Glastonbury Festival by Train

Glastonbury returns to Worthy Farm, Somerset this year, from Wednesday 26 to Sunday 30 June, and if you’re one of the 200,000 or so music fans lucky enough to have secured a ticket a bumper, possibly muddy (and hopefully sunny) few days of music, arts and entertainment, comedy, theatre, and culinary delights await.

The legendary festival’s line up for 2024(external link, opens in a new tab) doesn’t disappoint, with a host of British talent and international artists set to take over the 100-plus stages, with Dua Lipa, Coldplay, SZA and Shania Twain all being announced to headline the famous Pyramid stage this year. LCD Soundsystem, Little Simz, Burna Boy, Cyndi Lauper, Janelle Monáe, Keane and Jungle have also been confirmed for the festival, with many more acts and attractions still to be announced.

While Glastonbury is well known as a music, art, and foodie extravaganza, its commitment to sustainability and social activism makes it so much more than a music festival. The team at Worthy Farm make tireless efforts to create a more sustainable and eco-conscious environment for festival goers, the surrounding natural landscape and its locality. Banning the use of single-use plastic in 2019 and continuing to use renewable energy where possible are just some of the many ways festival organisers have made efforts to reduce its environmental impact(external link, opens in a new tab).

As well as this, Glastonbury goes to great lengths to promote public transport as the most efficient and eco-friendly way to get there. Getting to Glastonbury 2024 by train is not only the greener choice but it is also a cost-effective one.

So, remember to pack your Railcard(external link, opens in a new tab), wellies, bucket hat, sunscreen, reusable water bottle and an emergency parka. While we cannot guarantee good weather, we can guarantee a comfortable and greener route to the festival of the year by train – with some great money-saving tips to have the best time at Glastonbury 2024!

Where is Glastonbury’s nearest train station?

Glastonbury’s nearest train station is Castle Cary station. On arrival at Castle Cary, there will be a free shuttle bus running from the train station to the festival coach station for festival ticket-holders. You’ll be dropped off by the shuttle bus at Pedestrian Gate A, just at the entrance to the festival grounds.

Buses will run from Wednesday 26 June to Monday 1 July during the day with the last return buses on Sunday and Monday scheduled for people hoping to make the last train back to Castle Cary and Temple Meads stations that night. Make sure you have your festival ticket if you want to make use of the free shuttle bus – it’s mandatory! For this year’s shuttle bus timetable visit the Glastonbury website(external link, opens in a new tab).

How do I get an Advance ticket to travel to Glastonbury?

Advance train tickets are available up to 12 weeks before your journey to Glastonbury. Some train companies offer seat bookings too – check out our Advance tickets page for more information on the savings that can be made for your trip.

Can I use my Railcard with Advance tickets?

Yes you can use your Railcard(external link, opens in a new tab) on Advance tickets for even more savings on your journey to Glastonbury. A Railcard saves 1/3 on rail fares across Britain and is just £30 for one year. Once you purchase your Railcard, you can download your card straight to your phone – it couldn’t be easier. With average annual savings of up to £146, you’ll have made the cost of your Railcard back in just 1 or 2 trips – perfect for a whole summer of festival-hopping and chart-topping trips. Find the best Railcard for you at Railcard.co.uk(external link, opens in a new tab).

Are there any group discounts if we travel by train?

Begin your festival adventure right and soak up the atmosphere with friends when you travel together with GroupSave. GroupSave offers discounts of 1/3 for groups of 3 to 9 people when you travel together. Check out our Group Travel page for more information.

Are there 10 or more of you travelling together? Contact your train company to see if they have large group discounts. There’s a good chance they will. Please note that the discount, times of availability and conditions of use may vary and may require advance booking or seat reservations.

What about taking my luggage on the train?

Please remember you can only bring on the train what you can carry by yourself. Standard conditions of travel remain for the train journey to Glastonbury, so your luggage shouldn’t obstruct other passengers or cause delays when boarding. For further information visit our Luggage page.

Think about making a back-up of your e-ticket

If you’re travelling by train with an e-ticket, make sure your device is sufficiently charged for your journey. As a back-up, it might be a good idea to have a printed copy of your ticket for safekeeping, in case you lose your phone at the festival, or your phone battery runs out.

A top tip from the festival is to keep a spare copy of your return train ticket and book it into the free property lock-up(external link, opens in a new tab) near gate A when you arrive, along with any other valuables – pick it up as you leave for a stress-free journey home from the festival.

Follow the rules of the farm

You’ve already helped cut carbon emissions by choosing to travel by train but we can all do more by following the rules of the farm:

• Put any litter in designated recycling and waste bins

• Don’t bring any glass bottles and remember to bring a reusable water bottle, which you can refill at any of the hundreds of free water taps and 37 WaterAid kiosks across 33 locations around the Glastonbury site

• Keep the farm as you found it and remember to clear up your campsite when you leave