AFC WEST

Joe’s favorite training camp: The Chiefs begin a new era this summer at Missouri Western State, so I haven’t been to that camp, but the best overall experience is definitely Denver for the orange crush of Broncos fans in droves, plus good vantage points to enjoy practice and convenient access, too.

DENVER BRONCOS

Road tripping: Denver will be piling on the miles this season, with a trip across the pond to London, plus they’ll head east to Kansas City, Baltimore, Tennessee and Jacksonville and west to Arizona, Oakland and San Diego.

Recommended road trips: Make your friends jealous and get over to London — on Halloween, no less. But if you’d rather stay stateside, consider an Oct. 10 visit to Baltimore as the Broncos visit the Ravens. The next day, make a play for the Big Apple by taking the train up the I-95 corridor as the Jets host the Vikings on Monday Night Football at the New Meadowlands Stadium. An alternative includes a Dec. 12 trip out of the snow, as the Broncos visit Phoenix to battle the Cardinals, and then Oakland on Dec. 19.

Visiting training camp (open to the public): The Broncos hold camp in Englewood, Colo., a Denver suburb. This is one of the league's most festive camps as Denver is first and foremost a Broncos town. Fans are close to all the hard-hitting action and it’s a great atmosphere. For more information, visit www.denverbroncos.com or call (303) 649-9000.

OAKLAND RAIDERS

Road tripping: In addition to annual roadies to Denver, Kansas City and San Diego, the silver and black visit Pittsburgh, Jacksonville, Tennessee, Arizona and San Francisco.

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Recommended road trips: Lots of rich NFL history and the color black figure to dominate Nov. 21 in Pittsburgh as two of the league’s most celebrated franchises get together. Two trips closer to home include the Sept. 26 roadie at Arizona and the “Battle of the Bay,” Oct. 17, as throngs of silver and black invade Candlestick Park. Want to get an early start on the season? Consider an Aug. 12 trip to Dallas or Aug. 21 in Chicago, both home to historic franchises and unique stadium experiences.

Not visiting training camp (closed to most of the public, but open to select groups): The Raiders’ camp is closed to the public, which is a shame because Napa is such a great location for the visitor. The Raiders claim the physical layout of their training facility doesn’t allow for unlimited public access. But as the only NFL team to restrict access, a fan should buy Al Davis some chardonnay or merlot at one of the local Napa wineries to loosen him up, convincing him to either expand the facility or relocate to a new one. The Raiders’ PR department says they host about 5,000 fans at camp annually, such as a youth groups, charitable organizations, Raiders booster clubs, sponsors, season ticket holders and suite holders, among others. For information on Raiders practice access, visit www.raiders.com.

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

Road tripping: The Chiefs visit St. Louis, Cleveland, Houston, Indianapolis and Seattle, in addition to their divisional rivals Denver, Oakland and San Diego.

Recommended road trips: Many Chiefs fans have probably already circled Dec. 19 for the four-hour trek east on I-70 to St. Louis for the “Battle of the Show Me State” against the Rams.

But the best trip is perhaps the Chiefs’ Sept. 19 road opener in Cleveland's Dog Pound. It’s is as good as any to visit the City by the Lake before the weather turns sour. Fly in Thursday, Sept. 16, catch an Indians baseball game that night and then make a Saturday trip down I-71 to the state capitol of Columbus to visit one of college football’s grandest shrines — the Horseshoe — Ohio Stadium. Ohio State hosts non-conference cream puff Ohio, so this is a good chance to score a reasonably-priced ticket.

But perhaps a better idea to follow the Chiefs to Houston Oct. 17 when they kickoff against the Texans at Reliant Stadium. Be sure to get to the stadium early because the tailgating here is absolutely superb, just like Arrowhead! If you’re a Mizzou fan — or heck, just a football fan — get into the area a day or two earlier. On Oct. 16, the Tigers visit Texas A&M in College Station. Rent a car and make the 90-minute pilgrimage to Aggieland — it’s a college football experience unlike any other. But if you don’t want to leave town, you can catch college football on a smaller scale as Houston visits cross-town rival Rice on Oct. 16. Historic Rice Stadium hosted Super Bowl VIII in 1974 as Miami beat Minnesota, 24-7.

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Visiting mini-camp and training camp (open to the public): The Chiefs begin a new era in 2010 in St. Joseph, Mo., just 55 minutes from downtown Kansas City and 35 minutes north of Kansas City International Airport. The camp at Missouri Western State means the Chiefs will have camp back in the state for the first time in 20 years, or since holding court at William Jewell College in Liberty from 1963-1990. The Chiefs were at University of Wisconsin in River Falls. Missouri Western lured the Chiefs by agreeing to help build a new facility on campus that includes a climate-controlled, 120-yard indoor field and two 120-yard, regulation NFL grass fields. For more information on practice access, visit www.kcchiefs.com.

SAN DIEGO CHARGERS

Road tripping: The Bolts play at St. Louis, Seattle, Houston, Indianapolis and Cincinnati, on top of their division tilts at Oakland, Denver and Kansas City.

Recommended road trips: Catch the Sept. 13 season opener in Kansas City, but make the weekend of it. It is opening weekend after all. Fly into Chicago or St. Louis and rent a car, and watch the Bears or Rams on Sunday (the Lions play Chicago; the Cardinals visit St. Louis). Stay in town another day or two and catch the Royals at quaint Kauffman Stadium.

Alternatively, head to Indianapolis on Nov. 28. With Indy’s central Midwest location, you could fly into Chicago to catch the Bears’ noon kickoff against the Eagles, then drive south for tailgating before the Colts-Bolts. Stay overnight in Indy and visit the NCAA Hall of Champions Museum; Sports Art Museum; or a Pacers game; or take a short detour on the way back to Chicago by catching a hoops game at the University of Indiana or Purdue.

Visiting training camp (open to the public): The Bolts hold camp at their practice facility, 2.5 miles north of Qualcomm Stadium, and it’s a great setting to enjoy practice. They will also occasionally hold a practice or two at Qualcomm Stadium. The confines at Chargers Park are certainly cozy, but sometimes a bit too crowded. The Chargers used to hold camp at the University of California at San Diego campus and briefly held practice outside of town in Carson, south of Los Angeles. For more information on Chargers practice access, visit www.chargers.com.

Joe Connor is a contributor to NBCSports.com and author of the annually-updated online training camp and stadium guide, “A Fan’s Guide To The Ultimate NFL Travel Experience” which is available for purchase exclusively at his Web site: www.mrsportstravel.com.