15 replies to this topic

[Familiar2billions]

Has anyone ever avoided the Motorways to get to the festival and decided to take a more sceneic route? (oubviously if your going from say Reading or maybe even London at a push).

If the weathers good Im thinking of leaving on the Tuesday next year and trying to take a bit more of a countryside route once beyond the M25, music blaring and a couple of country ale pubs on the way (im not gonna be driving of course   )

Would be nice to be told of any routes people might know of?

[Langdale Wolf]

Glastonbury and the surrounding areas are beautiful places.  Unless you're smuggled on site inside Vanessa Feltz's pants, you're guaranteed a scenic route, no matter which direction you're coming from.

[BlackHole2006]

Langdale Wolf, on Dec 8 2009, 03:39 PM, said:

Glastonbury and the surrounding areas are beautiful places.  Unless you're smuggled on site inside Vanessa Feltz's pants, you're guaranteed a scenic route, no matter which direction you're coming from.

This is true.

As soon as you enter Pilton and the surrounding areas it's amazing. You can't even tell that there is a huge festival there! The drive through the woods into the carpark is extremely exciting. You can just see the tip of one of the tents and for a glasto virgin and even a veteran this will make you cram your pants with excitement. Even the stop at the local McDonalds for breakfast was scenic!

[Langdale Wolf]

BlackHole2006, on Dec 8 2009, 03:43 PM, said:

This is true.

As soon as you enter Pilton and the surrounding areas it's amazing. You can't even tell that there is a huge festival there! The drive through the woods into the carpark is extremely exciting. You can just see the tip of one of the tents and for a glasto virgin and even a veteran this will make you cram your pants with excitement. Even the stop at the local McDonalds for breakfast was scenic!

I really like Glastonbury town.  We tend to stop there for a bacon roll or something and - when it's nice - a cup of tea outside at that cafe in one of the squares.  Then you've got a lovely drive past the tor and the valley opens up in front of you.

It's a quite beautiful journey once you get off the motorway.  Just a shame about all the traffic getting onto site.  We had a perfect journey in 2008 - no queues, just straight in after we stopped at Glastonbury.

In fact, just the journey makes me realise I'm on holiday.  Getting on site is amazing of course, but it's those familiar sites that first greet you that help with the pre-festival build up.  With the choons on the go too.  

I'm getting excited just thinking about it!

[BlackHole2006]

Langdale Wolf, on Dec 8 2009, 03:58 PM, said:

I really like Glastonbury town.  We tend to stop there for a bacon roll or something and - when it's nice - a cup of tea outside at that cafe in one of the squares.  Then you've got a lovely drive past the tor and the valley opens up in front of you.

It's a quite beautiful journey once you get off the motorway.  Just a shame about all the traffic getting onto site.  We had a perfect journey in 2008 - no queues, just straight in after we stopped at Glastonbury.

In fact, just the journey makes me realise I'm on holiday.  Getting on site is amazing of course, but it's those familiar sites that first greet you that help with the pre-festival build up.  With the choons on the go too.  

I'm getting excited just thinking about it!

My family once decided to go to the town (before I was born) when the festival wasn't on and they said it was really boring! I might actaully go arrive at Glastonbury early (by early I mean like 6AM) so that I can climb up the hill and see the view from the tor, it would mean alot to my friend if I did that, seeing as he is christian and he said if we did that it would be like a pilgrimage for him.

That's the great thing about arriving on a thursday- No Traffic. But I am arriving on the wednesday next year and I'm really hoping that the traffic isn's as bad as last years was!

And yeh for me the jeorney to the venue is the best thing about going to a concert. Actaully getting in and seeing the band is great but it's the journey that makes the night! Same with glasto, travelling up and listening to Radio 1 to find out the weather makes me buzzing with excitement.

[LusciousLucy]

Our route from East Sussex has always taken us over to Southampton and then up past Salisbury and a bloody beautiful country route over to Pilton from the east. I think the last time we went via the 303 or any motorway was in 95!

There's plenty of other ways over to Pilton that do not involve having to hit the motorway, its just a question as to how much time you want to take. We all know there are some bloody lovely laces to see and visit en eoute, whatever route you take.

Consider solstice at Avebury...its on the Sunday this year. A group of us went this year and also took in Bristol for the Banksy show. Made for a lovely extralong break. No longer welcome at Old Oaks campsite in G Town though!    

Stay in Bristol the night before and then go cross country to Pilton instead of the M5?

Pre-plan your route to take in some of the many cider houses local to the area? Heck's in Street sells the best cider on the planet - Bramley Apple & Honey - as well as the Single Variety Perry.

Head to anywhere within 50 miles of Pilton that has a B&B with room still spare (eg, Bridgewater, Taunton)...I highly doubt there is anything free in Glasto Town/Shepton etc cos of what happened this year.

B&B/hotel/campsite...just get a map and choose!

Travellodge have super cheap deals most of the time...again just pick one nearish.

Make a wee extended holiday taking in another part of the west country the weekend before.

Decisions decisions decisions...

whatever you choose, book early is probably the best advice. We all know what happened this year and noone wants to go through that experience...kerching to all the tourist accommodation locally next year!!!

[LusciousLucy]

2 years on the trot we've stayed at the nearest campsite to the fest, last year we got in before doors open but this year got stuck for an hour in the 8-9am crush...we got panicked at that! How silly of us...as the tales of 18+hours started to roll in we thought ourselves v lucky in the end.

The trouble is, predicting when the carpark gates ACTUALLY open. Its a game of cat and mouse, if you leave too early will you get sent on and have to re-do the route cos they are not letting people in etc!?

You cant just park up on the road really (funnily enough!).

Its a gamble whatever you do. Next year is sure going to be bloody interesting!

[StoneCircle]

We come down from Sheffield using the scenic route from Leicestershire, leaving the M1 for the Fosseway which takes us through the Cotswolds and lots of lovely countryside.

[lord stradmor]

Popping into Roger Wilkins in Mudgley for cider is an essential part of the journey....

http://current.com/i...-with-roger.htm

Edited by lord stradmor, 08 December 2009 - 06:28 PM.

[Tables innit]

Eli's Eli's Eli's     

http://www.telegraph...-and-Crown.html

Edited by Tables innit, 08 December 2009 - 06:42 PM.

[thegremlin_1999]

StoneCircle, on Dec 8 2009, 06:10 PM, said:

We come down from Sheffield using the scenic route from Leicestershire, leaving the M1 for the Fosseway which takes us through the Cotswolds and lots of lovely countryside.

This. I'm from Leicester so the only bit of motorway I use is the m69 to cov. Lovely run down along the fosse.

[paulo999]

Langdale Wolf, on Dec 8 2009, 03:58 PM, said:

I really like Glastonbury town.  We tend to stop there for a bacon roll or something and - when it's nice - a cup of tea outside at that cafe in one of the squares.  Then you've got a lovely drive past the tor and the valley opens up in front of you.

It's a quite beautiful journey once you get off the motorway.  Just a shame about all the traffic getting onto site.  We had a perfect journey in 2008 - no queues, just straight in after we stopped at Glastonbury.

In fact, just the journey makes me realise I'm on holiday.  Getting on site is amazing of course, but it's those familiar sites that first greet you that help with the pre-festival build up.  With the choons on the go too.  

I'm getting excited just thinking about it!

Aye

Even the A303 carrying the London hoards has its charms. The rolling hills start to appear, you pass "the Henge", and there's a few places to divert off for a quick stop where you end up - in just a few minutes - in a lovely village.

Lovely part of England. When I downsize, it could well be Somerset.

Edited by paulo999, 09 December 2009 - 12:15 AM.

[Kyelo]

Well where I stay the nearest dual carriage way/motorway system is 2 hours away, after that I have another 10 hours to Glastonbury. So at the start of my journey I pass through the Scottish Grampian mountains which is very scenic and then at the end I have the rolling hills of Somerset, makes for a good start and end with a bollox middle! haha

[Pinhead]

Always travel down from London or wherever I am based at the time, at least 2-3 days before festi back to parents house just outside Bath.

Then, get supplies and camping gear in Bath over those few days before, plus check kit etc. is all present and correct. Watch Points West again for any updates . . .

Then the journey down is pretty quick really given that the site is maybe only around 25 miles away. Go via Bath, Radstock, Shepton route. Love gradually passing or seeing other cars with the car park stickers, plus other festi people walking nearer the site. Seeing all the posters up as you approach for the bands etc. Even the temporary AA signs pointing to the site and the car park colour coded ones make me wet. Plus, then the first glimpses of the fence shining in the sun through the hedge as you drive closer, then a few flag and tent tops, then when you park up and get out on the lush green grass for the first time and hear the distant thud, thud of a sound system - well, that's just a positively wonderous feeling. Then you realise you are home.

Then you come down a bit when you look at all the stuff you've got to cart in . . .

[tarff26]

my girlfriend and I had sat in a queue on the A39 for about 4 hours this year, moving at about 50 yards every 20 minutes. eventually i had had enough and turned off down a wee farm track

within 20 minutes we were on site, we met no other cars on the way and the scenery was amazing. i later heard that it took folk an extra 9 hours to get on site from where we left the main road. what a nightmare that mustve been

sceneic routes all the way next year, if we decide to go

[jeffie]

Tables innit, on Dec 8 2009, 06:35 PM, said:

Eli's Eli's Eli's     

http://www.telegraph...-and-Crown.html

I ead about Eli's in a "The Great British Pub Crawl".  It sounds excellent.

J