How to Get to Glastonbury
How To Actually Do This Without Losing Your Mind
You have the tickets, you have the gear, but do you know the best way to get there?
200,000+ have the same dilemma as they all head to the same farm in Glastonbury for five glorious days. So some strategic thinking is in order, as your transport choice can impact your festival experience.
Getting to Glastonbury isn’t just about arrival times and logistics, it’s about starting your festival on the right foot. The journey sets the tone for your entire experience. It’s the difference between a stressed, exhausted arrival and a smooth, excited entrance that can make or break your first day. While some festival-goers obsess over lineup times and camping spot strategy, those “in the know” know that nailing your transport is the foundation everything else builds on.
Most transport options come with trade-offs. You’re essentially choosing between convenience, cost and control. Understanding these before you commit means you won’t be that person having a meltdown in a car park at 3pm after sitting for 2 hours in traffic, or dragging a broken tent bag across muddy fields because you underestimated the walk! Every route has its challenges, but knowing what you’re signing up for means you can plan for and around them, rather than letting them derail you before the music even starts.
This guide breaks down the real pros and cons of each option. Note: this is not the official line, but what actually happens when you’re in the thick of it. Because whether you’re a first-timer or returning veteran, making the right call on transport is half the battle won.
So, What’s The Easiest Option?
Honestly, Coach is the way to go. National Express run from over 90 places in the UK and travel directly to the coach parking only a short walk from the gate. No lugging your gear half a mile or more from where you parked your car, no being crammed onto a packed train, no chaos of getting shuttle buses. You get a seat, your pack is stored in the luggage hold and you get to feel the festival buzz from the moment you step on. Plus, there are toilets and most coaches have wifi now. So you won’t be uncomfortable if you get held up in traffic.
The social element is also a huge bonus that often gets overlooked. Coaches are full of festival-goers heading to the same place, so the atmosphere builds naturally. You’ll swap stories and maybe even make some mates before you’ve even pitched your tent. It’s a far cry from the isolation of sitting in a car in traffic or the awkward tension of a packed train carriage, where everyone’s guarding their personal space and their oversized rucksacks.
The return journey deserves a special mention because this is where travelling by coach really shines. After five days of partying and sleeping in a field, you’re absolutely spent. With the coach, you collapse into your seat, close your eyes and wake up back home. No need to even think about navigating or driving whilst exhausted. Because when you’re running on fumes and festival food, that kind of simplicity is genuinely priceless.
The downsides? Getting from your home to and from the nearest coach station. You may end up having to pay for long term parking or lugging your stuff on public transport anyway to get there. But it is definitely worth it to save the hassle of sitting in a hot car or being crowded out of on a shuttle bus.
So, I Haven’t Been Able To Bag A Coach Space. Now What?
Train is our next choice for getting to Glastonbury, as it’s far simpler and easier than driving. No parking passes or traffic to worry about and everyone in your group can dive straight into the festival atmosphere, along with other Glasto-goers on the way. However, try and pack light, as travelling by train is not easy at the best of times. Bringing everything including the kitchen sink will turn your journey into a nightmare before you even reach the gates! Book your train tickets early (and we mean early!) Train tickets to Castle Cary around festival time sell out fast and prices skyrocket the closer you get to the date. If you’re organized, you can snag decent fares but leave it too late and you’ll be paying through the nose or scrambling for alternatives. Check those return times too, because Monday departures are absolute carnage and a limited services mean you could be stuck waiting around longer than you’d like.
The Glasto Crowd Boarding
The festival provides free shuttle buses from Castle Cary station, so be expect queues of around 30-45 minutes and maybe some argy-bargy, especially on Wednesday when everyone’s arriving at similar times. Factor this time in (as you’re not at the festival the moment you’re off the train) and don’t let the crowds get to you!
One more thing worth knowing: the return journey on Monday is where train travel shows its cracks. Services are limited, trains fill up fast and you’ll likely be competing with exhausted festival-goers all trying to leave at once. Book your return for later in the day if possible, or accept the fact that you might be standing for a good chunk of the journey home. After five days in a field, that’s not ideal, but it’s the trade-off for avoiding driving.
So You’ve Chosen To Drive…
If you have to do it, be prepared! Have food and water ready and mentally prepare for sitting in traffic for a while. By Wednesday afternoon the traffic to site can be two hours plus and the Monday departure is even worse! The delays are not just inconvenient, they’re brutal, you’ll be sitting in a hot car questioning your life choices before you’ve even reached the festival. Glastonbury usually open the car parks from 9pm the night before, so if it’s practical, aim to arrive between then and before 7am on the Wednesday. If you do end up travelling at peak time, make sure to plan those toilet stops well in advance.
Getting there via car is half the battle, the next decision is where to park. Honestly, this depends on where you intend to camp, if you’ve picked one of the southern sites such as Park Home or Pennard Hill, then it’s quite a trek to all car parks, so probably doesn’t really matter in the end.
The Eastern Purple Car Parks are regarded as the most accessible for the entire site and usually has the shortest queues to leave on the Monday. Really good for Big Ground/Kidney Mead via Gate B or C and also Cockmill Meadow for one of the family camping grounds.
The Western Orange Car Parks have the longest walks to site, however these are most accessible to Oxlyers, Paines Ground & South Parks via gate D. But these are a fair distance from both the car parks and the pyramid stage.
Finally the Northern Pink Car Parks are really good for Pylon Ground/Darble and also Hawkwell/Michael’s Mead and the surrounding sites all through Gate A. Park here as well for Wicket Ground, which is the other family camping ground.
Pick Your Transport, Own Your Choice
There is no perfect way to get to Glastonbury, if there was, everyone would be doing it! Coach offers simplicity and takes the stress out of logistics Glastonbury-side, but you need to get to and from the coach station. Train gives you freedom from driving but demands you pack smart and embrace the chaos. Car gives you control and flexibility, but you’ll pay for it in traffic time and the physical slog of getting your gear to your pitch, from wherever you end up parking.
The key is matching your transport choice to your priorities and your group’s tolerance for hassle. If you’re a first-timer who just wants things to work without drama, coach is your friend. If you’re bringing a crew who’ll split costs and share the driving, car might make sense despite the downsides. If you’re traveling solo or as a couple and want to keep things lean, train could be the sweet spot. Families with kids? Car probably makes the most sense for managing gear and little ones, but pack snacks, entertainment and some patience. And brace yourself for the “are we there yet?” on repeat during those traffic jams!
Remember, tens of thousands of people navigate this every year using all these methods and the vast majority arrive just fine. Yes, there’ll be queues. Yes, there’ll be moments of frustration. Yes, you’ll probably question at least one decision you made. But once you’re through those gates with your wristband on and your tent pitched, none of it will matter. The journey becomes a story, the hassle fades, and you’re at Glastonbury.
So pick your transport, make your peace with the trade-offs and focus on what actually matters: five days of music, madness, and memories that’ll last far longer than any traffic jam or train delay ever could.
Transport Decided? Now Pick Your Tent
Our camping tents have journeyed to festivals before, so they know a festival commute.