Coachella Survival Guide: Tips, Travel, & Everything you need for planning your trip

It feels like Coachella 2018 was just yesterday, but the rumored presale for 2019 is coming up. Typically pre-sale happens in June, which is why the timing of those posts couldn’t be more perfect. We’re talking all about an extensive end to end guide to surviving and thriving at Coachella.

TICKETS: 

When do I buy tickets?

There are 3 options for getting ahold of Coachella Tickets.

• Presale – June of year before.
  • Perfect if you’re planning to go no matter who’s playing. Coachella is of course an experience, (even though it really is about the music). But if you know 100% that you’re planning to go, this is the sale for you. Why? This will allow you to have better pick of hotels and Airbnbs (and they’ll be cheaper).
• Normal –December of year before
  • The normal sale is for you IF: you weren’t sure at the time of pre-sale or if you wanted to wait until the line up came out. Normal is fine, but I’ve heard there are less tickets on sale and way more people looking to buy them.
• Re-sale – for the last minute festival go-er
  • For the YOLO-er. If you don’t know if you’re going to even be around at Coachella time. This option is really a gamble and more complicated. The ticket may cost a lot more or less than the face value ticket. It can also get stressful if you’re buying from a random person since you want to make sure you don’t get ripped off on such an expensive ticket. Where to buy resale? Places like Grubhub, Facebook marketplace, or your own social network are some options.

Pro tip for options 1 & 2: This may be a beginner tip, but figure out the exact time that tickets go on sale. There is a “virtual line” that you want to get in ASAP – by going to coachella.com you can see when the line exactly opens. There is usually a countdown. This is really important if you have your heart set on getting tickets (especially for Weekend 1).

What type of tickets should I buy?

VIP vs. GA – There is quite a big difference between VIP and GA… #duh. We’re talking not just price, but also the experience.

• PRICE –VIP runs about twice the price of GA, so it’s definitely a splurge.
• AMENETIES –
  • private & paved entrance to Coachella
  • private bathrooms
  • private food lines
  • private seating areas around the venue. Main section next to main “Coachella” stage, others scattered throughout

If you get easily anxious in crowds, VIP is 100% the way to go…. especially if it’s your first time attending. Days can be really long, and having some really private quiet areas can save you on a hot and long day. But if you’re on a budget, and don’t really care about everything mentioned above, you can go for GA. You’ll of course still get access to all the main attractions.

Shuttle Passes– do I buy them?

Shuttle passes really depend on where you’re staying. They’re about $75. If you’re in a hotel that has a shuttle stop, totally worth it. The best option in my opinion (which is isn’t advertised) is the free day parking if you’re in an Airbnb or hotel not near a shuttle stop. Obviously this means that someone needs to be responsible. If you have someone in your group like that, I 100% recommend it. When the shuttle line is 2 hours long, you’ll be wishing you had a car to nap in.

Weekend 1 vs. Weekend 2 

Ah… the discussion of which weekend to go to. Talking to Coachella veterans, weekend 1 is supposedly the best option. That’s when all the major brand parties, celebrities and surprises are. By weekend 2, Coachella is all over social media and the mystique around the event is gone. I’ve also heard that there is far more dust weekend 2 than weekend 1, and that they allow more people in Weekend 2 than Weekend 1. That being said, Weekend 1 tickets are a little harder to come by as they sell fewer of them.

ACCOMODATIONS:

Where should I stay?

• Hotel– If you’re aiming for a hotel, make sure that there’s a shuttle stop at the location and that you book early. The earlier you book, the more options you have and the less expensive it is. Hotels are a great option if you’re in a small group or not planning to spend too much time there.
• Airbnb – Renting an Airbnb is worth it if:
  • You’re going with your entire squad.
  • You want to hang out, BBQ, swim, chill.
• Camping – I can’t speak to camping as I’ve never done it, but I heard it’s quite the experience. This post has some good tips for camping. However, I will say that if you’re not into “roughing it” camping probably isn’t for you. All I can say is – long lines for showers, dust everywhere, and forget sleeping. But if you’re into that… power to you!

When should I book?

ASAP!!! I threw those exclamations in there because for both Coachella weekends, it’s low supply and high demand. The closer you get to the date, the more expensive it is and the less options there are. I would book as soon as you get your tickets.

How long do I need to book for?

What I didn’t realize was that Coachella wasn’t just Friday, Saturday and Sunday. It starts at 11 AM on Friday and goes until 2 AM on Sunday. That means that ideally you should arrive Thursday and stay through Monday. If you’re on a budget (or like me who has a job and doesn’t want to take days of PTO), arrive Friday morning and leave Monday morning. Another option, is to add a couple days to your trip to enjoy Palm Springs.

WHAT DO I WEAR/ NEED?

I talk about the essentials in this post, but here’s a quick recap of the things you absolutely need.

• Comfortable shoes – You’re going to walk a lot. I walked about 20 miles over 3 days. A sandal or a heel aren’t going to cut it. Go for the comfortable shoes (a platform sneaker perhaps?) and always make sure to break them in before.
• Jacket – The temperature drops about 20 degrees at night time, and you don’t want to be one of those people that catch the “Coachella Cold.” Bring some sort of jacket so that you can stay warm in the evening. I had a jean jacket most days, which didn’t feel like enough. If I had to do it all over again, I would pick a cozy blanket scarf.
• Bandana – If you want to avoid the “Coachella Cough,” basically a cough you get from your lungs filling with dust and smoke, you absolutely need a strong bandana. Even though it didn’t keep all the smoke and dust out, it really saved me while walking around the venue.
• Water – Heat exhaustion or heat stroke isn’t uncommon. Remember to stay hydrated! Luckily, water at the venue only costs $2, so investing in a couple of those throughout the day can really save you.

AT COACHELLA

How should I organize my days at Coachella?

Coachella is where music meets art meets food. Three days can go by fast so be sure to turn your type A on to make sure that you are able to see everything and not miss anything! Take it from me, who has some regrets from missing a couple of things.

Music Research

Print out the daily lineups before you go to figure out who you want to see and when. Once you figure out who you want to see you can organize the rest of your activities.

Tents, Art & Food

Day 1 when you have some downtime, do a “quick” loop of the venue and check out the different art areas and tents. That way you know what’s available and can plan to go back later.

Some must remember things

• There is no phone service – some tents and areas have Wifi. But I wouldn’t assume that you’re going to be able to get in contact with anyone using your phone, which leads me to my next point:
• Have a “if we get lost, meet here” point. One day I spent over an hour looking for one of my friends – and THAT got frustrating really quickly. Have a meet up spot in case you get lost.

More Coachella Articles on P&P: 

• Coachella Truths: 5 Things Instagram Forgot to Mention
• The Fashion Staples you Need for Festival Season