With Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour being in such high demand, there’s no surprise that rideshare platforms like Uber and Lyft are cost prohibitive and risky at the end of the night. Swifties have been waiting 1-3 hours after the show just to catch a ride. This article is part 1 of a series we’re going to do about tips to see Taylor Swift and ways to make your experience more budget-friendly and easier! Part 1 focuses on alternatives to Uber and Lyft for transportation to and from the stadium.

Some of our ideas for seeing The Eras Tour on a budget and alternatives to what people think are the only option may seem a little bit out there, so here’s a little backstory on how I learned these methods work:

My name’s Taylor and my husband and I are avid concert goers, attending everything from stadium tours to small local shows. We love live music to such an extreme that we now travel full time in our 1986 camper van with our two rescue pups, Ziggy and Ditto, so that we can see every single show we want across the country… or even internationally. Live music (and the travel that comes along with it) is our biggest expense each year now that we don’t pay a mortgage/rent because of the sheer number of shows we attend!

Some of the most high-demand shows we’ve seen include:

Taylor Swift Eras Tour – Glendale / Swift City (here’s another blog on tips for buying tickets on the resale market if you’re still looking to snag some)
Coachella
Desert Trip
Garth Brooks Stadium Tour (walked 6 miles and took 5 hrs to get home after this show because we couldn’t catch an Uber/Lyft)
Dead & Company – Boulder
Phish Dick’s
Phish Mexico
The Rolling Stones Stadium Tour

Picture of my Taylor Swift Lover Era inspired outfit!

Most people attending shows like The Eras Tour fly into town, book a hotel near the venue, use Uber/Lyft as their main form of transportation, buy drinks and merch at the show, and eat out during their concert trip. When you add all of this together, a weekend to see Taylor Swift will cost you a minimum of $1,500 and upwards of $4,000 unless you go about it more creatively. Ok… so let’s get into it!

The biggest surprise expense for people is transportation to/from the venue. The Eras Tour hosts over 70k Swifties EACH NIGHT. That means tens of thousands of people trying to get a limited number of Ubers or Lyfts. Getting to the show isn’t usually too bad since people arrive at all different times. Going home is a different story. Most people wait over 90 minutes to actually get their ride and end up paying over $100 even if you’re relatively close.

Alternatives to Uber and Lyft for Taylor Swift

I know we’ve all become reliant on rideshare, but there are other options! Here are the best ways to get home from Taylor Swift safely without breaking the bank:

Public transportation

This option won’t be available in every city, but it will be the cheapest way to get to and from the concert when it is available! Glendale and Arlington do not have a good system to get to the stadiums, but Swifties heading to locations like LA, Chicago, and Seattle should definitely look into routes that work for them.

If you go the public transit route to see Taylor Swift, make sure to confirm your route/line will be running until at least midnight. It’s common for public transit to limit late night routes, especially on Sundays.

I highly recommend leaving early to get to the shows since public transportation usually takes a little longer than driving to the venue. If you want to tailgate and save some money on food and drinks at the pre show events, bring a disposable cooler that you can toss before heading into the stadium! Or, to be more sustainable, bring a reusable insulated bag that can stuff into a stadium-approved bag.

Drive yourself

Driving yourself can actually be expensive to see Taylor Swift if you park at the stadium because parking is limited and this option is getting more popular as people are hearing the Uber/Lyft horror stories. Pre-purchase parking at your stadium to get the best deal OR park offsite and walk into the stadium.

My sister and I drove ourselves and pre-paid for the VIP parking. I’m so glad we did! It cost a hefty $75 (GA was $35), but that is WAY cheaper than an Uber. Plus, we brought snacks and drinks to enjoy before and after the show. We saved a ton of money at the pre-show events because drinks were a minimum of $10 and a bowl of ramen at a food truck was $20. The best part? We had food to snack on as we waited for an hour to get out of the parking lot after the show.

Unfortunately, every stadium is different. GA parking at AT&T Stadium is at least $100 right now (5 days prior to the first show). If you bring a full group of friends, that isn’t too bad when split among everyone. Parking passes are available on resale sites, so you can track prices and hope they go down closer to show time.

To speed up the time it takes to leave the stadium, park close to an exit! Even though we were pretty close to an exit, it still took about 40 minutes to get out of the lot.

The most important consideration of driving yourself is making sure you have a designated driver. If you aren’t sure if you want to be a DD, do not do this option since most stadiums don’t allow overnight parking. A tow truck and DUI will cost more than an Uber.

My sister and I just before heading into the show!

Party bus

A party bus might seem like an extreme option if you’re not looking for a stripper pole and club lighting for your transportation, but this can be a very fun and cost-effective option for the Eras Tour. Plus, I think Taylor Swift would appreciate a bus full of Swifties having an amazing time before the show.

Party buses can also fit a lot of people. You can split the cost among everyone and even crowdfund your party bus by connecting with other Swifties in Facebook groups that are down to share the cost of the bus.

Private diver

We saw a lot of private drivers at the Eras Tour and we expect to continue seeing them with the massive amount of people that want to see Taylor Swift. This might sound like a luxury, but it’s another item that can be affordable when split among friends.

Typically, a private driver will drop you off at the stadium at a specific time, wait in the parking lot during the show and be ready to pick you up at the end of the night. Taylor Swift’s show is unique in that it’s an all-day event, so you may be able to hire a driver to drop you off and pick you up at a specific location just outside of the stadium for a lower price.

The best part about this is that your ride is guaranteed and your price is locked in – you won’t experience surge pricing. We find private drivers either through Google, asking our hotel concierge, or asking local Facebook groups.

Bus rideshare

You can book a bus rideshare with a bunch of strangers using a company like rally. This is a way to crowdfund your ride if you’re going solo or with a small group. It guarantees your ride, pick up time, and rate.

These programs work by someone creating a ride by selecting a pick up spot that’s centrally located, a drop off location, and specific times of departure. For The Eras Tour, I recommend a departure time of 4 hrs prior to the show and 11:45 pm or later for pick up after the show. Your bus will only be confirmed if enough people also sign up for the bus. This way, the cost of the bus is distributed evenly.

I highly recommend setting up a rally bus ride at least a month ahead of your show date to give people time to sign up. If enough people don’t sign up, the bus won’t be confirmed and you’ll need to find transportation elsewhere. This option is also only affordable with small groups (usually 3 or fewer). If you have a large group, a private party bus will be a more comfortable and cheaper alternative!

Tips for Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour – Additional Resources

Swiftie Facebook Group

I created an Eras Tour Facebook group where we can connect, get hyped, and ask questions as we prepare for all the show locations. When enough people ask about alternatives to Uber and Lyft for Taylor Swift, I create a community chat for carpooling where you can connect with other Swifties in the same boat. You can join the group here.

Tips for Buying Tickets on the Resale Market

This blog covers our 5 favorite resale sites for Taylor Swift and tips for avoiding scammers!

TikTok Playlist

The Eras Tour playlist on our TikTok (Roam Away From Home) covers all things Taylor Swift, including makeup tips, outfit inspo, and Q&A style videos.

Amazon storefront

I created a storefront for concert essentials and outfit ideas for each Era of Taylor Swift in our storefront! I’m continuing to add to this on the daily, so check back for more inspiration. The goal is to save you the hours I spent looking for the items so you can just enjoy the show!

Or check out our custom merch shop for unique Swiftie clothing!

YouTube Swiftie Content (coming soon!)

Check out our YouTube for more Swiftie content and a look into The Eras Tour. We have a couple of Shorts up there now, but we will be creating vlog-style long form video and FAQs so you can get all the details!

Swiftie Newsletter

I’m going to continue this Taylor Swift The Eras Tour tips series, so subscribe to get notified of the next part of our series when it goes live! We’ll be covering tips for traveling to the tour on a budget, solo concert goer insights, outfit ideas, and more.