Travel
Buying rail tickets
If you haven’t already booked rail tickets this needs to be done via R&M using the travel portal – select ‘Non-Matter’ and NM01 from the drop down menu to start your booking. If you’re going to be travelling with friends you’re welcome to book tickets collectively to make the most of group rates, although you’ll need to make sure you travel together on the day. Please make sure you book your tickets through R&M as we won’t be able to expense any tickets bought independently.
If you’ve already bought tickets and need to change the times further to the earlier party/rail strike details of how to do so are here:
Bristol departures: If you’ve booked an Off Peak, Super Off Peak or Anytime to depart after 10:00 on Friday 24 June you shouldn’t need to change your ticket as it will be valid for the entire off peak period. New seat reservations can be requested if required via rail@reedmackay.com.
London departures: If you’ve booked an Off Peak or Super Off Peak ticket and now need to travel at peak time, you’ll need to contact rail@reedmackay.com to upgrade to an Anytime ticket. OC will be charged a £10 admin fee per ticket, so it’s worth checking whether you can travel at an off peak time.
Advanced Tickets: If you’ve purchased an Advanced ticket and now needs to change your departure date you’ll need to contact rail@reedmackay.com to amend the ticket. OC will be charged any fare difference plus a £10 admin fee per ticket, so again it’s worth checking that this is needed.
Arrivals
Drivers
If you’re driving to the party and have requested a parking space you will find one waiting for you at the venue. If you are a Blue Badge holder or have difficulty walking far please tell one of the stewards once you arrive and you’ll be directed to a space with easy access to the festival site. Please use postcode RG7 4LY or What3Words reference https://what3words.com/tells.cluttered.songbird to find the party. Please check and ensure that you have business use covered on your motor insurance policy if driving to the party.
Coaches
There will be Osborne Clarke stewards holding branded lollipop signs at the correct entrance to direct you, but here’s the key details:
If you are going direct to the party:
Please make your way out of the South Exit (see map – it’s the one you use when travelling to TVO) on to Station Road – turn right, go down the steps and pick up the bus there.
If you are going via the hotels:
Head to the North Exit (see map). Note this is the opposite side to Reading Station main entrance.
Coaches are travelling between Reading Station, the party and hotels in line with the schedule below. Stewards will direct you onto the correct bus once you arrive at the coach departure point. You’ll need to know which hotel you’re staying in at this point in order for the stewards to direct you. For those of you who aren’t staying over there are buses going straight to the party at each of the times published.
For those of you staying in hotels the coaches will be grouped according to location and you’ll have a chance to drop off luggage at your booked hotel before moving on to the party. We need to ensure a very quick turn around on the luggage drop offs to ensure that the coaches are back for the next pick up (and to you get to the party!) so if you could do your best to move like the wind that’d be great.
For those of you parking at hotels, wanting to pick up bus transfers please ensure that you’ve dropped luggage in line with the check in policy and are waiting in the hotel reception to board the bus. Appreciate that the hotel arrival time will be approximate, and you may be the second hotel stop after departure from Reading Station.
The only buses going via the hotels are those on the arrivals and the final bus at 23:45.
Please note that most of the coaches are at capacity. We need you to travel on the bus and at the time that you have booked to save taking the seat from another party goer.
Once you arrive at the party via coach there is a short walk (3 minutes) down a hill. If you’re not comfortable with this let one of the stewards know and you can be driven down in to the festival site on a golf buggy.
Departures
Coaches
Coaches are scheduled in line with departure times for trains so they will not wait. Please ensure that you are at the bus you’re booked onto in plenty of time for it to leave.
Taxis
Local Reading taxi numbers, should you need them, are listed below:
- Ace Cars – 0118 967 6767
- AAA Cars – 0118 950 4030
Closer to Wasing Park:
- Compass Cars – 0118 970 2233
- A&P Private Hire – 0118 981 5963
If you’re travelling home on the Friday evening and feel uncomfortable taking public transport home from your local train station you’re welcome to expense a taxi home. Please charge it to NM01.
Don’t get stuck, get a taxi…
If you’re in the unfortunate position to have your onward train home on Friday night from Bristol or London cancelled and have no other way of getting home, take a taxi and claim the cost on expenses. Please take a screenshot of the departure board at the station or information on your phone/laptop, showing the cancelled train. Assuming you booked your tickets through R&M, please send them the screenshot so that they can claim the funds back on our behalf. If you booked the trains direct, please find out how you can recoup the cost and follow the rail company’s instructions.
If you need a taxi to get home, please do all that you can to share rides with colleagues so that we try to keep as close to our party budget as possible. As there have been some last minute cancellations, please ignore this email if you are no longer able to come.
Saturday transport
As the rail strike planned for Saturday 25 June affects National Rail only, the Elizabeth Line shouldn’t be affected to Paddington allowing sleepers who live in London and beyond to get home. Note that changes are being made daily, we encourage you to check your own journey for confirmation on train availability. For our Bristol colleagues, we’re laying on buses from Reading back to the Bristol office. There are two TQ bound departures, one at 09:00 and 10:30. These are leaving from the Voco Hotel in Reading, on the road immediately outside the car park.
It is your responsibility to ensure that you are at the bus in time for its departure.
Reading Station Bus Transfer Schedule
