Getting to Glastonbury from Ireland

[LeFreak]

Hoping a few posters will be able to share their own experience and offer their opinion on the debate breaking out in our group chat the last few days.

Our group of 10 was very fortunate to all get tickets this year for the first time, we have 8 travelling from Ireland and 2 from London. The guys from London will have plenty of options to get there and will more than likely just get one of the coaches but the rest of us are really stuck debating what our best option is for getting there. 

As far as I can see it we have 3 options:

1) Fly into Bristol and get a coach.

This would probably be the most direct and quickest route. We could fly over the Wednesday morning and be in Bristol by 9am. 
The big pitfall here is we would be limited in what we could bring - is it hassle checking a tent onto a flight? Would we find it difficult to pick up a tent in Bristol if needs be? Presuming buying alcohol in Bristol the morning of the festival wouldn't be an issue but would take some time out of your morning.

Then obviously the whole pros and cons of coach vs driving.. How much could we realistically carry in one go from the coach? 

2) Fly into Bristol, rent a car and drive.

Again could arrive in Bristol for 9am Weds morning, having a car would make it easier to pick up bits before driving to Glastonbury. Would be a bit of an expense renting a car that you would probably only be driving for 4 hours total but maybe worth it to have the option of doing multiple trips to the car.

3) Get the Ferry to Fishguard and drive.

Would certainly be the longest way but a lot to be said for being able to pack your car at home and drive directly there. Would mean no restrictions on bringing tents, sleeping bags, chairs, drink etc and no pressure of bringing everything in one go - but also the longest route by a distance (6 hours-ish on the road each way) and doing that drive home would be dirty.

 

If anyone has an opinion on which is best and why I'd love to hear it! I have been flip flopping between which is best for a few weeks now and our group is very divided on what is best. My big concern about flying is it could be difficult to bring everything you want over on the plane (tent, sleeping bag, chair, clothes, boots etc) and they might be hard to pick up in Bristol the morning of. Then just the length of the drive is off putting for the ferry really. 

Any tidbits of information/advice greatly appreciated - cheers!

[northernringo]

My group fly from Belfast to Bristol each year.

We fly out on Tuesday and stay in a hostel in Bristol, before getting one of the coaches to the festival on Wednesday morning. This gives us time on Tuesday to go to a supermarket and stock up on our alcohol.

We bring one item of hold luggage each (our backpacks) and then we split one additional item of hold luggage between the rest of us. In this additional item, we wrap together our two tents, stacked on top of our trolley.

[moogster]

You may not want to read all of the below discussion but there surely are quite a few people discussing the Ireland to Glasto trips there:

(Edited to say that although not from Ireland, I have crossed a bit of salty water to get to GL many times, and at the end of the day the ferry's the most relaxed)

 

Edited January 3 by moogster

[El Weirdo]

I drove from the north west via Dublin-Holyhead and back last year.  Made sense what with all the camping gear and beer we took.

Looked at flying, but with the hassle and cost getting connections to/from the site and the aforementioned gear and supplies, driving made more sense for us.

[dicko_belfast]

Hi - have been 3 times before from Belfast myself but not been in 7 years, going this year though and can't wait. Only 2 of us heading this year and we have flights booked to get in about 9 on the Weds but nothing else finalised like yourself. 

In previous years a taxi has worked great for us - picked up at the airport then stopped off at a supermarket on the way to grab food / drink. It's tough on the arms carrying everything but other than that it worked fine. Between 4 the taxi cost isn't too bad although I still have to price it for this year, sounds like your group has 8 which is perfect for 2 taxis, if you are short at all we could be keen to group up in a taxi. 

Great advice from Northern Ringo above also regarding luggage on the flight. 

[paulshane]

Note the Bristol Airport is miles from Bristol, the city, so plan on getting the Airport Flyer Bus into the center, it's (currently) £9 for a single. timetable is here: https://flyer.bristolairport.co.uk/timetables

the journey is about 30 mins, depending on traffic.

 

 

 

 

[Dark Star]

There are Rail & Sail tickets available (both Stena & Irish Ferries) for the boat and train. You could do either crossing and train to Bristol then get the shuttle bus from there. It might be long winded but could be a lot of fun too as a decent size group. 

 

[LeFreak]

Cheers for the replies so far! Had a good read of that international contingent thread but it's almost entirely about people waiting on tickets being delivered or having to collect from box office. Very little info on travelling to the festival. 

@El Weirdo how did you find the ferry and the drive? We were looking at going to Fishguard instead of Holyhead. It seems a serious journey (probably talking 12h from door to tent being up) but it's broken up quite a bit so may be worth it.

Hate the thoughts of scrambling for gear the morning of the festival!! 

[Quark]

Paging @circus92

[CbmRules]

We've gone from Dublin a few times in the past (unfortunately no tickets this year) but we always go Rosslare - Pembroke. One year we flew as we were coming from Spain and then rented a car, we did end up staying in Sticklinch for convenience that year though so it was a lot of extra expense. The drive is fine really and builds up the excitement, we get the ferry over Tuesday morning, do our shopping somewhere and stay overnight near the site and then get there early Wednesday morning. Then on leaving we stay in Cardiff before the ferry on the Tuesday. 

Edited to add - we find the roads better doing it Rosslare - Pembroke as the roads down Wales are really not good! And with the new road to Wexford now it's not too bad.

Edited January 3 by CbmRules

[ghostdancer1]

Where are the majority based (ie mostly Dublin, or concentrated somewhere else, or all over?), and is going over on the Tuesday afternooon an option?

If you're going to fly, get a taxi from the airport and pickup booze/supplies at a supermarket seems to be the way most people do it. I suppose with 4 people in 2 taxis/all in a minibus, booked in advance, it isn't that much hassle. Factor in extra/oversize baggage charges. That said, I find it too much hassle with dicking around on the morning after you land for several hours, limits on what you can bring on the plane/to the festival, cost of buying WAY more food/booze at the festival, and the sheer hassle of having to carry everything in one go.

We prefer to get the drive and get the ferry, as there's more flexibility, not as stressful, much easier to take supplies and optional extras like camping stoves or proper pillows, can leave a few days worth of food/booze/clothes in the car and get them Friday morning...

I've done from both Dublin and Rosslare. For our first few times, we got the Tuesday afternoon sailing from Dublin-Holyhead, then drove down for about 5hrs, did a supermarket shop, and checked into a hotel about 45mins from the site on the Tues night, then were on the road after breakfast the next morning. The return drive is a bit of a pain though, 6hr drive on a Monday after a festival isn't nice, but the later ferries from Holyhead aren't until after 8pm, so should have plenty of time to make it up. There's an earlier, quicker one around 6pm I think, but not worth putting yourself under pressure to get that. The alternative (and preferable IMO) is to get the afternoon return ferry to Rosslare, which lands back before 7pm.

For Rosslare, we stayed in a hotel about 30mins from Rosslare on the Tuesday night. The ferry was at 6:30am I think, but the Wednesday morning ferries go at 8:15/8:45 now, so you could probably just leave home that morning for the sailing, and not bother with staying nearby the night before. Once we got over there, it was about a 3hr:30m drive from what I remember. Advantage is you don't need to take Tuesday off, but disadvantage with this is you don't get to site until like 4pm on Wednesday, that said, you probably won't be far off arriving to site at that time if you're flying, and having to get taxis sorted and stops for supplies. If it's your first time, I'd recommend going over on the Tuesday and staying in a hotel/hostel, and getting on the road early Wednesday to be on-site before midday.

If it was me in your shoes, I'd drive 2 cars, get a Tuesday afternoon sailing, stay overnight somewhere, and drive to the site Wednesday morning. Then get the 14:45 ferry back to Rosslare on Monday.

It's a bit of a pain that both Irish Ferries and Stena Line have sailings around the same times of each other on both routes. I'm sure there's some logic to it for the port workers, but it limits the choice for people sailing....

Edited January 3 by ghostdancer1

[LeFreak]

Excellent replies @CbmRules and @ghostdancer1 thanks a million.

It is our first time going but I'm a little bit restricted in time off pre festival (ie would suit better not to take Tuesday off) but after the festival it's not an issue. I'm leaning towards the ferry option as I just think either bringing all the gear through an airport or picking it up over there sounds like a huge pain in the hole. 

It would mean we probably wouldn't get there until around 4ish on the Wednesday but we would be fed, get a chance to nap on the ferry and be able to load up the car at home and bring it straight to the festival. Hopefully the queues and traffic might have died down a bit by this time as well. 

Plans subject to change of course! 

[Crazyfool01]

13 minutes ago, LeFreak said:

Excellent replies @CbmRules and @ghostdancer1 thanks a million.

It is our first time going but I'm a little bit restricted in time off pre festival (ie would suit better not to take Tuesday off) but after the festival it's not an issue. I'm leaning towards the ferry option as I just think either bringing all the gear through an airport or picking it up over there sounds like a huge pain in the hole. 

It would mean we probably wouldn't get there until around 4ish on the Wednesday but we would be fed, get a chance to nap on the ferry and be able to load up the car at home and bring it straight to the festival. Hopefully the queues and traffic might have died down a bit by this time as well. 

Plans subject to change of course! 

Won’t be any queues at that time pending any disasters with weather , you’ll walk straight in 

[TheDayman]

Hoi hoi!

First of congrats on bagging the golden tickets, it's going to be like nothing you've experienced before! Excited for you!

I've travelled to the festival from Dublin by flight and by ferry and definitely ferry is the preferred choice.

As other posters have already mentioned, arriving to Bristol by Tuesday night is the preference, particularly for your first time at the festival. It's a long drive but it is manageable. If you get the morning swift you'll be in Bristol around 4/5ish (including a food stop half way).

If it's purely time off you're struggling with, maybe think about splitting the group? Last year we had 3 cars driving via. Holyhead on Monday morning and 2 further people join us on Tuesday evening via. a flight to Bristol. It's another option to think about.

What are you think for the Monday post festival? Are you planning to be back in work Tuesday or are you trying to make it back for work on Monday (I know one person who managed to pull off being at her desk at 9am on Monday morning in the IFSC having left the festival at midnight Sunday. I don't think she'd recommend it though! 😂)

Why Fishguard too? Although the drive to the festival is shorter, you also have to factor in the 2 hours from Dublin to Rosslare... plus you'll need to arrive at least an hour before the 08:45 departure. When we started weighing up one against the other, we felt it made more sense to get a better sleep in and aim for the 07:30 Swift from Dublin.

 

 

[Colorblindjames]

6 hours ago, LeFreak said:

Hoping a few posters will be able to share their own experience and offer their opinion on the debate breaking out in our group chat the last few days.

Our group of 10 was very fortunate to all get tickets this year for the first time, we have 8 travelling from Ireland and 2 from London. The guys from London will have plenty of options to get there and will more than likely just get one of the coaches but the rest of us are really stuck debating what our best option is for getting there. 

As far as I can see it we have 3 options:

1) Fly into Bristol and get a coach.

This would probably be the most direct and quickest route. We could fly over the Wednesday morning and be in Bristol by 9am. 
The big pitfall here is we would be limited in what we could bring - is it hassle checking a tent onto a flight? Would we find it difficult to pick up a tent in Bristol if needs be? Presuming buying alcohol in Bristol the morning of the festival wouldn't be an issue but would take some time out of your morning.

Then obviously the whole pros and cons of coach vs driving.. How much could we realistically carry in one go from the coach? 

2) Fly into Bristol, rent a car and drive.

Again could arrive in Bristol for 9am Weds morning, having a car would make it easier to pick up bits before driving to Glastonbury. Would be a bit of an expense renting a car that you would probably only be driving for 4 hours total but maybe worth it to have the option of doing multiple trips to the car.

3) Get the Ferry to Fishguard and drive.

Would certainly be the longest way but a lot to be said for being able to pack your car at home and drive directly there. Would mean no restrictions on bringing tents, sleeping bags, chairs, drink etc and no pressure of bringing everything in one go - but also the longest route by a distance (6 hours-ish on the road each way) and doing that drive home would be dirty.

 

If anyone has an opinion on which is best and why I'd love to hear it! I have been flip flopping between which is best for a few weeks now and our group is very divided on what is best. My big concern about flying is it could be difficult to bring everything you want over on the plane (tent, sleeping bag, chair, clothes, boots etc) and they might be hard to pick up in Bristol the morning of. Then just the length of the drive is off putting for the ferry really. 

Any tidbits of information/advice greatly appreciated - cheers!

Renting a car at Bristol airport and sharing it is gonna be cheaper than buses for everyone. Plus you can stop off and load up on beer on the way to the site. I’ve done this option a few times flying from Belfast.

The ferry seems to be the next best and definitely the cheapest option. 3-4 hours from Fishguard to Glastonbury but as you say all your gear comes with you rather than paying luggage charges on a flight. 

In the past we’ve sent some of our party over on the Wednesday to get a good camping location while the rest arrived on Thursday with the beer and other essentials. 

[LeFreak]

1 hour ago, TheDayman said:

 

Hoi hoi!

First of congrats on bagging the golden tickets, it's going to be like nothing you've experienced before! Excited for you!

I've travelled to the festival from Dublin by flight and by ferry and definitely ferry is the preferred choice.

As other posters have already mentioned, arriving to Bristol by Tuesday night is the preference, particularly for your first time at the festival. It's a long drive but it is manageable. If you get the morning swift you'll be in Bristol around 4/5ish (including a food stop half way).

If it's purely time off you're struggling with, maybe think about splitting the group? Last year we had 3 cars driving via. Holyhead on Monday morning and 2 further people join us on Tuesday evening via. a flight to Bristol. It's another option to think about.

What are you think for the Monday post festival? Are you planning to be back in work Tuesday or are you trying to make it back for work on Monday (I know one person who managed to pull off being at her desk at 9am on Monday morning in the IFSC having left the festival at midnight Sunday. I don't think she'd recommend it though! 😂)

Why Fishguard too? Although the drive to the festival is shorter, you also have to factor in the 2 hours from Dublin to Rosslare... plus you'll need to arrive at least an hour before the 08:45 departure. When we started weighing up one against the other, we felt it made more sense to get a better sleep in and aim for the 07:30 Swift from Dublin.

 

 

 

Thanks for the reply! Yep it's the time off pre festival I'm struggling with, ideally I won't have to take the Tuesday off. Post Festival though is not an issue (teacher who will be off for the summer by then) and we are thinking of staying in a hotel or Airbnb after the festival then can drive back to the ferry after getting a good night's sleep. 

It's possible we are going to split the group into a group who flys and another who gets the ferry but we would both be leaving Ireland early the Wednesday morning. 

As for Fishguard, we live much closer to Dublin but just the fact that it splits the drive up a bit more instead of a 6 hour spin after getting off the ferry. I've also heard the roads from Fishguard are better than from Holyhead? 

 

How would we be fixed for camping spots if we arrived at say 4pm on the Wednesday? Don't particularly care where we camp once we're all together. 

 

[moogster]

10 hours ago, LeFreak said:

 we are thinking of staying in a hotel or Airbnb after the festival then can drive back to the ferry after getting a good night's sleep. 

 

Good idea. Getting out of the fest can be a pain and you don't want the stress of having to catch a plane/train/boat. Every time we tried I gained a few white hair.

(Sorry about forcing you to read the international thread, I do think some regulars there saw your message here though 🙂 )

You will find a spot to camp on Wednesday eve, but it won't be very "central". But you are going to walk dozens of miles/kms anyway so what's a km or two extra...

[El Weirdo]

17 hours ago, LeFreak said:

Cheers for the replies so far! Had a good read of that international contingent thread but it's almost entirely about people waiting on tickets being delivered or having to collect from box office. Very little info on travelling to the festival. 

@El Weirdo how did you find the ferry and the drive? We were looking at going to Fishguard instead of Holyhead. It seems a serious journey (probably talking 12h from door to tent being up) but it's broken up quite a bit so may be worth it.

Hate the thoughts of scrambling for gear the morning of the festival!! 

Didn't find the drive too bad actually, but Holyhead suited us better as what I'd save on Fishguard-Glasto was negated by the drive from home to Rosslare and vice versa.  Also, we left home on the Monday night and had a stop in London on the Tuesday to collect supplies and get a night's sleep at a relative's place.

Drove to site the Wednesday morning and landed at around 1.30-2pm after a nice leisurely drive down.  Ended up in one of the furthest pink carparks and, although there were no queues getting in, the campsites had filled up quick. Luckily, we only had the one tent, but if there is a few of you, you may be a bit further out than you want to be if you want to be together.

[The Nal]

Option 1 every time. Get a taxi from Bristol airport. Theyve food and bars at the festival. 

Carparks are miles away so the multiple trips back to the car thing is a waste of time. 

[moogster]

The Nal has a good point. It all depends how you want to do the fest/how much you want to spend/how much you want to walk... 

[CbmRules]

The Nal makes a very good point, it is a trek going in and out but at the same time all your stuff is there. Also, it's handy to be able to fill the car for all weather eventualities. To be honest, either option is good and really depends on what you want to do.

With Rosslare, we take Tuesday off and we also head down Monday evening and stay overnight near the ferry so that's an extra cost in there too. For us it's all part of it so we plan and budget that way. 

I would recommend getting a cabin on the way back, started doing it a couple of years back coming from Green Man (where we take the ferry on the Monday afternoon but it's a shorter less gruelling overall experience). It's a huge luxury for not that much extra money.

[Johnnyseven]

Is 3 with a stay at a hotel after the festival and before the big journey home an option?

[The Nal]

21 hours ago, LeFreak said:

The big pitfall here is we would be limited in what we could bring - is it hassle checking a tent onto a flight? Would we find it difficult to pick up a tent in Bristol if needs be? Presuming buying alcohol in Bristol the morning of the festival wouldn't be an issue but would take some time out of your morning.

You dont need that much stuff. Put a tent in a rucksack and put your clothes in another rucksack. Thats 2-4 people sorted. 

If you get a taxi give them a few extra quid to stop off in Tesco in Shepton Mallet an pick up some booze there.

Also means you'll miss the absolute lunacy of the early morning queue scrums at the festival gate. 

[LeFreak]

16 minutes ago, Johnnyseven said:

Is 3 with a stay at a hotel after the festival and before the big journey home an option?

Yep, that would be the plan actually to get a nights sleep in a hotel/airbnb before the big drive home then.

Thanks for all of the replies so far. Sounds as if there is no 'best way' and it's a matter of personal preference. As it stands it is roughly going to cost the same either way for a flight with your gear or else a ferry with fuel and an airbnb/hotel for one night (both around €300 each). From what I can gather so far the following seems true.

Ferry

Pros: Can bring extra gear, can make multiple runs to the car, pack car at home, can leave passports/valuables in car, can bring your own tent and camping supplies without being charged extra.

Cons: Much longer journey, will arrive to the festival about 4 hours later, responsibility of driving, further walk from carpark than coach drop off.

Flight

Pros: Quickest journey, arrive at festival earlier, probably easier leaving the festival, no responsibility for anyone, more options in terms of flight times.

Cons: Limited in what you can bring, have to pick up booze and stuff over there.

 

[moogster]

31 minutes ago, LeFreak said:

 can leave passports/valuables in car, can bring your own tent and camping supplies without being charged extra.

Not exactly related but whatever you decide, don't leave your valuables in a car. Leave them at the very famous Glastonbury Lock ups. I trust them more with my passport than... my own embassy or something like that 😛

Edited January 4 by moogster