Glastonbury 2015

Toast

This year I skipped the taxi and bussed it the whole way. Was on the earliest Ryanair flight got a Flyer (think aircoach) to Bristol city Bus Station (last stop Marlborough St.). Ran down to Tesco Metro in Bristol for some drink.. back to the bus station and was waiting maybe 20 mins for my National Express coach. Coach took a bit of time as it went around the festival but we completely missed all the traffic as a result. Dropped us into Gate A which was a fairly short queue. Think I was all setup by 12.30. Taxi can be quicker if you get a sound Taxi driver but often they dump you in Bath and West showgrounds which means you've to queue for a shuttle bus to get you to the festival. Also sometimes they'll blindly follow satnavs into bad traffic (if you get a local though they're usually great at finding shortcuts if you let them take the risk (they'll ask!)).

Sheog

Just have to warn people thinking of driving that while getting there is grand (5 hours or so of great tunes and lots of excitement!) getting home can be really tedious.

We got the ferry over the first year, picked up a Campervan in Pembroke and drove for about 5/6 hours. It was fine, but after the week of awesome festival fun, we were absolutely shattered even before the long journey home.

This year we flew to Southampton, which cut the journey down massively (not to mention the exhaustion.) Note that our group are all in their late 20ies/ early 30ies, so we are a bit older than some of you young-ins!

alastair

Sheog wrote: »

...drove for about 5/6 hours. It was fine, but after the week of awesome festival fun, we were absolutely shattered even before the long journey home.

...Note that our group are all in their late 20ies/ early 30ies, so we are a bit older than some of you young-ins!

Hang your head in shame!

We're a couple in our mid 40's, and drove back to Holyhead, last year, via an overnight in Leamington Spa - and aside from falling asleep more or less instantly on arriving in the hotel around lunchtime - extended siesta style, it was all manageable enough.

Plan this year, if we get tickets, is to spend a few days in cornwall after Glastonbury, starting off with a short spin to a local hotel on the Monday morning.

Right Turn Clyde

The day the tickets go sale, is it just a case of hitting the refresh button and praying to god? And is it like Ticketmaster, in that you have a number of minutes to get each page completed? It sounds like a bit of a lottery.

alastair

There's some debate as to whether constantly refreshing actually helps much. The pages should auto update regardless. I just refresh any timed out sessions. What certainly helps is running as many browser windows as possible.

It is a lottery.

Right Turn Clyde

alastair wrote: »

There's some debate as to whether constantly refreshing actually helps much. The pages should auto update regardless. I just refresh any timed out sessions. What certainly helps is running as many browser windows as possible.

It is a lottery.

How many people register every year, and how quickly does it sell out?

And do they decide on your registration based on the photo that you submit? I've an awful dirt bird's head on me.

alastair

Right Turn Clyde wrote: »

How many people register every year, and how quickly does it sell out?

It sells out very quickly - less than two hours these days. Dunno how many register annually, but keep in mind that registrations last for a few years, so there's an existing pre-registered cohort.

Right Turn Clyde wrote: »

And do they decide on your registration based on the photo that you submit? I've an awful dirt bird's head on me.

They use the pic you sent them alright.

Professey Chin

alastair wrote: »

There's some debate as to whether constantly refreshing actually helps much. The pages should auto update regardless. I just refresh any timed out sessions. What certainly helps is running as many browser windows as possible.

It is a lottery.

I'm sticking with my 3 devices and 2 browsers strategy this year!

Right Turn Clyde wrote: »

How many people register every year, and how quickly does it sell out?

And do they decide on your registration based on the photo that you submit? I've an awful dirt bird's head on me.

No idea about the amount but its sold out within a few hours the last few years (most of the delay caused by the amount of people trying to get tickets).
They dont judge on photos. Once its accepted anyway

Sheog

It sells out in about an hour. It's absolutely nerve wracking trying to get through. I don't think the website is advanced enough to hold your tickets while you are inputting your details like ticket master. the web site often crashes and it often seems that UK customers are prioritized. Each year we barely just got them with seconds to spare before the sold out!

Best bet is to use as may resources in different locations as possible to get tickets. Last year one of our gang in Galway got them. This year it was someone located in Limerick. (Different IP addresses!) We also tried phoning at the same time, but we've never gotten through.

I hear it's actually easier to get tickets during the resale? Anyone any thoughts on that?

alastair... Muchas respect to you!!

Professey Chin

The website is fine and better then ticketmasters IMO. Theres not a site I know of that could stand up to the hits generated by the glastonbury ticket sale. Ticketmasters site sh!ts itself for O2...sorry 3 arena concerts. The UK doesnt get prioritised either. Well not on purpose but im pretty sure seetickets is hosted in the UK so proximity could play a part.

alastair

Didn't manage to get tickets last time, but the year before ended up getting through first on a mobile/3G connection - while the broadband-connected computers (three of them with a dozen or so sessions) hadn't had any joy. Once I'd got the tickets, the broadband got through, so it would have worked out. All of this within ten minutes of it selling out however - so you need to be determined and/or lucky.

Fatfrog

Right Turn Clyde wrote: »

How many people register every year, and how quickly does it sell out?

And do they decide on your registration based on the photo that you submit? I've an awful dirt bird's head on me.

In 2014, tickets sold out in 1hr 27 min, peaking at 5,000 tickets per min. There were over 1M valid registrations, and vaguely remember reading 450,000 tried to get tickets, 1 in 3 odds.

Only got them in the resale last year, had lap tops, phones, landlines going. Got to the 'input your registration' bit then my mate called and said he was also in and already in-putting our details. I continued filling in the details just incase. Mate was successful so I abandoned and closed the page, I noticed the other open tab, Internet explorer & fire fox browsers I had open (just left auto refreshing) had all worked! So maybe something to be said for auto refresh rather than manual?

Mince Pie

I'm a nervous bleeding wreck, didn't even get a sniff of the page in the main sale last year and had to wait for the resale. Would just prefer to get me grubby mitts on a ticket this year in the first sale cos it gives more time to prepare, just didn't want to buy anything or book time off just in case I wasn't lucky. So it leaves everything to the last minute.
I won't have any nails come October.

mickeyboymel

Never ever take your foot off the gas and think you will be fine for a resale ticket, treat the Sunday Sale as if it is the only way through, yes, we got most of our group through on resales last year, but the previous years resales were snapped up in moments.

My best advise is have as many Computers as possible going, Make a word document up with the registrations, names, postcodes etc and also credit card details and have it open on each computer ready to copy and paste should a window open through for entering your details as every second saved is crucial.

If you are borrowing a credit card from a relative or friend - make sure and have any verified by visa etc second level password to hand as though I can't remember if Seetickets require it, think how sickened you would be to have got through and not have it!!!!!

Keep the landline on redial too although in three years of getting tickets, we never once got through on the phone. I remember ringing it one year the night before to check it and save it in my phone and I actually got through to smeone in seetickets who wished me well for the morning!!!

Its total pot luck - we had 9 or 10 computers all over Ireland last year on broadband but it was one of the crew on dial up in rural Donegal who secured our 6 tickets. The remainder were got on the resale.

Best of luck to all once again

Toast

mickeyboymel wrote: »

If you are borrowing a credit card from a relative or friend - make sure...

Gonna stop you there. The credit card has to belong to the lead booker. You can't borrow a card! It actually doesn't ask for any separate billing details after so it blindly assumes that it belongs to the first person in the booking.

Mince Pie

Toast wrote: »

Gonna stop you there. The credit card has to belong to the lead booker. You can't borrow a card! It actually doesn't ask for any separate billing details after so it blindly assumes that it belongs to the first person in the booking.

I bought one ticket last year so was the lead booker and used my exes card.

Toast

I'm surprised it wasn't rejected. Don't know what to tell you other than any time I've done it it hasn't allowed for different billing information to be entered. Keep in mind I'm talking about the initial payment of the deposit and not the final balance payment which allows you put in any details.

Mince Pie

Toast wrote: »

I'm surprised it wasn't rejected. Don't know what to tell you other than any time I've done it it hasn't allowed for different billing information to be entered. Keep in mind I'm talking about the initial payment of the deposit and not the final balance payment which allows you put in any details.

ah right, that will make sense then cos I got mine in the resale when you paid the full balance up front.

Toast

I'll try find out for sure. I know I paniced a couple of times when my billing address on my card and the registered address was different and didnt get the option of changing during the deposit booking. It still went through without a hitch though but I'd imagine getting the name wrong would be enough to cause a hold on the payment. I think if the payment fails you will get a call from See to fix things rather than just lose out but better not to have the panic.

Mince Pie

Toast wrote: »

I'll try find out for sure. I know I paniced a couple of times when my billing address on my card and the registered address was different and didnt get the option of changing during the deposit booking. It still went through without a hitch though but I'd imagine getting the name wrong would be enough to cause a hold on the payment. I think if the payment fails you will get a call from See to fix things rather than just lose out but better not to have the panic.

I'm going to have to look into this myself cos I don't have a credit card but my friend in the UK is going to be the lead booker so hoping that will be ok. :O

Manchegan

Not only should the lead booker's credit card details be used, but theirs should be the first ID in the list of IDs when making a booking, as it is this ID that is used in the subsequent process. (learned this the hard way - had to close the window with a heavy heart and start again - got straight back in, though )

mickeyboymel

I used my bosses credit card in 2013 and my sisters in 2011 so unless its changed,but I dont think so

You can use any credit card from an international address and any debit card from a UK address.

The card address has nothing to do with the address tied to the registration number, just the lead booker has to pay for all the deposits, but everyone is contacted individually to finalise the balance payments, and indeed to confirm that a deposit has been secured against the Registration number in question.

Fatfrog

Glasto Earth top tip is to copy your reg number, relevant details into a txt or word file, if you get lucky enough to get into the booking page on ticket day, copy and pasting can speed things up (Getting to this page isn't like ticket master where it gives you a spot and 10-15 min to complete) time is critical.

I did this and sent the file to my mate, he got into the page and simply put the details in order with my reg details first. I became the lead Booker, but with his CC details. I got the tickets an receipt to my address, but no issues it seems in doing this.

Mince Pie

Mr.S wrote: »

I think this is the year I finally go to this.

Whats the best travel options form Dublin? Plane and then train / bus?

Concentrate on getting the ticket first then plan the rest.
I didn't get my ticket till the resale this year and it was fecking torture. I would have been even more gutted if I'd planned everything and was unsuccessful. As in, went for the general sale last October and not even a sniff. Come resale I went for a coach from Liverpool and got it straight away. So thats why I'm saying ticket first then plan.

mickeyboymel

It depends on what way you arrive really, as in if you are driving and where you are parked when you arrive:

My Example: In 2011& 2013 I arrived overnight on the Tuesday and parked in West Orange Car Parks. Got away on the Monday relatively easy on both occasions. This year I was offered the choice of Orange Or Yellow on arrival (again overnight), so I opted for yellow as its right beside Gate A & I had a lot of my friends gear, only downside was - yes on Monday was parked much further away from the exits to the roads so it was 5pm when I got off site.

*Edit: Sorry Mr S: Plane Train Options Not Car Doh!

Mince Pie

Mr.S wrote: »

Thankfully I can get tickets via other means but just wanted to price up transport and time!

I've heard it's always a bit of effort leaving the festival?

I'd get to Bristol by plane, keep it light. And most definitely book a night in a hotel before you head home. That shower and rest will be the best ever.

ghostdancer

mickeyboymel wrote: »

It depends on what way you arrive really, as in if you are driving and where you are parked when you arrive:

My Example: In 2011& 2013 I arrived overnight on the Tuesday and parked in West Orange Car Parks. Got away on the Monday relatively easy on both occasions. This year I was offered the choice of Orange Or Yellow on arrival (again overnight), so I opted for yellow as its right beside Gate A & I had a lot of my friends gear, only downside was - yes on Monday was parked much further away from the exits to the roads so it was 5pm when I got off site.

*Edit: Sorry Mr S: Plane Train Options Not Car Doh!

how long were you waiting to get off-site? :eek:

mickeyboymel

We had the car packed and moved off at 11.30am, got 300m down the field and that was it till after 3pm when we managed to get into the queue, then stuck for another 2 hours!

ghostdancer

jaysus! will booking travel home for very late that day or possibly the Tuesday so!

mickeyboymel

I always book the overnight ferry or stay with friends in the UK on the monday, you can never be sure of getting off site quickly.