Glastonbury Transportation

Now... getting back! This is tough. 200,000 people all trying to leave a country farm in an area with an infastructure that was built for a population of a few thousand who mostly own their own cars.

Basically either leave on the sunday night when the music stops, very early on monday morning or late on monday once the crowds have dispersed. Most people leave after 8:30am so any time before then and your journey will be easier. Having said that, getting up at the crack of dawn after several days of partying and abusing your body is not easy.

If going by car you'll have to wait ages but just be patient and crank up the stereo.

If leaving by coach you'll have a ticket for a particular time. In theory you should be able to show up for your coach as there will be the exact number of tickets sold that there is buses. However, in reality many people manage to blag their way onto an earlier or later coach so it's best to queue up quite a bit in advance.

If leaving by train, forget the time which is written on your ticket... the chances you'll catch that train are really slim. You'll have to queue for an hour or so (if you leave early) for a bus to Castle Cary. Once at the train station you'll be fine if heading west. However, if you're heading to London the Police will only let a cetrain number of people onto the platform at one time, meanwhile they'll keep a similar number in a holding pen that can go onto the platform once a train has departed and the rest queue outside. IF YOU DON'T LEAVE EARLY YOU'LL BE HERE FOR SEVERAL HOURS. The train company First Great Western do put on extra trains but they'll still only be running at about 2 an hour.

Getting to Glastonbury is easy... getting back not so.

On the way there people tend to arrive between wednesday and friday so it's neatly staggered. Trains and buses are packed but not too much. Without doubt the best and easiest public transport option is with National Express Coaches (www.nationalexpress.com) but they are booked up quite quickly. They travel from London Victoria and many other UK locations.

The other alternative is to take the train. No need to book ahead but it's best if you do (www.thetrainline.com) as you;ll need a ticket for your return. The nearest station to Glastonbury is Castle Cary which can be travelled to from London Paddington. Complementary buses will take you to the festival from there. Your ticket will not be ckecked on the train but the Police check tickets at Castle Cary.

Bus and train are both about £25 return from London

Driving is a great option if there's a group of you but make sure that you pay for a car park pass when you book your festival ticket and be prepared to queue a while to get in and a hell of a long while to get out.

If you are not going to Glastonbury from Bristol, chances are you’re taking a trip from another local tourist hotspot – Wells. In addition to boarding bus 376, you can also hop on a 163. But the latter departs from bus station only, so do not waste your time waiting for it around the Market Square!!

The buses are relatively frequent, and the trip takes as little as 15 minutes. The cost for a single trip is £1.75, which seems to be the norm in Somerset regardless of the distance….

Unless you have your own means of transportation, your best bet is bus 376 running to/from Bristol. I know it reads ‘Wells’ on the destination board, but most of them go to Glastonbury, and then to Yeovil, simplifying the tricky task of getting around. The buses leave Bristol at least hourly, at 15 minutes past (at least that’s so on Sundays).

A single ticket to Glastonbury from Bristol costs £1.75.