Transportation:
Route 1 is very very slow getting to the game, unsurprisingly. If you want to get to the stadium an hour before the game, plan on reaching the Route 1 exit about two hours before the game.
Parking:
If you are coming from the North (Boston side, not Providence side), park on the right side of the road (Route 1). On the way out, you can drive North up the South side of Route 1, getting out very quickly.
The stadium parking lot typically takes one hour plus just to exit, then you are stuck on the slow northbound side. If you care about getting out an hour faster, don't park in the stadium lot. If you don't like walking, park inside the stadium and save a mile's slog.
Parking has been $50 within a mile of the stadium.
If you want to save $20 and don't mind an extra 10-minute walk, the two cheapest places are the Reptile shop parking lot and the Chinese restaurant right after it. After those, the fee jumps.
Stadium:
The food isn't bad. There's decent barbecue stuff.
The team comes out to stretch on the field 45 minutes before gametime or so. You can watch them run out from right under the arch, under the lighthouse. You're 10-15 feet from all the players. That's fun for a first trip.
If your feet are in snow for four or five hours, they will get very cold. Layers, right?
During halftime, it's apparently tradition for half the crowd to go into the food area, and then just stand around. While it's easy to get up and go to the bathroom and grab another beer, it's impossible to get through the sedentary herd and back to your seat in time. I can't figure this out.
If you like beer, there are good beer stands. There are Sam Adams kiosks, Guiness, Harpoon, etc. It's not a stadium that sells only "lite" beers. Don't settle.
If you are up on the top level, you don't have to go down the ant-tube ramps. There is a central staircase right in the center that offers immediate exit.
Watching the game:
Get into the "good for another Patriot's FIRST DOWN" cheer. The announcer says the first part; the First Down bit is up to the crowd. Do your part.
It's OK to stand anytime you want. If the fans around you are sitting, it's OK to encourage them to get up and get into the game.
Enjoy!
