What is your arrival strategy ?

[Metal Monkey]

17 hours ago, dotdash79 said:

Rained on the Friday morning for about 10 min, then I think it rained on the Monday afternoon.

 

Might have been a water point that caused the issue.

There was a dip by a water point that you couldn’t avoid on the way into the field, gradually got deeper and muddier all weekend. 

[Metal Monkey]

18 hours ago, gooner1990 said:

So.....this year.

 

Have bagged a resale ticket in general sale.

 

Now going with three guys I know from London who are travelling separately, the contentious is not bothered about a central camping spot so maybe a late morning-lunchtime Wednesday arrival at PGD then hopefully get in a campsite possibly around Dairy/Rigs Field/Back House/South Park 1.

 

Anyone else done similar? I've arrived pre-gate opening time for so long (bar coach years) that I don't know what it will be like arriving then in terms of car park position, queues at the gates and camping options once we are in.

 

I arrived at about 1pm last year and there was plenty of room in Rigs, Back house and South Park 1. There was some in Dairy by the pedestrian gate, maybe some in the middle too if you took time to look. 
 

I left after the school run, didn’t queue but was right at the back of the pink car park. My friends arrived at 2am, queued loads. I pitched my tent about an hour after them! 

[nikkic]

21 minutes ago, Metal Monkey said:

I arrived at about 1pm last year and there was plenty of room in Rigs, Back house and South Park 1. There was some in Dairy by the pedestrian gate, maybe some in the middle too if you took time to look. 
 

I left after the school run, didn’t queue but was right at the back of the pink car park. My friends arrived at 2am, queued loads. I pitched my tent about an hour after them! 

What time did you get to the car park?

 

We’re tossing up an early start or doing the same as you, post school run.

 

We have 3-4 drive so realistically wouldn’t be at gates until 1pm.

[Stokesy10]

Hi! Any recommendations for driving to glasto from Gatwick area? Friend is comes for the first time and I've only ever driven from the Midlands. Aiming to meet her in the festival itself, guiding her on door to Park Home Ground.

[mario man]

2 hours ago, Stokesy10 said:

Hi! Any recommendations for driving to glasto from Gatwick area? Friend is comes for the first time and I've only ever driven from the Midlands. Aiming to meet her in the festival itself, guiding her on door to Park Home Ground.

Your best route from Gatwick area is up to M25 & then down M3/A303. Can do M4 also if traffic is bad but personally, coming from similar area, we’ve never taken that route. 

Park Home Ground is fairly central so could use either east or west car parks, but nearest gate is PGD - we always aim for that one - so to hit the orange/pink car parks off the A372, continue on the A303 past the signs directing fest traffic onto A371, and approach through Street & Glastonbury (A372/B3151)

[Stokesy10]

1 hour ago, mario man said:

Your best route from Gatwick area is up to M25 & then down M3/A303. Can do M4 also if traffic is bad but personally, coming from similar area, we’ve never taken that route. 

Park Home Ground is fairly central so could use either east or west car parks, but nearest gate is PGD - we always aim for that one - so to hit the orange/pink car parks off the A372, continue on the A303 past the signs directing fest traffic onto A371, and approach through Street & Glastonbury (A372/B3151)

Thank you so much!

[balti-pie]

4 hours ago, Stokesy10 said:

Hi! Any recommendations for driving to glasto from Gatwick area? Friend is comes for the first time and I've only ever driven from the Midlands. Aiming to meet her in the festival itself, guiding her on door to Park Home Ground.

Rather than the m25 route, I’d go down south to the a27, follow it past Worthing and Portsmouth, and then up the a36 through Salisbury - you’ll end up on the a303 as you would above, but I think the traffic is tons lighter and you also don’t get the weird Stonehenge slowdown bit. Plus: south coast delights! 

[Metal Monkey]

6 hours ago, nikkic said:

What time did you get to the car park?

 

We’re tossing up an early start or doing the same as you, post school run.

 

We have 3-4 drive so realistically wouldn’t be at gates until 1pm.

I was at the car park about 12. Based on my experience last year I wouldn’t have got there much earlier if I’d left early, would have just queued more.

[Simsy]

50 minutes ago, balti-pie said:

Rather than the m25 route, I’d go down south to the a27, follow it past Worthing and Portsmouth, and then up the a36 through Salisbury - you’ll end up on the a303 as you would above, but I think the traffic is tons lighter and you also don’t get the weird Stonehenge slowdown bit. Plus: south coast delights! 

Chichester and Salisbury will be the main traffic jams on this route, but I couldn't say if it would be better or worse than M25/M3/A303. And def get on the M27 at Portsmouth rather than trying to follow the A27 all the way to the A36 if going this way.

 

Haven't driven to the fest for years, but back when we did it became a tradition to stop on the way home at the waitrose in Salisbury to buy something for dinner, use the loos and scare the regular clientele with our general muddy, unwashed aura 😂

[nikkic]

5 minutes ago, Metal Monkey said:

I was at the car park about 12. Based on my experience last year I wouldn’t have got there much earlier if I’d left early, would have just queued more.

This is our dilemma. 

We could leave ours early and get to the site by 7/8am. 

But would that then just mean 4 hours of queuing?
 

Alternatively leave later, get to Glasto for say midday and breeze in. 

[Euphoricape]

Arriving on Thursday for the first time this year. Coach from Leeds. Obviously camping spots will be limited by then, so I'm guessing South Park, rigs field will still have room. Been at Hitchen hill last couple years but gonna be a struggle to find space by then.

[Metal Monkey]

22 minutes ago, nikkic said:

This is our dilemma. 

We could leave ours early and get to the site by 7/8am. 

But would that then just mean 4 hours of queuing?
 

Alternatively leave later, get to Glasto for say midday and breeze in. 

I think there’s a bit of luck with queues, but whenever I’ve arrived around midday I’ve walked straight in. It’s a much more relaxed start to the festival. 

[Spindles]

I say the same.  I arrived early doors for years, but the last couple of festivals I've opted for an arrival around lunchtime and just walked straight from the coach to the gate without queuing.  Much more relaxed start to the festival, and much better for my energy levels on the Wednesday.  

[SouthbanKen]

So if the queues are basically done by midday on Wednesday, does anyone have any idea on how many people get through the gates on that first morning between 9am - 12noon. Must be a hundred thousand at least - would love to see some stats on arrival volumes over the weekend. 

[Spindles]

Someone who works on the gates might have a better idea, but I reckon 100k is a fair stab at a realistic number.

[Glastonbury101]

Does anyone happen to know if Gate D's connected parking spots get filled up quicker than for Gate A? Ideally I'd come through Gate D for South Park 1 but wondering if that's what everyone wants for Pennard and other more central ones...?

[incident]

5 minutes ago, Glastonbury101 said:

Does anyone happen to know if Gate D's connected parking spots get filled up quicker than for Gate A? Ideally I'd come through Gate D for South Park 1 but wondering if that's what everyone wants for Pennard and other more central ones...?

They're the same thing.

 

Some spots are closer to A than D, and vica versa, but ultimately all of the Car Parks on the Western side of the site can access either A or D. It's just whichever gate you choose to walk to from whichever car park you've been directed into (and you don't get much choice in that, as they're focussed on trying get cars off the road and parked up rather than worrying about individual preferences)

[nikkic]

13 hours ago, Metal Monkey said:

I think there’s a bit of luck with queues, but whenever I’ve arrived around midday I’ve walked straight in. It’s a much more relaxed start to the festival. 

 

12 hours ago, Spindles said:

I say the same.  I arrived early doors for years, but the last couple of festivals I've opted for an arrival around lunchtime and just walked straight from the coach to the gate without queuing.  Much more relaxed start to the festival, and much better for my energy levels on the Wednesday.  

Thanks both.

 

Seems like if you want a prime spot in Pennards or Big Ground, then you obviously need to be in the queue early doors.

 

But if you’re happy to camp a bit further away then rocking up midday could be the option. 

[Crazyfool01]

Like many of us it very much depends on those crucial bus times . Early one and we arrive before gates open but then you have the pain of the queue . I think the most ideal was when we arrived around 11 on the bus and walked straight in but that year someone was kindly saving a bit of space near jp for us 

[Stonewizard666]

Usually would be arriving on Wednesday for doors opening by coach but driving up on Thursday morning. Leaving Essex 5am so hopefully will be arriving about 9am. Tent being set up by mates day before. So get in asap and crack a cider with a bacon roll as fast as possible 

 

What's the normal queues like for 9-10am on a Thursday entry?

 

[Ayrshire Chris]

11 minutes ago, Stonewizard666 said:

What's the normal queues like for 9-10am on a Thursday entry?

Queues usually quite small and move quickly, I suppose if loads of buses arrive at the same time they might get a bit busier at gate A. 

[fraybentos1]

Did they keep a field reserved for Thursday arrivals in 2024 or is that a thing of the past ?

[Euphoricape]

43 minutes ago, fraybentos1 said:

Did they keep a field reserved for Thursday arrivals in 2024 or is that a thing of the past ?

Not sure if lime kiln is kept free for Thursday?

[Euphoricape]

I'm on a Thursday coach this year for first time. Hoping to get space for couple of tents at Hitchen hill or lime kiln

[incident]

12 minutes ago, Euphoricape said:

Not sure if lime kiln is kept free for Thursday?

 

Lime Kiln definitely isn't.

 

I know it's happened with Back House in the past, but I've no idea whether that's still the case or not.

Edited May 5, 2025 by incident