SXSW 2023 Travel Tips
The time has come and the SXSW festival in Austin Texas is quickly approaching for its ten-day extravaganza! For seasoned attendees and locals, this can be a walk in the park. Still, for first-time attendees, it may seem a little intimidating to navigate the endless festivals, conferences, and exhibitions going on. That's why we’ve set up the ultimate travel guide for the 2023 SXSW.
Do Your Research!
Considering you’re taking a peek at this list, you are already on the right track, but don’t stop here. The SXSW website is a great resource for knowing what’s going on, take your time exploring the different event options so you don’t miss out on anything (especially free food). If you’re taking a first-time trip to Austin, there is much more than just SXSW to explore, find other things to do in and around the city to make the most of your trip.
Transportation
Cars are great, but not downtown Austin during the city's biggest event of the year. You’ll want to plan out transportation to the event from wherever you’re staying. If you’re close you can take advantage of the city’s scooters scattered around town, they’ll get you to where you need to be. Of course, if you’re staying farther from the event you can consider taking the bus, assuming you’re staying near a direct route. Our favorite is an easy Uber or Lyft ride, if you’ve got the money to spare it will take you from point A to B without any hassle.
The Schedule
One of the fun things about SXSW is you can go into it blind and still probably have a good time with all the excitement you would come across. Though, if you have events that are on top of your list, make sure to take note of their time and location. If you’re lucky, none will overlap but always remember to check and keep track while you’re going about your day.
What to Bring
Everyone's favorite question is, what should I bring to SXSW 2023? Well, a lot will depend on your preferences but we’ve got a couple of things for you to keep in mind. SXSW is a great time to showcase your style, but don’t sacrifice your comfort, especially with your footwear. You’ll be doing a lot of walking throughout the day, and when you’re not walking, you’re probably standing, so find yourself some footwear you can rely on during the long hours.
Bring. Your. Phone. Charger. No one wants to be trapped at an event in a new city, with a dead phone. Whether it's a fully charged portable phone charger or one you can plug into the wall, anything will help when you get that horrifying low-battery notification.
Finally, no one can say the weather is constant rays of sunshine in March, so have something prepared for rainfall. Whether it's just a hat, a light jacket, or a tiny little umbrella, you’ll be glad you have it in case of the unexpected.
Don’t Stay Alone
SXSW attracts a lot of solo travelers, and while this can be fun, traveling solo to any city carries its disadvantages. Whether it's about safety, the cost of staying alone, or a matter of navigating a massive event with no one to help, it's always best to travel in a group.
If you are facing the issue of having no one to bring along, Bunking can help you find people to travel to SXSW 2023 with you.
Bunking is a new community where you can share Trip Ideas and Planned Trips with other people that have your interests, like music, film, business, technology, art, and more. Here you can share an idea or plan to attend SXSW for free and get connected with others looking to join you. This way, you don’t need to attend SXSW alone, you can split the costs of accommodation and transportation with others, you can feel safe knowing all Bunking Members are verified, and you can make new friends with like-minded people.
Learn more about how Bunking works here.
