Traveling for March Madness? Here's a look at travel tips and gameday essentials

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The Madness is coming! It's March and the first official sign that the spring season is upon us is when I tear my bracket to shreds three games into the NCAA college basketball tournament. Don't you just love this time of year?

Selection Sunday takes place on Sunday (obviously), March 16. The 68-team fields for both the men's and women's NCAA basketball tournaments will be announced during selection shows. Then, it's time to gear up, go wheels up (in some cases), and wait for the inevitable combination of Cinderella story meets agonizing heartbreak.

Maybe, you're a Duke Blue Devils fan, and you can say with some level of certainty every year that your team will be in the field of 68. Maybe, you're a Texas Longhorns fan and it's been a rough year, but your team should still hopefully make the field, and you're just hoping for an unlikely, yet short trip to San Antonio for the Final Four. Whatever your team's situation, here's some helpful travel tips for March Madness, as well as some important game day advice.

How to buy March Madness tickets?

Tickets are the first thing you should secure, unless you plan in spend a few days in San Antonio regardless of whether your team makes the Final Four (the Riverwalk is great!). Tickets are available now on StubHub. But, all we know right now is when games are taking place, and where. It will be a mad dash for tickets after each game, when the next round and opponent are confirmed.

When to buy flights?

Again, if you have unlimited miles, sure, go ahead and book that flight to San Antonio for the Final Four. Otherwise, you'll need to know your team's destination first.

There are 13 different sites and locations for the men's tournaments before the Final Four. There are an additional two locations for the women's tournament. These range from San Francisco, to Birmingham, Alabama, to Providence, Rhode Island, before the men's tournament heads to Texas and the women travel to Florida.

This could be good or bad, for you. If you're reppin' those Blue Devils, and you have to travel to Seattle, might be a tougher flight. But, if you're a Longhorns fan heading to San Antonio, you could make the hour and a half drive, or Expedia has direct flights starting at just $97.

Where to stay during your March Madness trip?

You always have options when you travel, one of them being where you stay. This will depend on which city you're heading to, maybe you'll want to be in the mix of things in downtown near the arena, or maybe in a less urban space in one of those smaller college towns (looking at you, Lexington).

If you're looking for something a little more personal, or if you're traveling in a group, AirBnB has great options in cities around the world, including the location of the men's Final Four. Plus, you might find some pretty serious Wolfpack fans with an AirBnb in Raleigh.

But, if you're looking to class it up a bit and get a different experience, maybe with a view, book a hotel a few days in advance, like the Hilton. Hilton Palacio Del Rio, and Canopy by Hilton San Antonio Riverwalk are both great options if you're heading to the Final Four, both options are less than two miles from the Alamodome, an enjoyable walk or a short Uber.

Stock up on your favorite merch ahead of your tournament

Merch is a must-have. If your team is dancing, you'll want to grab the latest gear from Fanatics. Now that we're in the NIL-era, that could be player-specific jersey, or just a team shirt. My personal favorite is the apparel line WEAR by longtime sports reporter Erin Andrews. It combines fashion and sports in the best way, but you can never go wrong with a jersey.

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Gameday essentials: what to bring to the arena with you

You're in the city, you've got your tickets, you've got your merch, you're ready to go, right? Here's a few things that might make your gameday experience a little smoother.

• Event-approved transparent bag: First things first, grab a clear stadium bag. Most, if not all, stadiums and arenas have moved to a clear bag policy. Try this cute, three-pocket, crossbody purse for women. Or, for something a little more gender-neutral, try this transparent backpack with reinforced shoulder straps.
• Stay charged: Definitely consider your phone life. When I'm traveling, I'm taking a million photos, and getting ubers, dinners recommendations, Google Maps, and before you know it, my phone is dead and we're only halfway through the day. But, ditch the brick and the cords. Grab this slim, portable charger with built-in cords for both iPhone and Samsung that comes in over a dozen colors.
• Skip the bad breath: If you plan on indulging in stadium food, like nachos, make sure to pack these PUR spearmint-flavored mints so your breath doesn't smell like cheese and jalapenos all day.
• Bag essentials: Don't take that clear bag empty! Here a few bag essentials to help make your life easier. If you're like me and need lip balm in every bag and room of the house, grab this four-pack of Burt's Bees lip moisturizer in different flavors. There's a lot of standing, stairs, and walking during travel and games, save yourself the pain and include a to-go pack of Tylenol for those aches and pains. Last, but not least, public areas of any kind are gross, grab this set of Touchland's moisturizing hand sanitizer mist spray.

Always remember to double-check stadium and arena FAQ sections for any location-specific rules.

2025 men's March Madness schedule?

Finally, here are some key dates to know for the upcoming NCAA men's basketball tournament.

• March 16: Selection Sunday
• March 18-19: First Four
• March 20-21: First Round
• March 22-23: Second Round
• March 27-28: Sweet Sixteen
• March 29-30: Elite Eight
• April 5: Final Four
• April 7: National Championship

Women's 2025 NCAA Tournament schedule

• March 16: Selection Sunday
• March 19-20: First Four
• March 21-22: First Round
• March 23-24: Second Round
• March 28-29: Sweet Sixteen
• March 30-31: Elite Eight
• April 4: Final Four
• April 6: National Championship

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