From the west or east -- Take I-80/90 to Exit 77, Business 31 and Indiana 933. Turn right at the stop light. Follow the hanging signs for directions to specific parking lots. Otherwise, turn left at the first light (Douglas) to go to the north end of campus, or left at the fourth light (Angela) to go to the south end.
Alternate directions from the east -- Take I-80/90 to Exit 83. Turn right after paying the toll and turn left at the light (St. Rd 23). St. Rd 23 becomes Cleveland Road. Continue down Cleveland to Juniper and turn left to Notre Dame.
From the south -- Take Business 31 into downtown South Bend. After crossing the St. Joseph's River, follow the signs by turning right at either of the next two lights (Howard or Angela).
From the north -- Coming in on Bypass 31, exit at Cleveland Avenue. Turn left. Proceed several miles then down a long hill and past IN 933 and proceed to Juniper. You will go right into the north side of campus.
Michiana Regional Airport is a full service airport with direct flights to and from Atlanta, Chicago (Midway and O'Hare), Cincinnati, Cleveland, Detroit, Pittsburgh, and St. Louis and connecting flights to many others. For big games with distant opponents, flights fill up very quickly as well as the availability of rental cars in town. If you can't get a flight into South Bend, Chicago O'Hare or Midway is your best bet. There is bus service from each of those airports to Notre Dame for those inclined, but there should be plenty of rental cars in Chicago. [Top]
Amtrak serves South Bend with direct trains from Albany, Buffalo, Cleveland, New York City, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Toledo, and Washington, DC as well as Chicago. Alternatively, the South Shore Limited, a commuter rail from Chicago, is also available. It is a popular trip for fans to stay in downtown Chicago, take the 8 AM train to the game, and catch the 6:40 train back. I would say this is a great way to stay in Chicago and enjoy the game without having to drive to South Bend. [Top]
With the expansion of the stadium, hotels are much fuller than in previous years. Of course, there is always a chance of a late cancellation, and some hotels keep waiting lists. If you are planning in advance for next season, reservations must be made with a credit card about one year in advance. It is never too early to make reservations. For hotels in the immediate area, you will have to make a reservation for Friday and Saturday nights.[Top]
Here are the name and phone numbers for local hotels in South Bend, Mishawaka, Elkhart, Goshen, Plymouth, and Michigan City, Indiana; and Niles, Benton Harbor, and St. Joseph, Michigan (all numbers 219 area code unless specified otherwise). All of these are within about 45 minutes from Notre Dame in normal driving conditions:
You can try to get a hotel room late Saturday night in South Bend since many people make the reservations for two nights and leave after the game. I have heard of successes, but I wouldn't cancel any previous reservations before you find a new hotel. [Top]
There are a couple of campgrounds around Notre Dame. Taking RVs to the game is an especially cherished tradition by some fans, and these often fill up quickly as well. Here are some places that are within 30 minutes of campus: [Top]
There are some nice B&B's in the South Bend area, but they fill up quickly. There are several more concentrated in the New Buffalo, Michigan area. A guide is provided for tourists to South Bend. Other B&B listings can be found elsewhere on the web.[Top]
The South Bend area has a slew of established restaurants. However, on game weekends, you can bet on a minimum one hour wait before seating. Most of the chain restaurants i.e. Chili's, Outback Steak House, TGI Friday's, etc., are located along Grape Road to the east of campus. [Top]
There is a surprising lack of bars in South Bend. It is not a college town ala Ann Arbor or College Station. There is a bw3's downtown with several big screen TVs and plenty of beer. Coach's is along Ste. Rd 23 between Ironwood and Edison. The Linebacker is the closest bar to Notre Dame, at the corner of Edison and Rte. 23. There are other assorted places around town as well, some mostly trafficked by students and some by locals. There are several liquor stores in town, and the grocery stores do sell beer. Be advised packaged liquor can not be sold in Indiana on Sundays and that there is 10 cent deposit on all bottles and cans sold in Michigan. [Top]