Best place for a Friday midnight pick-up from Reading Festival?

[Stillnoidea]

Hello

I’ve read past threads and asked ChatGPT but really I want to know: which is better for Friday night midnight pick up from Reading festival? Tesco, Caversham Waitrose, or the official pick up car park?

Any top tips much appreciated!! I’m picking up 5 16yr old boys 😱

You could get them to walk towards Vastern Road, outside the Thames Water offices, should be easier to pick up. About 5 minutes away

Where will you be coming from? Heading back to?

Will make a big difference to getting stuck in traffic.

Coming from Peppard, going back to Cambridge.

Happy to drive long way round from Peppard if it means shorter drive after. Know Reading semi well as grew up there.

@Stillnoidea
What direction will you be coming from?
Tesco in Portman Road is easily walkable from the festival. However, there will be some road closures near the festival at that time so best to come from the opposite direction.

Ooooo - I was thinking Tesco Napier Road but Tesco Portman Road looks much better. Does it get stupidly busy? Do I need to park hours before?

Actually scrap that - Napier Road may be better but depends on Caversham traffic.

Or Forbury Retail Park? But prob too far away / fines?

To be honest I don’t know even I don’t live far from there but the car park is massive. There is also a smaller paid car park on the other side of the store in Oxford Road. Beware that parts of Richfield Avenue and Cow Lane are going to be closed at that time. So if you decide to go to Portman Road , it would be best to drive along Oxford Road and the turn right at the big roundabout into Wigmore Lane.

The Portman Road one is far less busy than it used to be, although traffic could be heavy-ish on Friday evening. Bear in mind that day ticket holders are directed through a particular exit, which is usually towards the Caversham Bridge side of the site.

There shouldn’t be a problem with fines as they have McDonalds there, which I am sure will be still open.

That's miles away!

Tesco Portman Road is probably your best bet but be warned that there have been lots of unsavoury characters hanging round the car park recently so would advise the lads to wait near the store in a well lit area

McDonald's closes at 11pm. I dont know what the rules are for parking on tne street there, or if the car park has a barrier or will still be open.
It's a far trek from the festival site too. Not miles, but quite a walk.

Thank you - you are all being so helpful

@Roundaboot is it safe for a 54 yr old woman to wait in?

@Stillnoidea oh yeah, I would imagine there'll be plenty of other people doing the same thing so it'll probably be busy.

@Stillnoidea
If you are coming from Peppard then Waitrose is a good place to meet as you drive right past it to get to the bridge and to the festival site.

Richfield Avenue will be closed from 10.30 until 1 am and you won’t be able to drive through to Portman Road, which is the opposite direction from where you are coming from anyway.

Chester Street car park, behind Prospect Street is another good option which is on the right side of town for you.

Thank you @FormerlySpeckledyHen - another useful spot to know of. Will Caversham be hell though? I was half thinking of driving either round via pangbourne to the Oxford Road side, or round by sonning to the Reading Tesco side but I am probably over thinking it all.

It certainly gets very busy near Caversham bridge with both traffic and pedestrians crossing the roads (and not looking where they’re going.). I think that going through Sonning or Pangbourne may be a good idea.

I used to do pick ups from Priory Avenue but I'm not sure whether there are double yellow lines there now.

@Stillnoidea I will pm you with another suggestion (don't want to make it too public)!