is the coach option the best form of transport ?

[Blueboy78]

me and my mates are split with 2 of us (one of which is me ) who are dead set on taking a car down where as the others want to get the coach but is it true bout coaches getting escorts of sight and onto the motorway or is that just my mate making shit up ?

[Sam Crawley]

Coaches are the way forward

[Blueboy78]

i know there are good points for it but its just i feel we would ave a better experience seeing as its our festival debut

[r0cky]

Define best.

If freedom of arrival and departure along with taking as much stuff as you want, then coaches wouldn't be best. I want to be there for gates and depart in the evening of Monday at my leisure.

If you can get a few mates in the car, you can share petrol costs and have an enjoyable journey to site. Keep some emergency clothes in the car, or extra wet-weather gear, extra fire-logs etc.

[Blueboy78]

Fair point R0cky thanks you

[paulo999]

is it true bout coaches getting escorts of sight and onto the motorway or is that just my mate making shit up ?

[ukslim]

In my experience, arrangements for boarding the return coach were a shambles.

OTOH it's a convenient green option, and there's always the hope that this year they've got their arse into gear and organised it better.

[paulo999]

I'm guessing your experience was 2007, which was indeed a mess. Last year it seems to go very smoothly (I was working there from about 7am until lunchtime)

[Chimps in Balaclavas]

Cars.

Pros: You can travel at your own pace, play your own music and store your stuff in rather than tent & you can smoke.

Cons: You have to drive there & back (on the way home is worse), it can sometimes be a mission from the parking space to where u pitch the tent.

Coaches.

Pros: You can sit back and relax while someone else drives you, unlikely to get pulled over, closer to the site than the cars, you can get mashed on your last night and sleep on the way back.

Cons: You have to stick to a schedule, you're packed like sardines with 50+ other hot, sweaty people & everybody's air conditioning works except your own, you can't smoke and the driver is a grump who won't put the music on or open his window.

[spammachine]

im in the same situation as you blueboy. my mate will probz pass his test early jun but bit dogey driving to glastonbury only like a few weeks into passing!

Edited March 31, 2009 by spammachine

[paulo999]

Cars.

Pros: You can travel at your own pace, play your own music and store your stuff in rather than tent & you can smoke.

Cons: You have to drive there & back (on the way home is worse), it can sometimes be a mission from the parking space to where u pitch the tent.

Coaches.

Pros: You can sit back and relax while someone else drives you, unlikely to get pulled over, closer to the site than the cars, you can get mashed on your last night and sleep on the way back.

Cons: You have to stick to a schedule, you're packed like sardines with 50+ other hot, sweaty people & everybody's air conditioning works except your own, you can't smoke and the driver is a grump who won't put the music on or open his window.

[Rachiek]

me and my mates are split with 2 of us (one of which is me ) who are dead set on taking a car down where as the others want to get the coach but is it true bout coaches getting escorts of sight and onto the motorway or is that just my mate making shit up ?

[r0cky]

I've been going since 87 and the festival coach is the best way to travel by far.

[Rachiek]

What do you prefer about the coach and how would you compare that to driving?

[paulo999]

Good to get a mix of experiences.

Sometimes people say "The way *I* travel is the *only* way"... but there's no silver bullet though. Well, except maybe if you are rich enough to go by heli. And that's not really Glastonbury

[r0cky]

Thanks Rachiek, very good explanation.

Someone in our group also goes off-site on the Friday PM to collect some of us who can't arrive until then. So the car is useful for going to collect them, a pain for the driver, but he seems to enjoy the opportunity to get off site for a bit (don't ask me why, as I don't know).

[Katster]

I've done it by both and I have to say I much prefer to drive. It's all down to personal opinion though, innit.

[Funkfarley]

From Liverpool its cheaper to drive...more beer money! *Edit - if you travel with friends and split the cost*

Driving you get the chance to go when you want....we head down on tuesday and camp in Wells overnight..couldnt do that with the coach. Stop off at services as and when you want.

Last time we went to Glasto we came home via Wookey Hole Caves...nice little detour!

Again, I agree, can take more stuff in the car and leave when you like.

If I was travelling on my own I would take the coach definately...but that is the only time I would.

Edited April 3, 2009 by Funkfarley

[Blueboy78]

yeah were goin from round liverpool soo yeah im dead set on driving and there will be like 2 or 3 of us in a car so should be cheaper than the coach i just wanna be there tbh

[MikeyDoo]

I've got to and from site by car the last three times, but taking the coach this year. Not really looking forward to having to limit the stuff I'll be taking - it's going to mean surviving with a smaller tent and far less booze than usual.

However, the payoff is that this year I can get fully involved in Sunday night shenanigans. I've always been the driver in the past - and my passengers were keen to get away early doors on the Monday (bit of a mission back to the north-east), so it meant a fairly reserved final night for me. This year I'm planning to seriously make the most of it...

[paulo999]

I've got to and from site by car the last three times, but taking the coach this year. Not really looking forward to having to limit the stuff I'll be taking - it's going to mean surviving with a smaller tent and far less booze than usual.

However, the payoff is that this year I can get fully involved in Sunday night shenanigans. I've always been the driver in the past - and my passengers were keen to get away early doors on the Monday (bit of a mission back to the north-east), so it meant a fairly reserved final night for me. This year I'm planning to seriously make the most of it...

[MikeyDoo]

Off topic: Out of interest, why were your passengers wanting early doors? Did they need to be somewhere, or just wanted to be "out" ?

[r0cky]

I always book Tuesday off from work as a recovery day. That way I can stay out all night on the Sunday, which has a fantastic atmosphere, it's everyone's last chance to have fun (at glasto)!

I then sleep in Monday morning, head off sometime Monday evening.

[loopylane]

i have just booked my coach ticket again this yr and have managed to save myself £50 by getting a family travel ticket which costs £8 this means that my son travels free????

[davidd]

result ! this is exactly what i did last year , good to know that this little loop hole is still available .