What is your arrival strategy ?

[t0paz]

Unfortunately real life dictates I have to arrive on the Thursday. I’m in the quiet CV fields this year so I’m hoping to get lucky with the field placement.

[danssol]

7 hours ago, Jacko45 said:

First timer (sorry to mention again)

So we're heading down Tuesday night after work from Leeds.

People were going with have family around 5 miles away from site and have said we can park our camper on their drive the night before.

They've even said they'll do bacon sarnies before we set off, intending to set off around 6am Weds morning got tickets in East General Campervan.

 

I don’t have a camper van but can’t you pitch from mid day on Tuesday?

[Franky]

9 hours ago, gooner1990 said:

You can’t be far from me then! (Abingdon)

Not far at all maybe 30 mins 

[nikkic]

1 hour ago, Ryan1984 said:

How are camping spots arriving that time? It always feel like there’s plenty of space as long as you don’t mind an extra 10/15 minutes walk from the main areas?

Tbh since we’ve taken this approach we’ve been incredibly lucky.

Last year we had friends take our tent in on Wednesday and set it up for us, they were in the camper van field and had arrived Tuesday. 

Year before that we had hospitality tickets. 

Year before that Worthy View. 

However there’s always space on the outskirts on Thursday still, so as long as you’re not bothered about getting a prime spot in Pennards it’s fine. 

[WhatADin]

It's been so long since I last went I can't even remember. I think we put our tent in our mates rented camper and drove down on the ... Wednesday. 

This year we are picking up the camper from our mates (they only live in the next road along) and then heading down on the Tuesday. We're camping offsite, so once we are there it'll be kick back and relax. We'll be parked next to our mates as well, so may go down in convoy. Not sure yet. 

I actually get back from the IOW festival on the Monday so I'll need to a fuck load of washing probably. Thankfully, we're staying in an AirBnB right by the hovercraft and I live no more than 10 minutes cab from the hovercraft on the otherside. 

[4AssedMonkey]

We set off from Yorkshire late Tuesday evening and meet up with our pals from Newcastle & Sc**thorpe at a Maccy's around Bristol.  Travel in convoy, park up and then load up the trolleys/rucksacks and walk to the queue.  Usually sat in our camp chairs in the queue drinking and giggling like fools around 3am.  Some might get some sleep but most of us pull an all nighter.  Watch the sunrise over the site.  Chairs away when the gates open and things start to move.  Usually through the gate before 10am, tents pitched and good to go before midday, then off for some food.

[becs94]

Aside from one year I've always arrived on the Wednesday although swapped between car and coach depending on tickets. Arriving early Wed morning was always my preference as we'd be set up by lunch time.

This year it'll be leisurely driving down Tuesday afternoon with a b&b booked in Glastonbury. Get a few hours sleep and then head to the site early in the morn for about 6 I reckon. I've moved up north since the last fest and the journey time has almost tripled so think it'll be nice to start the week rested rather than straight out the car and into a queue. 

 

 

[Crazyfool01]

has anyone had any major delays getting into carparks recently ....? obviously 2016 an issue but seems like an issue theyve figured out now 

[Jacko45]

1 hour ago, danssol said:

I don’t have a camper van but can’t you pitch from mid day on Tuesday?

 

I believe so, we can't head down till Tuesday night - So rather set up in the light Weds morning tbf. 

[The Nal]

Next time will be Wednesday afternoon or Thursday morning. Full nights kip and no queues.

[fantomas]

It may be unpopular in these parts, but Thursday is a breeze, one less day annual leave, a more manageable 4 nights, and think the Wednesday is very overrated. 

[Crazyfool01]

6 minutes ago, fantomas said:

It may be unpopular in these parts, but Thursday is a breeze, one less day annual leave, a more manageable 4 nights, and think the Wednesday is very overrated. 

Wed is great for me but understand that some choose the Thursday and avoid any queue issues … 

[ahoykatie]

we're getting the 3am national express on Weds morning! we've never done it before so don't know what to expect - we're travelling light and hoping to have the tents set up by around midday!

Edited March 30, 2023 by ahoykatie

[Alvoram]

Drive down to the festival wednesday morning, pull the vehicle right up to our pitch on Love Fields, set up, then take the car and park it a few hundred feet away from the tent... Enter festival and head for a bar. 

(It's one of the few advantages we've paid a stupid amount of money for, may aswell gloat about it! 🙈😂😭) 

[BambooShanks]

Going in by car  this year.  If anything like previous years, we'll be setting off around midnight to arrive around 4-5am.

First trip in will be as light as possible - just my tent and essentials in my rucksack so  I can get to our spot and set up quickly.

What usually happens is once we get through the gate and into a bit of space, Mrs Shanks and my asthmatic mate need a break so we leave them with the rucksacks to recover while the rest of us power through to find a camping spot.  When we've got the tents up, we go back and retrieve them and find that they've already started getting on it and in a state.  I'll try my best not to get annoyed at them and show them to the camp.

After a beer, do the next trip which will mainly be booze.  As long as I can fit it in the rucksack and not have to physically carry things in my hands, I'll be golden.

Get back to the tent and finish setting everything up. Crack a beer. repeat.

  

Last time we got the coach from Bath so was in the queue at 7am and in our camping spot by 9.  It was probably the easiest and quickest queue I've had which more than made up for having to travel down to Bath the night before and carry everything in one trip and no sleep.

[gooner1990]

Depends on mode of transport.

Car: tend to leave Abingdon/Oxford around 4am on the Wednesday... park up about 6.30am or so....get straight in the queue (usually Ped gate B or C), then its anyone's guess when we get through the gates....once in, set up then usually an hour or so later go back to the car for booze/camping chairs etc.

See tickets coach: Pre festival I take camping chairs and booze to friends on GA tickets for them to bring in their car,  Weds AM get coach from Oxford usually in Ped Gate A queue by 10am or so, get in and meet the GA friends at camp, set up our tents, then go to their car to collect our booze and chairs etc.  Usually done and dusted by 3pm or so. 

 

[Crazyfool01]

I separate from my mates on the way in and meet them just inside gate A … I really need to walk in at my own pace . It’s the only time on the farm I get frustrated 

[stuie]

I'll leave mine about 7am Monday and pick up my mate who lives about 10 miles away and go for a nice breakfast. 

Drive to the farm, aim to arrive at midday Monday. 

Get my shifts, put the tent up, have a drink or two.

Head into the site, have another drink or two.

End up at Maceo's. 

[nikkic]

4 minutes ago, stuie said:

I'll leave mine about 7am Monday and pick up my mate who lives about 10 miles away and go for a nice breakfast. 

Drive to the farm, aim to arrive at midday Monday. 

Get my shifts, put the tent up, have a drink or two.

Head into the site, have another drink or two.

End up at Maceo's. 

Where is it you work on site?

It’s a bucket list thing for me to do this, but the kids need to be a lot older before I can do it!

[stuie]

16 minutes ago, nikkic said:

Where is it you work on site?

It’s a bucket list thing for me to do this, but the kids need to be a lot older before I can do it!

I'm just an Oxfam volunteer but I love the full week on the farm away from normal life - it's part of my holiday plans for the year.  Last year I was a team leader on Gate C but I won't find out about this year until I get there. 

I always bang on about this here but the parties on Monday and Tuesday night are just lovely.  And the farm is so nice when it's not crowded. 

 

[Justcalledtosay]

15 minutes ago, stuie said:

 

I always bang on about this here but the parties on Monday and Tuesday night are just lovely.  And the farm is so nice when it's not crowded. 

 

So camping then? 🤣

[stuie]

17 minutes ago, Justcalledtosay said:

So camping then? 🤣

No, there’s lots going on and thousands of people there already, just not crowded. 

Monday 2022:

 

Edited March 30, 2023 by stuie

[kalifire]

My arrival starts with a very early taxi from my parent's place in Frome to the drop off point. The aim is to join the small queue at PGA just before coaches start arriving, usually around 4:30-5am. After that point, the queue starts to swell.

Then it's a wait of 3-ish hours, which is actually a fun time. You see dawn break over the site, watch steward activity increase, post updates to eFests with others in one of the queues, chat to new queue buddies, chomp on crisps before they remove them at the gate. I know some would prefer not to lose sleep, but I love the experience personally.

I'm usually set up before 9:30am and sitting on a hill with a Scrumpy Jack by 10am, watching it all come together. Bliss.

[Crazyfool01]

2 minutes ago, kalifire said:

chomp on crisps before they remove them at the gate.

Think that communication error might well have been sorted this year 😂

[HMCC]

This thread has been so helpful. I was thinking of getting the train down from London, but it looks like driving is more stress-free.