Anyone have hotel recommendations for South Bend for the Cal game? The price gouging for football weekend is horrible. I understand some price inflation but this crazy, particularly 9 months before the game. Rates might work for Dubai or London. Does it make sense to surrender and just stay in Chicago? Is there something close to South Bend that might work?

verrrry preliminary ..... we're thinking of staying somewhere in Chicago, taking advantage of the many wonderful things to do there (Topolobampo!!!) ...... and if it's still operating, take the rooter train down to South Bend.

LateHit said:

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Stay in Chicago. They have electricity and plumbing.

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seriously - I've been to South Bend

Thank you for that info/advice! GO BEARS! Beat the Irish!

I booked at the Candlewood Inn -- whatever the hell that is -- in South Bend about a month ago for $175 per night.

A ND alum buddy of mine cautioned about staying in Chicago. His thoughts: if it's an early afternoon game, you'd be cutting it close to make kickoff and wouldn't be able to soak up ND football pre-game environment. If late afternoon or evening game, there are safety issues to consider if taking the train back to Chicago late at night.

Just his two cents, not mine.

If you are staying in Chicago and driving, the fastest route is by freeway but there are many toll booths and a time change between Chicago and South Bend.

Can we make this the general ND travel thread, already have some good stuff in here.

I work with a ton of ND guys. So I finally made my way to Indiana.

I went to the SC vs ND this year. Notre Dame is a gorgeous campus, but south bend is a toilet.

We stayed in south bend at a brand new construction motel 6. It was surprisingly very clean, and a 15 minute walk to the stadium. I would honestly recommend it, since south bend really has nothing else.

Obviously a ton of options in Chicago, but if you really want to immerse yourself in big time midwestern tailgating, you need to be on campus very early to get a spot (or know people).

The stadium and game day experience is awesome. The late October weather, and south bend scene not so much.

Airbnb is decent option. Have been to a bunch of away game football weekends but haven't seen price gauging at this level. I don't remember seeing this part in Rudy. I would be willing to sleep in the locker room. Would make early reservations and cancel if necessary.

Dgoldnbaer said:

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Thank you for that info/advice! GO BEARS! Beat the Irish!

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Chicago is an option for you, of course...it's about 95 miles away from South Bend. If you wanted to stay a little bit closer, we've booked the Farmstead Inn in Shipshewana, Indiana (only about 40 miles and a pretty straight shot). It's not Chicago, as it's in the heart of Amish country. They still have availability I believe.

Shipshewana, Indiana Visit Shipshewana Amish Country, Indiana (visitshipshewanain.com)

I've been to ND a couple of times, each time drove from Chitown. An easy drive, about same distance as Berkeley to Santa Cruz.

In a perfect world? Go early. Spend a few days and nights in Chicago. Night before the game, stay in South Bend. Don't hassle with the drive on gameday, and walk to all of the tailgates. Soak up the atmosphere without the stress of traveling.

BearyGordy said:

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Anyone have hotel recommendations for South Bend for the Cal game? The price gouging for football weekend is horrible. I understand some price inflation but this crazy, particularly 9 months before the game. Rates might work for Dubai or London. Does it make sense to surrender and just stay in Chicago? Is there something close to South Bend that might work?

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Stay in Chicago. I could go on about South Bend, but instead focus on all that Chicago has to offer.

wifeisafurd said:

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palisadesbear said:

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I booked at the Candlewood Inn -- whatever the hell that is -- in South Bend about a month ago for $175 per night.

A ND alum buddy of mine cautioned about staying in Chicago. His thoughts: if it's an early afternoon game, you'd be cutting it close to make kickoff and wouldn't be able to soak up ND football pre-game environment. If late afternoon or evening game, there are safety issues to consider if taking the train back to Chicago late at night.

Just his two cents, not mine.

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Take the train from Chicago that ND sets-up for visiting teams. You get a police escort on buses from and to the train station to and from the stadium, and they get you there early enough to soak in the awesome Notre Dame atmosphere. The Mrs. and I hav been to 8 games there by now, and after the first game, we never drove again. Freaking traffic nightmare coming and going.

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this is EXACTLY what I'd hoped for. Wife, I'm assuming you've gone with the (ahem) dark side of your marriage, and their associated 'team'. So who at Cal could I start haranguing to make sure Cal helps get this set up for its visiting fans? Or is it ND that does it?

what do folks think of this charter bus service?

https://irishexpress.com/

wifeisafurd said:

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palisadesbear said:

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I booked at the Candlewood Inn -- whatever the hell that is -- in South Bend about a month ago for $175 per night.

A ND alum buddy of mine cautioned about staying in Chicago. His thoughts: if it's an early afternoon game, you'd be cutting it close to make kickoff and wouldn't be able to soak up ND football pre-game environment. If late afternoon or evening game, there are safety issues to consider if taking the train back to Chicago late at night.

Just his two cents, not mine.

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Take the train from Chicago that ND sets-up for visiting teams. You get a police escort on buses from and to the train station to and from the stadium, and they get you there early enough to soak in the awesome Notre Dame atmosphere. The Mrs. and I hav been to 8 games there by now, and after the first game, we never drove again. Freaking traffic nightmare coming and going.

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Thanks! Would the tickets be sold through the Cal AD?

philbert said:

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wifeisafurd said:

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palisadesbear said:

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I booked at the Candlewood Inn -- whatever the hell that is -- in South Bend about a month ago for $175 per night.

A ND alum buddy of mine cautioned about staying in Chicago. His thoughts: if it's an early afternoon game, you'd be cutting it close to make kickoff and wouldn't be able to soak up ND football pre-game environment. If late afternoon or evening game, there are safety issues to consider if taking the train back to Chicago late at night.

Just his two cents, not mine.

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Take the train from Chicago that ND sets-up for visiting teams. You get a police escort on buses from and to the train station to and from the stadium, and they get you there early enough to soak in the awesome Notre Dame atmosphere. The Mrs. and I hav been to 8 games there by now, and after the first game, we never drove again. Freaking traffic nightmare coming and going.

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Thanks! Would the tickets be sold through the Cal AD?

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I'd hope/imagine Cal would get its act together and arrange a train car or two or three for Cal fans. This is apparently the train line that runs it ... South Shore Line to Notre Dame games; has various pickup points and drops you off at the South Bend airport, with free bus shuttle service to and from the stadium.

.... and I want these guys to go too

Oh hell yeah!

OldenBear said:

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wifeisafurd said:

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palisadesbear said:

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I booked at the Candlewood Inn -- whatever the hell that is -- in South Bend about a month ago for $175 per night.

A ND alum buddy of mine cautioned about staying in Chicago. His thoughts: if it's an early afternoon game, you'd be cutting it close to make kickoff and wouldn't be able to soak up ND football pre-game environment. If late afternoon or evening game, there are safety issues to consider if taking the train back to Chicago late at night.

Just his two cents, not mine.

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Take the train from Chicago that ND sets-up for visiting teams. You get a police escort on buses from and to the train station to and from the stadium, and they get you there early enough to soak in the awesome Notre Dame atmosphere. The Mrs. and I hav been to 8 games there by now, and after the first game, we never drove again. Freaking traffic nightmare coming and going.

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this is EXACTLY what I'd hoped for. Wife, I'm assuming you've gone with the (ahem) dark side of your marriage, and their associated 'team'. So who at Cal could I start haranguing to make sure Cal helps get this set up for its visiting fans? Or is it ND that does it?

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With the dark sides (SC and Furd) it is the Furd and SC athletic departments.

Can someone who has done it confirm the South Shore train Chicago to South Bend situation?

FYI, having went to ND for grad school and had people visit for games…Chicago and SB are in different time zones.

pasadenaorbust said:

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Dgoldnbaer said:

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Thank you for that info/advice! GO BEARS! Beat the Irish!

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Chicago is an option for you, of course...it's about 95 miles away from South Bend. If you wanted to stay a little bit closer, we've booked the Farmstead Inn in Shipshewana, Indiana (only about 40 miles and a pretty straight shot). It's not Chicago, as it's in the heart of Amish country. They still have availability I believe.

Shipshewana, Indiana Visit Shipshewana Amish Country, Indiana (visitshipshewanain.com)

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BYOB

The only thing about the South Shore Line is that it's a 3+ hour journey from Chicago's Millennium Station to the South Bend Airport, through some of the most depressing industrial wastelands you'd ever want to see (Calumet City, Hammond, Gary, etc.). @wifeisafurd might know if South Shore run "express" trains on ND football game weekends, but frankly I'd doubt it, so you're talking about 6+ hours on a train round-trip, and that doesn't include the bus ride to do the last 5 miles over to campus through some neighborhoods that could only be described as "Detroit chic." Forget about uber from the SB airport on a game day Saturday, that would cost a ton assuming you could even get one.

I recommend doing the rental car from either Chicagoland airport (O'Hare or Midway), as they all come equipped with the EZPass/Toll Road transponders. In South Bend, you can park for free in the neighborhood labeled as "Harters Heights" which is just south of the campus. Harters Heights is a perfectly safe neighborhood, so long as you park north of Howard Avenue, and it will save you the $50-60 in parking that you'd pay to be anywhere near campus. I think the huge tailgating lots are typically reserved for the season ticket holders, so not sure about availability for single game passes in the most desirable lots right near the stadium.

If you're willing to drive just a bit further east from Notre Dame, hotel prices on football game weekends get a lot more reasonable. Someone mentioned Elkhart, but parts of Elkhar have a little of the "Detroit chic" vibe too. There are towns with quaint Mennonite-run hotels and restaurants (in Shipshewana, IN) and quaint Amish-run hotels and restaurants (in Nappanee, IN). Those places can be great if you've got a significant other who's only luke-warm on college football but loves stuff like handcrafted Amish goods and seeing horse-drawn carriages all over the place.

ND's campus is, in my opinion, quite beautiful, although I know that @bearister describes it as a gulag, which makes me laugh every time he states it. I think it's definitely a worthwhile place to visit for a CFB game.

I may have missed it, but what is the date for the ND game. I'm going to try to go with my spouse. We will stay in Chicago.

HateRed said:

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I may have missed it, but what is the date for the ND game. I'm going to try to go with my spouse. We will stay in Chicago.

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says september 17th here..
https://bearinsider.com/cal-football/schedule/2022

Merci beaucoup

I would also recommend not missing this on game day...

If any of the locals in South Bend offer to rent you a room in the basement of a pawn shop, respectively decline, if you still can.

The three hotels nearest the Stadium -- Morris Inn (on campus), Fairfield Inn and Embassy Suites (both across the street from campus on E. Angela Blvd) are all very nice but are expensive on game weekends and are probably already sold out.

There are lots of newer suburban type mid-rise hotels in the neighboring town of Mishawaka, generally clustered along N. Main Street between Edison Road and Cleveland Road. I like the Marriott Residence Inn near N. Main and E. Day

Game Day parking is a hassle. Expect to pay $30 to $40 to park in a private lot (many homeowners sell parking on their front lawns) a mile or so away from the stadium.

I would avoid staying in downtown South Bend and anyplace west or south of campus.

77Bear said:

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The three hotels nearest the Stadium -- Morris Inn (on campus), Fairfield Inn and Embassy Suites (both across the street from campus on E. Angela Blvd) are all very nice but are expensive on game weekends and are probably already sold out.

There are lots of newer suburban type mid-rise hotels in the neighboring town of Mishawaka, generally clustered along N. Main Street between Edison Road and Cleveland Road. I like the Marriott Residence Inn near N. Main and E. Day

Game Day parking is a hassle. Expect to pay $30 to $40 to park in a private lot (many homeowners sell parking on their front lawns) a mile or so away from the stadium.

I would avoid staying in downtown South Bend and anyplace west or south of campus.

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Be mindful though that these "Comfort Inn" / "Best Western" type mid-rise hotels in Mishawaka will still cost at least a cool $240 or more per night on a football weekend, and most require a 2-night minimum stay. Way cheaper than the $400+ per night closer in, but still pricey. If you wander further afield to Elkhart, Shipshewana, Nappanee, or southern Michigan, you can get 1-night reservations for under $150 at a decent place, plus all that Amish/Mennonite charm if your significant other loves that sort of cr@p.

As noted earlier, look up "Harters Heights" on Google maps. Totally safe and free gameday parking, so long as you read the posted parking signs, and saves you paying $40-50 for yard parking or ND-sanctioned parking miles away in the so-called "White Field" lot (a.k.a. Siberia). About 3 hours before kickoff, that free street parking will start filling up rapidly.

@77Bear is right about avoiding staying anywhere west of south of campus, some areas can be downright dangerous. And as any good Californian knows, nothing should be left visible in your car.

Well I decided to splurge and got a good deal for the Hilton Garden Inn, where's everybody else at?