Getting to town?

[Crissycri]

Hi everyone, I'm Cristina and I'm from Italy I will fly in along with a friend of mine on wednesday morning, and we'll catch the train to the farm in the early afternoon.

We would love to visit Glastonbury (the town) and the Tor, maybe on thursday morning, but we actually don't know how you can get from the farm to the town...well, at least without having to walk on the highway

Do you know if shuttle buses or cabs are available outside the farm's gates?

I guess that you're not encouraged to leave the farm, but we'd really love to visit the town.

Cheers!

Edited April 9, 2011 by Crissycri

[parsonjack]

hi there!

getting to glastonbury town on the thursday shouldn't be too difficult. your best bet may be to leave the site by Pedestrian Gate A and then walk to the Taxi Drop-Off point which is situated on the main road to Glastonbury town. Pretty sure there will still be folks getting dropped off so you should be able to pick up a taxi who will take you the 5 miles or so into town. If you want to climb the Tor then ask the taxi driver to drop you at Chalice Well (which you pass before you reach town) and you can climb from there. It's not much more than a 20 minute walk from there into town when you come back down.

you can see Pedestrian Gate A and the Taxi Drop-Off on here if you zoom in...

http://www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk/data/image/2011map(1).jpg

[River]

Your also welcome to come and go from the site as much as you want. No one keeps you penned in all week.

[Crissycri]

What a couple of great answers! Very helpful, thank you!

According to googlemaps, the cab should take about 10 minutes to get to G. Town (and I guess it should take less since Chalice Well is before the town), so it probably will be very affordable since we plan to share the fare.

But, anyway, apart from the organizational issue, what do you think of our plan? Like, dunno, we're going to waste our time or it will worth it, ecc...I'd really love to hear your 2 cents!

Edited April 9, 2011 by Crissycri

[Freewheelin]

Glastonbury's a very groovy little town (the Abbey's great too) and climbing the Tor is wonderful, steeper than it looks! All definately worth a visit.

There's so much to see and happening on site that it's probably impossible to squeeze it all into 5 days. Once you're there and get your festivals heads on leaving the site might not seem such a tempting idea. It's quite a trek up to Gate A which is probably the best point to head off site from, the journey time to the town (and back) is probably going to take bit longer than the 10 mins it says on Googlemaps due to festival traffic.

Don't know what your travel plans are, but could you book onto a local campsite or stay at a B&B for the Monday night after the fest, see the sights, rest/wash/eat, ease yourself back into the outside world?

[Crissycri]

Glastonbury's a very groovy little town (the Abbey's great too) and climbing the Tor is wonderful, steeper than it looks! All definately worth a visit.

There's so much to see and happening on site that it's probably impossible to squeeze it all into 5 days. Once you're there and get your festivals heads on leaving the site might not seem such a tempting idea. It's quite a trek up to Gate A which is probably the best point to head off site from, the journey time to the town (and back) is probably going to take bit longer than the 10 mins it says on Googlemaps due to festival traffic.

Don't know what your travel plans are, but could you book onto a local campsite or stay at a B&B for the Monday night after the fest, see the sights, rest/wash/eat, ease yourself back into the outside world?

[Freewheelin]

I see your point, that's why we're not booking anything.

I'm afraid it would be kinda impossible. We plan to leave at 6am on monday morning, so that we can head back to London and enjoy the city for some hours. I also have to be at the airport at 4am of tuesday, so...

[Crissycri]

or.... Plan B: go for it at about 2-3 a.m. one morning, after an amazing day/night at the fest when it suddenly seems like a brilliant idea. Climb the Tor and watch the sun rise!

Have a wild one, whatever you decide

Edited April 9, 2011 by Crissycri

[glasto-worker]

What a couple of great answers! Very helpful, thank you!

According to googlemaps, the cab should take about 10 minutes to get to G. Town (and I guess it should take less since Chalice Well is before the town), so it probably will be very affordable since we plan to share the fare.

But, anyway, apart from the organizational issue, what do you think of our plan? Like, dunno, we're going to waste our time or it will worth it, ecc...I'd really love to hear your 2 cents!

[Crissycri]

Hi glasto-worker, thanks for replying

I guess you're right, now it looks not practicable at all...what a pity

Well, maybe then we'll wait until the next one, so we can manage the things a little bit better.

[glasto-worker]

Anything is possible but you have to take into consideration that this area of England was not designed for such a large event so what on paper does not look all that far is in reality a heavy slog and I know if I was a taxi driver I would be very reluctant to get close.

Its a gamble that you have to weigh up all the odds and no one can predict the future so the roads could be clear as you headed to the town and then you discover its chock a block on the way back - as I mentioned in another thread there is many minor roads but they tend to be blocked by Police so you don't have the option for a short cut -

{ although this road is to the east - its just the same to the west } -

I was heading down my favourite back route from Shepton Mallet which is a tiny B Route and there was lots of traffic heading back up towards Shepton Mallet which did not make sense until I was stopped at a Police road block but when they spotted my GFL Crew pass they let me though but they turned back all the cars that was behind me { they were not happy bunnies as they were within spitting distance of Pilton } - I had used that short cut loads of times in the past but the Police are not daft so they had closed it down { so that it can be used by local Pilton traffic { who have to display a special pass } or for emergency use }

The time our crew coach got trapped I was standing right beside the driver and I had said ' take the third left ' on a roundabout but the driver not being familiar with the road turned second left - I told him straight away we need to get back as we will not be able to use the smaller roads { which are not wide enough for a large coach } but he was confident that his satnaw was showing him a roundabout a mile further up the road but it turned out to be a mini roundabout so there was no room to turn around - it was very frustrating as we knew where we wanted to go but its not easy making a three point turn.

--------

There is a few things that can increase your chances of getting back - make a day of it and plan to get back late at night { the later the better } - I certainly never ever drove my car to Glastonbury day time - I would always arrive dead early - although our crew coach arrives in the afternoon due to that incident in 2009 the coaches arrive on the Tuesday so missing the traffic build up and last year it worked like magic.

--------

by the way the stalls at Glastonbury are excellent

One stall that has been there every year since 1981/82 is a postcard company - they have fantastic hand printed cards

http://festivalpostcards.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/glast1990.jpg

http://festivalpostcards.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/glast1992.jpg

I have met the family - the parents have now retired and its being run by their Adult Children

A person can buy a card and a stamp and its posted from the local sorting office - they fill a van up each day to take them to the post office.

-----------

I am sure that once you get there you will soon forget there is a World outside .

-----------

This is what its like just before the gates open last year { not my image as I was already inside at this stage but its such a good image as it highlights what its like }

I bet none of them in that queue would ever dream of leaving to go to town the next day.

[Crissycri]

Holy fu***ng shit! :angry:

Well, I guess that if my mate wants to climb the hill, she'll have to make it on her own!

Edited April 11, 2011 by Crissycri

[glasto-worker]

it may look flat from this overhead image but its only flat in the middle. http://www.wbc-team.co.uk/glasto-2009/wbc-image-2009-104.html

even this panoramic view { photographer unknown } does not give you the true scale as so much is hidden on the right side http://www.wbc-team.co.uk/glasto-2009/wbc-image-2009-111.html

that was taken from the Park Area which is not the highest hill so if your friend wants to climb up any hills point her to the stone circle - does not look all that high until you get to the top.Big hint - there is no bar up there so take drink with you { as you will need it }

here is a image { photographer unknown } looking towards the Park Area and stone circle which gives you a better idea of the hill. http://www.wbc-team.co.uk/glasto-2009/wbc-image-2009-110.html

If you walk about I bet you will be walking close to a Marathon length every day unless you stay in one place of course.

and what it look like at night { photographer unknown } http://www.wbc-team.co.uk/glasto-2009/wbc-image-2009-105.html

trust me once you get there you will be hooked and all these extra plans will go out the window

you can spend hours just sitting at a cross roads on the old railway track

The thick red line running from the left { marked D and 4 } to the right { area marked Shangri-La } http://www.wbc-team.co.uk/2011-large-version-glasto-2nd-version.html

I was at a cross roads and waiting for a friend to finish their shift and I had four separate complete strangers who spotted my crew wrist band and they were asking me what I did - I did not want to appear rude but I would have enjoyed it more just sitting there watching the characters walking past rather than talking about my work.

everyone is on the move so its good to just sit there and let them walk past - just before i got the call that my friend was ready the four strangers had called up other friends so at that spot there had to be twenty people all settling down to watch the world going by - I should have sold tickets as it was a good spot.

[Aragorn]

which gate and year was that the queue for glasto worker ?

[glasto-worker]

which gate and year was that the queue for glasto worker ?

[G1T]

I'd disagree actually. Getting into Glastonbury town from the Festival on the Thursday shouldn't be too bad, and if you're coming back in later on the Thursday the arriving traffic shouldn't be too awful either. We regularly take minibus trips offsite during the festival, to both Glastonbury and Shepton Mallet, and we only really avoid the wednesday these days.

Of course traffic flows vary each year, but the trend is very much for the bulk of it to be done by the Wednesday, so if I were you I wouldn't rule it out, but would have a chat with someone on Gate A on the Thursday and see what they think of the traffic. Either that or give us a text at Worthy FM and we'll let you know.

The Tor's well worth seeing, and you'll get an awesome view of the festival from up there as well. Glastonbury Town's a lovely place too with tons of great shops, went for a day trip there only last saturday.

Where there's a will, there's a way i say!

[glasto-worker]

We regularly take minibus trips offsite during the festival, to both Glastonbury and Shepton Mallet, and we only really avoid the wednesday these days.

[scappaflow]

I have never been to the town, but given the amount of things to do and see at the festival, I wouldn't be that bothered to make the journey.

It is unlikely you will be able to get round and see all of the festival in one weekend anyway, so you won't exactly be sitting doing nothing waiting for the bands to start on the Friday.

It is good to just chill out on the Thursday, especially, and wander round the site and get your bearings.

If I'd been a few times, or was in the area at a different time of year I may visit the town, but for me, there is more than enough to do at the Fesitval.

[MamaJojo]

taxi prices will be ridic.... 2009 we were at castle Cary rail station, the queues were completely ridiculous for the courtesy buses on the Wednesday - 4 hours plus(had originally started out by car but having sat on an A road for 6 hours due to an accident,my motherinlaw had to drop us in street as she had to get back for the kids) ... taxi drivers were pulling up at the station and offering one way trips the relatively short distance to the fest for £90 and more!!

[MamaJojo]

that 2009 weds was the worst day ever .....set out 9 am, stuck in a car for 6 hours plus, then at castle Cary for 5 hours, then queuing to get in for 2 hours, then finding our group.....didn't actually start setting up the tent til 1am Thursday morning- it was the day from hell

[glasto-worker]

This is the problem with trying to predict the future - none of us can.

In all fairness I can appreciate why taxi drivers jack the price up - there is another posting somewhere where people thought they could fly in to Bristol and just walk out the airport and hop in a taxi to take them to Glasto ' as if it was a normal day '

Over the Festival period there is nothing normal .

If I was a driver I would keep well away from Pilton and if I was a taxi driver I would want to make certain I was being well paid not just to get there but also get back to where I started out from.

We all know the roads around that area and it can appear empty in one section and a major traffic jam just a few hundred yards away.

At the end of the day - if a person is lucky they can depart and re enter without any problems - if they are not lucky they will be wondering why they risked it in the first place.

I have toured all around that area and I love Glastonbury Town but I only toured around when the festival was not being held as once I arrive onsite that's me tucked away for a week.