Best time to arrive by car

[jenrose]

Hello,

Myself and a group of 10 friends will be travelling from Leeds for Glastonbury.  We are undecided whether to:

1 Drive down Tuesday evening and try get some sleep in the car in the festival car park

2 Book a hotel nearby and drive there the Tuesday evening then drive to the festival the Wednesday morning

3 Just set off ridiculously early Wednesday morning

Any help or advice will be much appreciated! Thinking about this so early just in case we decide to book the hotel.

[Slugworth]

When we have driven to the festival from London, we have done it twice early doors arriving around 4am. Parked as near to the gate as we could have.

The one time we left later and arrived at 10am, we were parked literally a mile away from the gate. Awful if you plan on numerous trips to the car.

 

Personally I would go with option 3 but all three are ok.

[BambooShanks]

Having done all three (though not as the driver), they all have their merits but personally find option 1 the best.

You miss the majority of the traffic and have the option of joining the queue ridiculously early if the weather is good or getting some sleep if it isn't.

Option 2 is nice but you still have to get up very early to get any benefit out of staying near Glastonbury or risk hitting the traffic.

Option 3 is alright but is draining on the drivers.

 

[I feel like Pablo]

As early as possible. Drive down and arrive Tuesday evening and queue overnight. You'll be one of the first in the gates and you get an extra night of 'free' festival for your buck. 

It's only bad if it rains, which it of course will not. 

Otherwise is my favourite thing to do, take a load of extra alcohol to drink in the queue and camping chairs. You'll get a little sleep and then you'll be ready to have a nap the next day in the afternoon and be up before the fireworks. And you'll have the best spot possible. 

Edited October 22, 2019 by I feel like Pablo

[dotdash79]

6 hours ago, jenrose said:

Hello,

Myself and a group of 10 friends will be travelling from Leeds for Glastonbury.  We are undecided whether to:

1 Drive down Tuesday evening and try get some sleep in the car in the festival car park

2 Book a hotel nearby and drive there the Tuesday evening then drive to the festival the Wednesday morning

3 Just set off ridiculously early Wednesday morning

Any help or advice will be much appreciated! Thinking about this so early just in case we decide to book the hotel.

We did option 3 this year from Manchester and was wiped out for Wednesday evening.

We are doing option 2 next year, getting up at 5 and getting to site, I normally get up at 6 so it's not going to be too bad, plan on going to the Tor the day before

[waynewdk]

We travel from Bradford, last time I went 2015, we left our house at midnight Tuesday, had a couple of stops, and basically joined the queue as soon as we got there, something like 5am, we was just outside the the area where the queue starts to wind back and fourth around the barriers 10 metres from the spot on the map, it’s pretty much chilled then, people playing music and drinking some napping in their chairs, as time grew closer the queue got more compressed so move up into the barriers, probably was in the festival for 10ish, and camped in the same field as Arcadia 

[ya_concha]

Always found #3 to Work for me, #2 can turn into a party in a car park but you wont be as fresh to get straight on it once your tent is up. 

BTW, when your tent is up and you might imagine you would be tired, you wont be - one look at the place and your adrenalin will kick in mahoosively and you will be off like a jack rabbit.  I would say take it easy as there are days left to go but you wont.  Enjoy. 

[GoonerRob]

We leave London at about 7-8pm and drive to Tesco in glastonbury before it shuts at midnight.... grab a load of booze then get in the queue. Usually in and set up by 9.30-10am

Wear layers overnight, it gets freezing. Oh and if it rains its a bit grim. 

[ManchesterGlasto]

Option 1. Love it. We are usually one of the first 50 or so through gate b. Don’t sleep in the car but queue through the night. 

Edited October 23, 2019 by ManchesterGlasto
Add info

[ashnelson]

On 10/22/2019 at 3:25 PM, Kinkyinuit said:

Having done all three (though not as the driver), they all have their merits but personally find option 1 the best.

You miss the majority of the traffic and have the option of joining the queue ridiculously early if the weather is good or getting some sleep if it isn't.

Option 2 is nice but you still have to get up very early to get any benefit out of staying near Glastonbury or risk hitting the traffic.

Option 3 is alright but is draining on the drivers.

 

what time would you say people get out of their cars and queue for entry?

[BambooShanks]

58 minutes ago, ashnelson said:

what time would you say people get out of their cars and queue for entry?

There's always going to be some very dedicated people who will queue the moment they are able to.  It was a  few years ago when I last did option 1 but I seem to remember people steadily joining the queue from midnight onwards, with it starting to pick up from 4am - 5am.

it depends on the weather but generally, if you want to be one of the first ones in to bag a spot in the most popular camps, you'll want to be joining the queue before 4am

[I feel like Pablo]

On 10/25/2019 at 10:03 AM, ashnelson said:

what time would you say people get out of their cars and queue for entry?

I don't know anyone who stays in their cars and have never seen anyone who has. You arrive, you exit the vehicle and join the queue 

[Gnomicide]

On 10/26/2019 at 9:47 PM, I feel like Pablo said:

I don't know anyone who stays in their cars and have never seen anyone who has. You arrive, you exit the vehicle and join the queue 

There's always one etc...

I've done this 3 times. Got in the car parks Tuesday night, a few(!) drinks by the car then slept in it until Wednesday morning. Last year crashed out at about 1am, relatively decent nights kip, up at 6, joined the back of the gate D queue at around 6:20. Broke out the chairs, had a nice sit down until the queue started moving at around 08:15.

[I feel like Pablo]

On 10/27/2019 at 10:06 PM, Gnomicide said:

There's always one etc...

I've done this 3 times. Got in the car parks Tuesday night, a few(!) drinks by the car then slept in it until Wednesday morning. Last year crashed out at about 1am, relatively decent nights kip, up at 6, joined the back of the gate D queue at around 6:20. Broke out the chairs, had a nice sit down until the queue started moving at around 08:15.

aha! I suppose it is dark and there are thousands of cars, I haven't been peeping in them all haha. 

Just assumed if you'd got all the way there the excitement would be too great not to get out!

[Gnomicide]

Just now, I feel like Pablo said:

aha! I suppose it is dark and there are thousands of cars, I haven't been peeping in them all haha. 

Just assumed if you'd got all the way there the excitement would be too great not to get out!

I don't think I'd get much sleep at all if I joined the queue, no worries about the weather either. I was tempted this year but once it started raining our minds were set.

[MrZigster]

Sleeping in the queue can be impossible. I always seem to end up near some coked up idiot extrovert who thinks they are the headlining act or something

I'm not sure if there is a "best time" to arrive by car. I've turned up well early on the Tuesday evening and been placed the furthest away it's possible to be placed, and have also arrived on the Wednesday midday and got parked right near the gates.

I'd love to know how to avoid getting parked so far away. I'm getting too old for the trudge these days.

[waynewdk]

We got directed in to car parks far away, and we just drove round them and said no, and got to the near ones, I’m guessing some volunteers will just see the parking sticker on your screen and know that their field they are manning comes under that colour sticker, so will direct you in, we’ve got to the near ones and it’s has been fine for access

Edited October 30, 2019 by waynewdk

[bexj]

3 hours ago, waynewdk said:

We got directed in to car parks far away, and we just drove round them and said no, and got to the near ones, I’m guessing some volunteers will just see the parking sticker on your screen and know that their field they are manning comes under that colour sticker, so will direct you in, we’ve got to the near ones and it’s has been fine for access

Imagine if everyone did that... 

[waynewdk]

16 minutes ago, bexj said:

Imagine if everyone did that... 

To be fair though if you’ve paid for your parking and made the effort to get there midnight Tuesday, why should I be directed into the furthest car park away, when I mean drive round them, I don’t mean driving round them in the car park fields, I mean like going down the main road and there is some one at the entrance of each field point to you to go in, so we keep carrying on to we get to a closer field, one that we are allowed into, as we go further there is more opportunities of people directing you in

[incident]

1 hour ago, waynewdk said:

To be fair though if you’ve paid for your parking and made the effort to get there midnight Tuesday, why should I be directed into the furthest car park away, when I mean drive round them, I don’t mean driving round them in the car park fields, I mean like going down the main road and there is some one at the entrance of each field point to you to go in, so we keep carrying on to we get to a closer field, one that we are allowed into, as we go further there is more opportunities of people directing you in

Because the marshalls are basically just trying to organise traffic in a way that makes sense. You're the person who's more important than everyone else and so absolutely has to park closer. It's absolutely no different to the bloke who cuts in at front of a queue - it's not a crime, but it is a bit of an arsehole move and if large numbers did it then it'd cause problems. If you're OK with that, fine, but that's what it is.

[waynewdk]

20 minutes ago, incident said:

Because the marshalls are basically just trying to organise traffic in a way that makes sense. You're the person who's more important than everyone else and so absolutely has to park closer. It's absolutely no different to the bloke who cuts in at front of a queue - it's not a crime, but it is a bit of an arsehole move and if large numbers did it then it'd cause problems. If you're OK with that, fine, but that's what it is.

How is it anything like that?

Edited October 30, 2019 by waynewdk

[ya_concha]

Harsh - not exactly an Axe murderer!  What percentage would actually do this? So few so as not to make a difference and how is it like queue jumping??

Most Marshalls are not actually trained in traffic management and Ill grant you only trying to follow the script they are given but I've seen and experienced some stupid decisions over the last 35 years.  I'm not as strong as I used to be and my asthma does not give me exemptions where to park but I will be arriving very early and attempting to get myself closest to where I want to pitch for my health - especially if the weather looks sh1t. 

I try to follow the rules of the farm as best as I can but have also witnessed and endured some very dodgy queue management from a health and safety perspective, cant expect all staff to have adequate crisis management skills can you so I never blame them.  99% of the time you have to play with the cards you are given but sometimes experienced decisions can made.

[waynewdk]

26 minutes ago, ya_concha said:

Harsh - not exactly an Axe murderer!  What percentage would actually do this? So few so as not to make a difference and how is it like queue jumping??

Most Marshalls are not actually trained in traffic management and Ill grant you only trying to follow the script they are given but I've seen and experienced some stupid decisions over the last 35 years.  I'm not as strong as I used to be and my asthma does not give me exemptions where to park but I will be arriving very early and attempting to get myself closest to where I want to pitch for my health - especially if the weather looks sh1t. 

I try to follow the rules of the farm as best as I can but have also witnessed and endured some very dodgy queue management from a health and safety perspective, cant expect all staff to have adequate crisis management skills can you so I never blame them.  99% of the time you have to play with the cards you are given but sometimes experienced decisions can made.

Spot on