National Rail

[Spider43]

Hi,  I’m travelling down by train from Reading on the Thursday and due to a couple of reasons won’t get there until the evening. Has anyone done a similar trip, how busy were the trains and what kind of wait is there likely to be at Castle Cary, we get in at 6.30ish..  thanks

[Fingerbobs]

I did a late Thursday evening train last time round and the train was busy (pretty much full up before getting to Reading) but at the other end we plodded through the maze of crowd control barriers, snagged a free bottle of water and straight on to a waiting double decker. This was 9pm ish I think.

[MJP]

Another rail question - didn't want to make a new thread.

I'm driving mates down, but wanting to put them on a train home so I can go and recuperate at my parents' house. Does GWR usually relax ticket restrictions during Glastonbury?

Usually if you buy an Advance single, you have to travel on a specified service, but guessing that isn't logistically possible here.

Cheers x

[Tuna]

3 minutes ago, MJP said:

Another rail question - didn't want to make a new thread.

I'm driving mates down, but wanting to put them on a train home so I can go and recuperate at my parents' house. Does GWR usually relax ticket restrictions during Glastonbury?

Usually if you buy an Advance single, you have to travel on a specified service, but guessing that isn't logistically possible here.

Cheers x

Yeah, you join queues for a specific destination, not a service. I'm sure if you kicked up a fuss you could get on the one you're assigned but otherwise they try to chuck you on the earliest one in my experience 

[MJP]

Just now, Tuna said:

Yeah, you join queues for a specific destination, not a service. I'm sure if you kicked up a fuss you could get on the one you're assigned but otherwise they try to chuck you on the earliest one in my experience 

Good news then!

Cheers

[Quark]

On 4/3/2019 at 12:37 PM, Spider43 said:

Hi,  I’m travelling down by train from Reading on the Thursday and due to a couple of reasons won’t get there until the evening. Has anyone done a similar trip, how busy were the trains and what kind of wait is there likely to be at Castle Cary, we get in at 6.30ish..  thanks

If they're still there when you arrive I thoroughly recommend picking up some of the local cider they're hocking outside the station before you get on the bus. Great way to start the weekend

[glasto-worker]

On 4/3/2019 at 12:37 PM, Spider43 said:

Hi,  I’m travelling down by train from Reading on the Thursday and due to a couple of reasons won’t get there until the evening. Has anyone done a similar trip, how busy were the trains and what kind of wait is there likely to be at Castle Cary, we get in at 6.30ish..  thanks

Don't have a clue as its impossible to predict the future but you may find this of interest 

https://youtu.be/jVYhp00rzHo

[Sasperella]

Question for a friend!

The shuttle buses to Bristol on Sunday afternoon/evening - how likely is it to get on ones preferred bus?

There are supposed to be shuttle buses at 4pm and 6pm. My friend has to get to Bristol Temple Meads for the last train to Sheffield at 8.30pm. Will the 6pm one have a long queue? And is it likely to depart on time?

Alternatively, is it better just to get one of the National Express buses that go to Bristol?

 

EDIT: Further question. At what time would one have to leave the Pyramid stage (she's thinking about Kylie) to get to a tent in Pylon, pick a bag up, and then get to the coach to ensure a seat?

Edited April 8, 2019 by Sasperella

[Quark]

24 minutes ago, Sasperella said:

Question for a friend!

The shuttle buses to Bristol on Sunday afternoon/evening - how likely is it to get on ones preferred bus?

There are supposed to be shuttle buses at 4pm and 6pm. My friend has to get to Bristol Temple Meads for the last train to Sheffield at 8.30pm. Will the 6pm one have a long queue? And is it likely to depart on time?

Alternatively, is it better just to get one of the National Express buses that go to Bristol?

 

EDIT: Further question. At what time would one have to leave the Pyramid stage (she's thinking about Kylie) to get to a tent in Pylon, pick a bag up, and then get to the coach to ensure a seat?

Can't speak for most of it, but I'd drop the bag at the lockup in Darble on Sun morning as it's right by Ped Gate A. Be more time efficient than trying to pick your way through the camping ground to the tent and back out again.

[Sasperella]

1 hour ago, Quark said:

Can't speak for most of it, but I'd drop the bag at the lockup in Darble on Sun morning as it's right by Ped Gate A. Be more time efficient than trying to pick your way through the camping ground to the tent and back out again.

Good shout! Thanks, Quark  Might stick this up on the questions thread to see if anyone has any insights regarding timing etc

 

[FatAmmy]

Bumping this to ask how busy the queues get for the Castle Cary shuttle on wednesday? Just booked a train that gets there early afternoon

Will I be waiting hours to get to the site?

[Sasperella]

32 minutes ago, FatAmmy said:

Bumping this to ask how busy the queues get for the Castle Cary shuttle on wednesday? Just booked a train that gets there early afternoon

Will I be waiting hours to get to the site?

in 2016 I got to Castle Cary around 11am, and from memory it didn't take any more than 45-60 mins, maybe an hour an a half max. Also, that was the year of the mud, so I imagine the buses were taking longer to shuttle back and forth. 

I was there well before my friends who left London at 6am by car at any rate. 

Edited May 7, 2019 by Sasperella

[billum]

I'd say it's very variable - for me it's been like Sasperella and only half an hour to an hour to get on-site, but 2017 I think it was, there was a problem with the coaches and we were waiting in a dreadful queue at Castle Cary for a couple of hours before getting a sniff of a coach

I'd say give it an hour max from the station to the site, unless something bad has happened!