Trip to Cheltenham 2012 - advice?

adhoc

Considering going to cheltenham for the first 2 days of the festival next year.

Can anyone offer any advice? How much would it cost roughly between flights, transfers, race tickets and accomodation? Presumably its cheaper to book yourself than go through a travel agent? How far in advance should you book? is birmingham or bristol better to fly into?
Are there any apartments available for a group?

cheers

Juwwi

adhoc wrote: »

Considering going to cheltenham for the first 2 days of the festival next year.

Can anyone offer any advice? How much would it cost roughly between flights, transfers, race tickets and accomodation? Presumably its cheaper to book yourself than go through a travel agent? How far in advance should you book? is birmingham or bristol better to fly into?
Are there any apartments available for a group?

cheers

http://www.arcapartments.co.uk/?gclid=COfQ7_Kj9KcCFRRC4Qod91w5ag

I went in 2008 and stayed in these apartments in Birmingham.
They are great about 5 minutes walk to thr train station.


Flights were around €100 with Ryanair when l booked them.

Cant coment on Bristol but Birmingham was grand train station in the airport so you get off the train and straight onto the train.

We did stay 1 night in cheltenham in a apartment aswell l think it worked out at around £70 each a night.
It was a private flat that someone just let out for the race week.

adhoc

Great thanks for that

when did you book accomodation and flights?
Can't seem to get rates for anything yet - but afraid I'll miss the boat if I leave too late.....

Juwwi

I did'nt decide to go untill after the xmas so probably Jan 2008 is when l booked everything.

If your planing on staying outside of cheltenham then your way too early to book now.
lm not sure for cheltenham town accomodation l'd say is no harm to book early but flights your way too early aswell.

I would'nt even say entrance tickets have gone on sale either yet.

adhoc

Mainly concerned about accomodation at the moment, we want to get somewhere within walking distance to the course as a friend went before and said the shuttle bus was a nightmare as it took forever.

There's 8 of us going and looking for an apartment or B&B

Deplasterer

adhoc wrote: »

Considering going to cheltenham for the first 2 days of the festival next year.

Can anyone offer any advice? How much would it cost roughly between flights, transfers, race tickets and accomodation? Presumably its cheaper to book yourself than go through a travel agent? How far in advance should you book? is birmingham or bristol better to fly into?
Are there any apartments available for a group?

cheers

Flying into Bristol or Birmingham is irrelavant if you are staying in Cheltenham. Just book the cheapest flights, keep looking out for specials from the usual budget airlines.

Tickets don't go on sale till sept or so, but don't worry as these two days don't sell out, always plenty of Tatts, not sure about club.

If you want to stay in cheltenham, find the link below for apartments in Cheltenham, good for 2/3/4 people, prices are decent, obviously cheaper the more staying. Contact is Fay.

http://www.socheltenham.co.uk/

Finally bring plenty of money, you'll need it.

good Luck.

RubyK

adhoc wrote: »

How much would it cost roughly between flights, transfers, race tickets and accomodation? Presumably its cheaper to book yourself than go through a travel agent?
How far in advance should you book? is birmingham or bristol better to fly into?

Book flights and accommodation yourself. Fly into Birmingham, get the shuttle coach to Birmingham New Street, and then train onto Cheltenham Spa. If you are staying in the town centre, it will be less than a 2 mile walk to the course. If you or your friends are Paddy Power customers, no harm in asking them to get you tickets, I know they have obliged some guys we know. I think our tickets cost £50+.

When we went in 2008 and 2009, flights cost us €140 each, return, with Aer Arann.

Stayed in The Big Sleep in 2008 - cost us £360 for 3 nights (2 people). Stayed in a guest house the following year, and it cost us £330 between the two of us. Train, cost around £35 each, return afair. If there is a group of you, it might be worth getting out a mini-bus to collect you all.

adhoc wrote: »

Are there any apartments available for a group?

cheers

Here's a link to accommodation, it might be of some help.

http://www.booking.com/searchresults.html?sid=5fd2d09285ce2b5f594d4a4beb2341d8;checkin_monthday=13;checkin_year_month=2012-3;checkout_monthday=15;checkout_year_month=2012-3;class_interval=1;clear_group=1;group_adults=1;group_children=0;offset=0;score_min=0;si=ai,co,ci,re,di;src=index;ss_all=0;;city=-2592344;origin=disamb;srhash=1241311914;srpos=1

Winning Ways Racing

Having gone through Bristol this year I will be going back to my usual of Birmingham. Skytrain from the airport to the station and then half hour to Cheltenham. Trains go every 40 mins. Very easy.

On accomodation, loads of B&Bs between the track and town. Liz Coe can sort you out and there are plenty of apartments if you book far enough in advance. If you know the group is going, book during the Summer.