One word: CONGRATULATIONS! Congrats on your Super Bowl LVII tickets. Congrats on the exciting and fun trip you have ahead of you. Congrats on the future moments in history you will witness! You realize that this is one of the most popular and sought-after sports events ever, right? Well of course you do, you already bought your tickets. We want your experience at the Super Bowl next year to be absolutely fantastic, and in order for that to happen, we’ve created the following list of the biggest mistakes people make when traveling to the Super Bowl. We don’t want you to make those same errors, so we recommend that you take our advice! 

Don’t drive your own vehicle to Phoenix if you want to get anywhere quickly during Super Bowl week. The traffic will be bad. Car services are probably your best friend on this trip. Not only are humungous crowds of people going to be everywhere in the area the week leading up to the Super Bowl, but a lot of them will be from out of town, which means they won’t know where they’re going. If you are a local, we understand your pain. Try to have patience for the visitors who may be a bit lost whether they are driving or walking. 

Don’t expect restaurants to have short wait times. Do plan ahead, make reservations were necessary, and plan for ample additional time before you have to be at your next location. 

Don’t pack too much in to the schedule. It can be really tempting to want to tour and see all there is to see while in Phoenix. Normally we would absolutely encourage endless adventuring! However, you want to remember that you came to Arizona to see the Super Bowl LVII and that is your primary goal. With this in mind, while you should certainly plan fun activities, go exploring, maybe even set up a cool tour, you want to gauge exactly how much time you have available and how many days you have to play around town. If you try to pack too much into a short number of days, you might end up tiring yourself out before the football even begins! Also, as mentioned previously, the traffic is going to be even more wild than you expect. Keep this in mind and explore Phoenix and all it has to offer with your time, energy, and schedule at the forefront of your plans. 

Don’t bring anything to the State Farm Stadium that is not allowed. Can you imagine arriving, moments from kickoff, and having to choose between your items being confiscated or turning around and going back to the resort to return your valuables? It can be easy to forget, but traveling for the Super Bowl is different than traveling for vacation. Sure, there will be lots of fun, lots of entertainment and great food, but there are also lots of people, cars, traffic, and rules. Following the rules and knowing them ahead of time will prevent issues from arising during your trip and allow you to have a memorable Super Bowl experience. That’s all we could wish for you!

Don’t leave late for the Super Bowl. Give yourself hours. That’s right, hours. Most attendees will want to tailgate before, so they will already be in the right general vicinity for the game. However, if you don’t tailgate, or if you tailgate at a location that is not conveniently close, you will want to leave with enough time to get to the State Farm Stadium, wait in the long lines, get through security, and find your seat! You also want to allow for time to find the restroom, get snacks, and get settled. This is a long night, and while one of the most exciting nights of the year, you want to make sure you aren’t rushing in at the last second, barely making it by the start of the game. Nobody wants that!

Don’t assume that just because you couldn’t get a Super Bowl LVII ticket, that you’ll miss out on the fun. You can still travel to Phoenix and soak in all the excitement. There are typically events you can purchase tickets for leading up to Super Bowl Sunday, including tailgating opportunities. You can always travel to the area, join in on the chaos of it all, and then find a television to watch the game from! You can always go back to the comfort of your hotel room. Not as much fun perhaps, but definitely an introvert’s dream! (However, introverts may want to avoid Phoenix on this particular week altogether. Something to think through!)

Don’t take this trip for granted! You’re at what is arguably the most coveted sports event of the year. Don’t let this weekend (or week!) fly by without savoring it! Take photos! Make memories! And while you should certainly live it up (safely!) and tailgate with your group, try not to party so much that you forget the awesome memories of the Super Bowl LVII. You’re one of the select FEW, who actually scored tickets to the massive event. Take in that unique feeling!

Don’t waste money on the fanciest hotel. (Unless, of course, you want to.) You’re spending a significant amount of cash on actual Super Bowl tickets, the travel necessary to get you to Phoenix, and food and beverages the whole week that you’re there. Why not stay a little further out and save a few bucks? 

Don’t be surprised if you see famous NFL players and/or celebrities! They like football too! It’s quite common for famous people to be seen around the super bowl scene. Here’s hoping you get remember your phone to snap a selfie!

We’ve covered a significant amount of don’ts in this article. We don’t want to sound like your anxious planner friend who worries too much, but…also? We kinda do. Let us do the worrying and the research ahead of time so that all you have to do is answer a few questions and book your trip worry-free! The travel motto is typically that you should always plan ahead so that you can enjoy an amazing time on the actual adventure. We hope this helps you have a better idea of what to think about in advance of your Super Bowl experience. 

Lastly, have the best time ever at the Super Bowl LVII, folks!