Travelling To The Grand National? A Quick Guide On Where To Stay And What To Do

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Every year, tens of thousands of horse racing fans travel over to Aintree racecourse for one of the biggest meetings of the season. The Grand National is extremely prestigious and has been a regular spectacle on the British sporting calendar for centuries.

Nowadays, it’s much more than a horse race though – there is plenty of entertainment and off-site activities to keep everyone occupied, especially in the evening after the day’s racing. Here’s a brief guide on the event and the best possible places to stay throughout the meeting.

Spanning over four miles long, the Grand National is one of the longest horse races on the planet and is a true test of a horse’s stamina and fitness. The Aintree track is famous for its unforgiving nature and spectators will be treated to an exhilarating, breath-taking race if nothing else.

Last year, Many Clouds romped home under Leighton Aspell and plenty of bookmakers, including Coral, will be offering Grand National tips on the duo to repeat the feat in 2016 – a tough ask but plausible if they get a safe trip around the 30-fence course.

Ideally, racegoers will find accommodation in the Aintree area, however it is very limited and plenty will have to stay in Liverpool’s city centre. There are plenty of transport links to the racecourse though and shuttle buses are very regular.

If you cannot find anything in Liverpool, you could always stay in Chester, Warrington or Wrexham – all are within short driving distance or if you are planning on taking public transport, you are still within 30 minutes of the course. There is plenty of choice on offer; with bed and breakfasts, Premier Inn’s and Travelodge’s in the surrounding area.

This year, the Grand National will take place on Saturday 9th April but will start an hour later than the usual time of 4:15pm. That’s mainly due to the fact that the Grand National’s viewing figures have suffered due to 3pm football kick-offs and the organisers believe that a change in the start time will mean more people can watch the event.

As previously mentioned, many will be backing Leighton Aspell to win again but Ruby Walsh may be the man to watch. While Many Clouds and Aspell are Coral’s early favourites in the Grand National markets, Walsh has won the big event twice in the past and it wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see the racing legend lead his mount to victory once again.

For those lucky enough to have tickets, we’d advise you to move for accommodation sooner rather than later. If you’re lucky, you will be able to get a room at one of the hotels local to the racetrack and therefore, you don’t need to worry about arranging a taxi or other transport. One thing’s for sure: no matter how you get there, everybody travelling to Aintree on National Day is in for a real treat!

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