Camper arrival times

[blutarsky]

First time with a camper van this year.

I know the camper fields open on Tuesday - is it around 2pm? I seem to recall reading that. 

Anyway, due to childcare/work, we won't be arriving and staying on Tuesday. I have to work Wednesday (unavoidable) and Baby Blutarsky is only 18 months, and the longest she has been left with grandparents so far is just one night. Suddenly upping that to 5 seems too much (although obviously we'd have a couple of trials at 2/3 nights before June to prepare. 

So we are expecting to arrive on Thursday or maybe even Friday morning (not that late if I can help it) and then probably leave post-headliners on Sunday. I'll be aiming to work Monday. 

So my questions are: 

1. Do I need to get the camper on site as early as possible on Tuesday to get near to the Gate? 
2. If we arrive in the van on Thursday/Friday morning will we be pitched miles away from the gate? 
3. How easy will it be to get out of our pitch on Sunday night? 

I'm aware that being there Tuesday evening is the best part of the festival for some. I think my first choice would be to get the van on site then and spend the evening there, then somehow travel home early on Wednesday to go to work. I live close enough this isn't much of a stretch. 

 

[gooner1990]

28 minutes ago, blutarsky said:

First time with a camper van this year.

I know the camper fields open on Tuesday - is it around 2pm? I seem to recall reading that. 

Anyway, due to childcare/work, we won't be arriving and staying on Tuesday. I have to work Wednesday (unavoidable) and Baby Blutarsky is only 18 months, and the longest she has been left with grandparents so far is just one night. Suddenly upping that to 5 seems too much (although obviously we'd have a couple of trials at 2/3 nights before June to prepare. 

So we are expecting to arrive on Thursday or maybe even Friday morning (not that late if I can help it) and then probably leave post-headliners on Sunday. I'll be aiming to work Monday. 

So my questions are: 

1. Do I need to get the camper on site as early as possible on Tuesday to get near to the Gate? 
2. If we arrive in the van on Thursday/Friday morning will we be pitched miles away from the gate? 
3. How easy will it be to get out of our pitch on Sunday night? 

I'm aware that being there Tuesday evening is the best part of the festival for some. I think my first choice would be to get the van on site then and spend the evening there, then somehow travel home early on Wednesday to go to work. I live close enough this isn't much of a stretch. 

 

I've never stayed in the CV fields, but some friends of mine did in 2017 and only wanted to come to the main part of the festival (!) and travelled down on the Friday afternoon.

They were pitched right at the back which meant going back and forth was quite a long trek in itself to Ped gate C before they had even gone anywhere inside the festival, although it did make for a quick getaway on the Monday morning!

If it was me I'd personally try to get the van on site as early as possible even if you weren't staying in it.

Is there scope to come on the Weds evening or Thurs AM  and then leave Sunday night post-headliners?    Coming on the Friday just seems you'll miss quite a lot of everything before that and a right rush around when you do arrive.....

[blutarsky]

2 minutes ago, gooner1990 said:

Is there scope to come on the Weds evening or Thurs AM  and then leave Sunday night post-headliners?    Coming on the Friday just seems you'll miss quite a lot of everything before that and a right rush around when you do arrive.....

That's what I want to do, but it's pending negotiation with Mrs Blutarsky. Convincing her we should try for tickets has already been a massive swing...! 

[Pear_Cider]

Even if you arrive early on the Tuesday, there is no guarantee that you'll be pitched closer to the gate...it all depends which fields they are filling up first. Sometimes they are the ones further back! (You didn't say if you had East quiet or just standard CV East).  One year I arrived on Tuesday and my friends didn't get there until Thursday evening and they were only a couple of minutes further away than me in the next field. So it's just impossible to say.

Leaving on Sunday does mean that you avoid the traffic issues that we sometimes have leaving on Monday morning. In 2007 I rolled of my pitch and went about 10 yards to join the queue of vans waiting to leave the field and didn't move for the next six hours!!

So basically, do whatever suits you...arriving early doesn't necessarily mean getting closer. They don't always fill up from the front.

[gooner1990]

6 minutes ago, blutarsky said:

That's what I want to do, but it's pending negotiation with Mrs Blutarsky. Convincing her we should try for tickets has already been a massive swing...! 

What does she want to do?

This is why I love the fact my girlfriend hates festivals and lets me go off and do what I please at them, I just tell her my departure and return times. 😄 

[blutarsky]

25 minutes ago, Pear_Cider said:

Even if you arrive early on the Tuesday, there is no guarantee that you'll be pitched closer to the gate...it all depends which fields they are filling up first. Sometimes they are the ones further back! (You didn't say if you had East quiet or just standard CV East).  One year I arrived on Tuesday and my friends didn't get there until Thursday evening and they were only a couple of minutes further away than me in the next field. So it's just impossible to say.

Leaving on Sunday does mean that you avoid the traffic issues that we sometimes have leaving on Monday morning. In 2007 I rolled of my pitch and went about 10 yards to join the queue of vans waiting to leave the field and didn't move for the next six hours!!

So basically, do whatever suits you...arriving early doesn't necessarily mean getting closer. They don't always fill up from the front.

Just general CV Pass. 

21 minutes ago, gooner1990 said:

What does she want to do?

This is why I love the fact my girlfriend hates festivals and lets me go off and do what I please at them, I just tell her my departure and return times. 😄 

She wants to arrive on Friday morning - she only wants to be away from baby B on Friday and Saturday nights, then arrive home while she's in bed on Sunday night/Monday morning. I'm going to push for Thursday arrival and an extra night away.

 

One other thing to consider, which I forgot to mention, is we may have family camping next to the van. If this is the case, we will need to get there on Tuesday so they can enter the gate early doors on Wednesday. How easy would it be for me to get the van on site, drive my family's car home, then drive it back up to the east car parks on Thursday/Friday? Does that sound logistically plausible, if not a ballache? 

[BlueDaze]

1 hour ago, blutarsky said:

First time with a camper van this year.

I know the camper fields open on Tuesday - is it around 2pm? I seem to recall reading that. 

Anyway, due to childcare/work, we won't be arriving and staying on Tuesday. I have to work Wednesday (unavoidable) and Baby Blutarsky is only 18 months, and the longest she has been left with grandparents so far is just one night. Suddenly upping that to 5 seems too much (although obviously we'd have a couple of trials at 2/3 nights before June to prepare. 

So we are expecting to arrive on Thursday or maybe even Friday morning (not that late if I can help it) and then probably leave post-headliners on Sunday. I'll be aiming to work Monday. 

So my questions are: 

1. Do I need to get the camper on site as early as possible on Tuesday to get near to the Gate? 
2. If we arrive in the van on Thursday/Friday morning will we be pitched miles away from the gate? 
3. How easy will it be to get out of our pitch on Sunday night? 

I'm aware that being there Tuesday evening is the best part of the festival for some. I think my first choice would be to get the van on site then and spend the evening there, then somehow travel home early on Wednesday to go to work. I live close enough this isn't much of a stretch. 

 

What tickets do you have... Quiet or Normal..??

 

Looking at the map - You enter via E13. Quiet is to the left of the road (E19,20,21,23,24 & (possibly E25)

Normal is on the right of the road.. They normally fill from E18 (taking traffic thru 14,15&16 into 18... and then fill around the woods.. So, 18,17,16,15&14...   

E25 is usually for rented / pre-delivered vans and overflow/latecomers

E21 is the Hill of Death (you are NOT getting in there... unless you are in accessibility)

E20 I have never been in there (despite turning up at 1pm Tuesday)

 

[gooner1990]

3 minutes ago, blutarsky said:

Just general CV Pass. 

She wants to arrive on Friday morning - she only wants to be away from baby B on Friday and Saturday nights, then arrive home while she's in bed on Sunday night/Monday morning. I'm going to push for Thursday arrival and an extra night away.

Why don't you come on the Weds night/Thurs and then Mrs B then arrives via train or however on the Friday when she wants to?

[blutarsky]

7 minutes ago, gooner1990 said:

Why don't you come on the Weds night/Thurs and then Mrs B then arrives via train or however on the Friday when she wants to?

Arriving separately is not an option - our experience of the festival is intrinsically linked. 

Edited March 30, 2022 by blutarsky

[gooner1990]

10 minutes ago, blutarsky said:

Arriving separately is not an option - our experience of the festival is intrinsically linked. 

🤷‍♂️

[Summertime]

1 hour ago, BlueDaze said:

What tickets do you have... Quiet or Normal..??

 

Looking at the map - You enter via E13. Quiet is to the left of the road (E19,20,21,23,24 & (possibly E25)

Normal is on the right of the road.. They normally fill from E18 (taking traffic thru 14,15&16 into 18... and then fill around the woods.. So, 18,17,16,15&14...   

E25 is usually for rented / pre-delivered vans and overflow/latecomers

E21 is the Hill of Death (you are NOT getting in there... unless you are in accessibility)

E20 I have never been in there (despite turning up at 1pm Tuesday)

 

This is really helpful thanks as we have only ever stayed in West campervan so will be experiencing East for the first time. It was so long ago since we bought the tickets I can’t remember them offering quiet or normal options - but did they still sell them like this in 2019 (for the 2020 festival)? Also do you have experience of what it’s like getting out of the fields on the Monday morning? I noticed @Pear_Cider’s comment above. Thanks! 

[carlosj]

 

1 hour ago, blutarsky said:

Just general CV Pass. 

She wants to arrive on Friday morning - she only wants to be away from baby B on Friday and Saturday nights, then arrive home while she's in bed on Sunday night/Monday morning. I'm going to push for Thursday arrival and an extra night away.

 

One other thing to consider, which I forgot to mention, is we may have family camping next to the van. If this is the case, we will need to get there on Tuesday so they can enter the gate early doors on Wednesday. How easy would it be for me to get the van on site, drive my family's car home, then drive it back up to the east car parks on Thursday/Friday? Does that sound logistically plausible, if not a ballache? 

So, you'll go to the CV fields to park up on Tuesday after 12 noon and your family (or driver with car, while the rest stop with you) go to the parking fields at 9m and join the queue, then you pick up the car after 9pm (optimistically) to drive home on the Wednesday night? You should be able to get over to them, but I don't know of any exit road, as it's set up as one way at the start of the festival. You'd need what3words to find their car easily. If that's a non starter, can you leave the car nearby, take them in the van, walk with them to the queue and then walk off site to a taxi or bus etc to get back to the car?

That's a lot of ballache, my friend. Good luck. 

Edited March 30, 2022 by carlosj

[clarkete]

Is the 

2 hours ago, blutarsky said:

First time with a camper van this year.

I know the camper fields open on Tuesday - is it around 2pm? I seem to recall reading that. 

Anyway, due to childcare/work, we won't be arriving and staying on Tuesday. I have to work Wednesday (unavoidable) and Baby Blutarsky is only 18 months, and the longest she has been left with grandparents so far is just one night. Suddenly upping that to 5 seems too much (although obviously we'd have a couple of trials at 2/3 nights before June to prepare. 

So we are expecting to arrive on Thursday or maybe even Friday morning (not that late if I can help it) and then probably leave post-headliners on Sunday. I'll be aiming to work Monday. 

So my questions are: 

1. Do I need to get the camper on site as early as possible on Tuesday to get near to the Gate? 
2. If we arrive in the van on Thursday/Friday morning will we be pitched miles away from the gate? 
3. How easy will it be to get out of our pitch on Sunday night? 

I'm aware that being there Tuesday evening is the best part of the festival for some. I think my first choice would be to get the van on site then and spend the evening there, then somehow travel home early on Wednesday to go to work. I live close enough this isn't much of a stretch. 

 

So I was gonna ask you how big your van is, but then realised you'd written about it elsewhere 😉 

Fiat Ducato H2L4 doesn't look massive and (others correct me if I'm wrong) I thought that after we arrived in the past on Wednesday or Thursday they would often be sending vehicles to fill in gaps here or there - well tbh either that or the drivers have chosen to do it themselves?  I've certainly seen that happen most years.

What's the worst thing that happens if you just turn up with the van with Mrs B whenever you're due to arrive?

[spg]

I've cv fielded for quite a while, filling up can be random it feels. Closest I got to the top of the hill was when I was a back fill/fit gap. Leaving Sunday evening (as I often do) mid headliner is easy and straight out normally. 

Is there no way all 3 could come down Tuesday and do the whole festival? 

[clarkete]

31 minutes ago, spg said:

I've cv fielded for quite a while, filling up can be random it feels. Closest I got to the top of the hill was when I was a back fill/fit gap. Leaving Sunday evening (as I often do) mid headliner is easy and straight out normally. 

Is there no way all 3 could come down Tuesday and do the whole festival? 

I suspect that from "Convincing her we should try for tickets has already been a massive swing"  to also taking 18 month old may be quite a tricky conversation - plus tbh she might be looking forward to a couple of days and nights of letting her hair down?

[BlueDaze]

1 hour ago, Summertime said:

This is really helpful thanks as we have only ever stayed in West campervan so will be experiencing East for the first time. It was so long ago since we bought the tickets I can’t remember them offering quiet or normal options - but did they still sell them like this in 2019 (for the 2020 festival)? Also do you have experience of what it’s like getting out of the fields on the Monday morning? I noticed @Pear_Cider’s comment above. Thanks! 

This fantastic overlay was posted the other day, which handily numbered all the CV & parking fields... and shows how full it gets..

But also shows how E25 has been used as a late comer field... which isnt the worst place to end up

Leaving Sunday night should be fairly easy.. I did it one year (after the headliner) and was on the mainroad within about 15-20 mins... However, i then had a 5 hours drive home and it was hideously tiring...

We have mostly got up at sparrows fart on Monday and tried to be moving by 7am... that is also a quick exit..  Leave it until 9-10am and you will be hours to get offsite

[clarkete]

19 minutes ago, BlueDaze said:

This fantastic overlay was posted the other day, which handily numbered all the CV & parking fields... and shows how full it gets..

But also shows how E25 has been used as a late comer field... which isnt the worst place to end up

Leaving Sunday night should be fairly easy.. I did it one year (after the headliner) and was on the mainroad within about 15-20 mins... However, i then had a 5 hours drive home and it was hideously tiring...

We have mostly got up at sparrows fart on Monday and tried to be moving by 7am... that is also a quick exit..  Leave it until 9-10am and you will be hours to get offsite

I've had a few times where my pre-installed caravan (where the firm drops it into the site before you get there) was in E25 or one of the fields next to it, even when there were fairly empty fields between it and the pedestrian gates. 

On the one hand you can feel like your being punished for being too lazy/poncey, but on the other hand it does give easy access to the firms if they need to come and do servicing over the weekend, plus as you say when it's home time it can be pretty sweet, even for those of us who aren't early risers.

Edited March 30, 2022 by clarkete

[blutarsky]

1 hour ago, clarkete said:

Is the 

So I was gonna ask you how big your van is, but then realised you'd written about it elsewhere 😉 

Fiat Ducato H2L4 doesn't look massive and (others correct me if I'm wrong) I thought that after we arrived in the past on Wednesday or Thursday they would often be sending vehicles to fill in gaps here or there - well tbh either that or the drivers have chosen to do it themselves?  I've certainly seen that happen most years.

What's the worst thing that happens if you just turn up with the van with Mrs B whenever you're due to arrive?

Worst thing would be being miles from the gate. Advantage of getting it there on Tuesday would also be that family can camp next to it, if we decide to go that route. 

41 minutes ago, clarkete said:

I suspect that from "Convincing her we should try for tickets has already been a massive swing"  to also taking 18 month old may be quite a tricky conversation - plus tbh she might be looking forward to a couple of days and nights of letting her hair down?

Definitely the latter. Maybe we’d consider bringing baby B for Thursday if MIL would agree to collect her on Friday morning. 

[clarkete]

10 minutes ago, blutarsky said:

Worst thing would be being miles from the gate. Advantage of getting it there on Tuesday would also be that family can camp next to it, if we decide to go that route. 

Definitely the latter. Maybe we’d consider bringing baby B for Thursday if MIL would agree to collect her on Friday morning. 

I've spent 5 nights at E25, wasn't the worst thing 🙂 

[StoneCircle]

5 hours ago, blutarsky said:

So my questions are: 

1. Do I need to get the camper on site as early as possible on Tuesday to get near to the Gate? 
2. If we arrive in the van on Thursday/Friday morning will we be pitched miles away from the gate? 
3. How easy will it be to get out of our pitch on Sunday night? 

 

 

I have been using East campervan fields since 2009, and have used the accessible CV forward camping in E21 since 2011. By Thursday they are squeezing vans in wherever they will fit (even in E21, the Hill of Death field) so you may or may not strike lucky by getting nearer by arriving later. Arriving early on Tuesday, you will definitely be in East.

Here's another map for you, you turn left off Pylle Road for East quiet fields and turn right for East fields. The paler blue and lilac fields to the right are car parks. 😀

[Pear_Cider]

3 hours ago, Summertime said:

This is really helpful thanks as we have only ever stayed in West campervan so will be experiencing East for the first time. It was so long ago since we bought the tickets I can’t remember them offering quiet or normal options - but did they still sell them like this in 2019 (for the 2020 festival)? Also do you have experience of what it’s like getting out of the fields on the Monday morning? I noticed @Pear_Cider’s comment above. Thanks! 

The year in question was 2007 when the weather had been particularly bad and caravans and campervans were being bogged down. It also didn't help that there were 4 fields trying to get onto one exit road. (I was in the field which is the next one down from what is now E21 which is now private glamping and not a CV field anymore). Having said that about the weather, I had no problem at all getting out in 2016 which was also  a muddy one with rigs having to be towed in and out by tractors!

Last festival (2019) there was a massive holdup due to an accident on Pylle Lane which held things up for a bit. Early leavers got out no problem, later ones were stuck for a couple of hours. (At least the sun was shining! 😄 )

So, it all depends on circumstances on the day - weather, amount of traffic, what time you get away etc.

[blutarsky]

1 hour ago, BlueDaze said:

This fantastic overlay was posted the other day, which handily numbered all the CV & parking fields... and shows how full it gets..

But also shows how E25 has been used as a late comer field... which isnt the worst place to end up

Leaving Sunday night should be fairly easy.. I did it one year (after the headliner) and was on the mainroad within about 15-20 mins... However, i then had a 5 hours drive home and it was hideously tiring...

We have mostly got up at sparrows fart on Monday and tried to be moving by 7am... that is also a quick exit..  Leave it until 9-10am and you will be hours to get offsite

E25 definitely doesn’t look too bad of a spot to end up in. 
The earliest I’ll be able to get there is around 6pm Tuesday - would they have moved on to the filling in gaps stage by then? 
Any estimate on where someone arriving at that time may be most likely to end up? 

[StoneCircle]

3 hours ago, blutarsky said:

E25 definitely doesn’t look too bad of a spot to end up in. 
The earliest I’ll be able to get there is around 6pm Tuesday - would they have moved on to the filling in gaps stage by then? 
Any estimate on where someone arriving at that time may be most likely to end up? 

Gap filling starts on Thursday and Friday. You will be very lucky to get in E25 on Tuesday without an East Quiet pass, E16 or E17 would be my guess. 

Edited March 30, 2022 by StoneCircle

[BlueDaze]

11 hours ago, StoneCircle said:

Gap filling starts on Thursday and Friday. You will be very lucky to get in E25 on Tuesday without an East Quiet pass, E16 or E17 would be my guess. 

agree with this.... but its no exact science right..? Its punters at Glastonbury....

I wouldnt get too wrapped up in where you end up parking tbh... Granted being in E23 (as i was in 2019) was better than being in E17 (2017) but it only saved me 10/15 minutes walking time.... In the general scheme of the weekend it aint much!

The only way i personally would consider the kerfuffle of arriving on site on Tuesday, finding a way to get back offsite, buggering off home, coming back in on Friday and then having to get to where you left my van... would be if i was guaranteed a spot in E21 overlooking the festival !

[clarkete]

51 minutes ago, BlueDaze said:

agree with this.... but its no exact science right..? Its punters at Glastonbury....

I wouldnt get too wrapped up in where you end up parking tbh... Granted being in E23 (as i was in 2019) was better than being in E17 (2017) but it only saved me 10/15 minutes walking time.... In the general scheme of the weekend it aint much!

The only way i personally would consider the kerfuffle of arriving on site on Tuesday, finding a way to get back offsite, buggering off home, coming back in on Friday and then having to get to where you left my van... would be if i was guaranteed a spot in E21 overlooking the festival !

Aye, I've been in the field by the outer fence before, as you say ten mins further walk, but whichever CV field I'm in I go out for the whole day anyway so it's not the end of the world - whereas leaving site can be fine, but it could be one of those days with a traffic nightmare.