Leaving EARLY on Monday

[vintagelaureate]

Quick question - how hard is it to get off site in the early hours Monday morning/Sunday evening?

I am asking for a friend who isn't on here. He needs to be back in the North West for 8.30am, and was thinking of leaving the site around 1am (packing up Sunday morning, leaving after the last headliner). Is this viable?

Thanks in advance. 

[BlueDaze]

7 minutes ago, vintagelaureate said:

Quick question - how hard is it to get off site in the early hours Monday morning/Sunday evening?

I am asking for a friend who isn't on here. He needs to be back in the North West for 8.30am, and was thinking of leaving the site around 1am (packing up Sunday morning, leaving after the last headliner). Is this viable?

Thanks in advance. 

ive towed the caravan off site after the sunday headliners as well as leaving at 6am on the Monday... the queues out to the A37 were similar (up to an hour).. both obviously require a 'dry' sunday but the drive through the night was really tough..

Given the division on here of what constitutes a viable headliner however... your friend might be able to leave on Friday night though 

[sedra]

Are they driving? Last headliner should finish by 11pm on Sunday night. We also need to leave straight after on Sunday this year as have to get flight to Spain on Monday afternoon. Last time we did this (2010) it was a nightmare 2 hours getting out the car park so we have left 6am Monday since then but have no choice this year. It may depend whether they are East or West car parks. If it's a coach then they go through the night I think.

[phil the shrew]

Don't think it's an exact science due to weather, traffic issues, which car park you are in and other unknown factors that happen on the day which can lead to problems leaving the site.

But as a general rule I'd say it's really busy leaving between midnight and 2am Sunday, then it eases a bit from 2am till about 6am then busy again all through the morning when the masses leave

I tend to wander round the site after the headliners till about 2am then look to leave. Generally works ok, but be careful driving at night after a long weekend

[Twisted Melon]

I've left around that time before and getting off the site is no problem at all. The main issue was driving all that way back (to Lancs) during the night after days of no sleep is no fun at all. I won't be doing it again!

Edited March 19, 2017 by Twisted Melon

[oneeye]

3 hours ago, phil the shrew said:

Don't think it's an exact science due to weather, traffic issues, which car park you are in and other unknown factors that happen on the day which can lead to problems leaving the site.

But as a general rule I'd say it's really busy leaving between midnight and 2am Sunday, then it eases a bit from 2am till about 6am then busy again all through the morning when the masses leave

I tend to wander round the site after the headliners till about 2am then look to leave. Generally works ok, but be careful driving at night after a long weekend

^^This^^

anytime between 2 and 6 am is good. There is a mass exodus after the Sunday headliner due to local day ticket holders.

We take time to sit and chill, have a bite to eat and a coffee whilst the crowds disperse, then leave around 130-2 am.

Remember, if you are driving you will be tired, plus do ensure you're not over the limit (I've followed vehicles who are virtually zig zagging their way along the A37); the police will be watching and do pull vehicles over.

Be safe.

[stutheblue]

In 2010 we left after the Levellers in the Glade. Had booked a Travelodge about an hour away on the M5. Planned to have a kip and then leave for Manchester mid morning.

Got back to the car park, couldn't find my car for about two hour and eventually got to the Travelodge about 4.00am. Totally wide awake and couldn't get to sleep, nightmare.

Once I'd found the car dead easy getting out of the carpark and to the motorway though.

Always left as soon as possible on the Monday, think I am going to leave late afternoon this year. What time does all the traffic die down?

[vintagelaureate]

11 hours ago, sedra said:

Are they driving? Last headliner should finish by 11pm on Sunday night. We also need to leave straight after on Sunday this year as have to get flight to Spain on Monday afternoon. Last time we did this (2010) it was a nightmare 2 hours getting out the car park so we have left 6am Monday since then but have no choice this year. It may depend whether they are East or West car parks. If it's a coach then they go through the night I think.

Thanks all. Yes driving... no way round it unfortunately!

[Mark E. Spliff]

21 hours ago, stutheblue said:

Always left as soon as possible on the Monday, think I am going to leave late afternoon this year. What time does all the traffic die down?

I always hang around until just before 6pm on the Monday.  From what I've seen, the traffic is usually pretty bad up until around 3pm although it's different every year depending on weather and who's broken down etc.  After 6pm, they let all the traders leave the main site, so you want to be gone by then.  

I'm always frustrated by Worthy FM on the Monday - arriving/leaving is the one time a significant proportion of punters will be by a radio, and yet their traffic reports are just infrequent repeats of vague waffle.  If they just gave an update from the traffic stewards every 30mins, people could decide whether there's any point going out and adding to the gridlock.