Okay lets take each premiere event one at a time and hopefully you will be able to profit from this information.
City Championships (in-town)
If you are participating at a local CC. It is a good idea to check out the POP tournament listing at
http://op.pokemon-tcg.com for information about that paticular event. Remember that all championships events are free so don't worry about cost. Find out where it is, when it is, and find a phone number or other fast method to contact the tournament organizer of the event so that you can find out what side events there might be. Being a City Championship don't put hopes on side events. However pack a Game Boy with your favorite version, you can usually squeeze in a few fun battles.
CC out of town
If you are desperate to try to win any CC and you travel to multiple cities, you should try to do research using
Orbitz,
Expedia, or another travel service (or just contact your agent) to find out the best hotels (and if necessary for your area, flights [however take heed that flights are expected to get pricy this year so be careful]). Also if you have long range pokemon-related friends, try and stay at their place. We here in Colorado do that all of the time with each other. Again find out about as much of the tournament as possible in advance.
State Championships
Some of you will have to do some traveling for a State Championship. If things stay the same this year for me, I will have to travel for three hours to get to mine (which I am very use to now). Plan ahead and follow the same tips above. Remember that these two smaller championship events require your own planning and getting together with players to the same destination.
Regional Championships
Once these come around, chances are you are going to have some sort of a road trip ahead of you. These should be announce with plenty of time to spare hopefully just like last year so you will be able to make plans in advance and if you have the finacial resources plan on up to three or more if you are determined enough. I hope to be this year. Again though planning will be mainly on your own, however check here on the Gym in the Regionals sub-forum in the OP forums around late spring to see topics starting up about each individual Regional Championship including possible hotels and more!
Most likely there will be some form of side events at each Regional Championship however that is up to each TO running the event. Again check with them when the time comes for details.
Gym Challenges
See State Championships
National Championship
The U.S. National Championship most likely will be held at Origins again this year. Believe it or not now is the best time to plan for this event. Check out
www.originsgames.com to find out information about this four-day event and start saving to get your registration into the convention. Remember that the convention costs to get in including the events ($40-65 depending on when you register for the convention, and additional costs for certain events). Origins is at Columbus, OH each year at the Greater Columbus Convetion Center. Hotels cost around $150 to $250 a night around Origins. For flights you will have to do your own research.
Pokemon had alot of fun side events including one especially for Professors. Once the event schedule is posted on the Origins website we will be able to see what is coming. The event schedule should be up hopefully by Feburary.
World Championship
As in terms of travel, plan now. Because if you want to have at least some amount of fun at the biggest bash that Pokemon has to offer, it would be unwise to count on getting qualifed through a Gym, Regional, or National. I say this because Worlds is a great experience no matter if you are in the main event or not. Even if you do get an invite planning ahead will save part of the stress that would come to those dedicated enough who want to be at worlds.
Well I think that is all I can say for now. Just plan on having fun in the here and now. Concentrate on saving for Nationals and Worlds.