Pursuitist’s award-winning travel editor Christopher Parr was featured on News 3 Now CBS in Madison, Wisconsin, sharing Rose Bowl travel trips and recommendations if the UW Badgers go to Pasadena. Watch the News 3 Now segment above and read more Rose Bowl travel tips and suggestions from Christopher below:
Wisconsin and the Ohio State Buckeyes will face off in a Big Ten battle at 7 p.m. CST at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, and the TV channel for the game is Fox: Watch | Listen | Live Stats
As the UW Badger football team prepares to take on Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship game this week, some sports analysts are already predicting that the UW-Madison team will head to the Rose Bowl for the first time in seven years.
The Rose Bowl is an amazing experience, with over 90,000 football fans flocking to Pasadena each year. Stuffed hotels and airports, busy streets, the restaurants, bars are filled with football fans.
If you’re interested in cheering on the Badgers, start booking and researching flights and hotels now. Rates will only increase — and hotels and flights will begin to fill up. Time is of the essence, so get your hotel room now.
In a quick search for the Pasadena area during the Rose Bowl — many hotel properties are already fully booked or only have a few remaining rooms. Expect to pay double or triple. A normal nightly rate at a Pasadena hotel is $200, or $600 during the Rose Bowl.
For booking your airline tickets, research your trip on Google Flights or hipmunk.com — which allows you to compare rates with their flight search tools. You’ll find the best prices and great deals.
Currently, I see direct flights from Madison to LA with United Airlines, ranging from $800 to $1000 round trip. Normally, that flight is $500.
Avoid any package deals on sites like Expedia or hotels.com. They over book their hotels and you’re more likely to be bumped from your flight.
Instead, always book directly with the airline or the hotel properties via their official websites. In my experience, they have the lowest prices and will match any online offer. And, most importantly, your room or flight is guaranteed.
Avoid Chicago’s O’Hare Airport, as flights tend to get delayed or canceled. The Dane County Airport offers direct flights to Los Angeles with United Airlines. Otherwise, fly out of Madison and get a connecting flight in Minneapolis or Denver.
Lastly, there’s no need to book travel insurance, as this is just an unnecessary up sell. If you book your hotel or flights with a credit card, like American Express, many times travel insurance is included in your purchase.
