Things You'll Need:
- Tickets
- Money
- Patience
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Step 1
Secure the tickets. Alright, this sounds elementary. But it really isn’t. The Bengals are the NFL version of the Chicago Cubs. Even with a history of terrible teams, they still sell out all their home games. Don’t think you will be able to log onto the teams website (listed below) and secure tickets to any game you want.
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Step 2
Early bird gets the worm. The stadium is downtown and there are only 2 main arteries into the area, Interstates 75 and 71. They will predictably be crowded, especially with those looking to tailgate. Make sure you leave hours, not minutes, ahead of time. Otherwise, you will run the risk of missing the whole first half.
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Step 3
Tailgate (if season ticket holder). If you decided to go all and purchase season tickets your first time around, you definitely need to purchase the extra parking pass and tailgate. Often times, the tailgating is the best part of the experience (see related articles on tips for tailgating).
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Step 4
Park and walk dilemma (non-tailgaters). If you are not doing the tailgating thing, then you will have to suffer the park and walk dilemma. Due to reserved tailgate parking, there are very few spaces near the stadium. Those that are available will charge a pretty penny (upwards of $20). You will have to fork over the scratch to park close, or park further into the downtown area (not a bad option on game days) and walk several blocks to the stadium.
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Step 5
Bring plenty of dough. If you’re not tailgating and had food and drink beforehand, you will need plenty of money. Concessions will rob you blind. And unlike baseball games, there is no food and drink sold outside the stadium that is allowed inside.
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Step 6
Enjoy the game.
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Step 7
Be patient on the return home. As mentioned above, there are only 2 main arteries into the stadium area. So it reasons that those same 2 arteries that were jammed coming into the game will be jammed afterwards. No road rage please.
