TLDR: The Florida-Georgia Game isn't sitting still right now. Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta hosts on October 31, 2026, Raymond James Stadium in Tampa takes it in 2027, and the rivalry is set to come back home to EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville from 2028 through 2031. Wherever it lands, a charter bus or party bus rental turns a 200-to-350-mile road trip (or a home tailgate) into one group, one pickup, and one ride home — instead of a caravan of cars splitting up somewhere on I-75.
For nearly a century, this game meant one thing for Jacksonville: a home date, a downtown packed wall to wall, and a stadium split fifty-fifty down the 50-yard line. That changes for two seasons while EverBank Stadium goes through a $1.4 billion rebuild. If your group has always driven a few minutes to the Sports Complex for this game, you're suddenly planning a real road trip — and that's exactly where a party bus or charter bus rental earns its keep.
Below is the actual game-by-game breakdown: where it's played, where the bus goes, what the drive looks like from Jacksonville, and what changes once the rivalry comes home.
Where Is the Florida-Georgia Game Played in 2026 and Beyond?
The Florida-Georgia Game is on the move for two seasons while EverBank Stadium's renovation is underway, and knowing exactly where your group is headed each year is the first decision that shapes the whole trip. Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta hosts the rivalry on Saturday, October 31, 2026, with kickoff at 3:30 PM ET. Raymond James Stadium in Tampa is set to host in 2027.
From 2028 through 2031, the game is scheduled to return to EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, where it's been played almost every year since 1933 and earned the nickname "The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party" for the split-stadium seating and the week-long buildup downtown.
Check the official Georgia-Florida game site for the current year's exact kickoff time and ticket details before you lock in a group trip — kickoff windows and TV assignments typically aren't finalized until closer to the date. Whichever city hosts, a party bus or charter bus rental found through Jacksonvillepartybuscompany.com keeps a Jacksonville-area group together for the drive, instead of splitting into three or four cars that inevitably get separated somewhere on the interstate.
Charter Bus & Party Bus Rental to Mercedes-Benz Stadium for the 2026 Florida-Georgia Game
Mercedes-Benz Stadium sits at 1 AMB Drive NW in downtown Atlanta, about 346 miles from Jacksonville — a drive that runs roughly 5.5 to 6 hours nonstop up I-75, longer once you add game-day traffic around the Downtown Connector. That's too long a haul to split into separate cars if you want your whole group arriving and leaving together, which is exactly the trip a charter bus rental is built for: everyone boards once in Jacksonville, and the drive becomes somebody else's problem instead of yours.
Here's the detail that catches first-time visitors off guard: most of the lots around Mercedes-Benz Stadium do not accept buses at all. The standard game-day lots — the Home Depot Backyard, the North Gate 1 lot, the Yellow and Blue lots — explicitly restrict entry to vehicles that fit in a regular parking space, which rules out a 40- or 56-passenger coach. The one lot built for oversized vehicles is the Marshalling Yard, entered off Ivan Allen Jr. Boulevard NW, about a 10-minute walk from Gate 1.
On a purchased arrival day, the Marshalling Yard opens at 8:00 AM and vehicles are asked to clear out by 10:00 AM the following morning, so this is the one lot your bus needs pre-arranged parking for, not a lot you can just roll into.
Rideshare and drop-off traffic is routed separately, with Zone 1 at GWCC Bus Lane C on Northside Drive, just north of Gate 1 — useful to know if part of your group is meeting the bus there rather than boarding in Jacksonville. Because the Marshalling Yard is the only realistic option for a full-size bus, confirming that reservation early matters more for this trip than for almost any other stop on the Florida-Georgia calendar.
Charter Bus & Party Bus Rental to Raymond James Stadium for the 2027 Florida-Georgia Game
Raymond James Stadium sits at 4201 N Dale Mabry Highway in Tampa, a much shorter run for a Jacksonville group — about 200 miles down I-75, roughly 3.5 to 4 hours depending on traffic through Ocala and Wildwood. That's a same-day round trip in a bus for groups who'd rather not book a hotel, and it means more of your rental hours go to the tailgate instead of the drive.
For events at Raymond James Stadium outside the regular Buccaneers slate, buses park in Lot 8, entered off Himes Avenue, per the stadium's own getting-here page. Limo and bus staging for drop-off and pickup is set up at the adjacent Steinbrenner Field lot, a short walk from the stadium gates — and like Atlanta, overnight stays for buses and RVs aren't permitted on stadium property, so this is a drop-and-return trip, not an overnight-parking one. Because Raymond James hosts a full slate of Buccaneers and USF games in addition to this rivalry date, confirming your bus's exact lot assignment for the Florida-Georgia weekend specifically — rather than assuming the standard NFL setup applies — is worth doing before you lock in pickup times.
The Florida-Georgia Game Comes Home: EverBank Stadium, 2028-2031
When the rivalry returns to EverBank Stadium, Jacksonville-area groups get their easiest version of this trip back — a short ride instead of a five-hour haul, with a transportation system the city has run for this exact game for decades. In its most recent Jacksonville hosting, the setup gave fans several ways in: the free JTA Skyway connecting Downtown and the Southbank all week, a River Taxi running 10 AM to 10 PM on game day, and the JTA Gameday Xpress, a cashless park-and-ride bus service running from the Kings Avenue Garage and FSCJ-Downtown lots downtown and the Beaches Lot at Wingate and Armsdale Park-n-Ride in the suburbs, priced at $10 per game from the downtown lots or $15 per game from the suburban lots, with passes purchased in advance through the MyJTA app.
The detail that matters most for a private group bus: EverBank Stadium's regular lots cap vehicle length, and oversized vehicles — including full-size charter buses — are restricted to a designated Oversized Vehicle Lot rather than the general parking fields. A private charter bus or party bus rental for this game plans around that designated lot from the start, rather than discovering the restriction at the gate. Complimentary shuttles have also run from Lots S, X, and Z and from Metropolitan Park on the St. Johns River, moving fans in for three hours before kickoff and out for an hour after.
For groups riding in on their own bus, drop-off keeps everyone together for the walk in rather than scattering across those satellite lots.
Downtown hotels along the riverfront lean into the weekend, too — properties like the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront have run their own tailgate zones with live entertainment and games on the front drive, less than a mile's walk from the stadium. A bus that drops your group curbside at a riverfront hotel puts you in the middle of that scene without anyone hunting for a parking space downtown on the busiest weekend of the Jacksonville sports calendar. For the full breakdown of gates, lots, and drop-off zones at EverBank Stadium, see the EverBank Stadium bus rental guide.
Gator Fans From Gainesville and Beyond: Getting the Whole Group There
A huge share of Florida-Georgia traffic starts in Gainesville, home to the Gators, roughly 331 miles from Atlanta and about 130 miles from Tampa. A Gainesville party bus rental is an easy way for a UF tailgate crew, a fraternity or sorority group, or a family reunion to make the trip together instead of caravanning up I-75 in three or four separate cars and hoping everyone finds each other in an unfamiliar lot. Groups coming from elsewhere in North Florida — Ocala, Palm Coast, or the Jacksonville suburbs — face the same math: one bus with one pickup point beats coordinating gas stops and lot assignments across a fleet of personal cars for a multi-hour drive.
Flying in instead? For a 2028-2031 Jacksonville date, Jacksonville International Airport is the easiest arrival point, and a bus can meet your group at baggage claim and run straight downtown — see the Jacksonville International Airport (JAX) shuttle guide or the Jacksonville airport transportation page for pickup details. For the Atlanta and Tampa road years, most Jacksonville-area groups find it's simpler to ride the whole way together rather than splitting into flights and rental cars for a same-day or overnight trip.
What Size Bus Fits Your Florida-Georgia Game Group?
The right vehicle for this trip comes down to headcount and how far you're going. A same-day run down to Tampa doesn't need the same setup as an overnight haul to Atlanta with gear, coolers for the tailgate at the destination, and multiple pickup stops around Jacksonville.
- 14-passenger Sprinter limo or Sprinter van — a tight group of family or close friends who want a comfortable ride for a Tampa day trip or an Atlanta overnight, with premium seating and charging at every seat.
- 15-30 passenger party bus — the pick for a tailgate crew that wants the ride itself to feel like part of the event, with a full-length bar area, color-changing LED lighting, and a Bluetooth sound system for the drive.
- 15-35 passenger minibus — a strong fit for a mid-size fraternity, alumni chapter, or corporate suite group making the Tampa run, with reclining seats and strong A/C for the ride down.
- 40-56 passenger charter bus — the right call for the biggest groups and the longest drive, with undercarriage bays for tailgate gear and coolers, plus an onboard restroom that matters a lot more on a six-hour Atlanta run than a quick Tampa hop.
Not sure which fits? Browse the full vehicle lineup or call 904-893-3770 and describe your group size, origin, and which year's game you're headed to — you'll get help matching the right bus to the right trip in minutes.
Florida-Georgia Game Bus Rental Prices
Distance is the single biggest factor in what this trip costs, and it varies a lot by year: a same-day Tampa run burns far fewer hours than an overnight Atlanta trip. To give you an idea of what Florida-Georgia weekend rentals tend to run: 14-passenger Sprinter limos and vans run roughly $150-$400/hour; 15-30 passenger party buses run roughly $180-$420/hour; 15-35 passenger minibuses run roughly $200-$450/hour; and 40-56 passenger charter buses typically run $150-$300/hour or $1,200-$2,800/day for a longer multi-day trip. Longer hauls like Atlanta are usually quoted as flat multi-day packages rather than hourly, since the bus and any overnight parking are committed to your group for the whole trip.
Those numbers move with your exact date, group size, hours booked, and whether the trip is a day run or an overnight — the fastest way to see real numbers for your Florida-Georgia weekend is to fill out the quick form or call 904-893-3770, and you can have pricing for your specific trip in about a minute. Check the Jacksonville party bus prices page for more on how rates break down.
Tips for Planning Your Florida-Georgia Game Bus Trip
- Book as soon as your host city is locked in. Rivalry weekend pulls buses from across North and Central Florida every year it's within reach, and an overnight Atlanta trip needs a vehicle committed to your group for two full days, not just a few hours.
- Confirm the exact bus lot for your year. The Marshalling Yard in Atlanta, Lot 8 in Tampa, and the Oversized Vehicle Lot in Jacksonville are each the only realistic bus parking at their venue — standard lots turn full-size coaches away.
- Build in extra time for the drive. Halloween weekend traffic around Atlanta and I-75 congestion through Ocala can both add real time to the trip beyond a normal drive-time estimate.
- Check the official game site each year. Kickoff times, ticket details, and any transportation updates for the current host city are posted at gafljax.com as the date approaches.
Also planning a trip to TPC Sawgrass or Daytona International Speedway while you're in the area? Those guides cover their own drop-off details.
Frequently Asked Questions About Florida-Georgia Game Transportation
Where is the Florida-Georgia Game played in 2026?
The 2026 Florida-Georgia Game is scheduled for Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Saturday, October 31, 2026, with a 3:30 PM ET kickoff. The rivalry moves to Raymond James Stadium in Tampa for 2027, then is scheduled to return to EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville from 2028 through 2031 once the venue's renovation wraps up.
Why isn't the Florida-Georgia Game in Jacksonville right now?
EverBank Stadium is in the middle of a $1.4 billion renovation, so the rivalry is playing two seasons on the road — Atlanta in 2026 and Tampa in 2027 — before it's scheduled to return to Jacksonville starting in 2028. The teams have played the game in Jacksonville nearly every year since 1933, so this marks the first extended relocation of the series in decades.
Can a charter bus park at Mercedes-Benz Stadium for the game?
Yes, but only in one designated location. Most Mercedes-Benz Stadium lots restrict entry to standard-size vehicles, so buses and RVs use the Marshalling Yard off Ivan Allen Jr. Boulevard NW, roughly a 10-minute walk from Gate 1. The lot opens at 8:00 AM on the arrival day for a purchased pass, and pre-arranging that spot matters more here than at most stadiums since it's the only option.
How far is it from Jacksonville to the Florida-Georgia Game each year?
Jacksonville to Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta is about 346 miles, roughly a 5.5-to-6-hour drive up I-75 before traffic. Jacksonville to Raymond James Stadium in Tampa is about 200 miles, roughly 3.5 to 4 hours. Once the game returns to EverBank Stadium, Jacksonville-area groups face no long drive at all.
Where do buses park at Raymond James Stadium?
For events outside the regular Buccaneers schedule, buses park in Lot 8 off Himes Avenue, with limo and bus staging at the neighboring Steinbrenner Field lot. Overnight stays aren't permitted on stadium property, which makes Tampa a same-day trip for a bus rental rather than an overnight-parking stop.
What changes for bus parking once the game is back at EverBank Stadium?
EverBank Stadium restricts oversized vehicles, including full-size charter buses, to a designated Oversized Vehicle Lot rather than the general parking fields used by cars. The city has also run free shuttle and transit options for the game in past years, including the JTA Skyway, a River Taxi, and the JTA Gameday Xpress park-and-ride service, which give fans several ways in beyond driving straight to the stadium.
How much does it cost to rent a bus for the Florida-Georgia Game?
Pricing depends heavily on distance and trip length. To give you an idea: 14-passenger Sprinter vans run roughly $150-$400/hour, 15-30 passenger party buses run roughly $180-$420/hour, and 40-56 passenger charter buses run $150-$300/hour or $1,200-$2,800/day, with longer trips like an Atlanta overnight typically quoted as a flat multi-day package. Fill out the quick form or call 904-893-3770 for pricing on your specific date and group size.
How far in advance should we book a bus for this game?
As early as your plans are set, especially for an Atlanta or Tampa road year. An overnight Atlanta trip ties up a vehicle for two days, and rivalry weekend pulls demand from Jacksonville, Gainesville, and cities across both states every year it's within driving range, so the best vehicles for your group size go early.
Get Your Florida-Georgia Game Bus Rental Quote
Wherever the rivalry lands this year — Atlanta, Tampa, or back home in Jacksonville starting in 2028 — Jacksonvillepartybuscompany.com makes it easy to compare party buses, charter buses, minibuses, and Sprinter vans for the trip and get pricing in minutes. Fill out the quick online form or call 904-893-3770 any time, any day, to see options and all-inclusive pricing for your Florida-Georgia Game group with no obligation.
