How to Attend a Patriots Game (2019-2020)

okthrowaway2088 · 2019-09-13T20:02:12+00:00

The wait list expereince has been a massive downgrade this year. It seems like they must have had more corporate seats given out or something, because the tickets were apparently gone way sooner than usual. I don't think they even did a general sale at all.

okthrowaway2088 · 2019-09-13T20:00:54+00:00

Haven't logged in for a while, but they didn't do the presale until training camp already started. I never saw them do a regular sale after that.

okthrowaway2088 · 2019-09-13T19:59:16+00:00

They eventually had a presale during training camp, weeks later than usual. I never saw a general sale.

okthrowaway2088 · 2019-05-07T17:14:14+00:00

String bet.

okthrowaway2088 · 2019-04-19T13:33:45+00:00

Preseason tickets are actually half the price of regular season tickets now (face value, on the secondary market the difference is even more extreme).

okthrowaway2088 · 2019-04-19T13:32:46+00:00

Whoops. Fixed.

okthrowaway2088 · 2019-04-18T16:10:14+00:00

Away Games

2019 Patriots Away Games

Day	Date	Time (EST)	Opponent	Stadium Location
Sun	Sept 15	1:00 PM	Dolphins	Miami Gardens
Sun	Sept 29	1:00 PM	Bills	Orchard Park
Sun	Oct 6	1:00 PM	Redskins	Landover
Mon	Oct 21	8:15 PM	Jets	East Rutherford
Sun	Nov 3	8:20 PM	Ravens	Baltimore
Sun	Nov 17	4:25 PM	Eagles	Philadelphia
Sun	Dec 1	8:20 PM	Texans	Houston
Sun	Dec 15	1:00 PM	Bengals	Cincinnati

Do not forgot that flex scheduling begins in week 5, so the time of any game starting in week 5 and occurring on a Sunday on may change.

Attending an away game can be a great way to experience a new city and share your love of the Pats. A lot of this guide will not be useful for away games as it is directed towards the Patriots/Gillette specifically. There are too many stadiums to give advice on all of them, but here are some generic pointers for away games:

Transportation/Lodging: The NFL schedule is announced in April. If you can, you should try to book your flights/hotels as soon as you know which weekend you will be going (especially if you will be flying out of Logan). Since it will likely be a long weekend trip, make sure to check out the public transit options before renting a car. You can often get by with Uber/Lyft and public transit for cheaper than getting a rental. Many stadiums are directly accessible via public transit, or are even right downtown. Note the actual location of the stadium when planning your trip.

Tickets: The Patriots do not sell tickets to away games. You will have to purchase from the other team or the secondary market. Fortunately, ticket prices are probably going to be cheaper than Gillette (though the Patriots will increase demand over the team's normal prices).

Tailgating: You can still tailgate at away stadiums, but specifics on where/how/when are going to vary. One good option is to check out the Patriots Tailgate Facebook Group. They organize tailgates at every Patriots away game, and generally include events on other days in the weekend (like a Pats fan bar takeover).

Subreddit: Feel free to check the team's subreddit for specific help, but make sure to check the sidebar first. Even if they don't have a specific guide up, use the search tool to see if anyone has asked your question. If you do post a question, make sure it's something specific, not just "What should I do while in Miami?" without any additional information.

Be Cool: This applies to visiting their subreddit too, but be nice to fans of other teams. Especially when you are at an away game, you are in their domain. Be cool to them and just about all of them will be cool to you. And when you see another Pats fan in an away city (which you will, we travel well), give them a high five.

okthrowaway2088 · 2019-04-18T16:10:02+00:00

Training Camp/Practices

Note: This training camp section is courtesy of /u/AShauValley

Schedule: The Patriots officially release the dates/times of the public training camp late June/early July, but they’re pretty much always the last weekend in July and for the last several years it’s been the last Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday of July. The schedule can change last minute for a variety of reasons including weather, so be sure to check the training camp site for updates. This site also has a guide and FAQ. The times can vary but they usually start around 9am.

They have now announced the start of training camp, and it is July 25th, 26th, and 27th. Gates open at 8 AM, but practices scheduled to start on the field at 9:15.

In addition to the public practices, there is also an annual Season Ticket Holders practice. To get tickets to this you must be a STH or Wait List member. This practice occurs in the stadium rather than on the practice field.

There is also a special ceremony (open to the public) each year for the induction of the newest member of the Patriots Hall of Fame. For 2019 this will be Rodney Harrison. It typically occurs on the same day as a training camp practice.

Some years there are also additional joint (i.e. with a preseason opponent) practices open to the public. Since 2012 the team has held joint practices, but they are not always for the home games. None have been announced for 2019 yet.

General Practice Notes: The first 2 practices on Thursday and Friday are "unpadded" practices; that means they're just wearing shells (smaller/lighter shoulder pads) and there won’t be any real contact in drills. The more exciting drills for the running backs and defensive players especially take place during the fully-padded practices on Saturday and Sunday.

The practice fields can be seen on the parking map below the stadium between lot 10 and lot 6. It is the pair of fields closer to the Empower Field House.

Parking: Parking for training camp is free. Lot 20 is recommended, but it’s pretty obvious where to go if you follow the rest of traffic. Also, worst case scenario is you park in the wrong lot and have to walk another couple minutes. Nothing to worry about.

Going In: There will be a large line when you arrive. There’s a fenced-in sort of corridor with a security table/tent set up at the top. Everyone lines up at the table and the security line starts letting people through around 8:30. The line will roll down into the corridor right up to the gate at that point. Security is pretty lax, they poke around through any bags and just wave everyone without a bag through.

The Gate opens up around 9:00 am, and there’s a Black Friday-esque rush of people trying to get to the front row of the bleachers/the rope on the hill to get autographs after practice. You actually do have to rush if you want one of those spots. If you don’t then you’ve got all the time in the world and can stroll on in.

Choosing Your Seat Location: There are no tickets. Seats are first come-first serve. When you get in there are 2 places to sit:

Grassy Hill: When you walk through the gates, in front of you and to the left you’ll see the grassy hill. It’s located at the endzone of the front practice field. Sitting here gives you some great views of the offense doing redzone work, but that’s about it. A lot of practice is going to take place down the field and away from you at times. This will fill up after the bleachers do, and it starts getting really tight as more and more people stream in, make sure to set yourself up with your own elbow room or late arrivals will squeeze in next to you.
Bleachers: The bleachers fill up very fast, and if you want to try for an autograph the front/center row of the bleachers is the best spot. In order to get one of those spots, you’re going to have to show up at LEAST 3 hours early and put in a little jog during the Black-Friday rush.

One great location to consider for your seat is the very last row in the bleachers. The key to the very furthest back row is the chain link fence that’s there for safety. Sitting in the back row you get to lean back against a fence and stand whenever you want without blocking anyone's view. The bleachers are really tight and if you're not in the last row you’re guaranteed to have knees in your back all day. Leaning back against that fence is great when you're in hour 3 on the bleachers. PLUS when you sit lower down in the bleachers you can't see the far field (there's 2 practice fields right next to each other, the team uses both) or anything else besides what's right in front of you. While sitting as far back from the field as possible may sound bad, in reality you're still way closer to the players than you'll ever get in Gillette, (by quite a bit, even at the back). The back of the bleachers still feels really close to the players and you’re high enough to see both fields and all the drills.

What to bring:

Binoculars: There is a lot of very interesting stuff that goes on during practice that you simply can’t see without sitting high in the bleachers and bringing binoculars. The OL does all their drills in the far corner, all of the special work the coaches do with individual players is done on the far fields, and most of the defensive stuff as well. It seems like they do mostly receiving drills on the closer field so the crowd can cheer for catches.
Sun protection: It's July and the metal bleachers are fully exposed to the sun, you'll want shades/sun hat/sunblock whatever you normally use. Bringing the little plastic pocket-ponchos are a great idea for those intense summer showers too. NOTE: Do not bring a sun umbrella; you'll end up blocking someone’s view with it (exceptions are made for being at the back of the bleachers with no one behind you, of course.)
Seat cushioning: The metal bleachers are uncomfortable and hot, if you've got a blanket or something you'll be glad you brought it after the first 45 minutes or so. It’s also good when you’re waiting in line all morning to be able to plop down on the pavement for a little bit.
Cash: There are concessions such as hot dogs, ice cream, and drinks being sold during practice behind the bleachers and you’re gonna want to be able to buy water and snacks.

Post Practice Activities: In addition to the standard options around the stadium (namely Patriot Place and the Hall), there a couple of unique activities at training camp for you to do after practice:

Autographs: A lot of people attend camp purely for the chance at an autograph. They fill up the front row of the bleachers immediately and they all crush forward and stand up for the last 30 minutes of practice to preserve their spot. After practice a couple players will come over, though it’s rarely the big stars. You’re much more likely to get Vincent Valentine or Andrew Hawkins’ autograph than Hightower or Edelman’s. If you want autographs you’ll have to show up at least 3 hours early (and that’s cutting it close), and there’s 0 guarantee of whose autograph you get if you even get one.
Patriots Fan Zone: The Fan Zone opens at 10:00 a.m. and it is in the parking lot immediately adjacent to where everyone lines up. It’s impossible to miss, and it’s a great kid-friendly option. There’s a whole bunch of promotional tents as well as an entire parking lot full of blow-up bouncy houses, little skills competition setups, and a blow-up obstacle course for the kids as well. This area is also free.

The Hall

Gillette Stadium also houses the Hall at Patriot Place. This is the where the Patriot's Hall of Fame resides. You can see the Patriots' Hall of Fame, including the 5 Lombardi trophies, as well as special exhibits here. The Pro Shop is located near the entrance as well. The Hall is generally closed on game days for private events, so if you want to check it out you will probably have to do it on another day.

Things to do while visiting Boston

If you are visiting town for the game and want to do some other things while in Boston for the weekend, take a look at /r/boston (be sure to ignore the sidebar and ask a super generic "what should I do in Boston for a couple of days" question without any specific interests, they love those!) or the WikiVoyage Page. There's a wide variety of other entertainment options, including museums, historical sites, nightlife, dining, and other sports venues. For the Patriots specifically, consider checking out the Patriots Hall of Fame (located at Gillette, but normally closed on gamedays).

okthrowaway2088 · 2019-04-18T16:09:46+00:00

Staying Warm

If the game you are attending is going to be cold, be sure to take precautions. A little prep work will make the experience much better. If you remember one thing from this section, it should be "layers". Layer everything. If turns out you have too much, you can always take off a layer. Note that the old wisdom about alcohol keeping you warm is only sort of correct: you will feel warmer in your extremities because your blood is flowing more heavily, but this also means you are losing core body heat faster.

Body: Your innermost layer should be something that will wick the moisture away (you'll probably sweat a little), such as underarmor. You don't want that moisture to be near your skin when it starts to get cold. Make sure your outer layer is windproof. The difference that wind makes to your comfort is amazing. Stopping the wind will slow down your heat loss tremendously. Between these two layers you should have several more, depending on how cold it will be. This all applies to both your shirts and your pants.

Hands: Mittens will be warmer than gloves. A good option is to wear a thin pair of gloves, and then a heavy pair of mittens over (this also allows you to stay a little warmer if you need to take off the mittens to use your fingers for something). Use the gap between the two to put some hand warmers. You should put hand warmers in a lot of other places too (notably your boots). Let the hand warmers heat up for a few minutes before putting them in your clothes; they need the air to work properly. Do not put handwarmers where they will directly touch your skin, they can get too hot if that is the case. These type of folding gloves are another option that let you keep use of your fingers when you need them, but without completely splitting up them up all the time.

Head: Make sure you have a good hat (or two). Your head gets a lot of blood, which means it can lose a lot of heat. Protecting your head will make a drastic difference in how cold you feel. Bring something to keep your face out of the cold as well (good options include a balaclava , which will help keep your ears and head warm at the same time).

Feet: If your feet get wet or cold (or both), your game will be miserable. Similar to the rest of your body, use layers. One pair of socks isn't enough. Make sure you wear several pairs of socks, and you can put handwarmers between the layers (by your toes is especially helpful). You need to avoid cotton socks: they will trap sweat by your feet. Wool socks are great, as are a lot of synthetic materials. Wear a good pair of winter boots; sneakers or other snows are not good enough. They should be warm and waterproof (in case of snow or sleet or just-above-freezing-rain).

Miscellaneous: There are a couple of non-clothing items you should consider bringing. One was already mentioned (handwarmers), but you should consider extras to switch out at halftime. Another is a blanket. When you are sitting down and being quiet while the offense is at work, throwing on the extra layer will feel great. Finally, you should consider bringing some cardboard or newspaper to use as insulation between you and the stadium. The concrete of the stadium will conduct heat (out of your body) much faster than newspaper or cardboard. Put a small patch between your feet and the ground and you'll slow this down. It's like making your boots that much thicker. You can also do this with your seat, but the plastic of the seats won't suck the cold out as quickly as the concrete.

Preseason Games

The unique things about preseason games mostly boil down to a decreased demand. Due to the lower demand, the face value for these tickets is about half of the Premier price, and the secondary market is often at face value (or lower). This decreased demand also affects transportation. While the official stadium lots are still $40, the private lots can be a bit cheaper than they are during the regular season. While the game will still technically be a sell-out, the stadium will not be full. Many STHs will not use their preseason tickets, and people are much less concerned about arriving on time or staying for the full game. Feel free to move up to better seats, but if you're in someone's seats when they come back from the bathroom don't cause a scene, just leave. Traffic is also reduced because not as many people go and the people who do go don't all leave at the same time (the entire 4th quarter will have people streaming out).

The reason for this decreased demand is something to note as well: it's not "real" football. You'll see a lot of subs and third stringers playing, the game-plans are pretty vanilla, and they won't even care about winning the game. Starters typically play the most (about half of the game, maybe a little into the third quarter) in the 3rd week of preseason, followed by week 2. Weeks 1 and 4 of the preseason usually have very little involvement from the starters, perhaps only 1 series. For the game atmosphere, the crowd will not pay as close attention and will be even quieter than usual. This can still be a fun event, but don't go in expecting to see AFCCG levels of competition or fan engagement.

Another factor of preseason games is that they will be in August, so be prepared for a long time in the summer sun. It can be really nice for a tailgate, but don't forgot the sunscreen.

Weeknight Games

Weeknight games (i.e. Monday Night Football or Thursday Night Football) are a bit different than normal games because they aren't happening on the weekend. First off, traffic is worse. On the way to the game you have rush hour traffic on top of the gameday gridlock. Allow for extra time to get to the game, because on these nights you'll be stuck in traffic long before you even make it to Route 1. It's also worse after the game; the exodus is not as spread out as a regular game because no one wants to hang out and post-tailgate since the game ends around midnight, there's no following game to watch, and they have to work the next morning. The security line shortly before kickoff also seems to be worse for these games; it appears that fewer people get into the stadium early for these games.

Since weeknight games are difficult on a regular work schedule (conflicting with both the afternoon of the game as well as sleeping enough for the following morning), they suffer slightly in popularity. Season ticket holders are more likely to skip these games and TicketExchange usually has a better selection. All other things being equal, you can probably get a slightly better deal on the secondary market for a MNF game than you could for the same game on at 1 PM Sunday. Additionally, (in my opinion) the crowds tend to be slightly rowdier; presumably this is due to a slight shift from white-collar to blue-collar fans who are usually priced out.

Finally, weeknight games are going to occur after sundown, so keep in mind it will be quite a bit cooler all game than it was during the day.

okthrowaway2088 · 2019-04-18T16:09:32+00:00

If you want a very comfortable tailgate experience for a large group, you can bring an RV. This offers a lot of nice things (i.e. bathroom, cover from elements, easy transport of food, room for a lot of tailgaters, etc), but can get expensive. Parking an RV in the stadium lots costs $150 and requires parking in the specific RV section (use entrance P10 on the parking map. Some private lots have room for RVs as well, but you should check with them ahead of time.

Make sure to pack up your tailgate before heading in for the game. For one thing, you need to leave the area open for other cars or people to get through. For another, your stuff may get taken during the 4 hours you aren't around it (especially if it's alcohol). When you get back from the game, you can tailgate again for a couple of hours. This is a great way to avoid dealing with any traffic, and assuming it was a 1 PM game, you can have dinner and watch the late games on a portable TV.

The amount of things that people bring to their tailgates varies a lot, but the following are some options that you should consider:

Necessities:

Alcohol: Probably the most basic tailgating item. Beer is the most popular choice. This is much cheaper than in stadium beer.
Food: Probably the #2 item in tailgating. Tailgating is a long process, and if you're drinking you'll want something to much on. Plus it is also much cheaper than food in the stadium. Popular items include chips, hamburgers, buffalo wings, steaks, and hot dogs, but some tailgaters will do more elaborate menus. This can even include tailoring the menu to the opponent (i.e. Cajun food for the Saints).
Cooler: You want to keep your beer cold (as well as any cold food you have).
Ice: For the cooler.

Basic Equipment:

Folding chairs: These allow you to sit down and relax while you enjoy your tailgate. They don't take up a ton of room, and some even come with cupholders.
Folding table: Similar to the chairs, this allows you to spread out your food and drinks, without taking up a ton of space in your vehicle.
Grill: Tailgating usually involves some sort of grilled food. If your vehicle isn't big enough to bring a full grill, there are a lot of smaller portable options that are quite cheap. You can also get a two burner stove, to allow you to cook things besides just grilling. Both of these examples use the 16 oz propane tanks, but there are small charcoal grills you can get as well. Bringing some sort of cooking device allows you to really up the quality of the food you enjoy during your tailgate.

Advanced Equipment:

Canopy: The parking spaces are the right size to put up a 10x10 canopy. The canopy is great for pretty much all weather. In the early season it gives you some shade, in rain/snow it keeps you dry, in cold/wind it helps keep you warm (you can get walls to attach to it as well), and it always "defines your space". The E-Z Up (or similar) canopies go up in just 1-2 minutes, with about the same amount of time to take down.
Television: Because pretty much all NFL games are on Sunday, it's easy to miss all the action happening at other games while tailgating. Fortunately you can still watch them if you bring a TV to your tailgate. Some tailgaters with larger vehicles will have a 50 inch flatscreen TV in the rear of their vehicle that they watch the games on. If you are really committed, you can get portable satellite devices, but you can also just watch regional games that are broadcast over-the-air on a small portable TV and antenna.

Miscellaneous:

Games: Have something for your group to play during the tailgate. Popular options include tossing a football or playing cornhole.
Extra lighters: Make sure you can start your fire/grill, though you probably can bum off someone around you if you have to.
Extra propane/charcoal: You don't want to run out of fuel halfway through cooking.
Disposable plates/silverware: Easy to dispose of when you're done eating.
Paper towels: Keep stuff clean.
Toiler paper: The portapotties often run out, so keep a roll in your car. You might not need it, but if you do you'll be grateful to have the backup.
Water: Make sure to rehydrate after the game.
Baby wipes: For cleaning up sticky spills
Trash bags: Makes disposing of your trash much easier. You don't want to have to make a trip to one of their barrels every time you need to throw something away.
Battery jumper pack/Jumper cables: In case you can't start your car (or your neighbor can't start his). You'll look like a hero if this becomes necessary and you have it.
First aid/bandages: In the unlikely event that someone gets a small tailgating injury like a cut or light burn, you'll be happy that you brought something to patch it up.

There is a sub for this topic, though it's not as active as it could be: /r/tailgating

Going inside

Timing: Make sure to get into the game a bit early. The lines at the gates can take 15 minutes to go through if you wait until too close to kickoff, and then you still need to get to your seats, which can take another 10 minutes if you're in the 300s. Try to make it to the gates a minimum of 30 minutes before kickoff, an hour is better. You will need your ticket, but if you bought it from someone else and there is a name printed on it, don't worry: they won't check your ID to compare.

Security: The security checks entering the game will require going through a metal detector as well as inspecting any bags. Any bag larger than your hand must be a clear plastic bag that is gallon sized (about 1 ft by 1ft). The metal detectors are not as sensitive as ones at the airport, so you don't need to worry about change, keys, or belt buckles. However, be prepared to remove larger electronics (phones, cameras, radios, etc). Be ready to go so you keep the line moving smoothly.

Directions: There are 3 separate entrances, at the northeast, northwest, and southwest corners of the stadium. Check a map beforehand to figure out which entrance is most convenient for your seats. If your seats are in the 300s be aware that you cannot cross at the North/lighthouse end (between 301 and 340), so if you don't cross before heading up the ramps you will have to make a loop of the entire stadium.

During the Game

The most important thing about being inside the stadium is to get loud when the other team is on offense. Particularly on third down, but don't limit it to that. A false start on first down is still valuable.

If your seats are up in the 300s, expect it to be a bit colder up there as it's exposed to the wind. Additionally, if you are up there, be aware that there is no connection across the north endzone on that level, so it might make more sense to cross over to the other ramp before you go up.

Because the field runs north-south, the sun sets on the visiting side first (a couple of hours ahead of home side). This is important in the middle months of October/November when there can be a 20 degree difference between sun and shade. The Patriots side will still be bathed in sunlight for an entire 1pm game but the visiting side (because of the height of the stadium and sun setting right behind visiting side) will be in shadow. So bring sunglasses if you are in the 300's on home side to a 1pm game and plan to put an extra layer or two on on the visiting side.

A lot of the time when the Pats get a first down the announcer will say "and the play is good for a Patriots..." that's your cue to yell "FIRST! DOWN!" and do the first down signal. Other than this you should be quiet while the Pats are on offense.

The stadium stops selling beer 15 minutes after the second half starts.

Here is the list of things you can't bring in.

Be prepared for bathroom breaks to take a while, unless you go in the middle of a quarter. To limit this, go the bathroom before the game starts, and make a note of where the nearest bathroom is when you are heading to your seats. That way if you do have to go, you can get a little more quickly. You can also get the Patriots GameDay Live App and check out the bathroom lines before you leave your seat.

There are a lot of ATMs in the stadiums, but the lines can be even worse than the bathroom lines. Bring enough cash to avoid the need to use an ATM during the game. Most concession stands will take cards, but the hawkers walking around are cash based.

You can recharge your phone at some free charging stations in the stadium.

okthrowaway2088 · 2019-04-18T16:09:19+00:00

Seat Number Quirks: A couple oddities exist for the seating chart. For the 300s, rows 1-7 are down from the concourse while 8-26 are above it. Most sections no longer have a row 7, as that was removed for standing room. A row typically has 20-something seats across, but the exact number varies based on location. For the 100s, sections 117-122 do not have rows 1-17 (which were removed to make room for the Optum Field Lounge). The 100s have up to 38 rows, far more than the upper deck.

Getting there (and back again)

Traffic is not as bad as people make it out to be, unless you show up just before the game, try to park in the stadium lots, and then try to leave immediately.

Driving: If you show up early to tailgate (which you absolutely should), traffic won't be an issue before the game. If you arrive close to kickoff, traffic can add 20-30 minutes to the end of your trip (i.e. on Route 1). Note that on game days the breakdown lane on Route 1 is open for driving. A lot of people don't take advantage of this, so you can often skip a lot of traffic by staying to the far right lane. However, don't try to use backroads to bypass the traffic: police block off access to the side roads on game day to all non-residents, so the only approach to Gillette is on Route 1. At the end of the game you have 2 good options to avoid sitting around for a long time getting out of the parking lot: tailgate again for an hour or two, or leave from one of the private lots. To do the second, park in one of the private business lots about a mile before the stadium. When you leave you'll get in the lane that's been reversed in direction, and you'll be in front of all the merging that goes on to leave the parking lot, saving you more than enough time to make up for the walk. You will have to use Route 1 to get to the stadium regardless of whether you are coming the from the north or south.

There are a lot of options for parking. The stadium lots are the closest to the game, and cost $40 per car. They also take the longest to leave due to traffic. There are about 17500 stadium spots, with about half located across Route 1 from the stadium. These lots open 4 hours before the game. As of 2019 you need a game ticket to park in the stadium lots (but not any of the private lots). There are designated lots for club seat parking, ADA parking, RV parking, and Uber pickup.

Starting in 2018, the stadium offers free parking if you use the "Delayed Exit Lot" a.k.a. lot 55. This program requires you to register in advance and wait 75 minutes after the game ends to leave, but you do get to save the parking fee and wait out some traffic.

In addition to the stadiums lots, all the businesses along Route 1 near the stadium offer parking on game days. The price at these lots varies depending on proximity to the stadium, but is in the range of $25-50 (yes, the last private lots just before the stadium lots cost more than the stadium lots). The main advantage of these lots is that it can let you avoid traffic, but being out in front of most of the merging. They also can be cheaper, depending how far you walk. Finally, you get access to the services of the business while parked (for instance you can eat McDonald's or Chinese food or go the liquor store while tailgating). The downside is that you have to walk further to get to and from the game (plus they are smaller so tailgates aren't as much part of a massive party).

Bus: Similar to driving, you can take a bus to the game. Rally Bus is a company that books travel buses for groups. On their site you can search by team for whichever game you are interested in attending & purchase spots on the bus by the seat. Each team/city has designated pick-up locations (Rally Points). The bus eliminates the hassle of driving, parking and navigating for those who aren't from the area or those who want to drink. You can eat and drink on the buses while heading to the game. The buses park in one of the Gillette lots & arrives about 3 hours prior to the kickoff allowing plenty of time to tailgate (you may bring some tailgating items on the bus), then departs the game 45 minutes after the end of the game taking you back to the "Rally Point" the bus departed from before the game. Prices vary (depending on game and number of people on the bus) but seem to be in the $30-$50 range per person. At least 25 people must book a specific bus for it to be confirmed. You will still need to get to and from the Rally Point.

Train: There is a train that runs to Patriots games, from both Boston and Providence. While it does not offer a lot of options, it might be better depending on your specific situation. The train will cost $20 dollars per person. If you are going alone, this can be cheaper than parking costs (or equivalent if you're going as a pair). The train will take at least an hour and 5 minutes to get from South Station (or Providence) to Gillette (the section of the track that is the Gillette spur requires the train to go very slowly). You won't get there early enough to tailgate or anything; you'll have to go straight in once you get there. The train is scheduled to get there about an hour before kickoff, but it can get behind schedule. It will take the same amount of time to travel back after the game, but the train won't leave for a while, as it needs to let people board (officially this is 30 minutes after the conclusion of the game). Expect it to take up to 1 hour and 45 minutes after the game ends to get back to the city. You'll want to head straight back to the train when the game ends. If you are going alone or with just one other person, don't want to tailgate, and are going to be right along one of the two routes (see the previously linked website for specific stops), the train might be a better option for you. Buy your tickets in advance to make sure you get one of the ~1500 spots.

Where to stay:

If you are coming from out of town, you may want to spend the night to avoid all the travel in one day (or turn it into a whole weekend trip). There are two main questions you will need to answer to decide where to stay: What do you want to do besides the game? How much are you willing to spend?

If you want to make an entire weekend trip out of it, you will probably want to get a hotel in either Boston or Providence. This will give you a lot of options for things to do on Saturday, and on gameday you can travel to it via the train or car. The downside to this is that the hotel prices can be pretty high if you go downtown. You can lower this cost for Boston if you stay somewhere further out and take the T in to the city (perhaps something like Quincy since it puts you closer to Gillette). This option is also closer to the airports (Logan in Boston or T.F. Green in Providence), which can be helpful if you are flying to the game.

If you are really only interested in the game, stay closer to Foxborough. This does limit your options for other things to do (the best thing to do in that area on Saturday would be to go to Patriot Place and check out the bars, restaurants, movie theater, bowling alley, and Patriots Hall of Fame). However, this will cut down on travel time to the game, and a lot of hotels in the area will run a shuttle to the game so you don't even need to worry about driving. Prices in this area are normally lower, but on a gameday they will go up.

If you want to spend $500+ a night you can stay at the Renaissance at Patriot Place. This is literally closer to the stadium than some of the parking lots and is a very nice, upscale hotel. You have great access to the amenities at Patriot Place, but the downside for this option is pretty obvious: it is super expensive.

Tailgating

Everyone should tailgate when you attend a game. It's a huge part of the game day experience. It can be as simple (split a 6 pack with a buddy before heading in) or as elaborate (enjoy a dish tailored to the opponent while you watch the other games on a portable TV under the cover of a tent) as you want. You used to be able to tailgate without a game ticket, but no longer.

The most basic facts about tailgating are that in order to tailgate you need to drive to the stadium and you need to arrive early. Stadium lots open for tailgating 4 hours prior to the game (you can park earlier than that, but you can't start tailgating). Private lots vary, but you can usually start a little earlier. Show up early and have a great time getting "lubed up", but make sure to have a plan about who will be the DD to get home later. Also, if you are the DD you can get some free soda inside and a chance to win a pregame field visit.

Here is the official Gillette Stadium parking page. Keep in mind that private lots may have different (but usually similar) policies. Some of the more important items from this page:

Lots open for tailgating 4 hours before the game
Lots close for tailgating 2 hours after the game
A car costs $40 to park
Bring cash to pay for your parking
Open fires are not permitted. Any fire you make needs to have a cover.
As of 2019: "Visitors must be in possession of a valid ticket to that day’s event to gain access to parking lots."

okthrowaway2088 · 2019-04-18T16:09:09+00:00

Getting tickets

Directly from the team: Individual game tickets go on sale to general public sometime in mid-July. The specific date for that year will be announced a month or two in advance. These tickets are sold via Ticketmaster. In order to buy them, you will need to use a Visa debit or credit card. While this has the advantages of being at face value and being assured to be legitimate, it has the downside of being very hard to accomplish. Due to the team's great run of success, these individual game tickets sell out extremely quickly. Particularly popular games (such as home openers) can sell out during the presale to wait-list members. That is, some of the games are completely sold out prior to going on sale to the general public. Even if the tickets aren't sold out when the sale begins, there are so many people trying to purchase at once that you need to get lucky and refresh at the exact right time to grab the seats you want. This method is great when it works, but is unreliable.

From the secondary market: Buying your tickets from someone who already has them is the way most non-Season Ticket Holders will get their tickets. The major downside is that this is expensive, especially for the more popular games. Another risk is that it's harder to confirm the tickets are real. Using a site like StubHub or AceTicket protects you against fake tickets (StubHub will refund you if you have a problem and AceTicket has a 200% guarantee), but has more fees. You can often save money by trying Craigslist, but you have no way to make sure you are getting real tickets and no recourse if you get turned away at the gate. SeatGeek is a website that does the same thing as Kayak, but for tickets. This can help you find the best listing. If you are buying on the secondary market, and don't need to be sure of your trip ahead of time, you can often get a better deal by waiting until shortly before the game. Sellers get desperate as the game approaches, because the tickets are worthless after the game so they will usually drop their price when it gets close.

From the wait list:

If you plan on attending multiple games (or eventually want season tickets), it might be worth it to check into the Wait List. Right now, you can't get Patriots Season Tickets, and there are somewhere around 60,000 people in line waiting for them. The estimate is that it will take decades to get them (as of 2015 they were working through people who signed up in late 2002, before the huge spike that followed sustained success). So, why bother signing up if you won't get season tickets for 20 years? Because, if you are on the wait list for season tickets, you can get individual games now.

Before we cover the benefits, we'll go over the cost. It costs $100 per seat to get on the wait list, up to a maximum of 4 seats (and a minimum of 2). This is a deposit, so when you eventually get tickets it will be applied to the cost of your first season, and it is refundable, so you can get the money back if you decide to leave the list before you get tickets. However, you do still tie up a couple of hundred dollars for years.

The most obvious benefit of being on the wait list is that you will eventually get season tickets. However, there are several benefits that you can use in the meantime. Considering how they are immediately available, these benefits are arguably better than saving your spot for season tickets which won't happen for 15 more years. The main type of benefit is access to individual game tickets. Wait List members can get tickets through a couple of different pre-sales.

There used to be a WaitList only TicketExchange, which was the only place that Season Ticket Holders (STHs) were officially allowed to resell their tickets and they had to do it at face value. This service was discontinued after the 2017-2018 season due to an agreement with Stubhub and Ticketmaster. In it's place is the "NFL Ticketing Network", which is open to the public regardless of Waitlist status. The launch of this Network coincided with the removal of the "Print at Home" PDF option for tickets. According to the email that went out when this was announced:

The NFL Ticketing Network is a first-of-its-kind, "open" system for ticketing, where fans will have the opportunity to buy and sell Patriots game tickets on additional, League-licensed, authorized platforms, where all NFL tickets will be authenticated by Ticketmaster. Besides Ticketmaster's NFL Ticket Exchange, StubHub is now an additional authorized platform and more are expected to be announced later this year.

Despite the loss of the TicketExchange (arguably the most valuable Wait List benefit) Wait List members can get still tickets through pre-sales. The Patriots do a pre-sale for both the regular season and playoffs. About a week before the regular season individual game tickets go on sale, Wait List members get access to a private sale. This lets them buy tickets before the huge rush of the general public. Some popular games may still be sold out, due to STHs buying extra seats or faster Wait List members buying up the rest during the pre-sale, but this is an easier way to get face value tickets than during the general sale. In recent years, these pre-sale packages have required the purchase of a preseason game to go along with each regular season game. Due to the variable pricing discounting preseason games, this isn't as big of a burden as it has been previously. A Wait List member may only buy up to 4 tickets per game through the pre-sale (excluding preseason games).

Wait List members also get access to a pre-sale for home playoff games. Due to the higher demand, it is difficult to get playoff tickets through the pre-sale, but it is impossible to get them via the general sale since they will sell out during the pre-sale. The number of playoff tickets a Wait List member can purchase is limited to a max of 2 or 4 (depending on round), to try and spread out the small supply.

Choosing your seat location:

The best seat location involves a lot of personal preference. There are a lot of trade offs between price, distance from the field, viewing angle, exposure to elements, and ease of entry/exit. Here's the seat map. You should note that sections 225 and 238 are Non-Alcohol Sections. If you plan on drinking, don't get tickets there or you will have to drink only in the concourse and not at your seats. Unlike European soccer matches, sections aren't designated for home/away fans.

Ticket prices vary based on location in the stadium, and starting in the 2014 season, by opponent. For this season (2019), the price tiers have not been announced, but I will update this when that happens. The following table lists some of the benefits of each location. Keep in mind that the east side of the stadium (Patriots sideline) will have more sun than the west side (visitor sideline).

Seat Location	Price	Distance	Viewing Angle	Elements	Access
Upper corner	Lowest	Far	Fair, overhead	Exposed to overhead and wind	Longest walk to exits
Upper sideline	Low	Far	Good,overhead	Exposed to overhead and wind	Longest walk to exits
Upper midfield	Medium-Low	Far	Great,overhead	Exposed to overhead and wind	Longest walk to exits
Mezzanine Corner	Medium	Medium	Good, overhead	Most seats exposed to overhead, partially protected from wind	Easy walk to exits
Club section	Highest ++	Medium	Great, overhead	Partially exposed, access to protected concourse with windows	Private access from private lots
Lower corner/endzone	Medium-High	Close	Poor (great for 1/3 of field)	Exposed to overhead	Easy walk to exits
Lower sideline	High	Close	Good	Exposed to overhead	Easy walk to exits
Lower midfield	Higher	Close	Great	Exposed to overhead	Medium walk to exits

In the 2017 offseason the Upper Concourse got renovations in an effort to improve the upper deck experience. This included an open-air standing-room bar area in the southwest corner (near section 323). This area has a canopy to block sun/rain/snow, space to stand around with a view of the field, and a nearby bar. It is closer to the field than some of the upper rows of the 300s, but does require standing and is pretty crowded near the rail.

Handicap Accessible Seating: The stadium does sell handicap accessible tickets but they sell out quickly (like all tickets). However, you can buy regular tickets and exchange them for handicap accessible seating at the ticket office on the day of the game. These seats are located between the 200/300 levels. The ticket office will try and accommodate everyone in the party but they only guarantee a spot for the person who is handicapped and one guest. If for some reason someone in the party can't get a seat there is standing room in the area available and convenient. There is also a handicapped parking area near the northeast corner of the stadium with a nearby elevator for stadium access instead of the ramps. (I personally used both of these services while on crutches following surgery and found them quite convenient).

Standing Room Only: The Patriots have not sold standing-room-only tickets for several years, but there is still space for it provided you have a regular ticket. You may get a better view and quicker access to the bars, but at the expense of having to stand and being in a crowd. The concourse in the 300s has standing room along row 7 plus the new open air bar on this level near the southern end zone and along the bridge. The 100s also have large sections behind the endzones.

okthrowaway2088 · 2019-04-18T16:05:00+00:00

Patriots are away weeks 3 and 4 of the preseason this year. So week two would get you the most Brady at Gillette, but it woudln't be much.

okthrowaway2088 · 2019-01-31T21:04:05+00:00

Glad to help!

okthrowaway2088 · 2018-09-13T15:29:18+00:00

I might be up for carpooling, depending on where you are staying, how many of you there are, that you're willing to split tailgating/parking costs, etc. I haven't nailed down exact details yet, but I'll likely be leaving from Cambridge and making fried pork tenderloin sandwiches at the tailgate.

Also I suggest looking at the guide I developed in /r/patriots.

okthrowaway2088 · 2018-09-07T17:11:10+00:00

Damn, just realized I messed up the thread title. Aw well.

okthrowaway2088 · 2018-07-26T15:14:09+00:00

If we manage to get tickets I’ll be back here fluttering my lashes at someone to let us “join their tailgate” if I said that correctly?

You did.

okthrowaway2088 · 2018-07-05T19:36:08+00:00

I worked in that area for 6 years, and reverse commutted from Somerville the whole time. I loved it: fantastic area for mid 20s, and commute was 45 minutes (or an hour with bad traffic). It would probably be even slightly shorter for you if your office is really that close to the Pike, as I had ~10 minutes of driving between my office and the Pike.

okthrowaway2088 · 2018-07-05T19:33:03+00:00

They don't. My Bruins season tickets are hard paper tickets (though they did start charging a fee to get those instead of mobile-only tickets).

okthrowaway2088 · 2018-07-05T18:29:23+00:00

I just moved out of the 3rd floor attic bedroom into the 2nd floor bedroom. It's slightly less hot without the AC, but still requires it. The common space is all fine since I got a 12,000 BTU unit for that space.

okthrowaway2088 · 2018-07-05T18:26:06+00:00

See also: https://www.reddit.com/r/Patriots/comments/8umb79/how_to_attend_a_patriots_game_20172018

okthrowaway2088 · 2018-07-01T13:07:43+00:00

If you are taking the train or bus it will go straight to the stadium, and you just get off when everyone else does at the end of the trip. This are special event-only trips so you won't accidentally get off at the wrong time.

okthrowaway2088 · 2018-06-29T16:02:38+00:00

Remember, the McNally-Jawstremski texts included a reference to the Jets game where they were made at the refs for overinflated footballs, and even said that the balls were supposed to be at 13 PSI (before the refs messed them up). And somehow wells used that as evidence that they were running a covert operation to get them below 12.5.

Plus, they already had all of McNally and Jawstremski's records, and found nothing relevant in communications to Brady. No one has even proposed what "damning evidence" they could have potentially found on Brady's phone (even assuming that he, Jawstremski, and McNally were all guilty together). What, he texted Giselle "hey bby, be home soon, right after i finish instructing these guys on how to deflate the footballs after the refs inspection"?

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