200,000 people. 100+ stages. 5 days. 1 festival.
Glastonbury Festival is the UK’s biggest festival — and you’re gonna be there.
But don’t think just because your ticket is purchased and your camping gear is packed that you’re all squared away. You’ve still got to get to Glastonbury in time for the opening acts.
Assuming you can hop on a last-minute train to Glasto? Not so fasto.
Here’s everything you need to know about getting to the Glastonbury Festival site by train.
When is Glastonbury 2024?
Glastonbury 2024 takes place between Wednesday, 26 June, and Sunday, 30 June, 2024.
Who is playing Glastonbury 2024
Since 1970, Glastonbury has brought the best bands from rock, pop, folk, rap, hip hop, and more to southwest England and Glastonbury 2024 is no different. This summer’s awesome lineup of artists includes Dua Lipa, Coldplay, SZA, Shania Twain, Keane, Remi Wolf, James Blake, Camila Cabello, Janelle Monáe, PJ Harvey, Bloc Party, Avril Lavigne, and Cyndi Lauper.
Where is Glastonbury 2024?
This is important: Glastonbury Festival is not actually in the town of Glastonbury. Glastonbury 2024 will be hosted at Worthy Farm in Pilton, a village roughly 10 miles east of Glastonbury. Don’t worry though: getting to Glastonbury Festival by train is comfortable, convenient, and not as complicated as you might think.
Image Credit: Andrew Allcock
How to get to Glastonbury by train
Let’s remix Dua Lipa and count these new rules for getting to and from Glastonbury by train.
Rule 1: Plan an easy route from the platform to the Pyramid
Some people drive to Glastonbury… then rethink that decision when stuck in traffic simply trying to leave the Festival site.
The goal is to get to and from Glastonbury as safely, stress-free, and sustainably as possible. Trade the traffic for the train and ride to Castle Cary railway station — the closest train station to the Glastonbury Festival site.
Festival-goers living near cities around London, Manchester, and even Edinburgh have dozens of train route options, some direct and others with one or two simple connections. Then, just catch the shuttle from Castle Cary to Worthy Farm.
Since taking the train to Castle Cary is already a sustainable alternative to driving a car, you can double down on your CO2 cuts by cycling to the Festival site. Glastonbury charges no additional fee to enter with a bicycle and store it in a secure compound.
🚆 Trainline tip: You can piece together a journey using bus travel, like National Express coaches. This is an ideal pairing for anyone who doesn’t live close to a train station or who needs an extra bit of assistance getting to the Pyramid via the platform.
Rule 2: Snag the cheapest tickets possible
How much money are you going to spend at Glastonbury? Exactly. You deserve to buy all the merch, drinks, and food you want without worrying about breaking your travel budget.
Taking the train can save you serious dough, especially if you think beyond the standard ticket.
- For groups: You’ve already bought Festival tickets with your mates; might as well purchase GroupSave train tickets that drop the price by 1/3.
- For twosomes: Make it a date with your beau or bestie with a discounted Two Together Railcard.
- For flying solo: If you haven’t checked out the benefits of a National Railcard, Glastonbury is the perfect time to secure cheap fares. There are multiple Railcards for veterans, seniors, and other age-specific categories.
🚆 Trainline tip: Don’t wait until the week before Glasto to purchase rail or coach tickets. Booking Advance Tickets is a great way to secure tickets early for cheap. You can also check out SplitSave tickets, which still get you from A to B, but with multiple tickets rather than one.
Image Credit: Andrew Allcock
Rule 3: Pack light no matter how you go to Glasto
Take the train, the bus, just don’t take more than you need.
Packing light looks different for everyone. For instance, while you can cycle from Castle Cary train station to Glastonbury Festival’s site, we’d only recommend those who are used to roaming on two wheels bring their bikes.
The most important items to have for an outdoor festival are sunscreen, a reusable water bottle, a hat or sunglasses, and a warm layer for when the sun goes down. The less you pack, the less you have to carry around.
🚆 Trainline tip: Rail travel and Glastonbury Festival aim to operate as sustainably as possible.
Help the cause and prioritise green packing. Skip the single-use items and bring reusable essentials whenever possible. Leave disposable items at home, particularly things that are non-biodegradable like body glitter and disposable vapes.
Join us and thousands of other Festival-goers who’ve already made the pledge to swap one car journey for rail travel. Taking the train produces 67% less carbon pollution than driving, which means swapping a single car trip for a ride along the UK’s extensive rail network makes an immediate positive impact on the environment.
We’re proud of our railway riders who take every opportunity to curb their carbon footprint. Purchasing a train ticket isn’t just a choice; it’s a contribution to the healthy future of our planet.
Image Credit: Andrew Allcock
Preshow screenshot: trains to Glastonbury
Save this line-up of trains to Glastonbury to help you plan your visit.
- Closest train station to Glastonbury festival: Castle Cary
- Trains from London to Glastonbury: London Paddington or London Waterloo to Castle Cary
- Trains from Birmingham to Glastonbury: Birmingham New Street via Reading to Castle Cary
- Trains from Manchester to Glastonbury: Manchester Piccadilly via Reading to Castle Cary
- Trains from Bristol to Glastonbury: Bristol Temple Meads via Westbury to Castle Cary
- Trains from Reading to Glastonbury: Reading to Castle Cary
- Trains from Edinburgh to Glastonbury: Edinburgh Waverley via Bristol Parkway to Castle Cary
Don’t see your station? We’ve still got you covered for rail and coach travel. Download the Trainline app and search all the routes available to Glastonbury.
Header Image Credit: Andrew Allcock