Because so many of our friends come from out of town for events and games, we like to be able to help provide some advice on how to get there to those who are unfamiliar with the Bay Area. Before the RaiderMecca Event itself, we try to set up travel deals to help you get here as economically as possible.

We also provide some advice on accommodation, finding your way around the stadium, tailgating, and of course, getting your tickets.

But before we get to any of that stuff, the basics for those who are coming from out of town.

Location

The RaiderMecca Events are based in and around the South Oakland Area, ranging from the Coliseum Stadium Complex down to the San Leandro/Hayward area a couple of miles further south along the East shoreline of the San Francisco Bay. We base ourselves close to the the stadium itself in order to be close to the many hotels as possible, as well as Oakland International Airport (OAK).

However, regardless of how you're coming into Oakland, it's easy enough to get there. There are four major airports in the area - Oakland itself, San Francisco International (SFO), San Jose International (SJC) and Sacramento International (SMF). Other than OAK, which is literally a stone's throw from the hotels, use the following maps to get to your "hotel" from any of these airports.

Generally, we recommend hiring a car unless you know you have a ride waiting for you, or unless you'll be flying into Oakland Airport (which is only a couple of hundred yards from most of the hotels). There are other ways to get around within the Bay Area, BART, and both Greyhound and Amtrak run into Oakland, but none of these will will drop you directly at your hotel.

BART is a good idea for the budget traveller, but the closest it will take you to your hotel is the Coliseum BART station (and if you're travelling from SFO or SJC, you'll need to get from these places to Colma and Fremont stations respectively). It's also worth mentioning that the Coliseum area is not the safest after dark (nor is BART itself for that matter), and unless you know your hotel shuttle bus or someone you know is waiting for you (you should call ahead to ensure that it is), it's probably not a good idea. The same could be said of the Greyhound and Amtrak stations - both are in downtown Oakland, about 15 minutes North of the Coliseum area by road, and can be a little dicey at night.

If you're renting however, it couldn't be easier. To get to the Coliseum area (and the hotels) from any of the three other airports, just follow these directions:

San Francisco International

From the airport rental garage, get onto US101-North and follow the signs for the Bay Bridge (which means forking off onto I-80 East: if you stay on 101, you'll end up going over the Golden Gate Bridge into Marin County). Once you're over the Bay Bridge, look for the signs to I-880 South, which will take you towards Oakland International Airport.

To reach the hotels, just look for the Hegenberger Road exit and you're almost on the doorstep. Check our main map to find your hotel's location.

The whole process should only take you about an hour, but beware: if you arrive into SFO later in the day, the traffic around the Bay Bridge can be horrendous and your journey time could easily double.

San Jose International Airport

SJC is only about 30 minutes from Oakland, and it's the same road all the way - follow I-880 North, and take the Hegenberger Road exit. There's not much more to say about this one, it's that easy.

You can also take a shuttle bus from the terminal to the Fremont BART station and then ride North to the Coliseum station.

See the section on San Francisco International for more advice on BART.

Sacramento International

Although it will take you the best part of two hours, getting from SMF to Oakland is really easy. The airport itself is situated a little North of Sacramento itself, just off I-5, which is the main North-South freeway running through California. Exiting the airport complex, you should merge onto I-5 South (following the signs for Los Angeles), before turning off onto I-80 West (San Francisco). You then need to stay on I-80 West for just over an hour until you hit the Bay Area. Keep in the left lanes until you reach a big intersection, and follow the signs for I-880 South. I-880S will take you past Oakland itself and down towards Oakland International. Exit the freeway at the Hegenberger Road exit (just past the Coliseum, which is on your left hand side). Switch to our main map below to find your hotel's location from here.

Other attractions

Head North on I-880 towards downtown Oakland. Take the Oak Street Exit, and turn left at the bottom of the off-ramp. Go back under the freeway and turn right on Embarcadero West. Although Jack London Square itself does not permit traffic, there is plenty of parking nearby, especially by the station. However, it can get very busy, so get there early.

The Englander

Head towards the airport on Hegenberger Road and turn left onto Doolittle Drive. Follow Doolittle for about a mile, and then turn left onto Davis Street. Davis Street will take you back over the freeway (I-880). When you come to E. 14th Street, turn right. Parrott Street is maybe 250 yards ahead on your right, and the Englander almost immediately on your left once you turn onto it.

Head towards the airport on Hegenberger, and turn right onto Doolittle Drive. Carry on for about 3 miles, and then take a left onto Harbor Bay Parkway. The Raiders HQ is on the left side, about a mile further on.

Head south on I-880, and take the Lewelling Boulevard Exit. After the off-ramp, turn left onto Lewelling Blvd itself, and then keep an eye out for Hesperian Boulevard (it's on the left). Turn onto Hesperian and make sure you're in the right hand side lane when you see a Bank of America on the right. Ricky's is about 50 yards further on on that side.