Aintree Day Out: Dress Codes, Facilities & Grand National

Getting to Aintree Racecourse: The Journey There

Getting to Aintree is dead simple. The racecourse sits just 6 miles northeast of Liverpool city centre, and you’ve got options depending on how you want to travel.

By train is the easiest choice. Aintree station sits beside the course entrance, close enough that you can see the grandstands from the platform. Trains run on the Merseyrail Northern Line from Liverpool Central, taking about 15 minutes, and on racedays they come every 15 minutes. Train tickets start from around £3-5 for a single journey. No stress about parking, no traffic jams, just hop off and walk straight in.

By car, you’re looking at the A59, about 1 mile from the M57 and M58 motorways. Free parking is available, but you need to pre-book for the big meetings, especially the Grand National Festival. Don’t rock up on Grand National Saturday expecting to find a space without booking ahead. For quieter fixtures, parking’s more relaxed.

By taxi or Uber is convenient if you’re travelling with a group or have mobility concerns. Expect to pay roughly £10-20 from Liverpool city centre to Aintree, though prices can vary depending on time of day and demand (especially on racedays).

By bus is the cheapest option, though it takes longer. Stagecoach operates route 20 from Queen Square Bus Station to near the racecourse (Sixth Avenue stop), taking about 30 minutes with tickets costing around £2-4. Buses run every 10-20 minutes. During the Grand National Festival, special 922 shuttle buses run directly from Liverpool city centre (Elliot Street) to the racecourse, making it even easier.

By air, Liverpool Airport is 17 miles away (roughly 30 minutes), Manchester Airport about 45 minutes. Both have good connections to Liverpool Central, then it’s that simple train journey we mentioned.

Staying nearby. The Stables Inn Aintree is 0.3 miles from the racecourse, walking distance if you want to be on the doorstep.

Top tip: If you’re coming for the Grand National Festival, travel early. Trains get packed and roads get busy. Get there with time to settle in and find your spot before the first race.

First Impressions

The scale is the first thing you notice. Capacity is 75,000, so this is a stadium rather than a country course, and on Grand National day it fills.

The course sits on flat ground, so you can see across the whole circuit from most places. The spruce-topped fences are bigger in person than they look on television. The National Course runs in a triangle, and the 494-yard run-in from the final fence explains why stamina decides the race here.

On a quieter day, an October meeting or a December fixture, you can move around freely, get closer to the action, and watch the horses in the parade ring without fighting through crowds.

Picking Your Enclosure

Aintree has several enclosures at different prices. What separates them is parade-ring access, where you stand relative to the fences, and how formal the dress code is.

Tattersalls is the largest enclosure and where most people gravitate. You get access to the Parade Ring, the Winners’ Enclosure, and the Red Rum Lawn (where the famous statue stands). Multiple bars, viewing areas including the Aintree Pavilion with live music, and a proper buzz throughout the day. It’s the sweet spot between premium facilities and accessible pricing. If you want to see the horses up close before they race, this is your spot.

Steeplechase Enclosure opens on Grand National Day only and gives you prime views of those early National fences. It’s unreserved seating with a relaxed dress code, and you’re right there as the field thunders past on that first circuit. No Parade Ring access, but you get your own bars, catering, betting facilities and live entertainment.

Princess Royal Stand is the premium option. Positioned between The Chair and the Water Jump, you’re in prime real estate. Reserved seats or roof terrace, access to the Parade Ring and Winners’ Enclosure, plus facilities like the Irish bar and the champagne lounge. It’s over 21s only, and it’s where you go when you want comfort with your racing.

County Stand sits near the winning post with its own bar facilities. Queen Mother Stand offers covered grandstand seating or roof terrace. The Earl of Derby and Lord Sefton Stands (opened in 2007) are the highest seated enclosures at Aintree, with two levels of tiered covered seating and the views to match, at a price.

Picking one. On a first visit, Tattersalls covers most of what people come for at the lowest sensible price. For Grand National day with the fences in view, take the Steeplechase Enclosure. For comfort and hospitality, the Princess Royal Stand.

What to Wear

Aintree’s dress code varies by enclosure, and for most of the course it is more relaxed than people expect.

Steeplechase Enclosure explicitly welcomes a relaxed dress code. Jeans and trainers are fine here.

Princess Royal Stand is over 21s and expects smart attire. Smart-casual is the minimum: no sportswear, no ripped jeans, proper shoes. If you’re in hospitality or the premium areas, men often wear suits (especially on Grand National day), women wear dresses or smart separates.

For most other enclosures, smart-casual works. Clean jeans with a shirt, smart trousers, dresses, that sort of thing. You’ll see everything from full suits to casual gear, but scruffy trainers and football shirts tend to stand out for the wrong reasons.

Ladies’ Day (the Friday of the Grand National Festival) is when Liverpool style comes out in force. Expect to see glamorous outfits, statement hats, and people who’ve made a proper effort regardless of the weather. It is not Royal Ascot formal, but it is a fashion day, and most people make the effort.

If you’re still choosing your outfit, a fascinator is always a popular Ladies’ Day touch. Here are a few styles that fit the Aintree vibe nicely: fascinators

Weather preparation matters more than dress code. Aintree in April can be anything from glorious sunshine to sideways rain. Layers are worth it. So are comfortable shoes, because you will be on your feet more than you expect, especially moving between enclosures or following the horses to the Parade Ring.

Food and Drink

If you are making a weekend of it, book the night before as well as the day.

Stay in Liverpool city centre and you have plenty of choice. The Albert Dock area works for pre-race meals, with waterfront restaurants and pubs across the price range. Liverpool ONE has the chains and some independents. The Baltic Triangle and Rope Walks are where locals eat, with restaurants and craft beer spots.

For a big group, book ahead. Grand National weekend especially, everywhere gets rammed. If there’s ten of you planning a meal the night before Ladies’ Day or Grand National Saturday, you’ll want that sorted weeks in advance, not the day before.

Staying near Aintree. The local area has pubs and restaurants within walking distance. Nothing fancy, but food and a pint before the big day. Check what is around your hotel, because most places near the racecourse cater for racegoers.

On the day itself, there are options at the course. Street food units run on the big festival days, with hog roasts, burgers, curry and fish and chips. Bars in every enclosure. Sit-down restaurants if you’ve booked hospitality. The higher-end enclosures have champagne bars and proper dining, while the more casual areas keep it simple with grab-and-go food and drink.

Prices. Expect festival pricing on the big days. A pint costs more than at your local and food from the stands is not cheap. If you are in hospitality, meals are usually included in the package.

Top tip: Get your drinks in early before the big races. The queues at the bars go mental just before the Grand National itself. Either get sorted ahead of time, or wait until after when everyone’s either celebrating or drowning their sorrows.

The Atmosphere

The atmosphere changes completely depending on when you visit.

Grand National Day is unlike anything else in British racing. With 70,000 people packed in, the noise, energy, and anticipation build all afternoon. You get serious racing fans studying form guides next to people having their one bet of the year, office sweepstake crews clutching their drawn horses, and families who have made it an annual tradition.

The roar when the tapes go up for the Grand National itself is something you need to experience. Everyone’s on their feet, watching those early fences, holding their breath at Becher’s, willing their horse around the Canal Turn. When they come into view on that long run-in, 70,000 people are shouting home their pick. Win or lose, you’ll remember it.

Ladies’ Day (Friday of the Festival) is still packed but the emphasis shifts to Liverpool style, and people dress for it whatever the weather is doing. The racing holds up, with the Topham Handicap Chase run over the National fences, but Friday is as much about the day out as the card.

Grand National Thursday (Opening Day) draws around 33,000, busy but not overwhelming. You get three Grade 1 races including the Bowl Chase, Melling Chase, and Aintree Hurdle. For serious racing fans, Thursday often delivers the best pure racing of the Festival. You can move around easier, see more, and focus on the horses rather than fighting crowds.

Regular season fixtures (October, November, December, and other spring meetings) offer a completely different experience. Smaller crowds mean you can get up to the parade ring, watch horses close up and hear yourself think. The racing holds up: the Becher Chase and Grand Sefton Chase in December are both run over the National fences. These fixtures are underrated if you want Aintree without the festival crowds.

The Racing Experience

The Parade Ring is where you want to be before each race if you’ve got access. Watch the horses being led around, see their condition, spot which ones are sweating up or looking relaxed. It’s proper racing insight, not just watching on a screen. You’ll see trainers giving last-minute instructions to jockeys, owners looking nervous, and horses showing their personalities.

Viewing the races depends on where you are. If you’re near the winning post, you’ll see the finish and that dramatic run-in, but you’ll watch most of the race on the big screens. If you are in the Steeplechase Enclosure, you are beside them as they jump Becher’s and the early fences. Many people move around during the day to catch different views.

The fences are what Aintree’s about. Even if you’re not right beside them, you can walk out and see them between races. The Chair is 5ft 2in high with an open ditch in front of it, and it looks it. Becher’s Brook does not seem huge until you think about jumping it at 30mph in a field of forty. The Canal Turn demands an immediate 90-degree left, which is the best thing on the course to watch.

Betting is everywhere. On-course bookmakers line the betting ring, boards showing odds, the theatre of them adjusting prices. The Tote has facilities throughout. Most people now bet on their phones, comparing odds across bookmakers, which is worth doing before the Grand National because prices vary more on that race than any other. The betting ring before the National is the busiest it gets all year, with bookmakers shouting prices and money moving late.

Family-Friendly Details

Under-18s race for free at most Jockey Club racedays when accompanied by an adult, though this does not apply to the Grand National Festival. RacePass offers up to 50% off admission for 18-24 year olds, which is worth having if you are a student or in your first job.

Aintree works well for families on the quieter fixtures, where kids can see the horses and get near the parade ring without being swallowed by the crowd. The Grand National Festival is intense and suits older children who can handle the crowds and the long day.

Accessibility

Aintree does accessibility properly. Blue Badge parking is available. Wheelchair-accessible facilities throughout, including lifts on all floors in the Princess Royal and Queen Mother Stands. Radar key disabled toilets are provided. If you’ve got mobility issues, the golf buggy service can help you get around the course. The Racemakers team provide information and guidance throughout the day.

The course is cashless at most outlets (though cash is accepted at some), so cards or phone payments are the way to go. No ATMs on course means sort your cash out beforehand if you need it for anything.

Liverpool Connection

You are 15 minutes from Liverpool city centre, which is worth using if you are making a weekend of it. The Beatles Story at Albert Dock, Liverpool ONE for shopping, Anfield if you follow football, and the Royal Albert Dock for museums and bars. The food and nightlife hold their own against any city outside London.

Local pubs near Aintree include The Blue Anchor (which backs onto the Leeds-Liverpool Canal), The Valentine (named after the Grand National fence) and The Old Roan. All three fill up on racedays.

What Makes It Special

Aintree gives you two different days depending on when you go. Grand National day is the one everyone knows, 70,000 people and 30 fences, and it is the sort of day people still talk about years later.

A quiet December afternoon is the other version. Jumps racing over the same National fences, room to stand at the rail and watch them go at Becher’s, and no queue to get a drink.

The history runs through the place. Red Rum is buried at the winning post, Foinavon’s pile-up happened at the twenty-third, the 1993 race was declared void, and Tiger Roll won back-to-back Nationals in 2018 and 2019.

The practical advice is the same whichever day you pick. Dress for the weather, get there early, and choose your enclosure on what you actually want: the parade ring, the fences, or a seat.

Compare bookmakers before you back anything, particularly for the Grand National, where prices differ and the extra places on offer are worth more than a slightly bigger headline odds. Remember: All betting should be done responsibly. You must be 18+ to bet. Visit BeGambleAware.org for support.