Travel from Swindon

[mstares]

Folks,

This summer will be my fourth visit to RIAT. For the past three outings, we have stayed in Swindon, took a rental car or taxi on arrivals/departures days and the shuttle bus on show days (Thus avoiding traffic snarls). For the first two years, this worked well.

Last year however the shuttle was less impressive. More traffic issues and being deposited at yellow gate, held us up.

The dedicated Friat entrance off the blue lot is quite attractive, but can anyone tell me how early we would have to leave Swindon, by car, so as to get into the blue lot in time for the opening of the Friat entrance?

Thanks

Mark

[CJS]

I leave Bristol around 630 and follow the blue route. Normally get parked by about 745/8 ish and join the queue for the cheap seats to get in through the blue gate. If you're FRIAT then obviously you don't have to queue for the gate. I normally end up around 1/3 of the way back in the blue car park but remember they have different entrabces to each which they open and close as the traffic flow demands.

Likewise I don't think there's any guarantee you'll end up in the blue just because you join that route - the police manage the traffic flow as it needs to be. One year I got sent round slightly different way and ended up crossing the top of the runway and parking on the hard standing, which is the green entrance.

From Swindon you 'should' be able to knock off at least 30 minutes from the time taken from Bristol I would think.

[flight79]

i went from Swindon bus station with no traffic going again this year cant wait

[iainpeden]

I stop at Stanton Fitzwarren and have to go via Blunsden just on the north side of Swindon. I leave my hotel at about 5.45 and follow the Blue route in and am usually in the 2nd or 3rd row in the Blue carpark by just after 6. I then recline the car seat and sleep until 8.

That way the initial scrum has subsided a bit and you can make sure you get to the FRIAT entrance - aim for the car park gate by the loos and burger van, don't join the public snake! You may need to "discuss" your way out of the car park to the FRIAT entrance with whoever is on the gate but it's not too far a walk if you have to walk back a bit then up the lane.