Cheltenham Racecourse

By train

London about 2 hrs · Birmingham and Bristol about 40 mins

Trains from London run roughly hourly. On racedays you can buy a combined rail and shuttle-bus ticket to the course.

Raceday shuttle bus

Festival: £10 return, £6.50 single

Stagecoach runs continuous shuttles from the station car park and from Clarence Street (stop 8) in town. At other meetings, catch Stagecoach service D.

Walking

30–40 minutes from the station

A pleasant walk through town and Pittville Park on a dry day. It is quicker than a taxi when the roads are closed after racing.

By car

Festival parking must be booked in advance

At the Festival, on-site parking passes must be bought in advance and there are no on-the-day sales. Parking is also charged on November Saturday. Park-and-ride operates from Arle Court near junction 11 of the M5; check the official booking page for current prices. Follow the yellow temporary raceday signs, not the brown permanent ones.

By coach

From 20+ UK pick-up points

National Express runs Festival coaches that drop off a couple of minutes from the gates, one of the quickest ways in and out.

From Ireland

Fly to Birmingham, then 40 mins by train

The Festival draws huge Irish crowds. Flying Dublin to Birmingham and taking the train is the usual route; Irish travel agents sell packages with flights, hotel and transfers.

In the town centre

Best for walking to restaurants, bars and the shuttle bus.

• Queens Hotel, the landmark hotel on the Promenade
• The George Hotel, central and close to the shops
• Holiday Inn Express, a stone’s throw from the Brewery Quarter

Montpellier

Regency streets, independent bars and the town’s best restaurants, on the station side of town.

• Hotel du Vin, with its bistro and champagne bar
• Malmaison, boutique rooms near Montpellier Gardens

Country and spa hotels

For making a weekend of it, with a taxi to the course.

• Ellenborough Park, a luxury manor house hotel
• Cheltenham Chase Hotel & Spa, on Shurdington Road

Staying further out

Often cheaper and easier to find in Festival week.

• Broadway, a Cotswold village about 22 minutes’ drive away
• Bristol or Birmingham, about 40 minutes by train, with more rooms and a big-city night out
• Kemble, about 30 minutes by train to Cheltenham Spa
• The Malvern Hills, about 40 minutes’ drive

The Promenade and Montpellier

Regency terraces, independent shops and cafés. The prettiest part of town, and right next to the centre.

Pittville Park and Pump Room

A big ornamental park with a lake, on the walking route between town and the racecourse.

The Wilson

Cheltenham’s art gallery and museum, and a good rainy-day option in the town centre.

The Cotswolds

Broadway, Winchcombe and the Cotswold villages are a short drive away. Visit Cheltenham lists 11 day trips you can do without a car.

Cheltenham’s other festivals

The town also hosts well-known jazz, literature, music and science festivals through the year. It is worth checking what else is on when you visit.

Events at the racecourse

Outside racing, the course hosts concerts, the Wychwood music festival and Christmas parties.

What to wear

There is no formal dress code in any enclosure. Most people dress smartly, but dress for a cold, wet hillside in March: layers, a warm coat and shoes you can stand in all day. Fancy dress is fine in Best Mate and Tattersalls but not in Club.

Food and drink

Every enclosure has bars and food stalls. You can buy up to four alcoholic drinks at a time, and water is free at every bar.

Bags, food and tickets

All bags are searched. Day-sized bags are fine, but suitcases, holdalls and large rucksacks are not allowed in; use the left-luggage points outside the entrances. You can’t bring your own food or drink, and hip flasks are banned. Tickets bought for collection are handed out at South Drive only.

Your first raceday

Before each race the runners walk round the Parade Ring, the best place to see the horses up close if your ticket allows. Keep walkways clear, never use flash near the horses, and save your ticket offline before you set off.

Betting is optional

You don’t need to bet to enjoy the day. If you do, you must be 18 or over; set a limit before you arrive and never chase losses. On-course bookmakers are the one place you can still pay cash.

Useful extras

Cheltenham Radio earpieces may be available from racecard kiosks for live commentary. The Festival also has a Shopping Village.

Children’s tickets

Outside the Festival, under-18s go free but need a booked child ticket. At the Festival, children aged 5 and over need a half-price ticket; children under 5 are free but still need a ticket.

Who can bring them

Under-18s must come with a responsible adult aged over 21, and at the Festival each adult should be responsible for no more than two under-18s. Children aged 15 and under must stay with that adult.

Groups

Groups of six or more save 10% on Festival tickets. Share the right entrance with everyone (Best Mate has its own), name a meeting point, and check coach passes and drop-off with the racecourse. Fancy dress is fine in Best Mate and Tattersalls, not in Club.

In an emergency

Call 999 and give the address, Evesham Road, Cheltenham, GL50 4SH, plus your enclosure and the nearest landmark. Then tell the nearest steward.

Any other problem

Tell the nearest steward about illness, injury, harassment, a lost child or anything that makes you feel unsafe. For urgent medical advice that isn’t an emergency, call NHS 111.

Tickets and hospitality

Ticketing 0344 579 3003 or ticketing@thejockeyclub.co.uk. Hospitality 01242 537653.

After your visit

Official results and stewards’ reports are on the BHA results page. For lost property, contact the racecourse with the date, place and a description of the item.