Coach Virgins

[Josepipe]

We decided this morning that the best approach would be to go straight for the coach tickets - an approach that paid dividends!

Those who have done coach tickets before, how is it? How much stuff can you realistically get away with taking? Do they tend to be quite well organised?

[somecoolusername]

I got a coach package today, and went by coach for the first time last year. Coming from London, I can only really complain about the lack of air conditioning in that sweltering heat - everything else was very easy! I presume coach drivers communicate, as we ran into no traffic on the journey, stopped off a couple of times at services for lunch/rest breaks - all very civilised!

I guess organisation boarding the coaches depends on where you're coming from. As London has the highest concentration of people travelling, and all coach companies were leaving from the same spot on Embankment, it involved much running up and down and talking to people to ensure that you got the right coach! I already had my festival ticket in hand last year (must have booked coach separately, unless the system has changed), but I guess boarding the correct coach out is even more important this year, as you get given your festival ticket on the coach!

There's a communal hold all, so as long as you're on time you should have no problem fitting your stuff in - think we had about 3 large rucksacks, a couple of smaller (but still large) bags and a tent. However, some latecomers had to take their rucksacks on the coach with them... but as long as you don't take an excessive amount of stuff it's fine.

You certainly feel the benefit on the way home, and ignore the thing about returning times - turn up at the coach zone any time on Monday and you just get directed to the coaches for your part of the country

Minor qualms, and an overall good experience

[Gnomicide]

Posted elsewhere on a hopefully soon to vanish thread...

What's it like?

Is there really no alcohol on the coach?

How much luggage can you get on?

How far from the coach parks to the camping?

Do the coaches only go to and from one place? (i.e. if you get the coach from Liverpool, is it straight there of will there be other pick-ups?

Can we have a sing song?

Same coach on the way home as the way there?

[OSHmusic]

We decided this morning that the best approach would be to go straight for the coach tickets - an approach that paid dividends!

Those who have done coach tickets before, how is it? How much stuff can you realistically get away with taking? Do they tend to be quite well organised?

[jimmyk83]

Anyone who has travelled by coach from London town before, how long did it take? Didnt want to take the coach, but not going wasnt an option. Booked the earliest possible departure (6.30am Wed), but still antsy about those few precious hours i'll be missing while my mates are already there.

Edited April 18, 2011 by jimmyk83

[somecoolusername]

Anyone who has travelled by coach from London town before, how long did it take? Didnt want to take the coach, but not going wasnt an option. Booked the earliest possible departure (6.30am Wed), but still antsy about those few precious hours i'll be missing while my mates are already there.

[The60ftOctopus]

Is there really no alcohol on the coach? I believe so. This is one of National Express' policies though.

How much luggage can you get on? http://www.nationalexpress.com/coach/ourservice/luggage_policy.aspx - but I think they're a bit more lenient on this as they know people will have big bags for a festival...

How far from the coach parks to the camping? Coach stop is literally a 2 minute walk to the queue. Queue winds round a bit, but generally a lot quicker than the main gates. Don't think it took us more than 30mins to get in the grounds last year!

Do the coaches only go to and from one place? (i.e. if you get the coach from Liverpool, is it straight there of will there be other pick-ups? If you start at Liverpool you will be taken to the site, no stops (apart from when you hit the traffic near the festival)

Can we have a sing song? Sometimes you get snobby drivers who hate this sort of thing, but last year we had a few and it was a very merry atmosphere on board. The driver even let us get off the coach if we needed to when we were in the small bit of traffic for a smoke or stretch

Same coach on the way home as the way there? It probably won't be exactly the same coach/driver (a small chance, I suppose) but it will be the same National Express service.

[ukslim]

People's definitions vary as to what's meant by "plenty of" luggage.

Bear in mind that if everyone brought a trolley, there's no way it would all fit on the coach. So if you do bring a trolley, say a little internal word of thanks to the people who packed light.

In the queue for the shuttle home last year, I saw some people with a large trolley being asked to wait -- there wasn't room for their stuff on the next coach, so they had to watch as other people went past them on the queue.

[Josepipe]

We took the coach from Manchester last year. There were about four of them. Ours was the last to arrive. It was about an hour late, so we began to fear the worst, anyway it came and everyone got on with all their stuff.

I think so long as you have one large rucksack it should be ok. Not everyone will have a tent, some will be sharing. Only a few people brought alcohol. Suspect there would be problems if everyone brought a 24 pack. Overall, my coach experience was OK. The driver was relaxed over the tickets. Don't recall our names being checked. The tickets were just passed out during the journey.

[ethereal]

First time travelling by coach and could only get a ticket one-way into the site. Anyone know how well the shuttle bus to Castle Cary works on the Monday i.e. queues, how long it takes roughly? National Express only appears to sell return tickets.

[diddly-dee]

First time travelling by coach and could only get a ticket one-way into the site. Anyone know how well the shuttle bus to Castle Cary works on the Monday i.e. queues, how long it takes roughly? National Express only appears to sell return tickets.

[Badlands]

I want on the coach last year from Bristol so anymore questions just hit me up and i'll try my best.

[Thatmax]

Is there any way of getting a single coach ticket to Glastonbury? It seems to only be return on National Express.

There was the option of getting a single coach combined when I paid off my ticket but I didn't have enough in my account at the time. Is there no way of getting it now?

[katgem]

Hi, how much do the coaches get stuck in the traffic on the Wednesdays? Is there a special side-road/entrance just for them?

[ltfckimbo]

First time travelling by coach and could only get a ticket one-way into the site. Anyone know how well the shuttle bus to Castle Cary works on the Monday i.e. queues, how long it takes roughly? National Express only appears to sell return tickets.

[ethereal]

If you go to the National Express homepage you can select 'Glastonbury Festival' as the departure point.

[jimmystobo]

is there sniffer dogs at bristol bus station?

[mikeydude]

I went by coach about 5 years ago. It was the only way I could get a ticket that time.

I went from Basingstoke. Outward journey was ok and quite uneventfull. I took two ruckascks and a little bit of carryable junk and there was no problem fitting it on the coach.

The journey back was the worst coach trip I've ever had. There seemed to be virtually no organisation at the bus station on site. Buses were not keeping to the advertised timetable and most were late. The queue of festival leavers kept growing and growing as people turned up at the station with no buses to get on. That year was very cold on the monday and the rain set in soaking everybody waiting for their transport. There was nowhere to shelter from the weather. Nobody seemed to have any information on when buses would be turning up.

Eventually in the chaos the stewards were just piling anybody on to any bus that was going in the right direction. Our bus turned up around 2 hours late and we managed to get on it. It was definitely the right bus as it had Basingstoke on the sign on the front. It was the same company and driver who dropped us off on the previous wednesday too.

It turned out that our bus was delayed because the clutch / gearbox was dropping out and it struggled like hell on even the gentle inclines. It turned the oposite way out of the car park that we expected but we guessed the driver was just avoiding traffic. NO. He was heading to Bath. We got halfway to Bath when the clutch / gearbox finally gave up. The coach was dead and another one had to arrive from Southampton. After hours waiting the new coach arrived. We got back to Basingstoke nine hours late.

I know my case will be an oddball rarity but it'll take a lot for me ever to chance the coach again.

[izcuje]

What about arriving? How bad is the hold up at A, I'm assuming the coaches arrive at around the same intervals for different locations?

Edited April 22, 2011 by izcuje

[Random Circle]

So..the combined coach-ticket package: The coach 'boarding pass' that gets you on the coach? Is this a standard coach ticket or does it have photo ID and all printed on it? Anyone remember?

[Festi_Lizard]

Cheers for this. We're getting the coach from Manchester (all the Leeds ones were full) - where do they leave from?

I always used to take too much stuff when we went by car, so i guess this will be a good way of forcing me to take less. Shame i wont be able to take as much beer as normal, but then that's probably just the perfect excuse to spend (even) more time up at the real ale bar!

We got the coach from Manchester for the first time last year. Best advice is to streamline your packing (which is a positive, you have less to carry when you get there) and just like Glastonbury... go with the flow.

We got onto a 'Wigan Coaches' bus which was pretty old with no air con and driven by a comedy pair who reminded me of Max & Paddy. We left an hour late, some people had to take rucksacks and stuff on coach but it was ok. We broke down chugging along somewhere in Somerset but Max and Paddy jump started the bus backwards down a hill and we miraculously managed to get going again.

Everyone was tipping off the bus for smokes and cider bought from pubs along the way and one of the girls off the bus was topless and got a ticking off for exposing herself in public by the police.

Not that ANY of this should put you off, it was a hilarious experience and the journey back was error free and blissful to be driven home sleeping all the way!

Just like Glasto... go with the flow and you'll be cool

[Festi_Lizard]

Whoops sorry josepipe I have replied amongst your post. Still getting the hang of the iPhone app

[VeeDub]

Coach virgins? Go on then, I'm happy to coach virgins on the condition that they are female, and between the ages of 17 and 27.

Terms and conditions: this service is not compulsory, nor is it guaranteed to be supplied. All coaching is at the discretion of the 'coach', and may deny coaching without giving reason.

[jimmystobo]

is there sniffer dogs at bristol bus station?

[RedTaff]

Coach virgins? Go on then, I'm happy to coach virgins on the condition that they are female, and between the ages of 17 and 27.

Terms and conditions: this service is not compulsory, nor is it guaranteed to be supplied. All coaching is at the discretion of the 'coach', and may deny coaching without giving reason.