I-Exist 2016 FAQ

Getting to and from Glastonbury


What accommodations are fun and affordable?


I’m worried I’m not strong enough to keep up. How strenuous is it?


Will you give background information on the places we see and visit?


Food and Drink


Entrance tickets and other costs


Driving on the left? AGH!


Getting There

If you are planning to fly in, the sooner you book, the cheaper. The closest airport to Glastonbury is Bristol, although there tend to be more bargain deals to London’s main airports (Luton, Gatwick, Heathrow and Southend). When you are registered, you will be invited to a Google Doc. to fill out details. At the same place, you can see who else is flying in where, with the possibility of sharing rides or car rentals.

By public transport, it’s important to order coach and/or train tickets in advance. This can make a dramatic difference in cost. Castle Carey is the nearest train station to Glastonbury. From there it is possible to travel by bus (line 667) to Glastonbury.

Keep in touch so we can make travel as easy as possible for everyone!

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Places to Stay

Camping is the cheapest option – with UK campsites these days boasting good facilities are Wifi. (It’s also a way to sink deep into nature!) There is the Isle of Avalon Campsite, and the Paddington Farm organic camp site (which can cost as little as 7BP a head).

If you’re looking for the more relaxed and traditional B&B, check prices first at AIRBNB, where there are many delightful options, (including self-catering).

Some of our guests are already booked at St Annes B&B, so it’s full already. But the delightful chef and host Mathura has another B&B across the road, which is vegetarian and worthwhile. Contact St Annes, for more information about it!

Last we heard, there are still rooms available within the guest houses of the Chalice Well Gardens. As this is our venue for the last two days, it could be lovely to stay there (beyond the astounding beauty of the gardens and magic of the wells).

In general, try to be within Glastonbury itself, as there is more fun and more practical in terms of meetup times for venues and excursions.

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Physical Health

There are many participants who are older and have physical limitations, so we make every effort to provide enjoyable, fulfilling lighter options to the tougher walks. We will divide the group when needed for easier routes etc. As long as we are aware of the limits of each participant, we truly believe we can make this fun for everyone. So communication is the most important factor in planning!

The most strenuous of the activities are:

•Climbing Glastonbury Tor (it’s a short steep climb but is really worthwhile – the perspective is amazing – and can be taken slowly)

•The processional walk through the rocks of Avebury (it’s a longish walk but on relatively flat ground)

•The Wookey Hole hike (This is on Saturday afternoon. It has its challenging moments but we are happy to make an alternative route for part of the group. We all meet up at the pub at the end. The intention is to absorb the energy of the land there, more than to exhaust the body! )

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History and Information

Year be year, we love to share with you what we know and learn about this incredible area of our planet and these timeless sites that stand as monuments to our human history. Much of the program is attuned to the places we visit in terms of spiritual/energetic content. Over time, the standard history of the places we visits expands, including more esoteric insights we have learned from local residents. It also gets updated according to archeological discovery, which continues to this day!

In general, we really enjoy this expanding pool of knowledge and warmly invite participants to dive in and share from their own learning, discoveries and open questions. This is part of the richness of I-Exist!

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Food & Drink

We will see plenty of Glastonbury pubs and Bart insists on preparing his delicious soups for us on the days when we are on site in Glastonbury. Contrary to the general reputation of British food, the eating options for evening meals and Glastonbury are surprisingly good. Glastonbury boasts Britain’s best Knights Fish and Chip Shop (offering gluten-free and vegetarian options; and pubs such as Who’d A Thought It are quite yummy with a warm and welcoming alternative atmosphere.

There are also heaps of vegan and vegetarian eating options in town. Eating out is not always cost effective, or what we want after a lot of process work, so if you recognize thism consider self-catering options as places to stay. Sometimes the comfort of our food and the privacy of a bed and some TV is just what we need. There are grocery shops in town, or you could accompany us on one of the shops for group supplies in the bigger stores on the outskirts of town.

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Entrance tickets and other costs

All costs of entrance tickets, where applicable, are included in the price of the retreat, according to the program. Costs for transport to sites at a distance such as Wells and Stonehenge are also covered by us. If planning means that we ask you to take passengers in your rented car, you will be reimbursed the price of petrol, per head for the journey (and warmly thanked for driving).

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Driving on the Left is freaking me out. What can I expect?

Driving on the left is much easier than we might expect. This is partly because the whole dimension of driving in the UK is on the left, so it’s intuitive to go with the flow. For a while, you might be opening the window instead of changing gear (the drivers seat is also the opposite and is on the right), but the adjustment can happen very easily. Take it slow at first. British drivers are relatively considerate (it’s the only country where we’ve seen a large sign asking motorists to queue in the fast lane!).

The points of vulnerability are roundabouts (circles), where it’s important to look to the right for traffic, not left; and empty roads with T-junctions where there is a risk of forgetting which side of the road to get on.

Driving in the UK is fun. Parking tickets much less. Consult with us about safe places to park in Glastonbury to avoid the traffic wardens!

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