Going off site

[Jay89]

First thing first, hi, I’m a newbie here and it’ll be my first Glasto next year!

Ive read somewhere there’s a shuttle bus that will take you to and from town if you wanna stock up on your food/drink. Is that true? And if so, does it run on Wednesday and Thursday?

Would be ideal for me, as I’m traveling with national express and I’ve got very little hope for being able to bring plenty of drink and soft drinks to last me for a while. 

 

Thanks.

Jay.

[BlueDaze]

Hi Jay,

 

detail on buses can be found on the info pages on the GF website : https://www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk/information/getting-here/by-bus/

as a newbie this is the best read you can have.. but you should also take a look at this superb guide : http://www.glastoearth.com/the-faq

Have a great first festival.!

[Jay89]

Thanks for your help! ?

[glastolover19]

4 hours ago, Jay89 said:

First thing first, hi, I’m a newbie here and it’ll be my first Glasto next year!

Ive read somewhere there’s a shuttle bus that will take you to and from town if you wanna stock up on your food/drink. Is that true? And if so, does it run on Wednesday and Thursday?

Would be ideal for me, as I’m traveling with national express and I’ve got very little hope for being able to bring plenty of drink and soft drinks to last me for a while. 

 

Thanks.

Jay.

This is timetable from last year but will probably be pretty similar

[H.M.V]

I wouldn't bother going off site. Bring spirits, you can buy mixers at the bar and you'd be mad not to try all the food Glastonbury has to offer. Get to enjoy the festival more. 

[Jay89]

I don’t drink spirits, lager and cider only ?‍♀️

And I wish I had unlimited budget to ‘enjoy festival more’, but it’ll cost me well over £500 just to get there, so excuse me if I have breakfast in a tent instead.

Edited October 14, 2018 by Jay89

[crocodiles]

Agree wouldn't entertain going off site . Carry what drink u can and food is expensive but great . 

[incident]

23 minutes ago, Jay89 said:

And I wish I had unlimited budget to ‘enjoy festival more’, but it’ll cost me well over £500 just to get there, so excuse me if I have breakfast in a tent instead.

Honestly, it's a decision you'll probably regret.

It'll take several hours out of the festival that you've paid a lot of money to be at - by the time you walk to and from the bus station, wait for the bus (those schedules are not reliable as they can be heavily impacted by festival traffic and demand levels), and actually do your shopping, I'd be surprised if it takes much less than 3 hours total out of your day, and likely more than that if you go on the Wednesday or are camped any reasonable distance from the gate.

Going off site is a hassle. If you know anyone driving there, see if you can talk them into taking some stuff for you - that's by far the better approach.

[Jay89]

Yeah, arriving 8am Wednesday and planning to pitch up and go back to town for supplies.

Unfortunately none of my friends are gonna be there and the other person with me is girl as well, making it difficult to organise beforehand. My parents will be there, but most likely in WV and travelling by coach on Thursday. There’s little to no chance I even see them!

See me, 8 months till festival and I’m already planning, but to be fair, I want it to be perfect in every way as it will be my first ever Glasto!

 

[The Nal]

Money is lighter than cans. 

[SecretFish]

Are there any tips to eating cheaply onsite? I'd like to sample all the food but I have no real idea how much it all costs?

[The Nal]

10 minutes ago, SecretFish said:

Are there any tips to eating cheaply onsite? I'd like to sample all the food but I have no real idea how much it all costs?

Thread here on food. Its one of the best things about the festival for me. Always has been. 

 

[glastolover19]

I went out on the bus last year on Friday morning,was out in and back in in about 2hours but might of been lucky

[crocodiles]

We take things like porridge pots for breakfast cheap and light and ready made coffee sachets . Own beer . Just eat what u need in afternoon evening 

[Skelts]

3 hours ago, Jay89 said:

Yeah, arriving 8am Wednesday and planning to pitch up and go back to town for supplies.

Unfortunately none of my friends are gonna be there and the other person with me is girl as well, making it difficult to organise beforehand. My parents will be there, but most likely in WV and travelling by coach on Thursday. There’s little to no chance I even see them!

See me, 8 months till festival and I’m already planning, but to be fair, I want it to be perfect in every way as it will be my first ever Glasto!

 

Carry as much beer and cider as you can (get a trolley?) and purchase all the camping gear you’ll need on site, sorted. 

[Skelts]

4 hours ago, Jay89 said:

I don’t drink spirits, lager and cider only ?‍♀️

And I wish I had unlimited budget to ‘enjoy festival more’, but it’ll cost me well over £500 just to get there, so excuse me if I have breakfast in a tent instead.

Just courious, where are you coming from that it’ll cost you £500 to get there? (Assume this includes the ticket cost?)

[Skelts]

.

Edited October 14, 2018 by Skelts
Double post

[glastolover19]

13 hours ago, Jay89 said:

First thing first, hi, I’m a newbie here and it’ll be my first Glasto next year!

Ive read somewhere there’s a shuttle bus that will take you to and from town if you wanna stock up on your food/drink. Is that true? And if so, does it run on Wednesday and Thursday?

Would be ideal for me, as I’m traveling with national express and I’ve got very little hope for being able to bring plenty of drink and soft drinks to last me for a while. 

 

Thanks.

Jay.

2 tips. Buy some of that super concentrated Robinson squash in the tiny little squeezy bottle,I usually take 1 for each day. Like you I don't drink,I love a cola but really forget carrying to much of that. If I remember correctly it was about £2.50 for 500ml on site,so ok for treat on budget.

Secondly my rule of thumb is lay out the food you plan to take and leave half of it at home,I don't remember 1 year where I came close to running out,most years ended up giving it away. Usually take just snacks ie few breakie bars,Pringles,sweeties and coffee sachets.

[Jay89]

2 hours ago, Skelts said:

Just courious, where are you coming from that it’ll cost you £500 to get there? (Assume this includes the ticket cost?)

Yep. Ticket + £170 return coach from Scotland. 

It’s not like I’m a massive tight arse, just weighting my options. And I do like to wake up and chill with coffee and breakfast outside my tent, rather than having to go somewhere to get it. My usual festival set up being cans of beans and falafel ?

some good advices on here tho, I appreciate it!

[Jay89]

5 hours ago, The Nal said:

Money is lighter than cans. 

Spot on Rockefeller, feel free to share your millions with me ?

[glasto-worker]

On 10/14/2018 at 7:44 AM, Jay89 said:

First thing first, hi, I’m a newbie here and it’ll be my first Glasto next year!

Ive read somewhere there’s a shuttle bus that will take you to and from town if you wanna stock up on your food/drink. Is that true? And if so, does it run on Wednesday and Thursday?

Would be ideal for me, as I’m traveling with national express and I’ve got very little hope for being able to bring plenty of drink and soft drinks to last me for a while. 

 

Thanks.

Jay.

if I had to do it - I would go the other way to Shepton Mallet {Service GF2} Shepton Mallet Town Centre (Cenotaph) Fare £3 (single)

Please note I have never been on a shuttle but Shepton Mallet is not all that far and has a good size supermarket.

if I was in your situation I would camp in Darble next to Gate A 

Yes its further from the action but its bloody close for the Shuttle.

sure you can buy stuff onsite but if you plan it out right you wont need to.

yes there will be heavy traffic but there is bugger all you can do about it.

It can all be done on the Wednesday

 

[The Nal]

10 hours ago, Jay89 said:

Spot on Rockefeller, feel free to share your millions with me ?

The festival is over 8 months away. You should be able to cobble together a few extra quid by then.

Going off site for soft drinks isn't a good idea. 

[Penrhos]

Those Robinson's concentrated squash things are great - plain water is so boring. A metal water bottle can be filled up all over site for free add a squirt and you're good to go. 

I camped light in 2017 as I was on the coach.

I took some instant porridge, fruit, tea-bags, UHT milk, biscuits, a small portable stove & some cooking-tins so could have a "free breakfast" every day. Made the decision I'd eat a daily hot meal - but well away from the stages as it's cheaper and better (Gandhi's flip-flop anyone) - vegetarian food will fill you up more for the money. 

I took just the clothes that I needed (plenty of socks/pants though) , wet-wipes, toothbrush & paste, deodorant, razor, paracetamols, tent, sleeping bag, boots, bin bags, metal water bottle, waterproof coat. And that was all squeezed into a rucksack. leaving my hands free to carry two Aldi bags full of cider in tins (remember - no glass).

I estimate I spend £10 a day on food/drink, plus the cost of a Glasto T-Shirt (which I wore on the bus home as it was the only clean thing I had)..

 

[tigertoo]

I would also stay on site if at all possible, Im not sure how near or expensive the general stores in the towns around Pilton are during festival week.

It's difficult to get away from the weight of bringing in your own alcohol, the lightest option would be spirits and concentrated mixers/cordial. Water is free on site, but unfortunately that's not a solution if beer or cider are your tipple. 

I appreciate that if you going solo you wont want to carry much extra with you on top of your tent etc but you could minimise the expense of on site takeaway food by taking some light weight food with you like cereal in bags or bars, nuts, choc bars. You will probably still eat some food bought on site but maybe a bit less.

If you can find room for a small lightwieght non stick pan with a lid, a tin mug, and a small camping stove like a trangia or the little foldaway solid fuel ones  ( quite cheap to buy) then you can save a lot on breakfast by making tea/coffee/instant porridge.... nice in your tent in the morning.  Plus this then makes possible instant packeted pasta/rice/noodle/couscous packs etc. Remember to take a spoon and fork for those, and ideally get the packeted ones, easier to pack than those in cartons ( and eat out of the pan if necessary ?)

Finally some of the food is less expensive than others, the tea and cakes at the '50p tea tent' are great (in the green futures field I think but others might correct me on that). Ask people around what they have had and how much it cost. There is some really fantastic food at the festival though so it's a shame to miss out completely !

 

 

[tigertoo]

Penrhose you beat me to it, some similar ideas to each other ... great minds think alike ?

Also dont cook in the tent, put the stove outside, but it's nice to eat in the tent, and the spirits and cordials would be decanted into plastic bottles of course

Edited October 15, 2018 by tigertoo
safety advice and spellings