Getting a later coach home then the one you booked?

[Jimpsnl]

Have a horribly early coach back from Glasto at 4am which I am not excited about.

if I decided to skip that coach, will it be likely that another one later in the day will take me?

[Lycra]

Depends on whether there are any other coaches going to your destination and if they have a seat available. Also, the drivers have a ticketed passenger manifest and adhere to this. Suggest you contact the coach company/travel provider to see if they can get you on a later coach.

[bennyhana22]

The generally received wisdom is that there is little to no scrutiny of tickets getting onto home-bound coaches on the Monday - they just want you off site! I honestly can't remember ever having my ticket checked going home, but I guess there might be occasions when someone a littler more officious does so.

Just FYI, I got the 0400h coach home in 2017, having always gone home at 8-9am previously. I got up on Sunday, packed up completely, put my stuff in the Lock Up, and set off for the day. I had an amazing day, culminating in dancing with pals in The Temple until 0300h, then went to pick up stuff, walked up to PGA and got on the coach at 4am. I was IN MY BED at home by 9am! 

I'm not sure I'd always want to do it like that, but there were definite pluses, including avoiding that horrible, silent post-festival collective camp break on the Monday morning. That solo walk up to PGA, looking out over the still dark site as it continued, but definitely started to slow down, was strangely spiritual!

Ben

[Tranquility of Solitude]

As @bennyhana22 said, I too have never had my ticket checked going home. However, if your coach is full, they’ll have no option, so you run the risk of being put off if you don’t have a valid ticket for that time. I travel to Scotland, so the coaches are very limited. Mine is at 8am this year I think, and I’ll have two teenagers to get moving. I can’t do that here in their house before school, so heaven knows how I’ll manage it with taking down tents etc whilst suffering the crushing post festival blues.

Edited April 4, 2019 by Tranquility of Solitude

[karaseen]

I've had my ticket checked on the National express before.  In previous years there were separate queues for the different times, but if people didn't arrive they would just fill them with extra people.  The last time I got the coach in 2017 it was kind of one giant queue, but then they called out times and you could jump ahead if that was your coach.   This is important for people who have connecting flights or trains to catch.  

I think the later you leave it the riskier it is.  

Edit: I think it depends on if you are in a See coach or a National Express.  I think the former tend to just fill them with whoever is there.

Edited April 4, 2019 by karaseen

[Fishman]

5 hours ago, Jimpsnl said:

Have a horribly early coach back from Glasto at 4am which I am not excited about.

if I decided to skip that coach, will it be likely that another one later in the day will take me?

Are you a London-type going on a See coach? If this is the case then you should have no problems. This has been my route home since '13 and have only had my ticket checked once in those 5 years, and even then it was just to check I had a ticket, not the actual time. You just join a (sometimes long) queue and get on the next available coach. It tends to be a rather uncomfortable scrum at the peak time of 11-ish.

NE by all accounts are more organised.

As Benny mentioned, the through the night option is the way to go - I am hoping for Kevin Saunderson on Genosys and then a kip on the coach home.

Edited April 4, 2019 by Fishman

[Fishman]

2 hours ago, bennyhana22 said:

I got up on Sunday, packed up completely, put my stuff in the Lock Up, and set off for the day. I had an amazing day, culminating in dancing with pals in The Temple until 0300h, then went to pick up stuff, walked up to PGA and got on the coach at 4am.

Ben

Aha .... so you do sleep sometime. Do we have any evidence of this?

Also, you seem to have conveniently airbrushed Topping out of this evening.?

[Hotchilidog]

I think Benny has provided the soundest advice for dealing with a 4am departure, pack up early and stay up late. In 2017 I grabbed a couple of hours kip at 1 and started packing at 3am, not the cleverest idea. 

However the big benefit of the 4am departure is that you get away really easily and get to see the sunrise. I was heading back to Brighton and I too was home in bed by 9am. I was a it miffed about the early getaway, but once home I was grateful. 

As for the ticket check it does seem random, and quite often people do not get the return as they get lifts back with mates who drove (I've done this twice) so free spots do tend to appear on a lot of coaches.

[grilladelphia]

anyone else got a coach package 1 way? somehow ended up with one leaving from Reading at 6am Thursday - but no return journey, hoping to just jump on a London-bound coach on the Monday morning

[Acid Loafers]

London See Tickets Coach last year, they only check that you actually have a ticket. Times meant nothing, just trying to fill up the coaches. 

National Express this year, will see how that fares. 

[stuartbert two hats]

3 hours ago, Acid Loafers said:

London See Tickets Coach last year, they only check that you actually have a ticket. Times meant nothing, just trying to fill up the coaches. 

National Express this year, will see how that fares. 

Same experience I had.  I even enquired about this a few times and was told it was fine, as long as I had a ticket.

[Bradders]

I think the short answer is:

See: as long as there are plenty of coaches going to where you’re going you’ll be fine.

National Express: they will check your ticket and you may have some hassle and/or a long wait. I assume they wouldn’t just abandon you though.

[Joshuwarr]

If there is a space they will let you on. HOWEVER, if they are filling up and you notice someone who could have your seat as they have a ticket for that time then please do the right thing and let them go ahead of you. Last year it was horrible to see people being refused on their respective coaches because people had turned up early to try and get home on coaches earlier than their ticketed times.

[stuartbert two hats]

22 minutes ago, Joshuwarr said:

If there is a space they will let you on. HOWEVER, if they are filling up and you notice someone who could have your seat as they have a ticket for that time then please do the right thing and let them go ahead of you. Last year it was horrible to see people being refused on their respective coaches because people had turned up early to try and get home on coaches earlier than their ticketed times.

I'd agree with that.  Not getting your coach is always a risk.  If someone has turned up for their coach, then they should get the seat if there are any shortages. 

Having said that, the coaches always seem to be less busy on the way back, especially SeeCoaches.  Lots of people get back some other way, e.g. lifts from mates.

[Joshuwarr]

4 minutes ago, stuartbert two hats said:

I'd agree with that.  Not getting your coach is always a risk.  If someone has turned up for their coach, then they should get the seat if there are any shortages. 

Having said that, the coaches always seem to be less busy on the way back, especially SeeCoaches.  Lots of people get back some other way, e.g. lifts from mates.

That's also true. I guess during "peak" hours (early morning) there's a guarantee of them filling up. I was nearly not let on my coach back last year as it was full. Thankfully they had one space left. Was a bit of a nightmare for a few groups in the queue who were expecting to head back on that coach too.

[bennyhana22]

5 hours ago, Fishman said:

Aha .... so you do sleep sometime. Do we have any evidence of this?

Also, you seem to have conveniently airbrushed Topping out of this evening.?

It is well documented that I am not to be disturbed between 8 and 9am at Glastonbury...

 Ah, dearest Patrick. Yes, a carbuncle on the otherwise alabaster-skinned Glastonbury 2017 Sunday night. Hordes of tartrazine-fuelled junior ravers at a 9 year old’s party would look up at the booth with withering cries of “Really, Patrick? That build up and that cheesy drop? AGAIN???!!!”

?

Ben x

[hannaranks]

Has anyone ever had any issues with taking two wheel trolleys on the coach ? 

[stuartbert two hats]

8 minutes ago, hannaranks said:

Has anyone ever had any issues with taking two wheel trolleys on the coach ? 

The hold isn't big enough for trolleys .  I'll qualify that to say that a SeeCoach (which are always fully booked) could probably accommodate one, or at a big push two trolleys on top of the all the baggage. If three people turn up with a trolley, then you're stuffed.  

If you're with National Express, the coaches may not all be full, so you might get away with it, but it's risky.

 

I've never dared bring one.

[hannaranks]

4 minutes ago, stuartbert two hats said:

The hold isn't big enough for trolleys .  I'll qualify that to say that a SeeCoach (which are always fully booked) could probably accommodate one, or at a big push two trolleys on top of the all the baggage. If three people turn up with a trolley, then you're stuffed.  

If you're with National Express, the coaches may not all be full, so you might get away with it, but it's risky.

 

I've never dared bring one.

Thanks for the advice, yeh I'm on a See-coach.

I've heard stories where it's not been a problem and I took a granny trolley on a national express last year and all was swell. May just fold it down and risk it, DAREDEVIL. ?

[Homer]

I've done it the other way around. I pulled an all-nighter after the Chems in 2015 (it's dangerous having them on the Sunday kids) and decided I might as well pack and jump straight on the 6am rather than wait until 10am-odd.

They charged about a fiver for the upgrade and I was away! It was almost completely empty.

Edited April 4, 2019 by Homer

[Crazyfool01]

3 minutes ago, hannaranks said:

Thanks for the advice, yeh I'm on a See-coach.

I've heard stories where it's not been a problem and I took a granny trolley on a national express last year and all was swell. May just fold it down and risk it, DAREDEVIL. ?

try to make sure there is someone there who can take it away if its necessary ... and that you are able to carry the kit without it ... its amazing how heavy a crate of beer for example becomes after a few km of walking 

[crocodiles]

Always drive but out of interest from what you all say everyone tends to just jump on coach that comes when they can . If you had a 6am ticket and driver says coach is full does this ever cause arguments or people having tickets checked. 

[hannaranks]

2 minutes ago, crazyfool1 said:

try to make sure there is someone there who can take it away if its necessary ... and that you are able to carry the kit without it ... its amazing how heavy a crate of beer for example becomes after a few km of walking 

Yeh, luckily I live right next to the coach pickup point. So wouldn't be a hassle. Thanks so much 

[Crazyfool01]

Just now, hannaranks said:

Yeh, luckily I live right next to the coach pickup point. So wouldn't be a hassle. Thanks so much 

don't forget there might be a bit of walking the other end ...although you can choose to camp right by the gate / bus station ... enjoy the festival  

[hannaranks]

9 minutes ago, crazyfool1 said:

don't forget there might be a bit of walking the other end ...although you can choose to camp right by the gate / bus station ... enjoy the festival  

Yeh I've got the other end and a wheel had fallen off before - learned from my mistakes. So I'd be able to carry if it all went t**s up, i'm just being lazy. We camp In Oxlyers every year - so not too far from the coach gate.