Getting to Cheltenham?

Tinytony

Hi guys,

Thinking of heading to Chelthenham for the November meeting, and was just wondering what is the best way to get their? Was thinking of flying to Birmingham on the Saturday morning, is it easy get to Chelt by train from there? Have never been over before so fairly clueless and would appreciate the advice from someone who's been over before.

Thanks

Cantoris

Birmingham is a very easy option although the flights can be expensive. From the airport, get the Sky Train (a monorail) to New St Station. Only take five mins and comes every five mins. From New St, it's about forty mins to Cheltenham. Trains are fairly regular, every hour at least but need to check the timetables with British Rail. Once into Cheltenham, get a taxi to wherever you are staying or the racecourse. Station is very near town centre. Will only take fifteen mins to get to racecourse if no real traffic so get there early. What time you planning to get your flight? If there are a few of you, a taxi is also an option, particularly if you are tight on time. About £100 to Cheltenham. Taxis at the airport have cards with standard fares to Cehltenham so check the different taxi companies. Anyhting else I can help you with, let me know....I've been to the Paddy Power, Bula and Festival. Paddy Power and Bula are cracking meetings with smaller crowds. If you are going to the Bula, stick around for the sales afterwards.

Tinytony

Cheers, looking at going to the Paddy Power, fly over the Saturday morning, think it gets into Birmingham and 08:30 so even allowing for delays should be alright for time. Take in the racing Saturday and Sunday and back home Monday afternoon. Flights working out roughly €60 (before ryanair lump on whatever fees they invent between now and then).

What's it like for accomodation? Wouldn't be too fussed about where we stay more just a reasonably priced place to throw the head down for a few hours!

knighted

hows things -i booked a car at birmingham airport with hertz for the paddy power in november ,ford focus for 42 sterling fri till sun nite ,

Loni

Hi. If you haven't booked accomodation in Cheltenham by now for the November meeting, you probably won't find any in the town, as the meeting is almost getting as popular as the festival with people booking accommodation for the whole weekend well in advance.

If you have a car it won't be too bad as you can book into places in towns within the Cotswolds but thats not ideal. Bristol would be the largest town/City to Cheltenham and will have regular bus services to Cheltenham which takes about an hour.

hiscan

a few of us are going over this year and we are flying into east midlands airport its near enough the same drive to cheltenham as bristol airport, we flew to bristol last year but the flights were very exspensive this year as loni said its getting to be a very popular meeting ,we fly over sat morning back monday, we book a hotel when we go ,over stayed in gloucster last year great town

knighted

http://www.cheltenhamracingaccommodation.com/local.htm

private house accomadation still available 50 sterling per nite most are in the centre of cheltenham

every year i stay in the same house although not thru this agency -
from what i believe the hotels are booked up and its as expensive as the festival -but worth it

Tinytony

Cheers lads,

Ya accommodation seems to be the sticking point. Been googling alot today but haven't come across anything. One of our mates is going over courtesy of Paddy Power(that's what gave me the urge to book it) so he thinks he may be able sort us with rooms in the same hotel. If not private accom seems to be the way to go, any hotels I checked are booked out. Pity I didn't think of this a while back!

Cantoris

There should still be plenty of B&B accomodation. We normally stay in a rpivate house....have been staying there for years. But didn't work out last Nov so we stayed in a B&B on road from racecourse into town. Great little spot for £50 a night. Which is not too bad at all for its location. And owner even drove us up to the races when we were running late for the races....and a decent fry. Not sure whether it has filled up for this year but if you are interested I can send on details. Booked through an agency like most of accomodation in Chellers.

Tinytony

Well lads,

Flights booked and have applied for the private accom via the Chelthenham tourist Information Center. Going to take in the Friday and Saturday and home Sunday afternoon. Really looking forward to it now.

Is there any particular enclosure I should try to get tickets for or is the general access good enough?

Colonel Sanders

don't think they have a club/tatts split on the friday or the sunday.

I think club on the saturday was only an extra tenner last year, worth as its less crowded and the bookmakers boards can get in the way of your view in tatts. Never been there but have been told to avoid the Best Mate enclosure like the plague, in any case you can't get to the parade ring to see the horses from there.

EDIT: If you're between the ages of 16-24 on the 1st of october you can use the 16-24 club to get cheaper entrance.

Tinytony

Well got it all sorted. Thanks for the help lads. I have the private accommodation booked. Working out at £45 a night p/p and seems to be central enough.

I won't qualify for the 24-16 category, but I'd say we'll go the whole hog for the club enclosure. The initial group of 4 has swelled to 20 odd! The main group are going on the Saturday and Sunday and managed to get accomodation in the Travel Lodge for both nights. Only £70 a room. Seems like a fairly good deal.

knighted

could you give me the link to the travel lodge as friends of mine are looking for hotel accommadation -only thing ,is it the travel lodge on the outskirts of cheltenham or the one in south gloster as thats about 20 mins in a taxi -cheers

Tinytony

knighted wrote: »

could you give me the link to the travel lodge as friends of mine are looking for hotel accommodation -only thing ,is it the travel lodge on the outskirts of Cheltenham or the one in south gloster as thats about 20 mins in a taxi -cheers

They booked the place on the edge of Cheltenham, http://www.travelodge.co.uk . The website says it's full at the moment but my friend rang directly and managed to get rooms. Rooms do come available on the website some days (i assume as cancellations come in) but we weren't able to get any to cover both nights.

pid()

Have any of you tried any of the cheltenham packages?

Colonel Sanders

pid() wrote: »

Have any of you tried any of the cheltenham packages?

I've ony ever booked everything seperately myself (apart from accomodation as that usually fills up v quickly). That goes for summer hols as well as racing trips. Travel agents etc provide a service and you pay for that service. Cut out the middle man and save yourself money.

pid()

Colonel Sanders wrote: »

I've ony ever booked everything seperately myself (apart from accomodation as that usually fills up v quickly). That goes for summer hols as well as racing trips. Travel agents etc provide a service and you pay for that service. Cut out the middle man and save yourself money.

That's what I was thinking.... I'm going over in March, bringing my father over for his 50th as he has never been before... I was looking at a package for 980 euro each, that included flights from dublin, transport from the airport to our hotel, transport from the hotel to the races 4 day Tatteralls enclosure badge. Do you think I'd be better off trying to arrange that myself? I'm not going to be booking this until November 20th so I am worried about availability.

Colonel Sanders

Booking tickets this side of xmas would be no bother, and afaik they are discounted before xmas too. Flights may turn out to be the expensive part, ryanair are no mugs and it can be hard to get them for reasonable prices. They often go up and down like a yo yo. At this stage you could surely get hotels, if not ring the woman mentioned above (Liz Coe) to sort out B&B in someone's house, will cost between 40 & 50 pounds a night.

Price all of the above, shouldn't take too long online and compare prices.

pid()

Cheers Colonel Sanders. I'll do that over the weekend.

Murta

Colonel Sanders wrote: »

Booking tickets this side of xmas would be no bother, and afaik they are discounted before xmas too. Flights may turn out to be the expensive part, ryanair are no mugs and it can be hard to get them for reasonable prices. They often go up and down like a yo yo. At this stage you could surely get hotels, if not ring the woman mentioned above (Liz Coe) to sort out B&B in someone's house, will cost between 40 & 50 pounds a night.

Price all of the above, shouldn't take too long online and compare prices.

Ryanair and Aer Lingus normally take the smeg with flights into Birm&Bristol during Festival week. I normally found it much cheaper to fly into London and hop on stage coach to Cheltenham Tues morning.
Latroom.com and ratestogo.com are excellant websites. I always boom with one of them and pay between £40-60 for a room in either Cheltenham or Glocuester town. I always ensure accom is near bus/train service as taxi's can prove to be expensive.