Question Rose Bowl travel - flying out the same night doable?
I haven't been to a game in 10 years (and that was in Ann Arbor during school), but something about this year grabbed me. Earlier today I bought a ticket (through the OnLocation link, section 10-L), and after some quick research settled on flying in morning of, and flying out night of. I live in the Bay Area so the flights are not that long.
I'm flying into Burbank airport, scheduled to land well before 11am, so I think I'm safe getting to the game, even if I miss out on tailgating (no arranged plans, just assume walking by and saying Hi to people is doable). However, I'm not 100% sure about the departing flight, which is around 8:30pm. I thought, game might last 4.5 hours, giving me 1.5 hours to get to the Burbank airport, should be pretty safe. Even if I don't make it I have relatively easy backup plans.
Questions to the seasoned travel vets out there:
1) am I likely very safe to make my outbound flight, or very unsafe, or somewhere in between?
2) Is Lyft or taxi (or something else?) better to get from airport to the stadium?
3) On the way out, it seems like its probably better to walk somewhere out of the stadium area before calling for a Lyft to the airport, given stadium traffic patterns - any recommendations there?
Apologies if this got covered elsewhere, I didn't see discussion to this level of detail. I weighed driving down and finding parking, hotels in Bakersfield or LA, etc, and settled on flying same day.
December 4th, 2023 at 11:22 PM ^
Why not take the stress out of the experience and just stay the night near Pasadena and fly out in the AM?
December 4th, 2023 at 11:38 PM ^
Considered it, but trying to keep costs down, and I'm really not used to not having a car in a place like LA (not used to ride-share world). If I was going to stay another day, I would probably have wanted to have a car.
December 5th, 2023 at 12:06 AM ^
You should be fine as long as you are not flying Spirit!
December 5th, 2023 at 12:43 AM ^
Strongly disagree. An 8:30 flight following a 2:15 kickoff seems insane. While it's only a 20 minute drive in perfect conditions, 100,000 people will be attempting to exit the stadium at the same time. Assuming the game ends at 6 that leaves 2.5 hours to get to the airport and board a flight. Doors close 15 minutes prior to departure which makes it closer to 2 hours. Even with no traffic at all (0 chance) I would guess it takes 10 minutes to get form your seat to outside the stadium in absolutely perfect conditions so now you have 90 minutes to get a ride, get through traffic, and get through security at the airport. I would say there is less than a 10% chance of doing this successfully.
Hardly the same thing, but the last Lions game I went to (which is pretty easy to get in and out of all things considered) I was staying 20 minutes from downtown Detroit and had a car parked 10 minutes from the stadium. Took close to 90 minutes from final whistle until I arrived at the hotel. I went to NO for the Saints game yesterday. Took about 90 minutes to get 10 miles from the stadium. Both of those stadiums are much smaller than the Rose Bowl and in cities with much friendlier traffic than LA/Pasadena.
December 5th, 2023 at 12:48 AM ^
Hey Don, that was long response to a joke about Spirit Air
December 5th, 2023 at 3:47 AM ^
I've been to a couple of Rose Bowls but my last experience was when Michigan played USC. Maybe others have had different experiences but exiting the venue is not a quick experience due to the roads. We spent quite a bit of time in traffic. We had next morning flights out of LAX. so exit time was not a problem.
I've flown in and out of Burbank dozens of times. Sometimes it's easy with light traffic but if you have to get onto I-5, it can be bumper to bumper.
December 5th, 2023 at 7:25 AM ^
I'd say more like a .5% chance of success. The Rose Bowl is in a big canyon with only a few ways out by car. The traffic after the game is a nightmare, anywhere close to the stadium. OP should just get a hotel room.
December 5th, 2023 at 8:22 AM ^
All this!
So now you'll have zero time (0) - NO TIME - to enjoy the win and soak up the atmosphere after the game. No time to taste those sweet Alabama tears that will give you Hep-C. No time to watch the celebration on the field, let alone join it. No time to sing The Victors with the team. No time to hear the band play while the PA announcer implores Michigan fans to leave the field. No time to high-five the players and wish them well in the championship game the following week.
Dude, find a Super-8 near the airport and show up after the celebrations die out, content with a great win. Then enjoy a relaxing early morning flight home.
December 5th, 2023 at 11:47 AM ^
Not sure why you got downvoted for this. What's the point of going to a game if you can't even enjoy it? Like if you lived in Michigan and had tickets for Michigan - UNLV and have been to the Big House a bunch of times and were debating skipping a game vs going and leaving after the 3rd quarter. Okay yeah, who cares leave early because it's not a big game. But if you're going to spend $500+ on a ticket and then you can't even enjoy the game because you're trying to save $100 on a hotel that's just insane to me.
December 5th, 2023 at 12:35 PM ^
Rent a car, find a motel 6 with 45 minutes of the stadium. Enjoy the memory the right way for an extra $150-$200.
December 5th, 2023 at 5:43 PM ^
There's the NW route up the 210, the west route on the 134, and the south->west->north route on 110 to 5 which can all take under an hour in rush hour, sometimes under 35 min. At this writing all are under 27 minutes at 240pm pacific so not yet rush hour.
Jan 1 doesnt have a designated rush hour.
The trick is to get outside the stadium quick and to an Uber. I've run it (slow jog really) in the past to get outside the main area and into a neighborhood. Uber and gone.
December 6th, 2023 at 2:16 AM ^
FWIW - Burbank is about as easy an airport to get in and out of as there is. Even if you don't have TSA Pre, I'd estimate a total of 10-15min from the Uber/Lyft dropping you off to being at the gate. If it's "busy" (by Burbank standards) it might be 20min. I fly out of there instead of LAX whenever possible simply because it's just soooo much easier and relaxed.
December 6th, 2023 at 11:58 AM ^
Absolutely agree here
December 7th, 2023 at 10:31 AM ^
Angeleno here (as the name suggests) and I agree with the above that you’d be VERY hard pressed to make this work (without leaving before the game ends). Getting out of the rose bowl is a nightmare and finding an Uber/Lyft might take a while. You’d have to walk/run 30min+ to get somewhere they could pick you up and even then it might take a while. And I doubt the game ends before 6:30, and as easy as Burbank airport is, you’d still have to get there by 7:45 to feel good about it.
Id say your likelihood of success here (watching until the end and still making your flight, assuming the game isn’t a blowout with people leaving early) is very low.
December 5th, 2023 at 7:12 AM ^
Look up the cost of hotels that night in Pasadena.
December 5th, 2023 at 9:55 AM ^
You found some that still have rooms?
December 5th, 2023 at 12:46 PM ^
Yeah, they exist (and at good hotels, too), but the issue is minimum stays. I post this in one of my other comments, but it's useful info:
The challenge here is that a lot of the hotels (the nicer ones) in Pasadena have multi-night minimums (because of New Year’s Eve, as well as the game), so it’s not as easy to just pick one up. For example, you can book the Hilton in Pasadena for the 28th-2nd (at about $900 a night, mind you), but you can’t book that same hotel the 31st-2nd.
December 5th, 2023 at 11:48 AM ^
But you don't have to go far from Pasadena and they'll be cheap. You can be within 6 miles of Burbank Airport for as cheap as $76 tax included if you don't mind a motel 6 style hotel. If you upgrade to something like a holiday inn or hampton inn it's $125
December 4th, 2023 at 11:25 PM ^
I wouldn't do it. LA traffic is brutal. Game will end at 530 pacific time so that gives you three hours if the game doesn't go into OT.
December 5th, 2023 at 12:24 AM ^
The airport isn’t far but you have to avoid the 5 during rush hour. The rule of thumb is it takes a minimum of an hour to drive anywhere in LA when you have to get on the highway.
I flew in and out same day (from SFO) to see a performance in LA on a Saturday. Landed at 11:00 at LAX. Went to downtown LA by way of Santa Monica. The show is shorter than a game but I stayed for dinner back in Santa Monica and easily made my 8:30 flight. Saturday traffic was light.
You should be fine. Burbank is easier to get in and out than LAX. Take an Uber. It’s 20 minutes w/o traffic. Avoid staying in Bakersfield at all costs.
Edit: since Uber and Lyft are not allowed into the Rose Bowl, you have to go to the free shuttle in to get in and out of the stadium. That could add 30 minutes each way, but apparently there are a lot of shuttles. The purpose of the shuttle is so that you don’t have to get stuck in the traffic in and out of the stadium.
December 5th, 2023 at 12:49 AM ^
Your assumptions are totally wrong. I'm not sure what show you went to, but it's a completely different scale than the Rose Bowl. You mentioned 20 minutes without traffic. There is zero chance that there won't be traffic. Western Michigan has a better chance of winning the NCAA Championship next year than there will be no traffic.
December 5th, 2023 at 1:08 AM ^
Edit: Sure I said 20 min w/o traffic but I clarified in that post it’s at least an hour when you jump on the 5. Wth.
My travel from LAX to SM and then LA and back was 1.5 hours without traffic each way. His is 20 min. He arrives earlier than me Same start time. Show plus dinner is three hours. That’s + 3 in the positive for his trip
LAX needs a lot more time to get in and out than Burbank. That’s + 2
Getting an uber at the Burbank airport should be easy. Getting an uber back to the airport will be a nightmare without a strategy. Getting a rental car at the airport, parking, leaving the parking lot, and dropping off the rental car, and the rates these days are 5 different nightmares. That’s + 4 for the UBER vs Rental.
I’ve been to the Rose Bowl. Driving into the lot and out and parking were terrible.
December 5th, 2023 at 2:05 AM ^
My concern with your breakdown is yeah, Pasadena to Burbank isn't that far, but....
Your show + dinner was 3 hours. His game will easily be over 3 hours (even if he skips the trophy presentation). I'm not sure what show you went to, but I doubt there were anywhere near 100,000 people there. I agree, getting from the airport to the stadium via Uber/Taxi will be super easy as long as he has no flight delays. Parking at the Rose Bowl is a pain in the ass, but if you get there on time, it's doable. Getting dropped off is obviously much easier. The problem is getting out will be an absolute nightmare. Sure, we can come up with all kinds of strategies to make it easier, but you're competing with literally thousands of people who are going to try to do exactly the same thing as you. There's a finite number of uber drivers and New Year's Day is going to cut down on that. Huge demand plus decreased drivers will make it hard to find one and the cost will likely be sky high.
Not the same thing, but last year I took an Uber from Ford Field to Detroit Airport to pick up a rental car. Generally downtown to the airport is $25-50 depending on time of day etc. It took me well over an hour to get a car (and I walked all the way to Corktown which is a good 1.5 miles away from Ford Field towards the airport) and it still was like $125.
December 5th, 2023 at 7:40 AM ^
This is super helpful perspective, but I just want to add one nugget of info for anyone who reads this and considers it for their approach: you cannot rideshare directly at the Stadium; that’s all in Pasadena, so there is a big chunk of shuttle time in there on both ends. More just an FYI for travel logistics, than anything.
December 5th, 2023 at 2:01 PM ^
It's Jan 1st, no real rush hour. Biggest road issues will be casual holiday driving and vacationers...some may wish to work the next day. Luckily LA schools do not start until Jan 8 so many locals won't be freaking out to drive Jan 1st.
After the game, or before if ahead, just run (yes run) east into the hills about a mile. Catch an Uber, their path may suggest 210 "southeast" of the stadium to the 134 but you may want to suggest 210 "north" of the stadium and get off on LA Tuna Canyon road.
If you can run a mile in 20 min, I think it would take a total of an hour to get to the airport. If you miss your flight there should be others to the bay area even if you have to go to Ontario instead.
But I think it is doable if you can escape and jog away from the stadium. I did it before . Just watch Google maps during the game to get an idea on when you have to leave and be prepared to leave early if you have to. And watch uber and lyft to figure if they are backed up (Dec 31 at midnight is a nightmare but would have to think late on Jan 1, there would be extra drivers making some money while on their day off).
December 4th, 2023 at 11:30 PM ^
This seems dicey to me; it will takes eons longer than you think to even get away from the stadium
December 4th, 2023 at 11:31 PM ^
Are you planning on staying for a trophy presentation? Or are you going to book it out at the final whistle? I remember it being a pain in the neck to get out of the stadium, but that involved walking to parking and then dealing with stadium traffic. Ubers did not exist at the last Michigan Rose Bowl I attended, and I have no idea how long it will take to get an Uber and get out of the stadium area.
Is it possible? Yes. Is it worth it? Probably not.
December 4th, 2023 at 11:35 PM ^
Your plan to arrive at 11am is also crazy. if your flight get delayed or cancelled you are screwed.
December 4th, 2023 at 11:40 PM ^
Really hadn't considered that. Southwest has tons of flights on that route so I guess my next best bet would be to hope for another one.
December 5th, 2023 at 12:28 AM ^
Getting out of the Stadium will be your biggest risk. Avoid the “last act” and get your Uber as you head out.
Getting in shouldn’t be an issue since you don’t have to park.
December 4th, 2023 at 11:39 PM ^
I hadn't considered the trophy presentation honestly, a mistake on my part. I guess probably not staying for it then, given the timing.
December 5th, 2023 at 1:16 AM ^
I think you have a great plan. The big risk is getting out on time. But you already planned for that and have a back up.
I’d suggest:
If we are going to lose, leave early and catch your flight.
If we are winning, stay over and celebrate.
Both of those strategies avoid stress.
If it’s close, stay to the finish and decide. If we lose you may still be able to reach the airport. Just maybe not stress free.
December 4th, 2023 at 11:35 PM ^
Well, considering the game will be basically over by halftime, I'd say it's totally doable.
December 4th, 2023 at 11:36 PM ^
I have a friend that lives in the LA area and he told me that parking for the Rose Bowl and getting out after the game is pretty bad. Major traffic snarl. Get a hotel room near the airport for the night.
December 4th, 2023 at 11:43 PM ^
If I can't make the flight I have a backup plan which shouldn't be a problem (effectively sleeping on someone's couch), and then catch a flight the next day. I guess that's money lost too, from trying to save money.
December 5th, 2023 at 10:16 AM ^
If you have a couch to sleep on, not sure why you'd risk it in the first place.
Best case scenario you are scrambling/running/walking far after the game and just make it.
I'm sure you can look up the game times from last year but would guess you are talking almost a four hour long game (last years championship was listed at 3 hours and 41 minutes long) and would conservatively estimate it would take you at least an hour from when the game ends to when you are in a spot where you can grab a ride to the airport. That is even assuming there are Ubers available being you'll still be in a spot where rides a necessary and probably 1/3 to 1/2 the stadium will be out of towners competing for rides.
December 5th, 2023 at 7:01 AM ^
Interesting discussion. Question for seasoned Rose Bowl travelers in this thread: What's the best post-game spot for a pick-up? We have (hooray) a member of our traveling party who's not interested in football. She plans on spending the game visiting friends in the area and will pick us up afterward.
All of us are open to walking a long distance (mile+) as necessary. North / east / south / west?
I guess I have the same question (drop-off before the game) on the front end, too. TIA.
December 5th, 2023 at 12:32 PM ^
There are shuttles that run from the Parson Complex parking lot in Pasadena to the stadium. I took my son to the game last year and my wife dropped us off to catch a shuttle, but we had plenty of time and it was just easier to walk. Just follow the sea of humanity and pack a couple beers for the walk (law enforcement didn't seem to care). 
December 4th, 2023 at 11:36 PM ^
How before is "well before" 11 am?
Flights do not always go without a hitch. There is no way I would invest in the experience of watching Michigan play in a Rose Bowl with a trip to the national championship on the line and risk all of it on air travel going without a hitch or delay. Traffic around the Rose Bowl is not exactly fantastic. Getting to it is a a bear; attending a Rose Bowl is a whole-day experience.
I would fly in the day before at minimum.
And I would probably fly out the next day, too. I can understand wanting to get out of there, but you're taking a huge risk with traffic, getting a ride share, game delays, etc. You'll be checking your watch the whole fourth quarter, when you should be enjoying the matchless setting of twilight over the San Gabriels, and hopefully a game worth paying attention to.
You live in the Bay area. I really think you should fly on different days, or you should drive. Something like staying in Bakersfield is fine; the one Rose Bowl I attended occurred when I lived in Lancaster, and as an Ann Arbor native it was genuinely shocking to me that I could attend the *Rose Bowl*, as exotic and dreamed of a game as I could imagine, and be at home the same evening (as it happened, before the finish of that Fiesta Bowl where Boise State beat Oklahoma).
If you fly, fly early, leave later.
December 4th, 2023 at 11:43 PM ^
Flight lands at 10. Now I'm wondering if I should rebook for the even earlier flight, to have the other options as further backups?
December 4th, 2023 at 11:54 PM ^
As a native Californian and UCLA alum, arriving at 10 AM for a 2 PM game seems quite risky. Burbank airport isn't LAX, but the traffic in LA is legendarily bad. Now you're adding in the Rose Bowl and you can expect it to take forever. 4 hours is a decent cushion, but that's cutting it close if there's any delay at all.
Your plan to leave absolutely, 100%, will fail. The Rose Bowl is massive (90,000+ people) and the vast majority will be arriving by some sort of vehicle because there is no public transportation system to get to the Rose Bowl (yes, technically there sort of is, but that's not what anyone is doing). It will take FOREVER to get out of there.
EDIT: You mentioned uber/lyft. You can do this but this will take HOURS to do. There's going to be way too many people doing this same thing. Realistically it's probably cheaper to rent a car and park then taking uber to and from the game, particularly afterwards when the demand will be sky high.
I would fly down the day before. I'm also based in CA (San Luis Obispo area) and since hotels near the stadium are stupid expensive, I'm staying in Santa Clarita at a nice hotel for practically nothing. It's still a decent drive and I'll leave well earlier than I would expect to need to, but it's really not that expensive. Your current plan could work but it has to be essentially perfect and you're cutting it super close to save like $200 max for a game that I'm assuming you've invested $500+ into and probably another $200 on flights.
December 5th, 2023 at 12:37 AM ^
UCLA has the bus from Westwood for UCLA games. How is that getting in and out of the stadium parking lot and how long is the trip? Westwood is further than the airport.
I have zero insight into getting an UBER in and out. Parking is definitely a bitch. I would definitely beat the crowd getting out for your flight unless you have friends to celebrate with.
Renting a car is a waste since you have parking and it takes forever to get and return the car.
December 5th, 2023 at 7:55 AM ^
because there is no public transportation system to get to the Rose Bowl (yes, technically there sort of is, but that's not what anyone is doing)
I would love some context/elaboration for this perspective.
December 5th, 2023 at 12:05 PM ^
For a city of its size, LA has probably the worst public transit system int he world. There's technically a metro but it doesn't really go anywhere so it's basically buses and things to get anywhere but they aren't very helpful or reliable. People from LA will say it's because the city has a large footprint, but I still call bullshit on this.
LA is one of the more iconic cities in the world (I hate it, but I'll give it that) so I think it's fair to compare it to something like NYC or London. London is actually quite a bit larger by area and has a great subway system.
Even Houston has a public transit system with a substantially higher annual ridership and Houston is not at all known for public transit, nor is it any sort of iconic world city.
December 5th, 2023 at 12:43 PM ^
Sure, and no debating that, however in this case the transit system actually does what it needs to do for this purpose: it would get someone from downtown LA to Pasadena or Burbank airport to Pasadena via train, without the cobble together. No gripe whatsoever about the general point, but as it applies to this case, it makes sense and gets the job done.
December 5th, 2023 at 5:00 PM ^
It's actually quite complicated to use the public transit system though. When I was a UCLA student I wanted to take the train home. Even though the train station isn't that far from UCLA it involved taking a bus to a subway to another bus and took FOREVER. Had I had a bike that would have been faster. I would venture to say Detroit has a better public transit system and theirs is crap.
December 6th, 2023 at 2:31 AM ^
Public transport to/from Bob Hope Airport and the Rose Bowl would require 2 to 4 changes (depending which route you choose) and take about 2 - 2.5 hrs. Of that time about 30 - 40 minutes of it would be walking. Game day, getting on the outbound might take longer depending how quickly you get out and if you get on the first avail or have to wait for the next.
December 4th, 2023 at 11:40 PM ^
"At this time of day? Just get on the 10 and get out of here!"
December 4th, 2023 at 11:45 PM ^
I keep looking to see if flights are cheaper taking a red out out on the 1st (not affordable at all) or anytime on the 2nd (slightly less not affordable at all).
Flights needs to come down, regardless...