Travel Advice

[imrickjamesbitch]

Hi everyone,

My first post on here but have been an avid reader on the site for some time now and would firstly just like to say that although this will be my 3rd Glastonbury, the comments and tips on here that I have been going through are really set to enhance this years experience even more than my first 2 which were already AWESOME. They are also sure to help make sure that my accomplices (5 glasto virgins!) have an amazing first experience so thanks very much to all the posters.

Now down to business :

We are in Campervan West. I'm in london and will be meeting the virgins on site. They are driving down from Glasgow in the campervan (leaving early hours Wednesday). My geography isn't the best and as a non driver myself I'm hoping to call on the advice of those with greater knowledge and experience. Can any folks give their opinions on what would be the best route towards site for my friends to take as they get closer heading from the North. Using route planner etc the standard route they all advise seems to hit Bristol head on and from what I've read elsewhere this is a very bad idea. Can anyone suggest the best alternative that will save both them sitting in hellish traffic and more importantly me sitting on my rucksack on my own for hours waiting for them to arrive

Any help you guys can offer is greatly appreciated

Thanks in advance and bring it on !!!

 

[warriormonk]

I have come down from the North for many years heading fr the West car parks and have been two different routes  - M5 J23 and A39 through Glastonbury town...and M5 J22 through Chedder, Wells and North Wootton.  Both have got me to the correct side of the festival.  I'm not a local so others might know of an even sneakier route.  But whatever they do  they should not go anywhere near Bristol city centre!!! 

[mandb]

In my experience avoiding queues is about arriving out of peak times.  The traffic plan is so well organised you can't go wrong, just drive toward the site and follow the signs.  They should get there as early as possible or late on Wednesday evening but the later they get there the further they will have to walk. Probably, although nothing is an exact science. 

Don't sit around waiting for them.  Get your tent up and make new friends x

 

[stuwilky]

Are you planning on camping with them in the campervan fields - or inside the fence?

You wont be able to get into the campervan fields from outside the festival and will have to walk through the festival (if you're on public transport you'll arrive at Gate A and have to walk down to West Campervan (it will take maybe 45mins to an hour after you get wristbanded depending on when you arrive and ho wmuch you're carrying).  Its a hell of a drive in a van from Scotland and will take a fair whack of time - they really want to try arriving out of peak times - Campervan fields open on Tuesday lunchtime if they wanted to take a more leisurely drive down.

 

 

[Madyaker]

Get a GPS, much easier than fucking around with printed out directions and maps. Most smartphones even have GPS these days.

Edited April 21, 2016 by Madyaker

[carlosj]

I've no suggestions for the West side, as we go to the East CV fields, but regarding directions, you'd be better planning a point in Bristol outside of the centre and aim for that as a "via" on the map, or the GPS.  If you put Worthy Farm on the satnav, it will take you straight there with no consideration for traffic so you could still end up in the middle of Bristol.  If you have a phone, you can download Google offline maps of Somerset or use an offline GPS system to avoid data usage down there.

Looking at Google maps, wouldn't the route take you on the M5 past Bristol and then you can veer off to Worthy Farm?  Warriormonk has that kind of route. I use a satnav and it's not always good in the UK, so I created a route to and from the festival to ease past the traffic hold ups.

[Nice hymer]

On ‎4‎/‎20‎/‎2016 at 0:49 AM, warriormonk said:

I have come down from the North for many years heading fr the West car parks and have been two different routes  - M5 J23 and A39 through Glastonbury town...and M5 J22 through Chedder, Wells and North Wootton.  Both have got me to the correct side of the festival.  I'm not a local so others might know of an even sneakier route.  But whatever they do  they should not go anywhere near Bristol city centre!!! 

As a local, I think Warriormonk's route is spot on, if you're on the M5 already I'd go via Junction 23.

For those using the M4, I'd take Junction 19 onto the M32 towards Bristol's Cabot Circus (I know contrary to popular opinion!) towards/past Temple Meads then onto the A37, it's only a difficult mile, it's easy after that... The trick is to avoid peak times where Bristol traffic is truly awful. Peak times are 7.30-10.00am, 2.45-7.00pm.

If you're unfortunate enough to hit Bristol at peak times, I'd head towards the M5 south (as above) and risk slow moving traffic... at peak times the local motorways are a ball ache too !

Edited April 22, 2016 by Nice hymer
added details

[Beerqueen]

When I went in 2014 I followed these directions which I copied off here:

"Rather than driving down the  A39, if it's busy, as you are coming down the M5 you can come off one junction early at Burnham-on-Sea, turn right at the Edithmead roundabout towards Weston, take the first right towards Mark, then left at the next crossroads and follow the road through Mark Causeway onto Wedmore.  Then follow signs through Meare, Westhay and on to Glastonbury to join up with the A361, its a really nice route anyway and you get to go right past Roger Wilkins Cider at Mudgley."

We got there on Wednesday late morning and drove straight through without stopping, straight on site.