If you’re traveling to a festival, music concert or convention, there are always a few things to take into consideration before you leave. From planning your transport, through to finding the best accommodation options and bringing the essentials, here are our survival guide to help you with a smooth travel experience:
Accommodation
When traveling to an event, it’s important to book accommodation with plenty of time in advance. Cities can swell with people during popular events, and accommodation prices can rocket. Sometimes it can even be hard to find a place to stay if you’re booking close to the date of the event.
You’ll need to decide what type of accommodation you want to stay in. If you’re going to a festival with a group of friends, why not rent an apartment or a house, so you can spread out in your own living room and come and go as you please? Or if you’re going to a music concert, maybe you just want a budget hostel to stay in after a rock and roll gig, or a nice hotel where you can get ready ahead of seeing your favorite music artist. Whatever the accommodation is, you’ll need to be organized and book in advance to get good deals and secure a place to stay. AllTheRooms has every type of accommodation you could need — have a browse and book something great!
Transport
It’s usually easier to take public transport to music events, festivals or conventions as the roads surrounding venues or festival sites can get packed with cars. If you’re in a city or destination that has a good public transport system, it’s better to take metros and buses to where you’re going. Make sure you have a plan for how to get back to your accommodation once the event ends. It can be tricky ordering or hailing a cab (due to the sheer number of people), so if you can, plan your route back in advance.
If you need to travel long-distance to get to the event, such as taking a flight or train, prices will most likely be lower months beforehand (depending on the distance you’ll be traveling). Use travel comparison sites to ensure you get the best deal and try not to leave it to the last minute.
What to Bring
– Your tickets. It may sound obvious, but it’s so easy to leave your tickets in the tray of a printer or forget to bring the envelope with the tickets that were mailed to you
– Phone and phone charger (so you can keep your social media updated)
– Cash. Bring enough money to float your trip, sometimes the cash machines at festivals, concerts or conventions can run out of bills
– Apps to help you get around, such as a city transport planner, taxi app, or map
– Weather-appropriate clothes. If you’re going to be somewhere hot, bring sunscreen, a hat, and a refillable water bottle so you can stay hydrated. Meanwhile, if you’ll be at a festival or event in a destination where the weather isn’t great, bring a poncho or rain jacket, umbrella and something warm to wear
– For festivals, bring a torch so you can get around the site at night
– Earplugs if you want to protect your ears when listening to music at a loud festival
– Spare toilet paper and anti-bacterial hand gel
– Sensible shoes. You’ll probably be on your feet most of the time unless you’re at a seated event