Travelling by Car - Official Advice

[twig14]

I'm driving with 3 mates from London and the official advice is to go M3 then A303 then A37. This is going to send us to the East car parks. I parked here last time I went, only to find out that my friends were camped in the Dance field - I wasn't a happy bunny doing that walk with all my stuff.

We have a preference this year to camp in Pennard's, or Park Home Ground, so this time I'd like to head instead to the West car parks. The official advice for the West car park sends people from the M5, A39 then up the A361 (from south to north). This is really for people arriving from Wales or the North West.

As we're coming from the East I was looking at driving through Wiltshire, past Devizes and Frome and through Pilton on the A361 in the opposite direction (from north to south).

Basically, is this a bad plan? Will traffic coming from both directions be able to access the car parks, or is it just the traffic coming from the south? Is there a chance that part of the road will be closed for traffic coming from the north? Will the main road through Pilton itself be temporarily closed? Clearly they will want to minimise disruption for local residents.

If we're going to run into hassle then we'll park in the East car parks and either change our camp site plans or prepare ourselves for a long hike.

[LusciousLucy]

Erm...

first of all...

chill.

Second of all...

when you receive your ticket in the post you will also (apparently) receive the Crap Nav postcode for the respective car park you want to head to. Punch this in and arrive at your destination.

Failing not using this silly invention when maps are better and way more fun, simply follow the yellow event signs dotted throughout the countryside as you approach the area and make sure you follow the ones with red and/or orange circles on. These are the gate colours for west. Blue is the East.

Well...they have been this way as far as I can remember and in the 15 years of attending the festival apart from the one time we actually aimed for east (and followed blue circles), we have always followed the red circles and got to west.

Traffic we cant predict. End of. Its busy if you leave late. Its not if you leave no later than 4 or 5 am from London/South East. We travel from East Sussex ourselves, always leave around 4am, take a right turn at Southampton, head through Salisbury, take in some fine countryside and a wonderful view of the Tor and arrive without ever and traffic problems for about 8 or 9am on the Wednesday at the west car parks. It has been this way since 1999!

Last year was a massive non predictable anomaly. You shouldnt worry it will happen again.

Edited April 20, 2010 by LusciousLucy

[twig14]

Haha I am chilled, sorry if it came across like I was stressing. Thanks very much for your reply.

We're prepared for traffic delays, especially as one of our group is now saying they probably have to work on the Wednesday (yay).

I just wasn't sure if, as the official advice directs people up the A361 in one direction only and not through Pilton, there may be restrictions or closed roads. Really just trying to be considerate to the locals more than anything else - I'm a country boy and now how outsiders can be perceived!

What happened last year?

[LusciousLucy]

I am not entirely myself as we were camped 2 miles down the road and only got caught in a snarl at 8am that took an hour and thought THAT was bad.

Others less fortunate than us took up to 20 hours to arrive/get in!

There was I understand, an incident on the M5, another on the M6 too maybe, something else in the Shepton area...add those to 60,000+ people arriving by car and coach by the same routes...total traffic mayhem and chaos ensued!

This has since led many first timers who came last year to think this is ALWAYS the way with Glastonbury but it isnt. Yes its heavy but usually a queue will last a max of 3 hours realistically and the more countrified and backroady the route you take the less crowded and queuey it will be.

Edited April 20, 2010 by LusciousLucy

[twig14]

Very happy to do countrified roads - the reason I came up with the alternative route was to try to avoid the Glasto-convoy from London along the A303.

Last time I came was '05 and I don't remember having any major traffic hold ups, we arrived around 7pm on the Wednesday. It was the walk from the car to the gates and then all the way across site that seemed to take longer than the drive from Nottingham.

I was reading some people saying it took 10 hours last year and thought that didn't sound right. Not questioning them, just that there must have been some other reason. Fingers crossed the accidents weren't serious, losing an afternoon's drinking is small in the general scheme of things.

[LusciousLucy]

Well, seeing as well over half the fest is going to either a. sleep in their cars the night before in the car parks or b. arrive for gates open because c. the last England match in our group is on at 3pm or whatever on the Pyramid screen...if you are arriving in the evening, the roads will be VERY VERY clear indeed!

[al_coholic]

The problem is the A37 because thats where most of the traffic for the East side of the site meets with the buses from Castle Cary train station. Shepton Mallet is also a bit of a bottle neck.

The less time you spend on the A37 the better.

Now as for the A361, when we went past it at 5pm last year you could not turn and go through Pilton. They had closed it to all traffic except official vehicles/coaches/buses. I have no idea if it is open earlier in the day or if it was just last years circumstances.

From London it is really a long way round to head to the west side, especially as the A303 will be very busy. The best thing may be to head down the M4 to Bristol and then down the M5, but obviously its a lot longer.

Really depends on what time you are leaving, and make sure you keep checking on the traffic reports

[cejx]

I'm driving with 3 mates from London and the official advice is to go M3 then A303 then A37. This is going to send us to the East car parks. I parked here last time I went, only to find out that my friends were camped in the Dance field - I wasn't a happy bunny doing that walk with all my stuff.

We have a preference this year to camp in Pennard's, or Park Home Ground, so this time I'd like to head instead to the West car parks. The official advice for the West car park sends people from the M5, A39 then up the A361 (from south to north). This is really for people arriving from Wales or the North West.

As we're coming from the East I was looking at driving through Wiltshire, past Devizes and Frome and through Pilton on the A361 in the opposite direction (from north to south).

Basically, is this a bad plan? Will traffic coming from both directions be able to access the car parks, or is it just the traffic coming from the south? Is there a chance that part of the road will be closed for traffic coming from the north? Will the main road through Pilton itself be temporarily closed? Clearly they will want to minimise disruption for local residents.

If we're going to run into hassle then we'll park in the East car parks and either change our camp site plans or prepare ourselves for a long hike.

[twig14]

The problem is the A37 because thats where most of the traffic for the East side of the site meets with the buses from Castle Cary train station. Shepton Mallet is also a bit of a bottle neck.

The less time you spend on the A37 the better.

Now as for the A361, when we went past it at 5pm last year you could not turn and go through Pilton. They had closed it to all traffic except official vehicles/coaches/buses. I have no idea if it is open earlier in the day or if it was just last years circumstances.

From London it is really a long way round to head to the west side, especially as the A303 will be very busy. The best thing may be to head down the M4 to Bristol and then down the M5, but obviously its a lot longer.

Really depends on what time you are leaving, and make sure you keep checking on the traffic reports

[twig14]

Best route is M4, to Bath, through Radstock, Shepton Mallet, Pylle, Festival - but Shhhh, don't tell everyone!

[lucyginger]

I'm driving for the first time this year. Not my first glasto, but just first time driving. We had such a nightmare waiting in the queue for a bus at Castle Cary last year, we decided we'd try drivign this time. the year before that we got the coach but the timings are rubbish and we wouldnt get on site til really late.

Anyhoo, I was wondering about the whole car park/best route business. I'm camping in Pennards and hadnt really thought about which way to come, was just gonna follow signs!

[cejx]

That's the East car park though? Pylle is on the A37.