Around 250,000 people are expected to attended the 2025 Cheltenham Festival.
The four-days of thrilling action is one of the biggest in the horse racing calendar and is capped off by the famous Gold Cup race. The Cheltenham Racecourse will welcome punters from near and far from Tuesday, March 11 to Friday, March 14. Attendance during festival triples the town’s population and the event is worth an estimated £274 million to the local economy – prize money across the four days will be in excess of £4.9 million.
But for those lucky enough to get themselves a ticket, excitement will be brewing that one racing bet can change their life. They just have to get their first. Planes, trains and automobiles comes to mind when those above the border decide to transport themselves down to the idyllic Gloucestershire setting for The Jockey Club showstopper.
And Record Sport has the lowdown on how to get to the Cheltenham Festival and how you can save a few pennies along the way!
When is the Cheltenham Festival?
The horseracing showcase takes place every day over March 11-14. Races start at 1:20pm each day with the feature races taking place from 4pm. The final races will start at 5:20pm each day.
Can I travel to Cheltenham Festival by bus?
Yes you can, but it is a long haul – around 9 hours and 30 minutes to be exact. But if you fancy it, National Express are offering a return trip (March 10-March 15) from Glasgow’s Buchanan Station to Royal Well Coach Station, Cheltenham for £84. From Edinburgh Central to the same station it will cost slightly less on the same days, at £80.
Can I travel to Cheltenham Festival by train?
The nearest railway station to the racecourse is Cheltenham Spa. From Glasgow the cheapest tickets appear to be from Central Station where journey times to Cheltenham Spa range from 5-7 hours. According to Trainline the cheapest tickets, for a full Cheltenham return trip (March 10-March 15), will cost £125 with departure times at 1:09pm and 5:15pm respectively. For similar times from Edinburgh Waverley it will cost around £150 return.
Can I park my car at Cheltenham?
There are several car parks located around the Cheltenham Racecourse site and those driving to the event need to book parking places online. Unfortunately, car parking passes are now sold out for all four days. The best bet is perhaps to try and park at the Arle Court Park and Ride and take a shuttle bus. Or if staying in local hospitality venue, organise a taxi in advance.
What are the transport links like in Cheltenham?
Race-goes than make their way to and from Cheltenham Racecourse via a few ways:
Arle Court Park and Ride
Located directly off Junction 11 of the M5 (Golden Valley Interchange), buses will run every 15 minutes from 9:15am 2:30pm to the racecourse for the first time. Return journeys to Arle Court Park and Ride start from 4pm until 7:30pm. Tickets are £15 per day and journey time is around 20 minutes without heavy traffic.
Shuttle bus
Stagecoach provides a shuttle bus service for Cheltenham Festival, operating between Cheltenham Spa Railway Station, Cheltenham town centre and the racecourse’s south car park. Tickets are £9 return and £6 single.
Trains
The nearest railway station to the racecourse is Cheltenham Spa. As well as the shuttle bus, racegoers can walk or cycle between 2 to 3 miles (3.3km – 4.18km) directly to the venue.
Will there be any travel disruption during Cheltenham?
National Highways is advising drivers using the M5 in Gloucestershire to plan ahead and allow extra time for their journeys during the Festival. The busiest times on the roads are usually between 9.30am and 12.30pm each day.
All planned roadworks in and around Cheltenham will be postponed during the four days of the festival. Great Western Railway, which has train services running through Cheltenham Spa, said there is no planned engineering work at the station. Extra trains to support people travelling in and out of Cheltenham are being organised, but parking at the station will be suspended.
Great Western Railway says this year more than 40 trains will serve Cheltenham Spa station to get racegoers to and from the festival site. Many of them are being laid on in addition to usual timetabled services to cater for the increase in demand.
Cheltenham Spa Station Manager Ben Scott said: “We can’t wait to welcome racegoers back again this year. It is fantastic that so many people choose to make a day of it and travel by train. Just remember, however, that as a result our trains will be extremely busy. To help ease congestion through the station, please do buy the connecting bus ticket before you arrive.
“For the return journey, a queuing system will be in place to help people safely board trains, so please give yourself a little extra time to get home and check the time of your last train home – and that’s even more important if you have come from further afield.”