How to get to the Cheltenham Festival
How to get to the Cheltenham Festival 2020
The easiest and safest way to purchase tickets to attend the Cheltenham Festival 2020 is to purchase them from the official Cheltenham Racecourse website;
https://www.thejockeyclub.co.uk/cheltenham/events–tickets/the–festival/
Here on this site, you can see the different options of enclosures and prices.
If you are looking for a fun day out that won’t break the bank, we would recommend either the Club Enclosure or Tattersall’s Enclosure as The Park area features entertainment and live music throughout the day, a range of new bars and a 90 minute DJ set. Both enclosures give access to the main parts of the racecourse and allow a race goer to get up close to the parade ring and racetrack itself. Admission into The Park is available to racegoers with a Club or Tattersalls ticket, simply purchase as an upgrade in advance from just £15 per person (save £10 off the on-the-day price)
Travel options to Cheltenham
There are many different way to travel to the Cheltenham Festival 2020. Airports located to Cheltenham Racecourse include Birmingham airport and Bristol airport. The airline Ryanair puts on an extra 30 flights for the Festival to make it easier get to the UK for the week of the Cheltenham Festival.
It is also an option to fly into one of the three London airports, as trains from London to Cheltenham Spa generally take about 2 hours. Trains from Birmingham generally take about 35 minutes and run every half an hour. From Bristol trains leave every hour and also take about 35 minutes.
It is a ten minute taxi ride from the station where you can hop on the bus which goes directly to Cheltenham Racecourse.
It is important to note there are dedicated bus services for all race days at Cheltenham Racecourse.
You can purchase car parking for the Festival from the official Cheltenham Festival website. This is advisable as it is £15 to pre book as opposed to £25 to pay on the day.
Where to stay in Cheltenham
Cheltenham is a relatively small English town based in the county of Gloucestershire in the south of England. Cheltenham Racecourse is based a ten minute drive outside of the town. For the week leading up to and the week of the Cheltenham Festival the town of Cheltenham comes alive! There are many different options for accommodation.
1: Hatton Court is only thirty minutes from Cheltenham Racecourse and is Gloucester’s premier 4 star Country House Hotel located on the beautiful Upton Hill.
2: The White Hart Inn is the busiest venue in the Cotswolds Way. Located 6.4 miles from the racecourse, in the picturesque village of Winchcombe.
3: Holiday Inn Cheltenham Express cheap and cheerful and is in the heart of Cheltenham city.
4: The Thatch Inn, Quedgeley. Built in the 14th century is based 13.3 miles from Cheltenham Racecourse. The Thatch is one of the county’s oldest and most historic buildings still full of its original features and character, boasting a great atmosphere.
Top pubs and clubs around Cheltenham
Cheltenham comes alive for the Cheltenham Festival and 2020 will be no different. With a huge selection of pubs and clubs it is hard to recommend just one! Firm favourites in Cheltenham include:
The Royal Union in Tivoli, which serves only Gloucestershire Real Ales on tap
The Brewhouse and Kitchen in the Brewery
No. 131 – Under the Prom, the list goes on!
The Ivy Montpellier Brasserie in Cheltenham is an all-day dining British restaurant with an all-encompassing menu serving modern British and international classics, seven days a week.
Turtle Bay is an amazing restaurant with a Caribbean theme. Known for it’s tasty food and delicious cocktails the food is reasonably priced and the location is in the town centre.
The Looking Glass is another option for dining out after attending the Cheltenham Races. Based in the town of Cheltenham it offers the diner a fresh organic experience of the produce of the Cotswolds.
Spots to visit while you are in the area
Cheltenham is based in the heart of the Cotswolds. Cheltenham offers a vast variety of shops and boutiques and one cannot visit Cheltenham without at least a walk down the promenade.
There many different entertainment options in Cheltenham, for example Brennen and Brown offer a fantastic Gin Tasting experience. Each session includes four Gin & Tonics, a tour of the distillery, and a sample of something that has been made during the week.
Cheltenham is surrounded by some lovely famous English towns to include Bath which is steeped in history, and the beautiful town of Oxford. Perhaps on a day off from attending the Cheltenham Races one could consider a tour of the Cotswolds Villages from Oxford.
Random facts about the Cheltenham Festival
● The racecourse welcomes half a million racegoers each year, provides local employment and brings an estimated £100 million into the Gloucestershire economy during The Festival week.
● The maximum capacity at Cheltenham on Cheltenham Gold Cup Day is 75,000.
● 2001 was the only year, besides the periods during the two World Wars, that The Festival has been cancelled – and it was due to foot-and-mouth disease.
● The year of 1934 was a historic one because Golden Miller became the first horse to win both the Cheltenham Gold Cup and the Grand National in a single season.
● 28 – The number of National Hunt races run at The Festival.
● Twenty-two fences are jumped during the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
Get the full guide to the Cheltenham Festival 2020 here
