Pitfalls of not staying in La Quinta/Indio?

[jensen5]

We've always stayed at La Quinta but this year everything sold out really quick.

For the people who've crashed in Cathedral City/Palm Springs/Rancho Mirage: is the traffic getting into the festival any worse than what you'd hit anyway?

Don't mind driving the extra miles but not if those miles are totally clogged.

[zajaa]

um. motels/hotels are a few hundred dollars a night. camping, split among a few people, is like 10-15 bucks for the whole weekend and its approx 7639 times more fun. you do the math.

[Dr. Lufs-al-ot]

If you're set on staying at a Hotel, Palm Springs isnt bad at all. There's almost never any traffic on the freeway.

[jensen5]

Nice--thanks for the knowledge, doc.

[Theijuiel]

Until you get to Indio, then the traffic is jammed all the way to the 10.

[Cdubby]

You won't get accosted by meth freaks, I mean if you're into that type of thing.

[caeden]

taking hwy 111 instead of I-10 adds only a few minutes travel time and you end up skipping about half the coachella traffic.

[jimmycrackcorn]

i commute every year each day of the festival from cat city and back... they have consistently made the parking and traffic flow better and better...

[flowbee]

If you're set on staying at a Hotel, Palm Springs isnt bad at all. There's almost never any traffic on the freeway.

Yup, not bad at all 70 MPH most of the way. Just know the right exit and streets to take as you get to Indio

Plus I like relaxing and doing stuff like Village Fest and the Tram in PS before the festival starts.

[RezBanana]

Yup, not bad at all 70 MPH most of the way. Just know the right exit and streets to take as you get to Indio

That's a negative if your taking 1-11 from PS to Coachella... the average is about 35-55. There are tons of cops along that highway aswell. Even more so during Coachella. But it does beat taking the I-10, you avoid tons of traffic.

[KickerConspiracy]

We stayed in Palm Springs last year - I think a Travelodge across from the Riviera on Palm Springs Blvd. The only problem was getting in/out of the fest. Only about 15-20 minutes freeway driving.

[gaypalmsprings]

Nothing wrong with Palm Springs - as long as you stay in a nice part.

[RezBanana]

Nothing wrong with Palm Springs - as long as you stay in a nice part.

Yup... Try to stay away from North Palm Springs.

[MissesShankley]

I stayed in Rancho Mirage in 2007 and took a taxi in. At about 2 miles from the venue the traffic was so bad, i.e a parking lot, that the driver told me I could walk there faster and save the money- that was 1 1/2 miles away. It was only 110 that day. Luckily, I'm from the desert and used to train for marathons in the summer (California high Desert) so the walk wasn't THAT BAD. But traffic is a nightmare, really.