39 replies to this topic

[Lucian]

Hi,

It's my first Glasto and I would like to ask when would be the best to leave the festival by car, taking into consideration that I reached the place by car and I'll be using festival's parking.

Thank you.

[anoldhippie@60]

If I had my way it would be never.

[cejx]

Lucian, on 21 March 2011 - 08:11 AM, said:

Hi,

It's my first Glasto and I would like to ask when would be the best to leave the festival by car, taking into consideration that I reached the place by car and I'll be using festival's parking.

Thank you.

Usually I aim to leave site around 6am Monday morning.
Last year, I packed up the car and left after Stevie - straight out.
One year I didn't leave until 3pm - and it was just depressing seeing the state of the site and everything being dismantled.  Won't be doing that again.

[robith]

We aim to be in our car by 6am. Aside from 2007 when the site resembled the Somme, we've always sailed straight out

[MyTwistedWords]

NEVER NEVER NEVER  

[amfy]

6-7am works really well.
When I drop into my sleeping bag exhausted on Sunday night I always think I will lie in and suffer the traffic, but I always wake up to find my husband dismantling the tent from around me!

[stu_kent]

As there is no festival *next* year I don't plan to leave Shangri La/Block 9 until the party is over!  After that, few hours power napping then drive home!  Prob leave around lunch time on Monday

Edited by stu_kent, 21 March 2011 - 09:15 AM.

[denwyn]

For the last 3 years i have left on Sunday night,no holdups at all,i usually find i have had enough by then and long for a comfy bed,plus its a 6am start in work on Monday. I pack up and take stuff back to the car early Sunday morning, then its just straight out on Sunday night.

[Chazeboy]

we left campsite at 1pm last year and got straight out of car parks

[hatethisandillloveyou]

We usually leave between 3-5pm Monday, no queues, no worrying about stopping drinking on the Sunday, and get to spend the Monday chilling out/ recovering, then pack up and wander over to the car when we're ready.

This year we have the added bonus of a travellodge in Glastonbury on the Monday night.

[Paul ™]

Left the Tuesday afternoon last year as was going straight to Hop Farm to work that event, so sat and got drunk in Pennards all day with eFesters till they all drifted off. Then went a wander at night, ended up up the stone circle and then the crew party in the Bimble Inn  

[ParanoidAndroid86]

I left after Sunday headliner in 2005 - if you or a friend are driving, make sure they're in a good enough state and consider the journey length.  My mate didn't spend the weekend getting off his tits and didn't drink that much (he's a lightweight anyway...) and he still managed to drift off at the wheel around Oxford way (we were travelling back to Bedfordshire).  He only came to when we ran over a rabbit!  His brother - who was supposedly the drunkest he'd ever been 6 hours prior - took over driving duties...

Last year I was able to pack my stuff up late morning on Sunday and leave my tent/bags in a friend of a friend's tent, as they like to stick around until late afternoon on the Monday.  The first coach to Castle Cary was at 6am so I stayed up and saw The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (shame they had the dubbed version!) before heading off.  If you get the train, it may be best to wait until afternoon. I booked the cheapest possible fare - off-peak - without realising there was a good chance of travelling after the start of the peak window.  By pure chance, the staff at Castle Cary indicated that the train I got on was the last off-peak and didn't check tickets - good news considering my ticket was time-specific for an afternoon one.

Ticket wouldn't go through the barrier at Paddington - thankfully they let me through without any hassle.  If it weren't obvious that I'd been to Glasto, it could've been a different matter.

[danbailey80]

There's a graph on the website. That should answer your question - although it varies a little each year.

http://www.glastonbu...ing-here/by-car

[bluejeans10]

Don't go home on Sunday night, that just seems so pointless to me. Unless you have work Monday morning of course.
Just chill and wait for it all to calm down, the roads are much quieter late afternoon on the Monday.
I'm driving back to the midlands so I'll be packing up around 4pm I think after a very late one in Shangri La.
Though I can't see myself sleeping too late in the afternoon if it's as hot as last year.

[godders1966]

hatethisandillloveyou, on 21 March 2011 - 10:53 AM, said:

We usually leave between 3-5pm Monday, no queues, no worrying about stopping drinking on the Sunday, and get to spend the Monday chilling out/ recovering, then pack up and wander over to the car when we're ready.

I agree.  Why spoil Sunday with packing and taking stuff to the car AND not drinking, knowing that'll you'll be rushing to get out, at the end of that day.  You only get 3 full days of Glasto.  Don't waste a minute of it.

Do all that on the Monday

[fraz]

We lie around on the monday eating the last of the munch food we have taken (crisps, muesli bars etc) and chill until around 5-6 ish every year. We live around Surrey/Sth london so we get back at a reasonable time of 8-9 pm.

It all depends on the driver as well. They may have good intentions of leaving early monday at the start of the festival and not to get on it on the sunday but that has never happended all plans go out the window when you are there.

[redmosquito]

Thursday morning  

[LondonTom]

I left about 9/10am last year and it was mostly fine, just casually got about 7ish as we had been doing packed up the rest of the stuff having took the majority back to the car on the sunday morning. We said if we saw ques getting out we'd go back and have a wonder around once everything had been packed but it looked clear so we set off, was back in London by 2 and that was with a couple of stops. (and going what seemed to be fairly long winded route out away from the site)

Edited by LondonTom, 21 March 2011 - 01:16 PM.

[austrian_zeppelin]

i was forced to leave most of the times on sunday night due to work commitments, flights to catch etc. Never a problem, apart from having to stay more or less sober / awake on Sunday. This year is the same, but at least my brother is coming along and he doesn't drink so am really looking forward to getting anihilated on Sunday:). Just find a slot on Sunday's schedule where you don't fancy anything in particular and take your stuff to the car...just remember it takes a lot longer than you anticipate (missed the Marley Brothers a few years back due to my highly optimistic prediction of how long it would take me). Or camp somewhere near a gate (Dairy ground is close to a gate and a lush camping spot, although a bit of a walk to most stages apart from the park)

[cejx]

austrian_zeppelin, on 21 March 2011 - 01:16 PM, said:

...just remember it takes a lot longer than you anticipate (missed the Marley Brothers a few years back due to my highly optimistic prediction of how long it would take me). Or camp somewhere near a gate (Dairy ground is close to a gate and a lush camping spot, although a bit of a walk to most stages apart from the park)

agree with this!  I went on to 'Map my Run' after the festival. and the round trip from Avalon, to the tent, to pack it up, to the car and then back on to site for Faithless was nearly 5 miles.