Sleeping in the queue

[GlastoLou]

Hey all,  I was just curious to find out some experiences.  We're driving from Scotland and arriving around 3am, I don't know if there's much point in sleeping in the car! 

I've bussed it or been in staff parking for the last 10 or so years so not really had to think about it.   

Also we usually camp at the bottom of Michael's mead, thinking this area is probably going to get a lot busier with the wood/woodsies area getting a lot of chatter,  reckon it's probably a good idea to get in asap to get our spot,  any thoughts appreciated 👍

[coma girl]

We drive down from Scotland too and always do the overnight queue so we can be guaranteed to fit our full group into our usual camping spot.

We set off from Glasgow on Wednesday morning so would arrive on site a few hours earlier than you will be.

 

You'll get people saying the queue is horrendous but I don't think it's that bad tbh and worth a few hours mild discomfort to then have the rest of the week in a good camping spot.

Edited May 15, 2023 by coma girl

[Fred Zepplin]

Sleeping in the car or in a camping chair the sleep you are going to get isn't great anyway so you might as well get in the queue and get it sooner. The first time I turned up in the middle of the night I slept in the car and by 5 the queue had gone past my car so from then on I've just gone straight into the queue. It does get very cold just sat there though so be prepared especially if it forecasts rain. It rain quite a lot one night, probably 2016 and we used the ground sheet from our tents front porch to cover us and our gear, worked really well

[GlastoLou]

4 minutes ago, coma girl said:

We drive down from Scotland too and always do the overnight queue so we can be guaranteed to fit our full group into our usual camping spot.

We set off from Glasgow on Wednesday morning so would arrive on site a few hours earlier than you will be.

 

You'll get people saying the queue is horrendous but I don't think it's that bad tbh and worth a few hours mild discomfort to then have the rest of the week in a good camping spot.

Cheers,  yeh good point,  it'll be 5 hours max sitting about I guess!

[GlastoLou]

4 minutes ago, Fred Zepplin said:

Sleeping in the car or in a camping chair the sleep you are going to get isn't great anyway so you might as well get in the queue and get it sooner. The first time I turned up in the middle of the night I slept in the car and by 5 the queue had gone past my car so from then on I've just gone straight into the queue. It does get very cold just sat there though so be prepared especially if it forecasts rain. It rain quite a lot one night, probably 2016 and we used the ground sheet from our tents front porch to cover us and our gear, worked really well

I think I've been convinced in two replies, sounds like a plan 👍

[coma girl]

5 minutes ago, GlastoLou said:

Cheers,  yeh good point,  it'll be 5 hours max sitting about I guess!

Yeah it's not too bad really, just make sure you bring a chair and some snacks etc. 

We even brought some cards and quiz games last year to help kill some time.

[p.pete]

Def don't sleep in the car unless you a) have a really comfortable car in which you get great quality sleep AND b) have arrived early but don't really care too much where you camp.  

[BambooShanks]

We're planning on setting off a few hours earlier than usual to arrive for 12-2am and hopefully get a few hours sleep in the queue. Hopefully the weather will be good, otherwise we may have to rethink the plan.

Unless we were leaving after 4am, I wouldn't be getting any sleep tuesday night anyway so may as well join the queue early and ensure that we get a decent spot.  

 

 

 

[Tranquility of Solitude]

27 minutes ago, BambooShanks said:

We're planning on setting off a few hours earlier than usual to arrive for 12-2am and hopefully get a few hours sleep in the queue. Hopefully the weather will be good, otherwise we may have to rethink the plan.

Unless we were leaving after 4am, I wouldn't be getting any sleep tuesday night anyway so may as well join the queue early and ensure that we get a decent spot.  

 

 

 

This! Who can sleep the night before Glastonbury!

[p.pete]

21 minutes ago, BambooShanks said:

Unless we were leaving after 4am, I wouldn't be getting any sleep tuesday night anyway so may as well join the queue early and ensure that we get a decent spot.  

That's a fair point - the most zonked-out I can ever remember being on Wednesday morning was when we stayed at a friends Tuesday night in 2011 before driving (only about 90 minutes) and arriving about 8am.  Unless it's a good nights sleep you're often not actually missing out on much by trying to chill or sleep in the queue, especially if you're travelling during hours that you'd normally be sleeping.  Not saying that very well but I think I'm talking myself into it (again).

[DavoTheWorthy]

Camped/slept in the queue in 2019, fortunately it was pretty much dry all night. We had a great time and put a bit more of a dent in our alcohol supply than we had originally intended. It got pretty cold just sat in one place so worth having warm clothes easily accessible.

There was a chap singing indie songs loudly and out-of-tune all night but apart from that it was fine and went pretty quickly!

[BambooShanks]

7 minutes ago, Tranquility of Solitude said:

This! Who can sleep the night before Glastonbury!

 

7 minutes ago, p.pete said:

Unless it's a good nights sleep you're often not actually missing out on much by trying to chill or sleep in the queue, especially if you're travelling during hours that you'd normally be sleeping

Exactly.  Usually we set off around midnight, arrive around 4-5am and join the queue relatively soon after. I don't think there's been a year where any of us managed to get any sleep bar a briefest of naps so we all ended up being practically awake from tuesday morning.

At least this way, we will stand more of a chance of getting something approaching sleep and cut out a lot of the queue as its the intermittent shuffling and picking up / putting down of bags that is the most knackering!

 

[4AssedMonkey]

9 minutes ago, BambooShanks said:

 

Exactly.  Usually we set off around midnight, arrive around 4-5am and join the queue relatively soon after. I don't think there's been a year where any of us managed to get any sleep bar a briefest of naps so we all ended up being practically awake from tuesday morning.

At least this way, we will stand more of a chance of getting something approaching sleep and cut out a lot of the queue as its the intermittent shuffling and picking up / putting down of bags that is the most knackering!

 

Pretty much the same here.  Maybe even a little earlier as it's usually still dark when we get in the queue.  Been lucky as only got drenched in the queue once.  2011 maybe?  Was late onto site in 2016 with the horrendous traffic issues, but pretty much walked straight in when we got there.

[hannahlmoore]

Hats off to people who can do this, I wouldn't get a wink of sleep and then would start the festival on such a bad footing! I'm so rubbish at sleeping generally. A life skill I truly lack. 

[The Nal]

[CaledonianGonzo]

11 minutes ago, hannahlmoore said:

Hats off to people who can do this, I wouldn't get a wink of sleep and then would start the festival on such a bad footing! I'm so rubbish at sleeping generally. A life skill I truly lack. 

+1

Can't think of anything worse.

[Aragorn]

I did it once in 2010 - never again, froze to death and was utterly battered by the time I got in and wasted half of wednesday haha 

[Obiginnaw]

i did it in 2019 and it was good fun but yeah that was arguably the heaviest we went all week - rinsed our alcohol supplies and putting our tent up on the biggest crash i've ever experienced

i'd be tmepted to do it this year (with some behaviour modifications lol) just because it's the summer solstice, and i think getting a sunrise in glasto would be quite special 

[MrZigster]

The queues are now literally miles longer than they used to be since the introduction of the snakes.

Used to be a straight line but now it's a zigzag.

Gate B is on an incline so it's up down up down times at least twenty I reckon these days.

Knackered before I even get in.

[The Nal]

Just have a decent nights kip and walk in at 2pm when the queues die down. 

[danssol]

Did the queue with a mate who was ex-army. We sat down at about midnight, drank a beer and snoozed until 7. A truly special skill

[Madyaker]

Not in a million years would I do this. Fcuk the camping spot I don't to start my festival wrecked from already missing sleep. Maybe if I was 10 years younger I might.

[becs94]

Never done the queue but did contemplate it this year for the first time.

Previous years I've always relied on either the coach or a lift so arrival time was dependent on other people. Never slept in the queue but have arrived by coach early morn and always found that ok for a decent spot but suppose that's as they prioritise coach arrivals!

This year will be driving and it'll also be the first year I'll be coming since moving up north. With about 3-4 hours added to my journey I was tempted to drive down Tuesday Eve and sleep in the queue but don't want to start the festival knackered. Instead lucked out and booked a cheap ish b&b a couple miles away. Planning on arriving there early Tuesday Eve, grabbing a few hours sleep/fresh shower and then driving over to the festival for around 4:30/5. 

Ideally want to camp in oxylers again but won't be too heartbroken if we end up having to camp further out. 

[stanh]

Slept in the queue last year as I had to be dropped off early due to the train strikes and the timings on the Wednesday not working out for my mates plans, was expecting it to be awful, but it was honestly okay, did get a bit chilly, but if you layer up, have a few tinnies and expect to not get much sleep, it really isn't too bad at all! Wouldn't complain if I had to do it again.

[Pinhead]

And to think, it never used to be like this, but since the plan began to revolve around getting people off the roads as soon as plus Tues arrival, it been the case that if you care about where you wanna camp, this is compulsory. Its knackering, true - but tbh its kind of become part of the culture, the adventure of the event. There's always a good vibe of expectancy and when the messages start going around that the gate(s) are about to open, it becomes electric, especially if yer lucky enough to be greeted by ME's outstretched arms at the gate!