Worthy Farm · Pilton · Somerset BA4 4BY · Five days in June
Glastonbury transfers from Kent: an expedition, not a trip
Glastonbury is five days, one hundred and sixty-five miles and roughly twice as much equipment as people. Almost everything about the transport comes down to that last fact, and to the queue you join on the way in.
Each way from north Kent, plus the approach into Pilton which on a Wednesday morning is a queue rather than a road. Three and a half hours of driving becomes six once the site traffic starts.
The arrival window is the single biggest decision
Gates open Wednesday. When you leave Kent determines whether you camp somewhere good or spend four hours stationary on the A361.
Travel overnight
Leaving Kent late Tuesday and arriving as gates open means the shortest queue and the best pitch. It also means nobody sleeps, which is a real cost on day one of five.
Before dawn
Our most-booked option. Away from Kent by three or four in the morning, on site by mid-morning, tent up before the heat.
The long queue
Arriving from late morning onwards means joining traffic that has been building for hours. Add two to four hours and expect a pitch a long walk from anywhere.
Quieter roads
Roads clear considerably by Thursday, but the good camping has gone. Suits people who care more about sleep than location.
Why this is a minibus job, not a car one
Glastonbury is the heaviest load we carry. A group of six with full camping kit does not fit in a car, and discovering that at four in the morning is a poor start to the week.
| Group | Vehicle needed | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 2–3 | Estate or MPV | Tents, bags and a cool box each. A saloon will not do it. |
| 4–6 | 8-seater with seats down | Six people with full kit is realistically a five-seat load. |
| 7–10 | 16-seat minibus | The standard Glastonbury booking. Room for gear and a trolley. |
| 11–16 | 24-seat midi coach | Sixteen people with camping kit will not fit a minibus. This is the honest answer. |
| 17–49 | Coach | Luggage hold underneath, which changes everything for a trip like this. |
Getting there from Kent
The route is the M25 and M3 or M4, then the A303 or A37 down into Somerset. Times below are for a clear run; add substantially for the Wednesday approach.
| Pick-up area | Distance | Clear run | Wednesday arrival |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gravesend & Northfleet | 167 miles | 3h 15m | 5h – 7h |
| Dartford & Bluewater | 162 miles | 3h 10m | 5h – 7h |
| Bexleyheath & Bromley | 155 miles | 3h | 4h 45m – 6h 45m |
| Sevenoaks & Tonbridge | 155 miles | 3h | 4h 45m – 6h 45m |
| Rochester, Chatham & Gillingham | 176 miles | 3h 25m | 5h 15m – 7h 15m |
| Maidstone & Aylesford | 172 miles | 3h 20m | 5h 10m – 7h |
| Sittingbourne & Faversham | 186 miles | 3h 40m | 5h 30m – 7h 30m |
| Canterbury & Ashford | 200 miles | 3h 55m | 5h 45m – 8h |
Five days of planning, in four parts
Pack soft, pack shared
Rigid suitcases are the enemy of a minibus. Holdalls and rucksacks compress into the awkward spaces that a wheeled case cannot. Agree in advance who is bringing the shared items, because four groups each packing a gazebo is how a vehicle runs out of room a hundred miles from home.
The Monday collection
Everyone leaves at once and the roads around Pilton become a car park. We set the collection for later on the Monday rather than first thing, agree a meeting point off site, and accept that the first hour is slow. It still beats sitting in it yourself after five days with no proper sleep.
Mud is a planning factor, not bad luck
Worthy Farm is a working dairy farm and it behaves like one in rain. Wellies, waterproofs and a change of everything take up space that people rarely allow for when packing in dry June weather. Assume it and size the vehicle accordingly.
Book in the winter
Tickets sell in November and our vehicles for that week follow shortly after. Glastonbury competes with weddings, proms and the summer festival calendar for the same minibuses. If you have tickets, book the transport straight away.
Glastonbury travel questions
Kit, queues and when to leave.
What time should we leave Kent for Glastonbury?
Most of our bookings leave between three and five in the morning on the Wednesday, which gets you on site mid-morning before the worst of the queue builds. Leaving later means joining traffic that has been accumulating for hours and adding two to four hours to the journey.
Can you carry all our camping equipment?
Yes, but tell us the volume rather than just the head count. Glastonbury is the heaviest load we handle. Six people with full kit is realistically an eight-seater with seats folded, and sixteen people with kit is a midi coach rather than a minibus.
How long does it take from Kent?
Three to three and a half hours on a clear run, and five to seven on the Wednesday once the site approach traffic starts. The distance is about a hundred and sixty-five miles from north Kent.
When do you collect on the Monday?
Later in the day rather than first thing, from an agreed point off site. Everyone leaves at once and the local roads gridlock, so a slightly later departure gets you home sooner than an early one.
Can you drop us at the gate?
As close as the traffic management permits on the day, which varies year to year. We confirm the arrangement before you travel and tell you which gate and how far the walk is.
Is a coach better than a minibus?
For groups over about twelve with full kit, yes. Coaches have a luggage hold underneath, so passenger capacity and luggage capacity stop competing with each other.
How far ahead should we book?
As soon as you have tickets. That means winter for a June festival. Our vehicles for Glastonbury week are committed early because they compete with the whole summer season.
What if someone drops out?
Tell us and we will adjust where we can. Numbers change on festival bookings constantly and we expect it.
Other festivals and guides
The rest of the summer, run from Kent.