Ah, the ever present specter of time marching on. Going to a convention with so many activities on the list can seem overwhelming. How will you ever get to everything? The answer is quite plainly that you can’t. And this isn’t something to complain about to the con staff, rather it is something to rejoice about! The goal of any convention is to give you as little boredom as possible. So while you won’t see each and every event, you can make the most of the time you have.

Almost any convention worth its salt is going to have an early convention schedule online. Tightly run conventions sometimes have a preliminary schedule up a couple of weeks before the convention but most will have it up the week leading up to the convention. Conventions are prone to mishap and delay so sometimes you will only get a schedule as you show up to the convention. Obviously the sooner you can see the schedule the sooner you can start planning your days. Plus you have a good amount of time to look it over and see some awesome events you might have missed in the hectic action of being at the con.

I attempt to get a lay of the land before everything starts. I take a good, long look at the map and, if I’m not rushing off to somewhere the moment I enter the building, I’ll do a quick walkthrough as not to get confused later. Remember, this was printed a couple of weeks before the convention started so any last minute changes aren’t going to be reflected. This also helps you figure out the best route to getting to and from places and you might be able to spot what areas are going to get jam packed as to be avoided. Inevitably there will be some section of the con where the traffic flow is absolutely terrible.

Hopefully the convention you are going to is so jam packed with things to do that you have to make an itinerary. The first thing you have to determine is what your priorities are. My general method is to pick what events I have to go see no matter what and then schedule everything around that. Once I have the key things I want to go to, I fill in the remaining time as I go along. So what are you going to do with the mostly inevitable times where there is nothing to do? Well those are prime times to get food, meet up with friends, browse artists alley, take pictures, and check out the dealer’s room. The fact is though the hardest decisions often come from too full a schedule.

You’ll realize rather quickly that some great things are going to be conflicting with other equally great things. There are a few tips to remember while making your preliminary schedule. Try to compare conflicts if they come up, some things will truly be once in a lifetime opportunities. Also it is handy to have a back up event schedule for the cancellations that crop up or when a panel isn’t living up to your expectations. As a reminder, it is perfectly okay to leave a panel you aren’t enjoying just be quite and courteous about it. Remember to factor in waiting in line times, you might have to miss other events if you plan on lining up early.

Certain panels, autograph sessions, and front seats at the AMVs and the cosplay contest always have lines that start way before the event. Certain top tier guests panels, online meet ups, and for some reason Kingdom Hearts panels will actually have to turn people away. American voice actors panels and a very few select Japanese guests will fill up a room but most Japanese guests are not so popular that you have to worry. You can find what the crazy packed panels are going to be by asking on the message boards. Any other panel you can usually slip in and out of without a problem. Most panels have a regular ebb and flow of people so if you don’t get in you can check back 10 to 15 minuets into the panel and usually a seat will have opened up. You basically have to weigh how much to you want to see a whole event vs how much you want to miss other things. Autograph sessions are the only thing that absolutely requires you to line up early.

I hate to wait in lines so I have researched to make sure I normally don’t have to. People have a weird tendency to WANT to wait in a line. Don’t waste your entire convention in unnecessary lines. For example, there is absolutely zero reason to wait for the AMV contest. They are on a screen, you’ll see them. Also, quite a few cosplay events have cameras set up so you can see them on a screen so whether you are in the back or front makes little difference. These things are easy enough to ask con staff about. Most conventions open their doors a half hour or so before any of the events start, this makes it silly to wait in line to get in if you already have a badge. Equally silly is waiting to get into the dealer’s room, it is open the most hours of anything going on at the convention. You can easily slip in and out through the day. Many guest autograph sessions are totally full up while their panels are only half full. This is a great thing to remember if you really don’t want to wait in line. If you do find yourself in line you can easily make it productive by talking to the people around you, eating, etc.

I have yet to go to a convention where there has not been some schedule change. People will drop out, panelists will have last minute plans and travel mishaps, things will be changed to cater to guests whims, people will need different rooms for equipment, con staff will realize popular panels need bigger rooms, and a million other things can cause a change in the schedule. Your best bet is to start each day with a trip down to the conventions info desk. They will have an updated schedule to look at and with any luck reprinted schedules with updates on them. They will also have unannounced events that have popped up at the last second. I can remember at least three times I have kicked myself for forgetting to look at the revised schedule.

I redo my schedule a ton of times. Unexpected things always come up as with anything else in life. But it is in my nature to try and control it somehow. The whole point of making a schedule is to help slay that overwhelming feeling that a convention can bring about. Haven’t you ever had so many things to do that you just end up doing nothing? That is what we are trying to help you avoid. But don’t be rigid, go with the flow, and you’ll have a good time even if you don’t get to every little thing on the schedule.

The funny thing is for all the highlighting I do ahead of time I tend to constantly look over the schedule and make decisions on the fly. You are going to change your plans a million times during a convention but I find you are much more secure in doing so when you mapped out plan from the start. But without a doubt the most important thing is to make sure you do the most to have a good time while at a convention. As Theophrastus said, “Time is the most valuable thing a man can spend.”

Now that all the plans have been laid you have to start thinking about the actual needs on the trip. I think one of the most common questions on forums for first time con-goers is, “how much money do I need?” I can understand that because the last thing you want to do is arrive and be broke by the end of day one. But alas it is rather a complicated question.

It is best to be a fat cat millionaire to whom money is an inconsequential matter for the poor people to worry about. For everyone else you have to prioritize on your general free cash vs. your desires. Single people with full-time jobs are going to have more than students and people with families. Also as far as I can tell, any serious cosplayer is going to have less free cash. If you mainly collect manga and phone charms you’re going to spend less than the person who buys art books and 1/8 sized figures. We are going to try to do our best to give a ball park minimum and some idea of additional costs you might incur. As always you want to tack on some extra because if you don’t old Murphy and his law will surely strike.

Establishing a budget leading up to the convention and then trying to stick to it while there is a good idea. Excluding your hotel and transportation expenses you need to figure in food money, spending money, and emergency money. So making the budget, first of all you should start the moment you make that commitment to go to the convention. If it is going to be the highlight of your year then you can bend your will and knuckle-down to save a bit. I think using cash is best at conventions only because it stops your spending from getting away from you.

My sample budget is as follows:

• $80 ($20 a day for food/drink, this should include travel days, not just days at the convention);
• $150 for the dealer’s room (total, not daily);
• $40 emergency fund (or could have a credit card).
  total: $270

Divide that number by the number of weeks to the convention and you’ll know what you need. Put away a little from each paycheck/allowance/lunch money and voila you’ll have your total in no time!

If you are taking any pointers from our Room and Board post, then you know you can save a lot of pennies by not eating out in excess. You might also want to up your food and drink budget if you plan to go out to eat meals at a restaurant any time during the convention. Also if you are going to indulge in any amount of alcohol your drink budget is going to shoot up quite a bit. The place you are most likely to blow out all of your cash is the dealers room. The most important thing to remember is how much you have budgeted for spending in the dealer’s room and try to only buy what you can’t get anywhere else. We will be devoting a whole article in April to how to get the most bang for your buck in the dealers room so look forward to that. If you are super paranoid you can always throw an emergency 20 in your sock. It’s always good to have an extra bit of cash on you when you are away from home. I know that the area around Otakon is sort of less than upscale. I have never had any sort of incident but sometimes a little piece of mind is worth more than anything. Plus it prevents you from causally spending your last 20 dollars on anything frivolous.

So besides the suitcase full of money you’ll be bringing, you will probably also need a number of other amenities for your person. The key is to pack as little and compactly as possible because the last day of the convention you might just have to lug all your stuff around with you. For example, take a hoodie instead of long sleeve shirts. You can wear it over and over plus t-shirts take up less room. Anything that can be worn over and over, without it being gross, is a good choice. I usually wear one pair of jeans the whole time and take on extra just in case. Some of the easiest things to lose from your load are things the hotel provides like soap, shampoo, hairdryer, and towels. Sure they may not be your first choices but it is only for a couple days. Some things you might not think about bringing but can be helpful are a travel sewing kit and an extra bag for purchases from the dealer’s room.

My packing list:

• 4 t-shirts (which is one more than I need)
• 1 pair of jeans
• 1 pair sweat pants (for sleeping)
• 4 pair underwear/socks (which is one more than I need)
• toothbrush/toothpaste/floss
• medication (prescription, aspirin, cold, etc.)
• deodorant
• contact case/solution
• hair brush
• hoodie
• sewing kit
• extra bag (something you can fold up when not in use)
• cellphone charger
• book (for traveling)

I prefer packing in a bookbag because it is the easiest thing to lug around, plus it forces you to pack only what can fit. And since I don’t have a car, it makes it easier to get to and from the bus station. Also a friendly reminder to anyone taking a plane, don’t forget the liquids law for carry on baggage. Which is another good reason to just use the hotel provided toiletries.

You might also want to bring the following if you have room for it: A portable game system is always nice for playing when you are traveling, waiting in line, or just to kill time in general; A camera and/or a digital recorder if you meet anyone interesting; A laptop and power cord if you are doing a panel, plus many hotels have free internet access. As we’ve mentioned before you might want to bring food from home. A nifty trick is to throw all your food in one bag. Since you are probably going to eat a majority of the food you brought by the last day you can now use that bag for anything you got at the convention. I also bring a messenger bag. You can use it to carry around anything you need at the convention and store any valuables. The best way to make sure you take everything you need is a check list. So what happens when you forget something at home (which is probably going to happen). People often forget their cellphone charger which is the most inconvenient thing to forget. Fortunately there is a simple fix to this situation. Almost any pharmacy or convenience store will have backup cellphone batteries that will get you through the weekend. If you forget any toiletries that are not automatically in your room, just ask for them at the concierge desk. Anything else can also usually be bought at a local pharmacy or convenience store in travel sizes.

So now you know which convention your going to and where you are going to stay. The next thing you have to think about is how are you going to get there. And obviously make sure you can get in the door at the convention. If you’re lucky and the convention takes place in your neighborhood, you probably already know how to get there. If it’s any further away you will need some logistical planning to get where you need to go. Depending on what form of transportation your are taking determines how long in advance you should start making plans.

Traveling is the most tiring and stressful part of any trip. On your way you are anxious to get there and on the way back you are so tired you just want to go home. And it also takes the most preparations and planning. A good way to start is try learning something about the place you are going if it is unfamiliar territory. You can do this any number of ways including asking people on the convention forums, checking the city website, or just pick up a map of the area. This will help you get a feel of your surroundings, see how close the convention center is to your hotel, and how close all the available transportation is as well. After you’ve picked a mode of transport, and paid for it, you can probably put money down on a ticket for the convention since you’ve made your big commitment at that point.

Just about any convention today will let you buy tickets online and many times, the sooner the better. If you pre-order your ticket there will usually be a discount. Some cons will give you a flat rate pre-order discount. Others will have a tiered rate if you order your ticket before a date or before a certain number of people have registered. In the case of the tiered system, the earlier you order the cheaper it is. Also if you are going with any posse over 10 people you should look into the conventions group discount. If the convention does not list its group ticket policy, shoot them a friendly email and you can usually work something out. This is fairly easy to get with anime clubs or if you just happen to be popular. Without a doubt the greatest benefit to pre-ordering your tickets is once your get to the convention you will almost always spend less time in line.

I always have the odd feeling that if I buy my ticket too soon something is going to come up and stop me from attending. One of the things I dislike about most anime conventions is that they require you to register with a name and bring ID to pick up your ticket effectively stopping you from handing over your unused ticket to someone else. So while ordering your ticket well in advance can save you some bucks, it is a decision you have to be sure about. However, I always recommend pre-registering, it will probably save you at least a couple of minutes in line if things are going correctly at a convention. Though I have been in attendance where the pre-reg line was out the door because everyone did it but if you bought tickets there you could just walk right in.

Plane tickets are now the most expensive part of any trip so our general recommendation is avoid flying unless time, distance, or circumstances prevent you from doing otherwise. If you can’t avoid flying then there are several options to keep your ticket price as low as possible. Your first is to hop on Expedia/Travelocity/Hotwire and see what the prices are looking like. Then check all the websites of specific airlines, the prices can sometimes differ. You can also see if your hotel offers some sort of room rate/plane ticket discount. Some hotels have deals with airlines that can get you discount rates on both prices if you ask. Also if your going very far or overseas you might want to talk to a travel agent because they also can get you combination deals on room rate/plane tickets as well. And travel agents make their money from companies you stay with so it is free to use them. Once again, plane travel can be steep so order far in advance to get better rates. Also keep an eye on prices after you order, if they drop significantly sometimes you can get a little refund by talking to the airline.

I have traveled to conventions most often by bus and I don’t have any real horror stories from doing it whereas I feel like others do. One year coming back from Otakon it did take about 6 hours to get home though, that was a real mess. Anyhow it is usually the cheapest way to go. There are a number of places depending on where you live, the most obvious being Greyhound and one you might not know about called Mega Bus. Mega Bus has a unique pricing system and also is way cheaper than other bus options. I only recently found out about it myself so I have not used it yet, however I have heard good things. One thing to remember about bus transportation is first come first served. You aren’t always guaranteed a seat on the bus you want to be on even if you order your ticket in advance. If it is full it is full and there is nothing you can do about it. You will notice this when coming back from a convention more often that going there. This is being done away with slowly. So be sure to get to the bus station at a decent time! Of course the downside to a bus is that it takes a little longer to get where you are going. But seriously we are anime fans, right, we have plenty to do! Plan your convention stuff, work on a panel, read manga, play video games, etc. we are never bored!

Trains are sort of the in between of taking a plane and taking a bus. Trains are faster than the bus but cheaper than a plane. As far as I can tell Amtrak is the the biggest interstate train system because all the discount travel sites dump you right to their website.  In general any advice that applies for buses also applies for the train.

Personally, I like driving to a convention. You get to arrive when you want, leave when you want, take as much luggage as you want, play your music loud, etc. This also allows you to get a hotel further from the convention, and possibly cheaper, if you want. The only city I don’t recommend this for is New York City. Most other places, including Chicago and Baltimore, have decent priced parking garages. If you are going to drive though, you should be comfortable with the interstate and/or driving for long periods of time. If you have a couple of friends who drive you can switch off to make it easier. Driving can be expensive though if you don’t have a full car to split the gas and tolls with. Tolls will get you, so plan your route ahead of time and look up the tolls you will probably be incurring. Driving gives you the most freedom to come and go as you please.

When you finally get to the city you have to get from where you are staying to the convention. Unless you are within walking distance or have a car you have two options you can take a taxi or your can take public transportation. If the con takes place in New York City, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, or Washington D.C. your best bet is to use Hopstop. You just put the address of where you are staying and where you are going and Hopstop tell you the quickest directions by public transportation and also how far you have to walk. If you are attending a convention outside of these cities your best bet is either use the website for the local department of transportation, call your hotel, or ask on the forums.

Taxis are always the last resort, use them sparingly. They are over-priced, period. But some hotels don’t offer shuttle services and in that case a taxi may be necessary. Before you consider one, make sure you aren’t within walking distance of where you need to go, this is an easy mistake if you are unfamiliar with the lay of the land. Also if you know it advance that you will need to take a taxi, it is best to print out directions or a map of where you need to go. Though this is good advice for anything not just taxi taking!

My only parting piece of advice is to always assume everything is going to go absolutely wrong. If you can swing it, try to get to out of state conventions the night before the con and give yourself the day off afterward. If life does not afford you that luxury, atleast try to get to the con 2 hours before any event you want to see and get home at least 4 hours before your minimum bedtime. You will always run into canceled, delayed, and rerouted planes and trains or bumper to bumper traffic when you absolutely cannot be late. It’s also when your leave yourself no leeway when you find yourself getting lost. So assume the worst and you will never be disappointed. Other than that may the road rise to meet you and may the wind be always at your back.