I have been to more Auburn/LSU games than I can count as I am an alum of both schools. It's my absolute favorite weekend every year. I've been away from here for a while, but wanted to answer some questions that were brought up from the perspective of a Baton Rouge resident and dual Tiger.

I've been to nearly all the SEC stadiums and several out-of-conference stadiums and I fully believe that LSU is the best environment, especially on a Saturday night and a big game. For that reason alone, the trip to Baton Rouge is worth it. The tailgating is an absolute blast and the stadium experience is incredible. I say that as someone who's been in Tiger Stadium both as an Auburn fan and an LSU fan.

The stories of "major harassment" are from pussies. I've had inexplicably worse experiences as an Auburn fan in Athens, Tuscaloosa, WV, and (shockingly) Starkville and Oxford. Yes, you'll be tiger baited (even though it's not exactly logical when Auburn and LSU play). It's just an LSU tradition. Smile and wave and you will likely be offered food and drinks. They will also make comments about the shakers (but will call them "pom-poms"). No need to be upset here, either. LSU doesn't use shakers so the fans think it's weird. Smile and wave and you will likely be offered food and drinks. Outside of that, you should not have any problems unless you try to find them. Just like every fanbase, there are duds (typically a subset of the student population and some of the sidewalk fans). Ignore them and interact with the 98% of LSU fans who just want to have a good time with you.

As far as where to stay, any of the hotels off of the College Dr. exit (Corporate Blvd. & Constitution Ave.) are good. Any of the downtown hotels will be too--especially if you're looking to be able to walk to and from the 3rd St. bars. Those are pretty much as close as you can get to campus. The hotels off Essen and Bluebonnet are fine too, but they're farther from campus and any nightlife. I don't recommend going any farther north or east due to distance and/or safety.

Baton Rouge has some good restaurants and fun bars. Unfortunately they are rarely located within walking distance of each other and are almost never within walking distance from your hotel. A non-exhaustive list of restaurant recommendations includes Chimes, Parrain's, Chelsea's, George's, and Bistro Byronz. As far as bar recommendations go, it depends on what you're looking for. The 3rd St. bars are fun and have a nice variety of options. Tigerland isn't my favorite but it might be appealing if you're college aged. There are also random bars elsewhere in the city that are cool like the Bulldog.

A piece of advice regarding game day: Get to campus early as parking is a bitch and fills up quickly. They've changed the rules since the last time Auburn played in BR. You can no longer park on the street and essentially all of the on-campus lots are paid with the exception of the Old Front Nine, Kirby Smith, and Parker Coliseum lots which all fill up by 9ish for big games and the Levee & Hayfield lots which fill up not that much later. There's also a couple lots on the perimeter of campus that aren't paid but they're a bit of a hike. Post-game traffic is also absolutely terrible, so if you have a tailgate to go back to after the game and let time pass then do it.

Hope this helps anyone who is planning on making the trip for the first time.