantic adventure filled with sightseeing, family connections, Bavarian beer and, hopefully, a Lions victory.
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The Lions and Patriots will kick off at 9:30 a.m. Sunday (3:30 p.m. in Germany) at Munich’s Allianz Arena. The game will be televised nationally on FOX, with streaming available through FOX One and NFL+.
More: Lions finalize trade to land safety Andre Cisco from Jets
Here’s a look at what some fans are planning as they travel from Michigan to Munich.
Cultural tours and Bavarian fare
Dora Baltrusaitis and a longtime friend are Lions season ticket holders and have made it a point to travel for at least one away game every season as well. In 2024, they watched the Lions play in Green Bay and last year they went to Cincinnati.
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Heading into this season, the two made a pact that if the NFL scheduled the Lions for an overseas game, they would make plans to travel there.
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Dora Baltrusaitis, left, and other Lions fans smile for a selfie outside of Ford Field prior to a past Lions game. Baltrusaitis and a longtime friend are heading to Germany for the team’s Nov. 15 game against the Patriots.
Once the 2026 season schedule was announced, with the Lions matching up against the Patriots in Munich, Baltrusaitis said she put her name in the Lions’ lottery system that gave her a chance to buy tickets to the overseas game.
After her name was drawn, she and her friend made plans for what will be a 10-day European adventure.
More: When do the Lions get to Germany? Dan Campbell details travel plans
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Beyond Sunday’s game, she plans to spend a couple days in Salzburg, Austria, to explore Mozart’s birthplace and visit locations featured in the film “The Sound of Music.” In Munich, they’ll sample Bavarian food and beer, tour historic sites and hopefully catch the city’s opening Christmas markets.
For Baltrusaitis, 63, of Royal Oak, the trip is another chapter in a lifelong love of football that began long before she became a Lions season-ticket holder.
“Football was like a second religion in my house growing up,” she said.
Hobnobbing with Lions legends
Donna Bourgoin, 62, of Rochester is traveling to Germany with her husband and friends through a fan travel package featuring activities with former Lions player Herman Moore and broadcaster Dan Miller.
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Their itinerary includes a bus tour of castles, dinner and beer at a monastery, museum visits and several Lions-related parties and fan events.
Donna Bourgoin and family members smile during a past Lions game at Ford Field. Bourgoin and her husband are traveling overseas for the Lions’ upcoming game against the Patriots.
Bourgoin, who has been a season-ticket holder since last year, said she’s excited for the trip. She lived in Europe more than two decades ago while her husband worked there for Ford, but she didn’t get to spend time in Munich.
“It going to be so fun. I’m just hoping it turns out good for the Lions. It’s been a sad week with the injury to Jack Campbell,” she said, referring to the linebacker who was carried off the field on a stretcher after making a tackle Nov. 1.
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She may also take the opportunity to distribute some of the Lions-themed jewelry she produces through her business, Bossy Girl Beads.
After Sunday’s game, she and her husband plan to head straight from Munich to Paris by train for a week.
Spreading his father’s ashes
Another fan, 45-year-old Nick Hoonhout of Clarkston, flew out of Detroit on Monday night.
In Germany, he plans to meet up with a friend who has family in Stuttgart prior to watching the game from the third row up on the Lions’ sideline.
He’ll also visit Amsterdam, where his late father was born and where Hoonhout still has family.
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“My dad was born in Amsterdam during WWII and I’m going to spread some of his ashes where he grew up,” Hoonhout said via text. “It will be such a memorable and fun trip.
“Hopefully the Lions get the win,” he added.
Next stop, Los Angeles?
A win on Sunday will help the Lions keep pace with the rest of the rugged NFC North as teams jockey for playoff positioning.
Baltrusaitis is hopeful this won’t be her last Lions road trip for the season.
“I just hope the next stop after Germany will be L.A. for the Super Bowl,” she said.
mreinhart@detroitnews.com
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Lions fans head overseas for Munich matchup with Patriots
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