Going to GenCon Indy for the first time

[Rodrigo Istalindir]

New question!

In terms of getting from the airport to the hotel, eating whilst I'm there, and getting back to the airport, roughly how much money do you think I'll need? I do get breakfast as part of the hotel package, and I'm not going to go crazy on food, so a bit of an idea might be helpful.

Of course, I'll add spending money on top of that.

Which hotel?

Starting last year, there was a free shuttle between the airport and spots downtown. It stops directly between the Hyatt and Embassy for sure, so it's just steps away. Very, very convenient.

The cab from the new airport was in the $30 range IIRC. But heading out, there's almost always people willing to share the ride.

Food is a toughie. If you stay in a hotel with a free breakfast (eg, the Embassy), hit one of the local stores to stock up on granola bars and other portable food, and hit a place like the food court in the mall (connected to the same skywalk as the hotels), you can get by on $10-15 a day probably. Stay the hell away from the food court in the convention center itself, though. Terrible food, and very high prices.

But if it's your first GenCon, you should plan on hitting The Ram for dinner once (preferably your first night there, as it gets progressively more crowded). The food is pretty good, the atmosphere is fun since it's full of gamers and they do little things like change the names of menu items to reflect that. The service is average to piss-poor, but eating there is something of a GenCon tradition that everyone should do once.

 

[Mark CMG]

That sums things up pretty well. There's a Steak and Shake nearby for greasy cheeseburgers and fries and such (also crowded even fro take out but they move fast).

 

[nerfherder]

Here's a map of most of the downtown eating places: http://visitindy.com/files/map/RestaurantMap.pdf

 

[Mathew_Freeman]

Which hotel?

Marriott on the Canal - left my booking a bit late and so I'm about ten-15 minutes walk away, I think. To the north of the centre.

Thanks for the advice - I was estimating $10 lunch and $20 dinner, so $30 a day - glad to hear I might be able to do it cheaper!

That means around $100 - $150 for food, plus spending money... looks like my estimate of bringing around $300 - $350 with me for the whole trip may be around right. Excellent!

Gonna buy me some nice new t-shirts, for a start!

 

[JiffyPopTart]

Thought of a new and important tip today...

By Friday night all the vending machines in the convention center will be on a permanent "sold out" status. It's really hard to have some water or sodas on you person all day and have them drinkable when 9 or 10pm rolls around, but you most certainly can have some snacks floating around in your backpack.

Tip 54: Have a backpack (that actually fits comfortably on your back). You want your hands free.

Tip 55: Have a set of dice, pencils, notepads, and snacks in said backpack.

Tip 56: Once evening rolls around all the food places in the convention center proper shut down so you are left to scavenge for food from empty vending machines. Unless you want to experience the joy of LARPing what its like to live in the Fallout universe, bring your own snacks and sodas if you are gonna make a late night of it.

DS

 

[nerfherder]

Thought of a new and important tip today...

By Friday night all the vending machines in the convention center will be on a permanent "sold out" status. It's really hard to have some water or sodas on you person all day and have them drinkable when 9 or 10pm rolls around, but you most certainly can have some snacks floating around in your backpack.

Tip 54: Have a backpack (that actually fits comfortably on your back). You want your hands free.

Tip 55: Have a set of dice, pencils, notepads, and snacks in said backpack.

Tip 56: Once evening rolls around all the food places in the convention center proper shut down so you are left to scavenge for food from empty vending machines. Unless you want to experience the joy of LARPing what its like to live in the Fallout universe, bring your own snacks and sodas if you are gonna make a late night of it.

DS

Yeah, I bought a backpack that could double as my carry-on luggage for the flight. I kept snacks, a bottle of water, dice, hand cleanser and my DSLR camera in it. I tried to keep it not too heavy.

 

[Mathew_Freeman]

Hand cleanser - good tip! Do NOT Want Con Crud on the way home.

I will also take snacks and water. I may need a new backpack.

Bought myself a digital camera today for pics, and will put through a new photo very soon so the people I'm gaming with can recognise me!

 

[nerfherder]

Can't remember if it's been mentioned already, but it's hot & humid there. Take a few pairs of shorts and lightweight comfy shoes. Or kilts, if you're into that sort of thing...

 

[Hand of Evil]

Hand cleanser - good tip! Do NOT Want Con Crud on the way home.

I will also take snacks and water. I may need a new backpack.

Bought myself a digital camera today for pics, and will put through a new photo very soon so the people I'm gaming with can recognise me!

FYI - you do not need to take a lot to the Con, just yourself and dice, well, the dice you can buy there.

Oh, take a couple of bags, the cloth ones you get at stores these days, you can place your purchases in them for easy carrying.

 

[Sidereal Knight]

Can't remember if it's been mentioned already, but it's hot & humid there. Take a few pairs of shorts and lightweight comfy shoes. Or kilts, if you're into that sort of thing...

This is very true. August in Indianapolis regularly brings temperatures above 30C (86F), and occasionally reaches 33C.

However, the Convention Center and many hotels are very aggressively cooled. If you're sitting at a gaming table for 2-4 hours, you might get a bit chilly.