Aintree Racecourse · Liverpool L9 5AS · Three days in April
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Aintree is two hundred and sixty miles from north Kent. We could quote you a day return, and some operators will, but you would be on a coach for nine hours to spend six at a racecourse. We would rather tell you how it actually works.
Each way. At motorway speeds with the legally required driver breaks, that is roughly four and a half to five and a half hours in each direction, which is the fact that shapes every sensible version of this trip.
Four ways to do Aintree from Kent, ranked by how much you will enjoy them
We run all of these. We are simply going to be clear about which ones people come back from happy.
Two nights, three days
Travel up Thursday, race Friday and Saturday, home Sunday. You get the full meeting, a proper look at Liverpool, and nobody spends a day of their weekend on the M6.
One night, National day
Up on Friday evening, Grand National Saturday, home Sunday morning. The most popular version and the best balance of cost and sanity.
Rail up, coach locally
You take the train to Liverpool and we handle the hotel-to-course legs. Sensible for smaller groups and often the cheapest route.
Same-day return
Leave around five in the morning, home around two the next. We will do it if you insist and we will not pretend it is a good idea for most people.
The three days at Aintree
The National is the Saturday, but the meeting runs from Thursday and the other two days are considerably easier and cheaper to attend.
| Day | What it is | Crowd | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday | Opening day | Moderate | The easiest access of the three and the quietest roads. |
| Friday | Ladies Day | Very large | Liverpool's biggest social day of the year. Hotels book out a long way ahead. |
| Saturday | Grand National day | The biggest crowd in British racing | Heavy traffic management across the whole area. Everything takes longer. |
What the trip actually costs you in time
These are travel times rather than distances, because at this range the hours are what matter. All figures include the legally required driver break on a journey of this length.
| Pick-up area | Distance | Travel time each way |
|---|---|---|
| Gravesend & Northfleet | 255 miles | 4h 45m – 5h 30m |
| Dartford & Bluewater | 250 miles | 4h 40m – 5h 25m |
| Bexleyheath & Bromley | 245 miles | 4h 35m – 5h 20m |
| Sevenoaks & Tonbridge | 250 miles | 4h 40m – 5h 25m |
| Rochester, Chatham & Gillingham | 265 miles | 4h 55m – 5h 40m |
| Maidstone & Aylesford | 262 miles | 4h 50m – 5h 35m |
| Sittingbourne & Faversham | 275 miles | 5h – 5h 50m |
| Canterbury & Ashford | 290 miles | 5h 15m – 6h |
How we run a northern trip
Driver hours are not a formality
Journeys of this length are governed by rules on driving time and breaks, and they exist for good reasons. A single driver cannot legally do Kent to Liverpool and back inside a day with a race meeting in the middle without scheduled rest, so the itinerary is built around that rather than around wishful thinking. Any operator quoting you a same-day return without mentioning it is either planning to break the rules or has not thought about it, and neither is reassuring at seventy miles an hour on the M6.
Accommodation shapes the booking
Liverpool fills for National weekend, and prices reflect it. Groups often end up in Southport, Warrington, St Helens or across the water on the Wirral, which makes the daily runs to and from Aintree a necessary part of the trip. We plan those local legs alongside the long haul, so the coach that brought you up is the coach that takes you to the course.
Ladies Day is the one that surprises people
The Friday at Aintree is one of the biggest social occasions in the north of England and the crowd, the dress and the atmosphere are unlike anything at a southern meeting. If your group is going for the experience rather than solely the racing, Friday delivers more of it than Saturday. It also books out hotels earliest, which is worth knowing before you plan around the National alone.
Be realistic about the return
Aintree on National day clears slowly and Liverpool is busy afterwards. Setting off south the same evening means arriving in Kent in the small hours with a party that has had a long day. Staying the extra night costs a room and saves a great deal of misery, and it is the single piece of advice we give most often about this trip.
Grand National travel questions
Mostly about whether to stay over, and the answer is usually yes.
Can you do a same-day return from Kent to Aintree?
We can, and we will if you want it, but we will be straight with you first. It means leaving around five in the morning and getting home in the small hours, with nine to eleven hours on a coach around a day at the races. For most groups an overnight stay costs a room and saves the worst part of the trip.
How long does it take to get to Aintree from Kent?
Between four and three quarters and six hours each way depending on where you start and what the M6 is doing, including the driver breaks that a journey of this length legally requires. The table above gives it by area.
Which day should we go?
Saturday for the Grand National itself, Friday if you want the biggest social occasion of the meeting, Thursday if you want easy access and a cheaper day. Plenty of groups do two days, which is where the overnight option earns its keep.
Do you arrange the hotel as well?
We arrange the travel rather than the accommodation, but we will happily plan the transfers around wherever you book. Liverpool fills early for National weekend, so groups frequently stay in Southport, Warrington or the Wirral, and the daily runs to the course are part of the same booking.
Can you take a full coach?
Yes, up to forty-nine seats, with multiple vehicles for larger parties. Long-distance trips work best on a coach anyway, because there is room to move around and space for everyone's gear.
How far ahead do we need to book?
For National weekend, as early as you can. It is one of the earliest dates in our year to commit, and at this distance the vehicle and driver planning is more involved than a local job.
What if we want to travel up ourselves and only use you locally?
Perfectly sensible, and common. Take the train to Liverpool and we handle the hotel-to-course legs, which are the ones where nobody wants to drive. Often the cheapest way to do the weekend for a smaller group.
Will the driver wait after the National?
Yes. Aintree clears slowly on Saturday and nobody leaves promptly. We set a realistic collection time and hold position, and the fare does not change.
Do you cover other northern meetings?
Yes, and other long-haul events generally. If it is a coach journey and a weekend rather than an afternoon, it is the kind of job we plan properly rather than squeeze into a day.
What happens if the meeting is abandoned?
Tell us as soon as you know and we will move or cancel the booking subject to our normal notice period. For a trip with accommodation attached we will help you rework the itinerary rather than leaving you with it.
Other long hauls and guides
Where we go when the event is not in the South East.