Going without the coach

[rhysieg]

I bought a coach ticket in the re-sale because they went on sale before the standard tickets, just to gaurentee I was going. I ended up with a Thursday 3PM departure from Birmingham. It's going to take a good few hours to get to Somerset and swap the tickets for wristbands etc meaning we probably wont be settled until late Thursday evening. I've since been offered a lift on Wednesday morning however seetickets are unwilling to budge. I emailed the festival and they said that its because of the carbon footprint and were also not willing to help.

 

If I turned up Wednesday and headed towards the lost ticket place what are the chances of me getting in?

 

also I found an earlier coach through national express and asked seetickets if I could swap onto this coach instead, however this was also denied. I feel like I am being robbed of nearly 2 days of the festival... I could be roaming around the greenfields instead of sat at home

 

 

[guypjfreak]

if your not no the coach youll have to wait at the box office thing out by gate A till your coach gets in and they hand in your tix ...took my mate 5 hours to get his lol

[sheffieldlady]

Yeah, your ticket will already be with the coach company / due to arrive Monday / Tuesday. The reason why the festival seem unwilling to help is because you agreed to the terms & conditions of getting the coach to get your ticket. 

 

I think you could ask the person who has offered you a lift to take your tent and set up your tent so you just have to throw items in on the Thursday. You will be waiting outside Gate A till Thursday for your coach and your ticket to get there.

 

NE is a different coach company from SEECoaches, they just use local coach companies scattered around the country. Sorry but I would think Thursday is your only option, unless you fancy breaking in?

[kingjamma]

Surely if they are able to check their systems to see if you have a ticket after saying it was lost/stolen, I wouldn't be surprised if they are able to see that you had booked a coach ticket and what day it was booked for. Therefore, as you'd be arriving on the Wednesday when your coach is booked for the Thursday, it wouldn't surprise me if they were to turn around and tell you "nice try, now go home and get your coach tomorrow". You'd then have travelled all that way just to come home again, which might not be so easy as I'm guessing your lift will be going in to the festival. I'm not sure I'd personally want to risk it.

I know it would suck to miss out on that time at the festival, but hey at least you're going!

[rhysieg]

sad times.

 

my friend is coming with me on the coach and it is his birthday on the Wednesday. I was hoping they may had a heart and let us in on the sympathy vote if we turned up and showed some ID. I doubt that the security are going to be swayed though

[Gnomicide]

Not a chance. You may get there Wednesday but your ticket won't be there until Thursday.

[muffpuffin]

I feel sad for you, we were lucky to get coach tickets on the Wednesday, but I think all of this about the carbon footprint is a load of balony, because I have heard, elsewhere on this forum,  of people who could only get a coach ticket from Glasgow, so they have driven all the way there , from London , or elsewhere in the South, just to ensure they get a ticket. Surely this was not what the festival intended when they set this scheme up. If you get a ticket in this way, and then you unexpectedly get an offer of a lift on a different day, then I think you should be allowed to change. Maybe we should email the festival en masse to make sure this sort of this doesn't happen again next year

[themuel]

It's a fair system, if you don't want to use it don't sign up to it and agree t's + c's

[Redwinevino]

I bought a coach ticket in the re-sale because they went on sale before the standard tickets, just to gaurentee I was going. I ended up with a Thursday 3PM departure from Birmingham. It's going to take a good few hours to get to Somerset and swap the tickets for wristbands etc meaning we probably wont be settled until late Thursday evening. I've since been offered a lift on Wednesday morning however seetickets are unwilling to budge. I emailed the festival and they said that its because of the carbon footprint and were also not willing to help.

 

If I turned up Wednesday and headed towards the lost ticket place what are the chances of me getting in?

 

also I found an earlier coach through national express and asked seetickets if I could swap onto this coach instead, however this was also denied. I feel like I am being robbed of nearly 2 days of the festival... I could be roaming around the greenfields instead of sat at home

 

Literally Zero chance, the ticket won't be at that office 

[Pbird81]

The coach tickets thing is specifically to encourage not to drive - to help carbon footprint, congestion, parking spaces etc, I don't think it's going to change any time soon - especially given they sell out so quickly.

Sure there are a few strange side effects (Londoners getting Glasgow coaches, etc) but they're mi ir in comparison.

[musky]

You're right muffpuffin, it's not an infallible system to lower the carbon footprint of the festival but there's not much else they can do. Coach tickets were put on sale before the main sale in an attempt to stop people desperate to go buying tickets from anywhere and travelling the length of the country. It's also part of their licence that a number of people travel there by public transport in order to reduce congestion and the impact on the local area. They know that some people will attempt to game the system, but by selling the coach tickets first they hope to reduce that number.

To Rhyseig, I ended up with Thursday coach tickets in the 2013 resale, despite having ordered Wednesday ones (this happened to a few others here as well). There was nothing anyone could do about it but in the end I was just happy to be going when so many people missed out. Enjoy the festival, you know you'll end up having a blast.

[Ezmereldasays]

Don't stress.

 

Don't let arrival on Thursday spoil things for you. no one enjoys not having things their own way but you've got a ticket, you're going!

You have a choice to not let it worry you and enjoy the ride.

The weekend of your year is about to happen,smile and ENJOY!!!!!!!!!!!

Have a good one.

 

It's going to rain on Wednesday anyway....

[verrymerry]

It's a shame, especially with your mates birthday being Weds but they have to stick to their guns otherwise it would make a mockery of the coach system and it's part of their licence agreement that they get people to travel by public transport

 

You were obviously in the same boat as me cos I also got a coach package in the resale, just remember the 6 months of agony not knowing if you'd be successful!  You might not arrive til the evening (although you'll get straight in at that time) but the main thing is you're going and once you arrive, set up camp & crack open your first drink you'll be alright 

 

If you know people driving ask them to take your tent to save you time & space, and anything else they can manage so you can just turn up and party!

[tweed1981]

You might not be going at all if you had waited until the normal sale, I'm sure you were delighted to have got a ticket at the time and didnt care what day it was. I've read about a lot of people trying to get out of going on the coach, they were more than happy at the time but as we get nearer miraculously there are various reasons why they can't/don't want to get on the coach now. The festival has made a commitment to 'try' and make people think about their carbon footprint, take their stuff home, lift share, take the coach - whatever. What would be the point of putting coach tickets up for sale nearly a week before the main sale with the proviso of going on a coach if everyone can then very easily weasel out of it?

I'm sorry about your predicament but you really are not being treated unfairly by see or Glastonbury, it is you that is being unreasonable to them.

[yellowsnow]

Get your mates to take your tent and pitch it for you. At least you'll have a camping spot, you'll just miss a bit more of the festival. You're going to the festival, that's the important thing. 

[MEGABOWL]

It is inconvenient, personally I think they'd be better selling tickets with compulsory coach travel than arranging the coaches after when they know where people are travelling from.

I've got to get the train from Glasgow to Taunton on Wednesday to get the Coach in Thursday morning but far better that than not getting in. We'll just get pissed in Taunton on Wednesday

[rhysieg]

Thank you all for the replies. Yeah I'm happy to be going, just disappointed because of the late departure time. I like the Wednesday and Thursday to wonder around site which I'll sadly miss this year. The biggest sting was that I did manage to get general tickets afterwards, I managed to get through twice infact... The only positive I have is that the people that I managed to buy for will be setting up our tents so I'll be able to arrive and get straight to the point.

 

I'll still be missing the best part of 2 days on site though... If only I had the courage to get myself a twix and a ladder...

[tillyandthewall]

I've been on the early coaches from B-town which for various reasons, didn't get in till about the time you'd be getting there (I reckon about 1830 if the driver doesn't take a rest break).  It's fine, especially if your mates are putting up a tent (and try and get them to bring a crate too as that weighs a bit!)   You'll be there all fresh-faced and ready to give it some and that'll gee your mates up more to enjoy the Thursday.

[LostRiot]

It's a fair system, if you don't want to use it don't sign up to it and agree t's + c's

 

That's a bit harsh, coach ticket was the only way I could get a ticket this year.

 

Their complete lack of flexibility on times is really pretty shitty imo. I know you sign up to it, but its still shit, basically blackmail to go to gloats

Edited June 21, 2015 by LostRiot

[Chimps in Balaclavas]

I'm on a Thursday coach too m8, shit isn't it... but hey, at least we're both going!

[stuwilky]

That's a bit harsh, coach ticket was the only way I could get a ticket this year.

 

Their complete lack of flexibility on times is really pretty shitty imo. I know you sign up to it, but its still shit, basically blackmail to go to gloats

 

Some people would give their right arm for a ticket.  The festival has a license condition requirement for a certain number of people to arrive by public transport, and later than the Wednesday.  You chose to buy a coach ticket, and youre helping the festival.

 

Moaning on the internet wont help that.

 

Thank somerone youre not a teacher, a friend of mine cant leave the midlands until 3.30 on Friday.

[CiaranMc]

It's got to do with the festival's license I think- they have to be seen to be actively encouraging x% of attendees to use public transport.

[LostRiot]

Some people would give their right arm for a ticket.  The festival has a license condition requirement for a certain number of people to arrive by public transport, and later than the Wednesday.  You chose to buy a coach ticket, and youre helping the festival.

 

Moaning on the internet wont help that.

 

Thank somerone youre not a teacher, a friend of mine cant leave the midlands until 3.30 on Friday.

Well if you decide to become a teacher you know what it entails. You're going to miss the start and end of glastonbury. No sympathy there, some people would give their right arm to go to two days of the festival.

 

At lest they made a career choice and weren't just being screwed over by see ticket's lack of flexibility. You don't get to pick a time you know? They give give you one at random, if you can't make it, tough, no festival for you. Goodbye £200.