A festival ticket gets you into the site. It does not get you to the site. Transport from major cities to festival sites is often the most logistically complex part of the booking, and it sells out faster than most people expect.
Glastonbury's National Express coaches sell out within minutes of going on sale, often before the festival tickets themselves are confirmed. Coachella's shuttle passes sell out within hours of the initial ticket sale. Booking transport and the event ticket separately, but at the same time, is the correct approach.
Glastonbury Festival takes place at Worthy Farm near Pilton, Somerset, approximately 180km from London.
Transport options:
| Option | Departs From | Travel Time | Price | Booking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| National Express coach | London, Bristol, Birmingham, Manchester + 40 cities | 3 to 5 hours | £25 to £55 return | nationalexpress.com |
| Glastonbury Shuttle (last mile) | Castle Cary station | 20 minutes | £8 return | Same as festival ticket |
| GWR train to Castle Cary + shuttle | London Paddington | 2 hours train + 20 min shuttle | From £40 + £8 | gwr.com + festival site |
| Drive and park | On-site parking near festival | N/A | £60 to £90 parking | Festival official site |
The Castle Cary strategy: Taking the GWR train from London Paddington to Castle Cary (the station closest to the festival) and connecting via the official shuttle is more reliable and often cheaper than London coach services. Trains run throughout the festival period. Book train tickets at gwr.com as soon as festival dates are announced (typically autumn for the following June).
National Express coaches: Book at nationalexpress.com the moment the booking link goes live. The coaches sell out within minutes on the first booking day. Set a reminder for the announced booking opening time.
Coachella takes place in the Coachella Valley desert, approximately 200km from Los Angeles.
Official shuttle pass: Sold through AXS at the same time as festival tickets. Cost: $75 to $100 for the full weekend. Shuttles depart from multiple Los Angeles-area pickup points (Pomona Fairplex, Downtown LA, Hollywood).
The shuttle pass is separate from the festival wristband. You buy both simultaneously from AXS. The shuttle sells out in the first hour of the ticket sale.
Driving: Recommended only if you rent a car from the Palm Springs area. Parking on-site costs $125 for the weekend. Traffic leaving the festival on Sunday night adds 2 to 4 hours.
Palm Springs shuttle: The City of Palm Springs operates an official Coachella shuttle from Palm Springs to the venue and back. Cost: $5 each way. Available for purchase at the Palm Springs Visitor Center during festival weekends.
Enter your departure city and the festival name to see available coach, train and shuttle departure times for festival weekend. Includes last transport return schedules so you plan your departure before services stop.
Find Festival TransportGet Festival Booking GuideTomorrowland operates its own transport system called "DreamVille Travel."
DreamVille packages: Tomorrowland sells accommodation and transport as packages through their Global Journey programme. These cover flights, coaches and transfers from 90 countries.
For nearby visitors (Belgium, Netherlands, Germany):
Train to Boom: No direct train service. The nearest station is Boom, served from Antwerp (20 minutes). Festival shuttle connects Boom station to the site. Buy the shuttle ticket through the festival booking system.
Shuttle from Brussels: Official Rock Werchter shuttle from Brussels-Central and Brussels-Midi. Book at rockwerchter.be during ticket purchase process.
Train and local bus: A combination of IC train to Leuven and a connecting bus to Werchter is the cheapest option (approximately €8 to €12 from Brussels).
Train to East Midlands Parkway: The closest rail station. Festival shuttle connects directly to the site.
Festival shuttle: Book at downloadfestival.co.uk. Runs from East Midlands Parkway, Nottingham, Derby, Loughborough and Leicester.
Driving: Large on-site parking available. Book parking at the festival site when purchasing tickets.
Fuji Rock takes place at Naeba Ski Resort in Niigata Prefecture, approximately 200km from Tokyo.
Shinkansen and shuttle: Take the Joetsu Shinkansen from Tokyo to Echigo-Yuzawa (75 minutes, ¥5,610 with JR Pass, ¥6,250 without). Festival shuttle from Echigo-Yuzawa station to Naeba (40 minutes, ¥2,000 return).
Book the shuttle in advance at fujirock.jp when tickets go on sale. Shinkansen seats on the first Friday of the festival sell out; book at least 3 weeks ahead.
Drive from Tokyo: 2.5 to 3 hours on the Kan-Etsu Expressway. Parking at the site is available but fills quickly. Petrol costs approximately ¥3,500 to ¥4,500 return.
Follow this order regardless of which festival you attend:
Missing the official transport means relying on private coaches at 2 to 3 times the official price or driving when parking and fuel costs exceed the official transport price.