This Guide contains everything you need to get to The Green Gathering in the most environmentally friendly way, bearing in mind your personal circumstances. Drivers, you too can pick up tips for making your journey more fun, and for cutting costs!
Travel accounts for over 90% of our festival’s carbon emissions, so by making a positive change suggested in this Guide, you’ll be helping remove the final hurdle to GG being truly sustainable.
To find out how carbon emissions are affected by different modes of travel you can use this Carbon Calculator – how much smaller can you make your footprint?
For the basics - location, gates, shuttle buses - you can also check Where and How?
Every kilo we carry increases emissions, especially in a car. Plus, packing lighter means less work for you and makes it easier to achieve Steps 2, 3 or 4 which will have the biggest impact.
Check out our Joys of Packing Less for more reasons to pack light.
GET YOUR SHOPPING ON SITE
We always aim to have on-site fruit, veg and grocery stores with a stock of wholefoods, toiletries and camping essentials, and a bakery with fresh bread and pastries. For other grocery items there’s a small supermarket just spitting distance from Lion Gate and plenty of shops in town a lovely stroll or quick bus ride from the festival. By saving your shopping until you get here, you can save carbon and support the local economy. We also have plenty of delicious, reasonably priced ethical food outlets on site.
We have sample Kit-Lists supplied by happy festival goers who in previous years packed light enough to carry their gear to the Gathering.
We’ve also made a list of Things NOT to Bring – these are things that weigh you down that we just don’t think you’ll need.
MORE REASONS TO PACK LIGHT
Everything is SO much easier if you pack light enough to carry all your gear in one go. It will help you get onto site quicker and start your festival even earlier! If you pack more than you can carry, you may have to make multiple journeys to and from the carpark. Every year we find the people who bring most stuff start the festival somewhat tired and stressed. We hope you’ll give yourself a break and cut carbon emissions at the same time!
Please don’t bring a wheeled cart or wheelbarrow – they don’t fit on our buses and you’ll have to unload and fold them up, or walk a really long way, causing you delays and hassle. Once you get off the shuttle bus, there’ll be luggage trikes or wheelbarrows available to help you reach your favourite camping spot.
Want to pack really light? Leave your tent and camping gear at home! Check out Camplight (they upcycle camping gear, bring it to the festival and set it up for you, even offering discounts if you travel by public transport, foot or bicycle - how good is that?) or have a look at our other pre-pitched camping options, including yurts, bell tents and tipis. If you share with friends a lovely, authentic, canvas dwelling can be pretty affordable.
If you really want to travel by car to the festival; car share! This also works for campervans and vintage buses.
Now we’ve helped you pack lighter, there’s room to share your vehicle with more friendly festive folks. We would love to see all cars arriving with at least 3 people inside, and vans with as many people as seats. Will you help us achieve our goal?
WHY CAR SHARING IS GREAT
You reduce the per person carbon footprint of your journey big time! Your journey is much cheaper because you share the fuel costs. You meet other great people going to the fest – you can make solid friends this way. You feel good for helping The Green Gathering cut its carbon footprint.
HOW TO DO IT
You can use any car sharing platform (eg Freewheelers, Blablacar, GoCarShare) or click through our facebook group to request and offer lifts.
If you have a vehicle, please consider offering a lift AND requesting a lift. If everyone wants to drive their own car, we’re gonna have trouble finding enough people to fill those spare seats and vice versa! Flexibility works.
We love and appreciate your commitment to helping cut down our carbon emissions and yours!
Public transport can be expensive, so here are some Tips To Keep Costs Down. Below are some incentives you can take advantage of too.
The nearest train station is in Chepstow. We’ll be running a shuttle bus from the train station to the festival. This bus is a free service but ‘magic hat’ donations are much appreciated to help us cover costs.
If you need to travel outside shuttle bus times, the number 69 public bus runs from the town centre bus station to near the festival entrance – if the driver is unsure where the festival is, ask for ‘Chepstow Racecourse’ and when you get to the racecourse entrance, follow the Green Gathering signs. The public bus station is in the town centre. There’s also a taxi rank outside the railway station, or to walk from the train station to the festival, head into town (5 minutes walk) and then out of town towards the racecourse (approx. 20 min).
FREEBIES & DISCOUNTS FOR CHOOSING PUBLIC TRANSPORT
If you take public transport to the fest, we’d like to show our appreciation by offering you a free eco-printed programme on arrival – simply show your transport ticket when you collect your wristband to receive your free programme.
Camplight will be offering 10% off camping kit packages to bus and train travellers. Hearthworks is offering 10% off Tipi Tent hire and Dorm Tipi Beds for Green Travellers. (Customers will need to contact them with proof of being a Green Traveller, e.g. train tickets booked, to get their discount).
OK. So if you’re considering this you’re one of a growing number of hard-core heroes! There are freebies and discounts you can take advantage of below, because we love you.
PLAN YOUR ROUTE
The Sustrans national cycle network routes usually avoid heavy traffic and huge hills. National route 4 passes through Chepstow and links to others including route 41 which passes through Bristol and route 32.
Which festival gates and routes should cyclists and walkers use?
Find out here
FREEBIES & DISCOUNTS FOR WALKERS AND CYCLISTS
If you walk more than a couple of miles or cycle to the Gathering we’d like to show our appreciation by offering you a free eco-printed programme on arrival: cyclists, show your bicycle or cycle paraphernalia when you collect your wristband at the box office and you’ll be given a free programme; walkers, just bring some evidence e.g. photos of yourself en route, along with dusty/muddy walking boots and an OS map or two!
Plus, Camplight will be offering 10% off camping kit packages, and Hearthworks is offering 10% off Tipi Tent hire and Dorm Tipi Beds, for cyclists and hikers. Contact them when you book your tent to claim your discount.
We want your stories! Whether you’ve taken a small step or a giant leap in greening your transport this year, we want to hear about it. Send us your story, photos or even just a one liner (email travel@greengathering.org.uk). Your stories will give us ideas for spreading the green travel bug in future years.
