Visitors Guide For Going to the Grand National: How To Get There, How Busy Will It Be?
The Grand National is one of the most famous races on the planet. Often referred to as the ‘World’s Greatest Steeplechase‘, the event sees hundreds of thousands of people descend on Liverpool and millions tune in to watch the race itself. If you’re planning on going, you might want to know a little bit more about what to expect and how you can get the most out of your experience.
As a city, Liverpool comes alive when the Grand National rolls around, with everyone getting into the spirit of the big race in the days leading up to it. If you’re heading to the city then you’re likely to have an amazing time, with the following being some key things to think about.
It’s More Than Just the Big Race
The first thing that it’s worth remembering when it comes to the Grand National is that it is about more than just the one race. In fact, there is a festival of racing that takes place in the days leading up to the main event, so you might just want to head to Liverpool a few days before the Saturday of the National itself in order to soak up as much of the atmosphere as you can.
The Grand National Meeting lasts for three days, with racing getting underway on the Thursday before Ladies’ Day comes around on the Friday and fashion is almost as important as the horse racing. This is when big hats and high heels are all the vogue, to say nothing of stunning dresses.
@foreveruniqueofficial Ladies Day at Aintree🐎💞 #foreverunique #taramaynardxforeverunique #ladiesday #ladiesdayoutfits #racesoutfit
If you want to experience Aintree Racecourse and Liverpool as a whole in all of its glory then taking in Ladies’ Day is an absolute must. Hairdressers start work in the early hours and go right the way through, making sure that the men and women that head to them look at their absolute best before they trot off to the course.
The Style Awards take place on the day, seeing the best dressed winning a prize or two. Whilst none of the days have an official dress code, you can bet your bottom dollar that everyone will be dolled up to the nines as they dress to impress. It is a festival of colour as much as it is of horse racing, so do bear that in mind.
Getting to Aintree
If you want to get the racecourse but aren’t sure how then this is the section for you. Whilst the Grand National is thought of as being the Liverpool horse race, Aintree Racecourse is actually outside of the city centre and so you’ll need to know how to travel from your hotel or other place of stay to the course. Merseyrail runs a special timetable that sees trains running from Liverpool City Centre out to Aintree Station on a regular basis.
The trains run before the races begin and after they’ve ended on each of the three days of racing, whilst heading there from the likes of Ormskirk, Southport and the Wirral is also easy enough.
Please note, any racegoers travelling to Aintree for this evening’s fixture!
Be aware that the M58 is currently closed heading into Liverpool and is not expected to re-open before 5 pm.
Please consider an alternate route if you plan to travel via the M6 or M58.
— Aintree Racecourse (@AintreeRaces) May 17, 2024
If you’re more of a bus person then you can get the 300, 310 and 345 from Liverpool out to Aintree with relative ease. Obviously it doesn’t matter which of the public transport options you’re going to get, they are likely to be extremely busy. If you want to drive or even get a taxi, it’s key to remember that road closures will be in place around the race, to say nothing of the fact that parking is extremely difficult anywhere near the course.
The racecourse is on the A59, which is about a mile from the M57 and the M58, with plenty of signs to the course and the car parks once you get closer that you can follow to ensure you don’t get lost.
What Will it be Like?
Anyone heading along to Aintree Racecourse for the Grand National is in for an excellent day. Liverpool knows how to do hospitality, arguably better than any city on the planet, so you can expect a brilliant time whilst you’re there. The racecourse itself offers excellent facilities for all, with plenty of bathrooms as well as places to get food and drink.
Many will eat and drink before they head to the course if they can, largely because the Jockey Club puts its prices up high for the main meetings and you’ll have to pay an exorbitant amount for something as simple as a pint of Guinness or a glass of wine once you’re a captive audience.
Given the extent to which it is one of the most loved races in the world, it is fair to say that Aintree Racecourse will be extremely busy on the day of the race. This is worth planning ahead for, both in terms of how you’re going to get there and also how you spend your time once you’re inside.
If you can afford it, it is probably worth paying a little extra for hospitality on the day of the Grand National, simply because all of the public area will be overwhelmed with people. That will make getting a drink or a bite to eat a time-consuming process if you don’t have a more private area that you can head to on the day.
Things to Think About
In spite of the fact that more and more places are not only taking contactless payments but even insisting upon it nowadays, cash is still king on racecourses. That is because many of the bookmakers will only take bets in cash, so you should remember to take some with you. If you’re doing that, however, you should also make sure that you know how to keep it safe.
Any time there are large crowds anywhere in the world, someone in the crowd will be looking to make a quick buck if they can, even if via nefarious means.
You don’t have to be a genius bettor to win on the Grand National, with the nature of the race being such that it is often an unsuspecting horse that makes it across the finish line first.
Even so, doing a bit of research won’t be a bad thing and you would do well to ignore the ‘tips’ from others on the course. No one knows anything when the Grand National comes around.
