parking, carting and camping!

[klouise88]

Ive done glastonbury a few times now and all through different means .. eg, Local residents sunday ticket a few times, coach travel and stayed with friends in the family camping once and the last time i was lucky enough to win a stay in a bell tent so travel in and parking was a breeze. This year is my first time driving, carting my stuff and camping in amongst it properly!

 

So my questions:

1) Driving from Frome - any idea what side that'll bring me in on and what colour I might be parked in? 

2) Where do people recomend to camp to get a good level of fun/party vibes but also some sleep?! Some friends suggested Pennard hill but ive heard this fills up fast and can be all-go and no chill so im hoping for something in that area but not quite as wild!

3) Best trolley to cart stuff into the site. Ive read countless reviews but its all got a bit overwhelming! Ive been advised to look at metal trolleys with sturdy wheels but there are so many out there i dont know where to begin! Have a budget up to around £150 but that is the very top end!

and finally 

4) be honest with me... we are planning to leave home around 5:30 / 6am latest and its just 18 miles to the site so should get there for 6:30 latest depending on traffic. Is this a nightmare arrival time and is it best to get there later or is it just a case of get up and go and join the queue? And on that note.... how much of a nightmare is it leaving? again is it best to get up and out early doors or sit it out and wait as our travel distance home is so small..

 

sorry its a long one and thanks in advance for any help and tips!

[gooner1990]

I think @kalifire stays in Frome before the festival.

[BlueDaze]

paging @parsonjack

[Another eforum account]

I’m a Fromie but volunteer so only really best placed to answer your last question on journey home. Will obviously depend on conditions on the ground (ie wet/dry) but I’ve often left at around 2am on Monday morning (ie Sunday night) gets me home in 20mins. Pack up in the day on Sun. Know other friends that leave before 8am Mon (ie in car & driving away from site) & it’s a similar time. Otherwise I leave after 4pm on Mon (often do a 12noom-4pm shift) and I can be home in a similar time. Believe festival goers have to be off-site by 5pm. If you do leave later suggest you pack up earlier or stay with stuff/take it in one go. 
 

From Frome you’d probably be looking at entering the site from the east ie A361/A37 

[Another eforum account]

Coming from the east you’ll enter the site  either by Ped Gate B or C depending on how they direct cars off the A37

[parsonjack]

Hi there.....long time Fromie here.  Couple of your questions already answered but here goes.....

1.  Simply driving from Frome on A361 heading West will take you to Shepton Mallet, where you will be directed left via Cannards Grave and then onto A37 heading south towards Pylle.  You'll then be directed right off the A37 before Pylle into Purple parking.  Entry to the festival as mentioned above will be either via Gate B or C depending upon which one you are closer to, or which one is more convenient for where you want to camp.  If you wish to camp more to the West, where gates A or D might be more convenient (see below) then you might wish to park in West parking (Pink or Orange).  This will require approaching the site from the West (Glastonbury direction), but as you are unable to travel through Pilton village you will need to either drive direct through Shepton Mallet, leaving on A371 to Wells, or leave the A361 at Cranmore, first heading north for a mile then west on the Old Frome Road which crosses the A37 before heading down into Wells.  From Wells I would take the A39 south to Glastonbury where you have the choice of leaving it left after 1 mile to head to Pink parking via Launcherley and North Wootton villages, or stay on A39 all the way to Glastonbury joining A361 heading east back to Pilton where you will get directed into either Orange (closer to both Gates A and D) or Pink.

2.  I'm not a camper so unable to advise on this one, but as mentioned above your decision here may influence where you decide to park, and therefore the route you take.

3.  Again I'll leave it to others with more experience here, but general opinion seems to be big wheels, ideally pneumatic, with plenty of ground clearance for if it's soggy.

4.  We leave Frome at around 0800 Wednesday morning heading for Blue Route off the A37 at Pylle (for Tangerine Fields in recent years but campervans prior to that).  Since the main carparks have been open from 2100 on Tuesday the Weds morning traffic is now much lighter than before then.  I admit we do have a 'special route' which avoids much of the A361 but in general we are usually parked at TF by 0830, and see very little traffic on the section of A37 (for east parking) that we use.  I'd anticipate that the situation would be similar if leaving Frome at 0530/0600, although a little longer if you choose to park in Pink/Orange to the west as above.  Bear in mind that arriving around 0700 will put you some way back in the queue for the gates so your choice of campsite may be influenced by this if you;re thinking of heading to a spot which is in demand.  Leaving on Monday is always a gamble between sacrificing a few hours of your festival to pack up on Sunday and make an early (sober) exit at the crack of dawn, or to see it through and leave later on Monday when queues have subsided a bit.  The one bit of advice above is sound though....don't leave your kit unattended on Monday if you decide to stay until later in the day....chances are some of it won't be there when you return to pack up.

Hope this helps a little and you have a fabulous festival.

[Charliehmiller]

Got a question on parking, last year I arrived on the east side and drove down the brown road and got directed to purple 11 car park. 

 

If I drove down the purple route this year would I likely be put in a purple car park or is it still wherever they are directing at that time?