Sunday Ticket - Public Transport

[mariewelsh3]

Hi there,

I'm going to Reading for the day for the first time this year. Usually I would camp for the weekend and get the train back on the Monday. This year we are going only for the Sunday and hoping to travel back on the same day.

Has anyone got any advice on travelling back on the Sunday after the bands have finished please? The train sites don't seem to have any times for August yet, and National Express seem to only offer coaches for weekend ticket holders. Really want to avoid missing any of the headliner, but worried public transport will stop early?

We are coming from either Brighton or Southampton, depending on which is quickest to get home to!

Any advice would be greatly appreciated please!

Marie

[mrtourette]

You can probably forget about the train, the last one to Southampton on a Sunday in July (August is likely to be the same timetable) is 10.37pm.

If there's a number of you it might be worth speaking to some local cab firms and seeing what they could do, even if it's £100 split four or five ways it might be worth it (to Southampton, I wouldn't advise a cab to Brighton).

[eFestivals]

The train sites don't seem to have any times for August yet

just look at the train times for next Sunday. It's likely that they'll be the same or very similar at the time of the fest.

Actually, because the fest is on a bank holiday weekend, it would be better to check a bank holiday weekend as they're more likely to match the fest's bank holiday weekend - so look at a week on Sunday (so 6th May), and that should give you a reasonable idea.

[mikecloud1984]

If you stay for the Headliners, head back to the campsite with friends, you will have plenty of time to catch the 4am train back to Portsmouth (via Guildford).

We used to pack everything up on the Sunday afternoon, then head off at 3am to the trains station in reading and we would be in bed by 6:30am!

This year we are taking a car and relaxing :-)

[mrtourette]

Unfortunately if she's only go a day ticket it's unlikely she'll have anywhere in the campsite to wait until the early hours of the morning.

[mikecloud1984]

Unfortunately if she's only go a day ticket it's unlikely she'll have anywhere in the campsite to wait until the early hours of the morning.

[mariewelsh3]

Hey guys, thanks for your replies. Seems like public transport that night is a bit of a no go then! Was hoping they put on later services during festival. Or at least have national express coaches for day ticket holders! Pretty rubbish really considering most festivals are trying to cut down on people driving. Seems like only answer if you want to leave same night though (as you are supposed to with a day ticket).

[mikecloud1984]

You have to pass through the campsites to get to the exit/entrance anyway!

We are all from Portsmouth and seriously, stay and watch the end of the music, hang about for a couple of hours and then take a slow walk into Reading Town centre at around 3ish, you will be on the first train out of there and we used to get back to Pompey at 6am-ish - perfect!

[kevinboyle82]

Or just hit a nightclub in Reading until closing time

[johnmcga]

I moved away from Reading recently but the Purple Turtle in town was a regular haunt. It's usually pretty lively at Festival weekend and open till 4am. And they don't mind wellies.

Problem solved.

[Marie Welsh]

All well and good if you're a young hipster! I'm not really into staying up all night thing. If the festival puts on day tickets, they should have options to get people home after the festival. Is it really a sensible option to have potentially thousands of festivals goers on the streets waiting for 4am to get a train home? No wonder all the hotels have sold out.

[mikecloud1984]

Unfortunately, its not the festivals responsibility to make sure you get home.

Night clubs dont make sure you get home and get tucked up in bed all safely do they?

Day tickets are the same as going to any gig in London for example, where you might find yourself sat at the station at 4am waiting for the first train - its part of life!

My advice, man up, venture into the camp site after the bands, talk to people, scrounch a couple of cans and then take the walk back into the centre of Reading to get your first train.

Don;t want to do that? Sell your ticket then.

[johnmcga]

All well and good if you're a young hipster! I'm not really into staying up all night thing. If the festival puts on day tickets, they should have options to get people home after the festival. Is it really a sensible option to have potentially thousands of festivals goers on the streets waiting for 4am to get a train home? No wonder all the hotels have sold out.

Edited May 20, 2012 by johnmcga

[gooner1990]

I'd suggest either drive, so you can go home that night, get the 1st train of Monday morning, and as others have suggested you can get one back to your area at 4am or split a cab with everyone.

Alternatively might be worth a shout getting a hotel in a neighbouring town. I.E pay for a cab there after the headliners and then drive the rest in the morning.