Decide early on places to stay during the Coachella music festival
By Brittany Taylor
Feb. 8, 2011 5:19 p.m.
Correction: The original version of this article contained an error. Taylor Rohrbaugh is a second-year psychology student.
Money was spent, tears were shed and anxiety was increased, but in the end, Coachella tickets were purchased. Now what? This is a question many first-time Coachellans like myself have.
One main concern is where to stay during the music festival. The first suitable option is car camping at Coachella. In order to do this you must have purchased a car camping pass on Ticketmaster. Car camping consist of a designated parking area that is 10 feet by 30 feet. The spot is big enough to fit your compact car and however many tents and people you can squeeze in.
If you are like me and couldn’t get a car camping pass because of the high purchasing rate from scalpers, then you must look elsewhere for shelter.
Those who are willing to splurge on housing can purchase a tent at the Lake Eldorado campsite. The pitched tent is equipped with cots, sleeping bags and pillows, which you are allowed to keep. The tents are limited to either two or four people. The tents range from $1,000 to $1,600.
An option that is not allowed is sleeping in the day parking lots. With the exception of the car camping parking, the parking lots are cleared out every night.
But don’t fear because there are plenty of other campsites to stay at. Coachella’s website displays alternate offsite camping. Many of the campsites are within a few miles from Indio. The website also gives you the contact information of RV rental companies. There is also a message board where you can find help from experienced Coachellans on good places to stay.
One suggestion on the message board is sleeping in your car at the local Walmart. It allows overnight parking, and there is security on the premises. The Walmart in La Quinta is only approximately 10 minutes away from Coachella.
Going with the alternate camping option means you must find a way to get to and from Coachella every day. The best way is to arrive at the day parking site as early as possible. Parking is free, but you must leave every night.
Second-year psychology student Taylor Rohrbaugh lives near the festival in Indio so she stays at home. Rohrbaugh said she suggest that people park near the main streets in the parking lot in order to make it out in a timely manner.
“You exit the parking in order, so if you’re inside then you have to wait for everyone else to leave first. Last year I was in the parking lot for an hour and a half before I could get out. So definitely stay near the main streets for the fastest exits,” Rohrbaugh said.
Once housing and parking situations are figured out, it is time to enjoy the festival. Were you able to purchase a car camping pass? Where will you be staying?
