I've flown, driven, and combination of bus and train (Greyhound, Amtrak, Caltrain). I budget maybe a month or two beforehand. At the very least I figure out my options and how much they cost. I always have an emergency reserve hidden on my person and in my luggage somewhere. If I'm flying/bus/train I will buy food, bring as much as possible. If I'm driving I bring everything, food and drink included, and only purchase stuff as emergency measures.

I'd say a camera is important to have assuming your other basics are covered.

The worst I've had is being crammed in the back of a minivan next to all our luggage because we picked up a couple people on craigslist ridingsharing back home. Not even being the smallest of the group meant for a comfortable ride. I never remembered minivans as being that horrible to be in, but maybe that's because I was a lot younger when my family had a minivan. No favorites. It's all just a way to get around to me.

>How do you travel to conventions, seagulls?
Car, about 10 min drive. Sometimes subway+bus.

>Money related questions
>Still buying stuff in horribly overpriced North American dealer rooms.
dohoho

>What is one thing you take that you think is a must have for any con goer, cosplayer or not?
MOTHERFUCKING WATER BOTTLE
God knows those fucking coolers run out faster than staff replenish them and there usually isn't any outside hotels/con centers.

What is your favorite con traveling experience?
Subway in full costume. Fuck yeah every damn time.

What is your worst con traveling experience?
58 bus can be a pain.

Fly, I work for an airlines so I get good discounts. I'd prefer to drive but my friends bail on con plans/trips 90% of the time and gas driving alone is more expensive than a flight, feelsbadman.

I plan around 2 months in advance, my usual budget for a con is $250 for room, food, drinking, con badge and whatever I buy. I have a credit card for true emergencies and usually have another $100 in the bank in case I go to a nice place or find something I really want.

Take with me? My netbook, my cosplays, 4 changes of clothes (3 casual, 1 nice), shoes and accessories, toiletries and a book. Purchase wise, I usually buy comic books and figures.

Money. And a bottle of water.

Took a train with a friend one time. It was fun just talking and hanging out for a few hours.

Flight got cancelled twice, missed a day of the con, flight back got cancelled twice, missed a day of class and work.

>>5670077
on that note, get one of those flat water bottles. when it's full, it expands, when it's empty, you can fold it up so it doesn't take much space.

I always wanted to ask this: if you only bring a carry-on (thus being restricted to 3oz containers of fluid) and you want to bring cream makeup, does it count as a fluid?

That being said, how does everyone travel with a lot of makeup? (I'm talking costume makeup, not typical blush/powder/mascara.)

>>5670077
>Money related questions
>Still buying stuff in horribly overpriced North American dealer rooms.
Nah, I'm taking about buying things like food and emergency stuff like extra gas, bandages, paying for a blown tire or towing and shit, not trinkets from the con itself.
That and the cost of getting to and from the convention, hotel and badge.

Fanime 2011:

boss: "Hey, anon, when are you coming back?"
"The producer said Memorial Day was off"
"well, get back here"
"uh, it's going to be a couple hours"
He then proceeded to call me like three more times.
We ended up not releasing the title til November. What was the point of me coming back early again?

AX2010 my flight home got cancelled. Got to spend another day in LA. Ended up just sitting in the Holiday Inn because I was a little tired after everything.

>How do you travel to conventions, seagulls? Do you fly, drive or ride the rails?
Drive
>How long before a con do you plan a budget, if you plan one at all?
3-4 months in advance
>Do you overestimate how much you'll spend, just in case, or stash away emergency money?
I mostly underestimate my budget, it's because I know enough to know and survive on four-five days
I generally roll over what ever I come home with to the next con
>What do you take with you and what do you purchase while at the con?
Uh my wallet with cash. Many vendors won't take plastic because it's a bitch for them to setup the credit card machine.
>What is one thing you take that you think is a must have for any con goer, cosplayer or not?
It depends, but mostly hygiene materials
>What is your favorite con traveling experience?
Just being able to drive to any con while blasting 90's rap music when i pull up to the hotel lobby
>What is your worst con traveling experience?
My battery and alternator kept crapping out on me going to and from AX. Barely made it home but I was scared because I was worried my engine might explode

>How do you travel to conventions, seagulls? Do you fly, drive or ride the rails?
It depends on where the convention is. If local, I drive. If far, I fly. If it's in a local major city, sometimes taking the train is easier.

> How long before a con do you plan a budget, if you plan one at all?
I have to plan the hotel budget and buy the badge a year in advance, and I plan out the flight a few months in advance. All year, I stash away money (spare change, parts of birthday/holiday money) and pool it for spending money.

>Do you overestimate how much you'll spend, just in case, or stash away emergency money?
I overestimate. I always carry cash because you never know when someplace won't accept credit, or when you might need cash for a taxi.

>What do you take with you and what do you purchase while at the con?
I take the usual clothes & basic toiletries. I go to the supermarket near the con and buy food/water.

>What is one thing you take that you think is a must have for any con goer, cosplayer or not?
Good shoes (or good insoles). You'll be doing a lot of walking and spending a lot of time on your feet. There's nothing worse than an ill-fitting pair of shoes giving you blisters.

>What is your favorite con traveling experience?
Driving down to Otakon, being silly and playing dumb music and games in the car.

>What is your worst con traveling experience?
Flying to San Diego Comic-Con. The landing at the airport was really, really rough.

>How do you travel to conventions, seagulls? Do you fly, drive or ride the rails?
I generally ride with someone if they're driving, or ride the train/cab.

>How long before a con do you plan a budget, if you plan one at all?
Depends. There's a couple that I'll just go to with whatever I have on me at the time, and there's some that I save a couple months in advance for.

>Do you overestimate how much you'll spend, just in case, or stash away emergency money?
I used to spend everything I brought with me, but recently I haven't been spending really anything, unless I see something that I didn't think would have merchandise, like some Etrian Odyssey keychains I found last year.

>What do you take with you and what do you purchase while at the con?
I usually just bring stuff to entertain myself while travelling. DS, book, phone, etc. I used to buy figures, posters, clothes, anything, but now it's mostly little stuff like a keychain or a pin. If I buy anything big it's something like a backpack.

>What is one thing you take that you think is a must have for any con goer, cosplayer or not?
Water/Gatorade and a snack like granola bars. I had one year where I was wearing a thick costume all day and got really weak from dehydration/low blood sugar. Since then I always make sure to have something.

>What is your favorite con traveling experience?
Driving back and forth to the first convention I stayed all week at with my two best friends from high school.

>What is your worst con traveling experience?
I haven't had any bad traveling experiences since I don't cram in with a bunch of people, just myself and 2 or 3 other people

OP again.
What's the maximum you would spend on going to a convention?
Just travel, hotel, badge and food expenses, not the amount spent on extra stuff like dealer hall items or cosplay.
How far would you travel to go to a convention?

>>5670306
I'd spend maybe $1000 but it'd have to be a big trip that I'd plan out well in advance. I'm not as into cons as I used to be, so it'd have to be an event.

>How do you travel to conventions, seagulls? Do you fly, drive or ride the rails?
Drive. 2 tanks = roughly $110 + approx. $90 parking still is cheaper than a plane ticket to the closest airport.

>How long before a con do you plan a budget, if you plan one at all?
I just put aside $40 per paycheck [$80/month] for costume materials and convention accommodations which all cover my 4 major cons + a few extras.

>Do you overestimate how much you'll spend, just in case, or stash away emergency money?
Always overestimate: bring more cash, less stuff. Whatever amount I bring, I dedicate $100 for emergencies.

>What do you take with you and what do you purchase while at the con?
Pretty much everything I need including clothes, cosplays etc., a towel, toiletries/makeup, snacks and beverages, repair kit, a travel 1st aid kit.

>What is one thing you take that you think is a must have for any con goer, cosplayer or not?
For hotels, bring a power strip thing because usually everyone has a ton of shit to plug in/charge and the room outlets are either blocked by furniture or are few in number. Also, bring an extra change of clothes, especially underwear, in case you get stranded.

>What is your favorite con traveling experience?
LOLWat experiences at rest stops to/from Otakon. 1 car was on fire and at 1 stop a woman parked her car, got out, grabbed a sock hanging on a guardrail that clearly wasn't hers, then drove off.

>What is your worst con traveling experience?
Katsucon 2010 when Snowmageddon struck. It was so irritating that every route I was going to use seemed to be closed at one point or another. Then once I got to Oxen Hill/National Harbor, we could see the Gaylord hotel but were stuck in suburbia for an hour.

oh god fuck this thread. Going to a con in a few months and i haven't even finished my planned cosplays, but that's not what I'm worrying about. The cosplays both have multiple pieces and the con's a two-stop plane trip away. WHAT IF I LEAVE A PIECE BEHIND OH GOD. I've been worrying about that all day and this thread just reminded me.

Anyways, my serious essentials are a lot of water and extra underwear. Also some pads and panty liners, but no more than a day's worth (finding a store is usually easy in the city) unless I know for sure that I'm gonna be getting my period.

I hate carrying cash and never take more than $20 at a time, just rely on credit and debit cards. I've been pretty lucky in that the only cons I've been to had my bank's ATM close-by just in case I needed cash. However, the other day I was in New Orleans for a concert and taking a cab for the first time and was almost unable to pay the driver because of my no-cash policy. Later on, I wasn't able to find an ATM and couldn't by any of the performer's merch. It was a lesson I learned and something I'll have to keep in mind the next time I go on a trip...

How do you travel to conventions, seagulls? Do you fly, drive or ride the rails?
I've done it all, but usually carpool with friends.
How long before a con do you plan a budget, if you plan one at all?
5-6 months since I go with a group.
Do you overestimate how much you'll spend, just in case, or stash away emergency money?
Overestimate, I have my card for emergencies.
What do you take with you and what do you purchase while at the con?
My cosplays, camera, laptop, mp3 player. I buy artbooks, wigs, and t-shirts.
What is one thing you take that you think is a must have for any con goer, cosplayer or not?
Water bottle.
What is your favorite con traveling experience?
Otakon 2009, Super cheap flight (I miss you $79 rate!), flight arrived early. Room was ready at 11am. Fuck yeah.
What is your worst con traveling experience?
Otakon 2010. We took the greyhound from Chicago to Baltimore. Our bus broke down before we made it to the Skyway. We missed our connecting bus and were stuck in Cleveland until around 4am before we could get on another one. We stopped somewhere in Pittsburgh that was absolutely gorgeous and clean. We tried finding it on google maps later , but it wasn't the right place. We concluded that we were so tired and pissed off that we just imagined it. We now jokingly refer to it as "hallucinogenic Pittsburgh".

>>5670412
make a checklist and follow it. once you pack something, check it off, and you damn well better not take it out unless you uncheck it on the list too
starting packing days in advance. up to a week if you have to. avoid doing the mad rush pack the morning/evening of departure. that's a surefire way to forget something.

>>5670306
this year's sdcc is going to be about $600 for room for five nights, add about $100 for gas, ticket was $150. i'm most likely getting a pro badge IF THEY EVER OPEN IT SHIT COMIC CON GET IT TOGETHER. last word was "april" which puts them two months behind last year's pro reg. so i'll have an extra ticket to either refund or ... do something with.

i have pretty minimal food/drink requirements and don't really buy much in the hall. maybe $100-200 at most but that's only if something really catches my eye.

The only con I want to go to is Dragon Con, which is 800 miles away.

Added up the general costs, it comes to just under $1,500 for 2 people, just for travel, hotel, badge and food.
Doesn't matter what transport I take, they all cost about the same. Driving is technically cheaper, but it's 12-16 hours on the road. I'm not keen on flying, having flown twice before I dislike the process and from what I've seen it's only gotten to be more of a hassle. Never been on a train, so that may be an interesting experience, but it's the most expensive option at $460 for two tickets.
Adding in cosplay, it could get close to 2 grand just to go to D*C for 4 days.

I'd like my BF to go, but he's bound to get bored after a day and a half of the con and he's not thrilled with the idea of conventions anyhow.
I know there's other stuff around there, an aquarium and such, so what would be fun to do around Atlanta during D*C that would justify a $2,000 vacation?
Or should I just find some other place to go and forget dragging my BF to a con?

>How do you travel to conventions, seagulls? Do you fly, drive or ride the rails?
I've done all three. I think I prefer flying for convenience, but driving is also pretty great even if it takes longer (sometimes)

>How long before a con do you plan a budget, if you plan one at all?
Maybe a couple months before? Signing up for AA tables kind of forces you to budget early because most table selection goes up months before the con.
>Do you overestimate how much you'll spend, just in case, or stash away emergency money?
Usually not. I just budget that into my convention costs when I sell at AAs.
>What do you take with you and what do you purchase while at the con?
Alllll dat paperrrrrrr fuckprintsomg. I try not to purchase much at cons because I'd rather not lug home more stuff than I brought in the first place. Prints and AA stuff is a bitch because it takes up a lot of space in your suitcase. Bleh.
>What is one thing you take that you think is a must have for any con goer, cosplayer or not?
Mmm probably underwear.
>What is your favorite con traveling experience?
Roadtripping with Potato to ALA last year. Funnnn shit.
>What is your worst con traveling experience?
Flying back from SDCC my first year because I missed my flight and I had a whole bunch of unnecessary con swag that I had to somehow take back with me. Those fucking oversized bags ended up being the worst things ever.

>How do you travel to conventions, seagulls? Do you fly, drive or ride the rails?
Depends on where I go. Usually I fly, and then take a train to the convention centre from the airport.
>How long before a con do you plan a budget, if you plan one at all?
I don't plan one at all. I just book my flight, hotel room, and buy my badge. And then hope that I'll have money for food and booze when the time comes.
>Do you overestimate how much you'll spend, just in case, or stash away emergency money?
Nope.
>What do you take with you and what do you purchase while at the con?
Besides the obligatory things, I sometimes bring food with me from home. I buy nothing.
>What is one thing you take that you think is a must have for any con goer, cosplayer or not?
delicious waterbottle.
>What is your favorite con traveling experience?
When I went to FuyuCon 2009, I had such a good time. It was my first time travelling to England, and my first time meeting up with all of my british con-buddies.
Such an exciting trip that was.
>What is your worst con traveling experience?
J-Popcon 2009. I live an hour away from the con, so I went home every night to work on tomorrow's cospays. Night 1, I nearly got beaten up by a gang of douchebags that roam my hometown every friday. It sucked.

>>5670810
Is he into sports? There's bound to be a college football/Atlanta Falcons/Braves game going on. There's also the Coca Cola Museum, CNN Studios, the Cyclorama (if he's a history buff). Atlantic Station is pretty neat to check out too since they always have some interesting exhibit going on like "Bodies" or "Dialogue in the Dark."

Still, I think he could probably have a good time at Dragon*Con. I know people who aren't big con types, but they go to D*C for the people watching and to get drunk and go to room parties.

>How do you travel to conventions, seagulls? Do you fly, drive or ride the rails?
Usually by train of bus.
>How long before a con do you plan a budget, if you plan one at all?
HA. Budget. That's funny. I need to start doing that though.
>Do you overestimate how much you'll spend, just in case, or stash away emergency money?
Always put random bills in my shoes and pockets then forget about it until the time I have use it. Then it's like" SURPRISE! MONEY!"
>What do you take with you and what do you purchase while at the con?
I try not to bring more than my suitcase and a spare backpack with all the cos stuff I need for the weekend, plus some casual clothes. I like to get little nicknacks and things I can use from the Artists Alley. Got a Kyubey Thermos one year, best coffee ever.
>What is one thing you take that you think is a must have for any con goer, cosplayer or not?
At least 3 separate sets of directions.
>What is your favorite con traveling experience?
A few years ago NYCC/AF had "The Walk". It wasn't anything official. It's the stretch of 34th street that leads right down to the con center from the subway. Hundreds of congoers walking together, photogs snapping pictures.. It's not so energetic anymore since the merge so I settle for the annual ride to CPAC with friends.
>What is your worst con traveling experience?
Got lost in Phily trying to go to Zenkaicon. Blew all my money on a taxi that didn't even get me there and by the time I got there, the tickets were sold out.