What is your arrival strategy ?

[Barneym]

8 minutes ago, gherkin8r said:

From the map it would appear that for those arriving by car and staying in wicket family camping the dream is to get into bronze 31. My experience last year with gate B was that arriving earliest meant you go into the car parks closest to the gate. If I was to arrive just after car parks opened and head to bronze gate does anyone if it is likely that they will direct me to 31 bronze or close to it? 

 

Does anyone know is gate A typically any better/worse than Gate B for queues, early arrivals etc? 

 

For general admission I’d say gate A is the worst as you get the coaches and train shuttle busses who have their own queue and they filter them in. It’s great if you get the coach 

[gherkin8r]

6 minutes ago, Barneym said:

For general admission I’d say gate A is the worst as you get the coaches and train shuttle busses who have their own queue and they filter them in. It’s great if you get the coach 

This is what I feared might be the case. Not arrived at gate A other than by coach. Might stick to what I know and go Gate B and Cockmill family camping which appears to have gotten a fair bit bigger this year.

[EavisAintDead]

Depends when you arrive - For Gate A, I was in the queue at about 3:30 last year and I was in the first two rows once we budged up. I was through the gates just before 8 

 

In terms of west car parks - Bronze isn't open to the public, that's hospitality and staff - it's completely random between pink and orange, I have arrived at all times and never know where I'm going to end up.

[gherkin8r]

22 minutes ago, EavisAintDead said:

Depends when you arrive - For Gate A, I was in the queue at about 3:30 last year and I was in the first two rows once we budged up. I was through the gates just before 8 

 

In terms of west car parks - Bronze isn't open to the public, that's hospitality and staff - it's completely random between pink and orange, I have arrived at all times and never know where I'm going to end up.

That's super helpful! The distance from the car park to the gate is as important to me as from the gate to the campsite as I've 5 peoples stuff to carry by myself over numerous runs. Arriving to East in 2022 just before midnight on Tuesday got me almost as close to Gate B as I could've hoped. Probably no guarantees that side of the site either though. Cheers

[Tiesto13]

Have zero arrival strategy as my past two glastonbury's I've been on coachs which have shown up at about 8pm and 5pm respectively on Thursday, so there has been zero queue and we've been heavily reliant on others getting there first and pitching our tents for us.

 

This year its all change, we are getting a national express coach arriving at glastonbury by about 11/12 on Wednesday morning and we've been helpfully given a couple more tents to pitch on behalf of others. Presumably there are much bigger queues by that point and does anyone know what our chances of pitching up somewhere in Pennards Hill/Park Home/Paines is if we're showing up at Gate A at that point?

[CaledonianGonzo]

Queues shouldn't be too bad by that point.  We arrived at PGA on the Wednesday of last year at about 11am and from memory more or less walked straight in.

[irnkrtn]

On 4/17/2024 at 10:47 AM, balti-pie said:

I'm rocking up first knockings on monday, staying in the Travelodge by Podimore on the sunday night so i can head straight in and get my campsite sorted in the oxfield from 10am. Get wristbanded and get my shifts and everything from about 1pm, then ill head into site for a stroll around to see some sights, sit under a tree, work out when im working and who i can see 👍 Other working mates in other areas will be there, some late monday and others on tuesday - but im more than happy to stroll about with a few cans and find some quiet spots for a sitdown. 

I've always managed to somehow not be working first thing on the wednesday, so i tend to get up early and get up to the sign for about 8/8.30am, and watch people streaming in, the fields slowly filling up with tents and excitement. And arguments 😄 i love watching people carrying all their sh*t, knowing their moment of absolute bliss is under an hour away, but they have to go through the sweaty heavy trauma first to earn it 

My absolute festival highlight is watching people bickering on their way in. I don’t know why I find it so gleeful - I think because I know once the bags are off and they have cracked a tinny everything is chill, so it’s like 100 hangry people. 
 

if I am not working Wednesday morning, I will be pitched up making a coffee, eating a pastry and watching groups head in. I like to balance my karma by having some gaffa tape and spare cheap bungies on me in case anyone is struggling with a trolley.

 

my arrival will be Sunday. Will meet my fellow van buddy in Shepton Mallet for breakfast, go to big Tesco for some panicked extra crates of beer, then on site. Camp up. Get our full set up in place including this years novelty - our awning tiki bar. We will have a few daft cocktails then check out some new sites and do some crew bars. Can’t wait!! 

[Stonewizard666]

Getting the 1.30am coach from London so should arrive around 5.30. Get the tents set up, potentially nap then breakfast and have a wander around the site with a nice cold cider. Will camp back at oxylers again, such a good location and not nearly as mental as people make out.

 

I'm wondering how big the coach arrival queue will be at that time? 

 

Not long now. The excitement is kicking in!

 

[Joshuwarr]

7 minutes ago, Stonewizard666 said:

Getting the 1.30am coach from London so should arrive around 5.30. Get the tents set up, potentially nap then breakfast and have a wander around the site with a nice cold cider. Will camp back at oxylers again, such a good location and not nearly as mental as people make out.

 

I'm wondering how big the coach arrival queue will be at that time? 

 

Not long now. The excitement is kicking in!

 

I've done many early Wednesday arrivals by coach and as most coaches arrive no earlier than around 5/6am you won't probably won't find much of a queue. In fact, you'll almost certainly whizz through once gets open around 8.

[Olshansky]

3 minutes ago, Joshuwarr said:

I've done many early Wednesday arrivals by coach and as most coaches arrive no earlier than around 5/6am you won't probably won't find much of a queue. In fact, you'll almost certainly whizz through once gets open around 8.

my experience too 

 

i have a 4:30am coach from Bristol.  Hoping to breese right though at 8:00

[Stonewizard666]

Oh that's great to know. I got the coach last year and was a super stress free experience. 

[Twiggy553]

I’m in CV quiet.

 

moved house from S.E. London up near Cumbria last August so a much longer drive than usual 😱 

 

reckon I’ll head down south on the Tuesday night and stay with family in Herefordshire… then pick my mate up from Bristol Parkway station on the way down. Probs arrive on site at about noon.

 

my wife will then get the train down on Thursday after handing the kids over to her parents

[Havors]

Park 200m from gate, unpack car, walk over get wristbands, find tent, open a beer. 

[Thunderstruck]

On 5/24/2024 at 11:28 AM, Barneym said:

For general admission I’d say gate A is the worst as you get the coaches and train shuttle busses who have their own queue and they filter them in. It’s great if you get the coach 

 

The coach in is so good as you just walk in basically with no queue! Getting out is often a bit chaotic though...

[-TLR-]

I'm pretty sure it's going to be muddy this year - so instead of moaning about being too hot I'll be moaning about the mud...

 

and...

 

moan about getting 1am coach

moan about not sleeping on coach

moan about not sleeping in line

moan about line

moan about trek to camp

moan about putting up tent

 

open beer.

 

forget about previous 9 hours of moaning..... hell yeah!

 

 

[Ryan1984]

1 hour ago, Havors said:

Park 200m from gate, unpack car, walk over get wristbands, find tent, open a beer. 

Do you not park where the stewards/security tell you?

[Havors]

4 hours ago, Ryan1984 said:

Do you not park where the stewards/security tell you?

 

Yeah but in worthy view it's about 200m from entrance 😉 

[Drew3232]

So any advice would be appreciated - my National Express coach gets to the site around 11am, Thursday.

 

Will there be big queues then?

 

What's the best campsite to head to? I'm by myself so only a tiny two-man to put up.

[incident]

5 minutes ago, Drew3232 said:

So any advice would be appreciated - my National Express coach gets to the site around 11am, Thursday.

 

Will there be big queues then?

 

What's the best campsite to head to? I'm by myself so only a tiny two-man to put up.

 

Zero queues - you'll be nearly the last to arrive.

 

And because of that - ask the campsite crew just inside Gate A where to head to, as it'll be a case of go wherever the space is.

[Crazyfool01]

6 minutes ago, Drew3232 said:

So any advice would be appreciated - my National Express coach gets to the site around 11am, Thursday.

 

Will there be big queues then?

 

What's the best campsite to head to? I'm by myself so only a tiny two-man to put up.

walk straight in no queues at all , one tent you might well get in anywhere tbh just ask stewards as you come through gates 

[Drew3232]

What are peoples fave camp sites?

[Crazyfool01]

Just now, Drew3232 said:

What are peoples fave camp sites?

torts guide is probably best resource ... depends where you want to spend the bulk of your time and how far you can be bothered to walk from gate A 

[Drew3232]

What's the best campsite? in your opinion?  Wanting to stay reasonably central, say 10 minutes away from other stage.

[4AssedMonkey]

Having done the overnight drive/early queue every fest since 2010, this year we're in at Holt Farm.  Can't access the car park until midday on Weds so looking to drive down early AM from West Yorks (maybe 5am start?), meeting all the gang in Sainsbury's in Street about 11:00am, then driving in convoy to the site about 11:30am. Feels a bit weird not looking to pull an all nighter and drinking all night in the queue! 

[irnkrtn]

3 hours ago, 4AssedMonkey said:

Having done the overnight drive/early queue every fest since 2010, this year we're in at Holt Farm.  Can't access the car park until midday on Weds so looking to drive down early AM from West Yorks (maybe 5am start?), meeting all the gang in Sainsbury's in Street about 11:00am, then driving in convoy to the site about 11:30am. Feels a bit weird not looking to pull an all nighter and drinking all night in the queue! 

I love the local supermarkets on Tuesday/Wednesday - such FOMO! A quick panic 12 beers from Street despite the crates you already have in the van then straight on site.