Travelling to Bestival 2012

[Paul ™]

So how's everyone getting there?

Coming from Glasgow, it's a bit of a journey but one I've done the past 4 years relatively easily (especially last year as went direct from working Reading Festival ) and has a minimal amount of walking till you reach the site.

Previous years I have flown with Flybe from Glasgow - Southampton, if booked early enough it's been under £100 for the flight including taxes/luggage etc. if booked early enough.

This year it's coming in at £100 just now, so need to book it soon!

I usually fly down on the Wednesday to Southampton then get on the train outside the Terminal into Southampton Central which takes about 10 minutes and is about £3 each way.

From there you can get a free shuttle bus to the ferry terminals and either get the Fast Cat over which takes about 30 mins or the Red Funnel which takes about an hour (but has a bar ) and costs about £15-20 as a foot passenger.

I then stay overnight in East Cowes at a small campsite called Waverley Park which is great as its normally got a lot of fellow friends and new ones to meet staying. They put on a couple bands at night and have good pub food and usually have one or 2 ciders bought in for the night. They also do a great breakie if needed and to camp overnight only costs £6 each.

On the Thursday morning, you can either lift share or get a shuttle bus to the festival site which takes about 30 mins and costs £5 each way.

Getting off the Island on the Monday can be a bit of a pain, long queues for the shuttle buses and ferries and depends when you leave can take 5 hours or so. One year I nearly missed my flight and had to get a taxi to the airport, and 2 years ago I missed my pre-booked train to Alchemy so ended up flying home as was cheaper!

Last year I stayed in a B&B in Southampton on the Monday night as was travelling on to Derby then Alchemy direct...

This year I plan to stay overnight on the Monday back at the Waverley and then just fly home on the Tuesday lunchtime, means I get a day to relax after the festival... still to decide on that though.

Edited February 9, 2012 by Paul ™

[FunkyDenz]

I'm planning on driving down from Nottingham to Southampton on the Wednesday afternoon. When I went in 2010 it took 3 hours, and I was able to catch an earlier ferry than expected.

Then it's just a case of chilling at Waverley Park on the Wednesday night and a quick drive on site on the Thursday.

I don't want to face the madness of the ferry on the Monday, or fancy the long drive north after so much partying, so am thinking of either grabbing a B&B or Waverley Park on the Monday night, and a leisurely drive home on the Tuesday.

[Kowalski]

Pain in the arse from Aberdeen. Direct flights to Southampton are too expensive so went via Heathrow last year, and my mate picked us up but he can't make it this year. Two of us coming down but haven't worked it out yet, may have to get a bus somewhere along the way.

Hope to stay in Newport again, the night before the festival.

We got straight on the ferry on the Monday last year, as we'd booked on the 10am one.

[Joe-]

Then it's just a case of chilling at Waverley Park on the Wednesday night and a quick drive on site on the Thursday.

[Dave The Hedgehog]

Burton on Trent to Isle of Wight/Isle of Wight to Burton on Trent - £90 fuel total.

Ferry from Portsmouth to Fishbourne with Wightlink - £10 with vouchers (usually £120 )

Travelodge in Newport Wednesday - £60 (but hoping for vouchers to use nearer the time)

Travelodge in Portsmouth Monday (in case of emergency) - £25

£185 for 2 people to get to Bestival, in theory. Without vouchers, it'd be a bit more. I've looked at all the options and this is probably the cheapest and most practical way for me and my girlfriend to get over there. Public transport seems way too expensive for my liking.

[rachbon]

the thought of having to use loads of different transport and book it all separately has caused me a lot of stress, so we're going to get a train to leeds then get a shuttle bus from there.

it will take longer and we will probably get to the festival a bit later but i think it will work out at around £130 each and it's saving us a lot of hassle.

[Paul ™]

the thought of having to use loads of different transport and book it all separately has caused me a lot of stress, so we're going to get a train to leeds then get a shuttle bus from there.

it will take longer and we will probably get to the festival a bit later but i think it will work out at around £130 each and it's saving us a lot of hassle.

[rachbon]

The only thing you need to book is the flight..honestly the journey is a piece of piss, nothing to stress about

Definately going down the Thursday then?

[kaytee...]

This year will be my first Bestival, the only thing that's put me off going before is the distance.

At the moment I'm looking to get the coach/ferry down on thursday from Liverpool through big green coach. It seems the cheapest possible way of getting there so far even though it'll probably take a while - I've had to endure an unnecessary 7 hour coach trip to Edinburgh though

Anyone gone via coach before? I'm guessing we won't arrive on site until Thursday evening and will most likely be shattered but as long as it gets us there

[Paul ™]

would the ferry not have to be booked?

[rachbon]

Nope, just turn up and pay for foot passengers.

Thing is with BGC is they amalgamate departures, so a coach from Leeds may go to Manchester, Birmingham etc. to pick up if they need to fill coaches.

This may mean leaving Leeds at say 9am.. so then you have the problem of getting there from Glasgow for an early coach. As they won't publish the departure times till they have all their ferry slots booked and worked out the departure points/timings.

[Dave The Hedgehog]

what time does the campsite open on the thursday?

[Paul ™]

Yeah think it's officially 12pm but they did open earlier last year to get the queues in.

Rachel, stop stressing.. trust me I wouldn't go every year if it was a huge hassle and it's worth the long journey no matter how you get there.

What about a lift-share? Am sure there will be a few people from up north going, since we have a sub-forum for Bestival perhaps start a Lift Share thread?

x

[Dave The Hedgehog]

What about a lift-share? Am sure there will be a few people from up north going, since we have a sub-forum for Bestival perhaps start a Lift Share thread?

[rachbon]

thanks paul, i get like this over everything. i spend my whole life being stressed! i know it's ridiculous but i really can't help it.

i'll need to have a think about it, i don't want to book anything until i'm totally sure about how i want to travel.

a few people have said that the ferry queues are really bad and you can be waiting for hours, and then how organised are the shuttle buses to the site once you're off the ferry?

shuttle bus from leeds definitely seems like the easiest option, but the thing about shuttle buses is that they never seem to leave early enough. i don't want to end up missing the whole day on the thursday. although if it's less hassle doing it that way it might be worth it.

[Paul ™]

i'll need to have a think about it, i don't want to book anything until i'm totally sure about how i want to travel.

a few people have said that the ferry queues are really bad and you can be waiting for hours, and then how organised are the shuttle buses to the site once you're off the ferry?

[rachbon]

Well if your planning or able to leave on the Wednesday, you're both welcome to travel with me on the Wednesday morning and fly down.

You avoid the ferry queues on the Thursday and most likely get a lift to the site on the Thursday morning from someone at the campsite.

The shuttle buses are frequent and well organised, though I would suggest on the Monday you either pack up early morning for a quick start, or wait till later on when it's died down. Or even wait till the Tuesday morning by camping again the Monday night.

Plus if you travel with me, you're cutting out the stress of the transfers as I will show you how easy it is

[smogo]

Ferry from Portsmouth to Fishbourne with Wightlink - £10 with vouchers (usually £120 )

[rexclark]

Just a shame we couldn't get enough interest for a mini bus from Scotland, also the fact I can't drive.

[dan8k]

Cant decide whether to take the car or get a taxi and go on as a foot passenger from portsmouth. Live in portsmouth, but just wondering in the journey is easier over there when you have a car?

[kaosmark2]

Train + Ferry, unless someone offers me a lift.

Going to see about staying with a mate on the island a couple of days before and after so I can avoid the overpriced ferries and queues.

[gooner1990]

Echoing what the previous poster says....I live nr Oxford so train to Southampton or Portsmouth is pretty easy....although wondering if taking the car might be easier? - Although would like to avoid the queues if possible (5 hours some people are saying)

Might get involved and see if I can get my mates to go on the Weds and camp locally to avoid the hassle of queues on the Thursday.

Any advice would be appreciated.

[Dave The Hedgehog]

Woah, where are you getting these vouchers? That's a massive saving.

[kaosmark2]

Echoing what the previous poster says....I live nr Oxford so train to Southampton or Portsmouth is pretty easy....although wondering if taking the car might be easier? - Although would like to avoid the queues if possible (5 hours some people are saying)

Might get involved and see if I can get my mates to go on the Weds and camp locally to avoid the hassle of queues on the Thursday.

Any advice would be appreciated.

[gooner1990]

I was living in Oxford when I went last summer. The connections are easy, particularly with the free bus from the train to the ferry, but it's still shit carry all your stuff in stop-start queues. I left Oxford at 1, didn't find a spot to set up my tent until 9. Considering I got a lift from the ferry to Bestival on the IOW and jumped a load of bus queues there, I'd certainly recommend going earlier if you can, or taking a car, ideally both.