SportsQuest
All games

Week 13, Sun, Dec 6, 1:00 PM local

Los Angeles Chargersat Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Raymond James Stadium, Tampa. Fly into TPA.

Build the quest

The matchup

Form, ESPN's model and the stat leaders
Form

The Chargers are 0-3 after 3 games, 4th in the AFC West.

They have lost 3 in a row.

They are 0-1 on the road.

The Buccaneers are 0-3 after 3 games, 4th in the NFC South.

They have lost 3 in a row.

They are 0-2 at home.

What we know about Raymond James Stadium

Where visiting fans stay

From a specialist guide
  • Westshore / International Plaza. 25 min. walk (roughly 1-1. No public transport runs to Raymond James Stadium on game day. Your best bet is a short rideshare, since fares surge but stay cheap over this distance. Westshore sits about a mile from the stadium. The AC Hotel Tampa Airport is 0.9 miles away. The Renaissance International Plaza is 1.2 miles away, near a mall full of restaurants and the Boy Scout Boulevard dining strip. TPA airport is ten minutes away. Some fans walk it.
  • Downtown Tampa / Channelside. rideshare only, no game-day transit service exists. Pick this if you want a city weekend, not a mall weekend. You get the riverwalk, Amalie Arena, Sparkman Wharf, and the free TECO Line streetcar to Ybor City. There is no transit link to the stadium. Budget a rideshare each way, about 5 miles, with heavy surge and long lines after the game.

Around the stadium

From a specialist guide
The stadium's immediate ring is parking lots and Dale Mabry Highway, with little to do on foot. About a mile away, Westshore has real hotels and restaurants: the Econo Lodge at 0.6 miles, the AC Hotel Tampa Airport at 0.9 miles, the Renaissance International Plaza at 1.2 miles, plus the Boy Scout Boulevard restaurant strip and the International Plaza mall. Many fans eat and drink on Dale Mabry or Boy Scout Blvd, then walk the mile and a half to the stadium.

Getting in from the airport

Checked at the source
TPA, Tampa International Airport. Rideshare or taxi takes a few minutes. HART bus routes 10, 30, and 32 serve the airport seven days a week. Route 30 runs between downtown and the airport.

Getting to the stadium

From a specialist guide
. On foot from the Westshore and Boy Scout Blvd hotels and bars, about 30 min to About a mile and a half.

Tailgating

Checked at the source
Bucs Beach, in the South Plaza off Tampa Bay Blvd, is free and open to the public with no ticket needed. It has shaded lounges, tiki bars, a DJ, fan competitions, and cheerleader appearances. It opens 3.5 hours before kickoff and closes at the start of the first quarter. The Bucs Kids Zone next door, in Lot 6D, is also free, opening 3.5 hours before kickoff and closing 30 minutes before kickoff. Bucs Beach, South Plaza off Tampa Bay Blvd. Free, no ticket needed. Opens 3.5 hours before kickoff, closes at the start of the first quarter. Bucs Kids Zone, Lot 6D, south of Bucs Beach. Free. Opens 3.5 hours before kickoff, closes 30 minutes before kickoff.

Getting in

Checked at the source
  • Bag policy: This is the strictest bag policy in the group, a true no-bag venue. Only one small clutch bag is allowed, no larger than 4.5 by 6.5 inches. The clear 12x6x12 bag allowed at other stadiums is not admitted here. Storage lockers rent on Tom McEwen Blvd near the Suzuki Marine Gate. No medical, diaper, or breast-pump exception is published.
  • Re-entry: Re-entry is not permitted except for a medical emergency. This is a stadium rule. Parking passes are separately not valid for re-entry into the parking lots.
  • Prohibited items: Banned: all bags beyond one small clutch; glass and plastic bottles, cans, and hard-sided containers; coolers; aerosol sunscreen; umbrellas; professional cameras with detachable lenses, video recorders, GoPros, and tripods; noisemakers; weapons; smoking and tobacco; drones.

Touring the stadium

Checked at the source
The Behind the Scenes stadium tour runs Monday to Friday only, so game days and the Saturday before are out. Tours during an event week may be canceled. The stadium closed fully from September 5 to 15, 2026 for the Bruno Mars concerts. Slots post on Fridays for the following week; book ahead.

After the final whistle

From a specialist guide
No published clearance time. The Tampa Sports Authority says only that sold-out games take time to clear, and each lot routes to a fixed exit road. Every rideshare, taxi, and bus funnels through Steinbrenner Field, so expect a long line there. A common workaround: walk northeast toward Westshore and order a car from a side street.

One thing to avoid

From a specialist guide
There is no special-event bus service for Buccaneers games. The official mass-transit option is just a drop-off point at Steinbrenner Field. Skip plans built around the beaches too. Clearwater and St. Pete Beach sit 45 minutes to an hour away across the bay with no transit link, making a game-day round trip tough.

Bars near the stadium

Checked at the source

  • Bucs Beach (South Plaza)

    South Plaza, off Tampa Bay Blvd, Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL

    Tampa has no walkable bar district, so Bucs Beach is the answer. It's free, open to the public, and needs no ticket, opening 3.5 hours before kickoff.

    Away fans: mixed

  • La Teresita Restaurant

    3248 West Columbus Drive, Tampa, FL 33607

    The Capdevila family has run La Teresita since 1972. More than five decades of Cuban and Spanish cooking on Columbus Drive.

  • Cigar City Brewing - Tampa Taproom

    3924 West Spruce Street, Tampa, FL 33607

    Cigar City opened in 2009 and put Tampa on the American craft-beer map. Its Spruce Street taproom is the closest thing on the stadium's ring road to a destination room.

Sidequests in Tampa

In the order they happen. Each one earns points.

  1. Tour100 points

    Raymond James Stadium tour

    Walk the club level, a suite, the pirate ship, and both locker rooms on this 75-minute tour. Runs daily at 2 PM, $16.56 for adults, $10.35 for kids 5 to 11. No weekend or game day tours.

    $. The day before. Bookable

  2. Eat65 points

    Honey Cuban sandwich at West Tampa Sandwich Shop

    Order the honey Cuban at this West Tampa counter spot, a mile east of the stadium. Open since 1992, Monday to Saturday, 6 AM to 3 PM.

    $. The day before

  3. Outing40 points

    Glazer Children's Museum

    This hands-on museum sits on the Riverwalk at Gasparilla Plaza. Open Tuesday to Sunday, 9:30 AM to 5 PM during the school year. Tickets run $27.95, $22.95 for Florida residents, free under age 1.

    $$. The day before

  4. Landmark65 points

    Ybor City's 7th Avenue

    Vicente Martinez Ybor founded this cigar district in 1885; its factories rolled 500 million cigars in 1929. It is now a National Historic Landmark District. Seventh Avenue made America's 10 Great Streets list in 2008.

    Free. The day before

  5. Landmark65 points

    Ride the free TECO Line streetcar

    This free streetcar covers 2.7 miles between downtown Tampa, the Channel District and Ybor City. Eleven covered stations, cars every 15 minutes, seven days a week. Ride it from the Riverwalk to dinner in Ybor.

    Free. The day before

  6. Eat65 points

    Dinner at the Columbia Restaurant in Ybor City

    Spanish-Cuban restaurant founded 1905, filling a city block with fifteen dining rooms. Known for the 1905 Salad and Cuban sandwich, flamenco shows in the El Siboney room. Sunday hours 11 AM to 9 PM.

    $$$. 19 hours before kickoff

  7. Photo25 points

    Tampa Riverwalk at Curtis Hixon Park

    This paved path runs 2.6 miles along the Hillsborough River through downtown, linking parks, museums and restaurants. By Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park, you face the river and the University of Tampa minarets across the water.

    Free. 19 hours before kickoff

  8. Drink25 points

    Hattricks sports bar downtown

    TVs cover every wall at this Franklin Street bar for Bucs, Lightning and Rays games. It throws pregame parties for arena events nearby. Opens 11 AM, closing time varies, so call first.

    $$. 18 hours before kickoff

  9. Eat65 points

    Cuban bread breakfast at La Segunda Bakery

    Ybor City bakery open since 1915, baking more than 18,000 loaves of Cuban bread a day. Open 6:30 AM to 3 PM daily, good for an early Sunday stop before the stadium.

    $. 5 hours before kickoff

  10. Ritual25 points

    Cannon fire from the pirate ship

    Built in 1998 as a scaled replica of an 1800s ship, the pirate ship fires its cannons during Bucs games. It closes to visitors on event days. You need a ticket to see it.

    $$$. At kickoff

  11. Eat65 points

    Post-game steak at Bern's Steak House

    Steaks dry age five to eight weeks at this Tampa house, open since 1956. The cellar holds over half a million bottles; save room for the Harry Waugh Dessert Room. Open Sunday 5 to 10 PM, book ahead.

    $$$. 5 hours after kickoff

Seats and views

Where each part of Raymond James Stadium sits, and what you see from it.

100 level, end zone100 level, corner, home side100 level, home sideline100 level, corner, home side100 level, end zone100 level, corner, visitor side100 level, visitor sideline100 level, corner, visitor side200 level, end zone200 level, corner, home side200 level, home sideline200 level, corner, home side200 level, end zone200 level, corner, visitor side200 level, visitor sideline200 level, corner, visitor side300 level, end zone300 level, corner, home side300 level, home sideline300 level, corner, home side300 level, end zone300 level, corner, visitor side300 level, visitor sideline300 level, corner, visitor sideHomeVisitors
100 level100s, for example 102 to 145200 level200s, for example 203 to 241300 level300s, for example 304 to 344Tap any part of the stadium to see its view.