What's your exit strategy?

[kalifire]

I'm curious as to whether there's a 'best practice' when it comes to vacating the site on the Sunday night/Monday morning.

On the three Glastonbury's I've been to so far, all arrived at via shuttle, I've tried three different ways (two intentionally):

2014: I woke, packed up my tent and left the site at about 6:30am with ease, got the shuttle to Castle Cary and waited for ages for a train.

2015: I attempted to do the same thing, actually woke up at about 5:30am after about 3 hours sleep, got the shuttle to Castle Cary then realised I'd actually boarded the shuttle to the drop off centre, so ended up ordering a taxi with my last 1% on my phone and spent £45 getting back. Ugh.

2017: I packed up my stuff on Sunday afternoon and took it to the lock-up closest to Gate A, then pulled an all-nighter (minus catching 45 minutes during some random 4am hypnotist act at the T&C field), picked up my bag from the lockup at about 5am and got the train back.

Although I'd heard some people say that the bag/lock-up scenario is good, I found lots of other people doing it and way too much prime Glastonbury time was taken up by doing this. The main aim was to avoid a long walk on Monday and a massive queue if I slept in and ended up leaving with the masses (plus sleeping in Pennards on Sunday with the entire campsite going all out isn't easy) so while I still think it's a good idea, I reckon 2014 was my best exit to date.

What's yours?

[T-Mouse]

Get absolutely off my lip on Sunday night. Sleep thru till around 2 pm Monday. Tidy up and leave by 4ish. Done for the last 10 years.

Edited April 29, 2019 by T-Mouse

[gratefulbread]

Last time I had about 2 hours sleep and had to pack my belongings and go for the coach while in a horrendously mind-alterred state. Won't be doing that again. 

Driving (for the first time) so we will pack tent and belongings and dump stuff in the car early doors on Sunday. Got a hotel booked on the edge of Bristol for Sunday night so will drive there after the cure, have a wash and a kip in a bed then finish the drive back to Newcastle on Monday morning. 

[tumbles]

I guess because I'm relatively local I go Sunday night.   Pack the tent up in the morning, take it all back to the car.  Go and watch CassetteBoy's antics at the Glade and then enjoy the rest of the day/evening to the point I've had enough/seen all I want to see.   Last time (2014) I think I left about 10pm - home by 11pm and that weird experience of watching the end of the last set on Pyramid/Other on TV when you were only there a few hours previous.

[Rubber Soldier]

5 minutes ago, T-Mouse said:

Get absolutely off my lip on Sunday night. Sleep thru till around 2 pm Monday. Tidy up and leave by 4ish. Done for the last 10 years.

This. Absolutely blows my mind that folk leave after the headliners, or take it easy and leave early. That’s a good chunk of the festival proper you’re missing out on. 

[ian the worm]

Although Exit means Exit I’d vote remain. 

[fred quimby]

10 minutes ago, kalifire said:

 

2017(minus catching 45 minutes during some random 4am hypnotist act at the T&C field),

 

Well you thought you slept. I was there, you were certainly entertaining and then he put you back in the same spot. Boy did we all laugh, he was going to leave you without clothes

[jparx]

I left Sunday, via bus to Bristol, at about 10:30pm in 2015. 2016 and 2017 it was fairly conventional, getting the coach back.

This year we're getting the train back from Castle Cary for the first time. How busy is the station on Monday morning and will we have to queue to board the train? We have a connecting train from Bristol to Notts in the afternoon and wondering if we need to leave plenty of time in case we have to wait at CC.

[Homer]

I'm on the 1pm coach to London - so I reckon that's got all-nighter until the very end in the naughty corner written all over it!

[Sasperella]

What it's absolutely not about is walking from Rivermead to purple or blue camping at 7am on Monday morning after one hours sleep with all of your shit. I cannot stress that enough. Absolutely any exit strategy that avoids this scenario is preferable. 

 

Edited April 29, 2019 by Sasperella

[Mardy]

3 minutes ago, jparx said:

I left Sunday, via bus to Bristol, at about 10:30pm in 2015. 2016 and 2017 it was fairly conventional, getting the coach back.

This year we're getting the train back from Castle Cary for the first time. How busy is the station on Monday morning and will we have to queue to board the train? We have a connecting train from Bristol to Notts in the afternoon and wondering if we need to leave plenty of time in case we have to wait at CC.

Honestly, i’d get the Shuttle bus from PGA straight to Bristol, and skip the CC to Bristol train journey

[fred quimby]

6 minutes ago, tumbles said:

 then enjoy the rest of the day/evening to the point I've had enough/seen all I want to see.   

That blows my mind as per Rubber Soldier say. I am there for a week and still can't rinse enough out of it.

 

Each to there own of course

[shuttlep]

I always try and get out of there before she wakes up.

 

 

you don;t want that awkward morning lie , saying of course I'll call you 

[jparx]

Just now, Mardy said:

Honestly, i’d get the Shuttle bus from PGA straight to Bristol, and skip the CC to Bristol train journey

That was my first choice, but it made the price of the overall journey much more expensive. 

Is the train to Bristol that bad then?

[Sasperella]

8 minutes ago, jparx said:

I left Sunday, via bus to Bristol, at about 10:30pm in 2015. 2016 and 2017 it was fairly conventional, getting the coach back.

This year we're getting the train back from Castle Cary for the first time. How busy is the station on Monday morning and will we have to queue to board the train? We have a connecting train from Bristol to Notts in the afternoon and wondering if we need to leave plenty of time in case we have to wait at CC.

I would! I got in the queue for the train shuttle at around 6am on the Monday of 2016. My friend had booked a train so we had to leave early to make sure we got there on time. There was already a queue, and it built up pretty quick while we were still waiting for the bus. Similar situation at the train station, and we were there pretty early! Fortunately, I think even though I had an off-peak train they (actually, i think one person said no, but then another took pity on me) let me on an earlier train. 

EDIT: To add to that, I agree with @Mardy - I wasn't a fan of the train station experience. If there's a way round it, take it!

Edited April 29, 2019 by Sasperella

[mouserat]

I did the lockup trick last time I went and found it worked a charm. This year, I'll probably do the same. Also considering leaving on a 4am coach rather than sticking it out until 9/10am. Don't mind staying up all night but that final night normally peters out before dawn.

[jparx]

2 minutes ago, Sasperella said:

I would! I got in the queue for the train shuttle at around 6am on the Monday of 2016. My friend had booked a train so we had to leave early to make sure we got there on time. There was already a queue, and it built up pretty quick while we were still waiting for the bus. Similar situation at the train station, and we were there pretty early! Fortunately, I think even though I had an off-peak train they (actually, i think one person said no, but then another took pity on me) let me on an earlier train. 

What time did you get on the train if you set off at 6am? Our train from Bristol is around 2pm, so trying to work out how much leeway we need!

[StLewi]

5 minutes ago, Mardy said:

Honestly, i’d get the Shuttle bus from PGA straight to Bristol, and skip the CC to Bristol train journey

How long does it take to get to Bristol?

[gigpusher]

We've packed up Sunday morning and left after headliners - Never again

Left Monday afternoon and that was nice and chilled

Most often though we have woken up early Monday morning at about 6-ish and gotten away quickly then stopped at Gloucester services and had a good breakfast. 

[Crazyfool01]

[Supernintendo Chalmers]

My strategy depends on 1) levels of sobriety from Sunday, 2) the weather, and 3) how many days off I have to recover. I always drive home.

2008 - can't remember

2009 - sober Sunday, left immediately after Blur had finished. Only had the Monday off.

2011 - can't remember

2013 - can't remember

2014 - sober Sunday, left at around 3am on the Monday

2015 - can't remember

2016 - sober Sunday, left at around 4am on the Monday (lots of scaremongery that year about all cars being stuck in the mud for days)

2017 - heavy Sunday night, left around 2pm on the Monday

[FakeEmpire]

6.30am Monday coach for me.   Usual plan is to pack in the morning, stay out all Sunday day/night, pull an all nighter & pick up the stuff on the way back to the coach.  

[Sasperella]

1 minute ago, jparx said:

What time did you get on the train if you set off at 6am? Our train from Bristol is around 2pm, so trying to work out how much leeway we need!

I don't exactly remember, but I know I was in bed in Sheffield by 1pm. Just checked the trainline website, and I reckon it was about 7.30ish, arriving in Bristol for 9. Once you're on the train in Bristol, it does feel pretty good!

[incident]

Pack up, National Express direct to Nottingham then Taxi the rest of the way home.

Not the cheapest option by a long shot but fuck messing around with anything more complicated by that point.

[jparx]

Just now, Sasperella said:

I don't exactly remember, but I know I was in bed in Sheffield by 1pm. Just checked the trainline website, and I reckon it was about 7.30ish, arriving in Bristol for 9. Once you're on the train in Bristol, it does feel pretty good!

Brill, that's really useful to know ?