ROYAL ASCOT 2018

Because what's not to love about a day at the races?

Ready to bet our wages away!

Dressing up for a day in the sun, enjoying a picnic with friends and copious amounts of Pimms and of course cheering on the horses as they fly past the enclosures down the racecourse - sounds like a dreamy day out to me!
On top of that the atmosphere at Ascot is always electric. Crowds cheering, friends chatting away, everyone having a truly fabulous time. 
Quite a quintessentially British day out I'd say. 

The last time I attended Royal Ascot was just after I turned 18 and I spent the day in the Queen Anne Enclosure with some of my oldest friends. 4 years on I returned for a day down in the Windsor Enclosure. The day was utterly brilliant and I came away adamant I would be returning again in 2019. Next year though I think I'll be happy to pay that bit more and head over to either the Village or Queen Anne Enclosures...

Tickets for the Windsor Enclosure were just under £50 for the main Saturday Race day and I think this reflects well against what is offered. This is the lowest band price ticket offered. Next level is the Village enclosure, then the Queen Anne Enclosure and finally the highest tier - Royal Enclosure, where this is invite only.

Within the Windsor Enclosure there is a small Ascot shop, a couple of bars, a specific Gin and Champagne bar as well as a couple of catering options. Although the majority of Windsor attendees opt for the picnic option. Ascot do well to cater for this by providing a sea of garden furniture for groups to set up camp upon for the day.
A fascinator is definitely still a must in any enclosure however there is much more of an informal vibe across the Windsor area, think serious glamping...

I believe Queen Anne tickets were around £80-£90 but well worth it for the views of the track, access to the parade ring and wider Ascot building, finer catering options, more outlets and additional entertainment.
I have to say I was beyond jealous to find out that DJ Chris Stark from BBC Radio 1 played a set opening the evenings entertainment on the Saturday night this year! And only on the train home did we hear from other passengers and attendees that the day had ended with a very patriotic colour burst/light show up across the track.

If you love to get your glam on, love live entertainment, love your horse racing or have never experienced a race day I highly recommend a day at Ascot.
However before you go be sure to take note of the following...

Holly and the £32 Pimms pitcher.

• PACK SUNCREAM! And have your friends regularly top you up if necessary! I unfortunately came home with some very odd sunburn marks from my lace dress and inevitably a very painful back for the rest of the week... I did not use my common sense that day.
• If you've got tickets for the Windsor Enclosure be sure to BYOB. I believe you're allowed 1 bottle per person so make the most of it. And don't forget a cooler or some ice! Trust me, no-one likes a glass of warm prosecco at 3pm. 
• Of course you can buy more alcohol and drinks inside but just as an FYI think London pricing. This pitcher of Pimms cost Holly and I £32. Worth every penny though... especially considering 1 glass was £10.
• Check the dress code for your enclosure carefully before you go. Only this year did Ascot introduce jumpsuits as acceptable attire for Ladies. Depending on your enclosure there are also certain rules about strapless dresses or cami straps.
• PACK FLIP FLOPS. I can't stress this enough. The track may be designed for flat racing but the rest of the grounds certainly aren't made for heels. Although the heels complete the outfit by late afternoon no-one's going to be judging when you trade them out for your comfiest pair of havaianas. Also flip flops are a necessity for walking back down the hill to the station at the end of the day. There are some very clever individuals who do line the road back down to the station selling your finest Primark pairs for those who don't come so well prepared.
• Finally, be sure to organise your transport options way in advance. Booking a taxi to get there is a great shout, just make sure you do it in advance and discuss a price before hand. 
• Don't rely on an Uber! Get a reliable taxi company where you can easily trace your booking and they can give you more precise timings! There's also no chance in hell of getting an Uber or Addison Lee out of Ascot at the end of the day either - we were cancelled on several times trying to make a booking. 
• Unless you've pre-booked your outbound journey and arranged a pick up point with your driver it'll be hopeless trying to find your taxi driver come the end of the day. Best bet is to take the train. It's well signposted and the barriers are usually always up on race days so you can walk straight to the platform. So pre-book and pick up your tickets in advance to make your life easier leaving the station at your final destination.

Royal Ascot 2018.

Royal Ascot isn't the only race day I've attended at the Ascot racecourse. I am a big fan of the QIPCO British Champions Day that occurs annually mid-October. Every year for the past 3 years I've attended as a student with free tickets. Yes thats right FREE ENTRY FOR STUDENTS!
Every year Ascot/QIPCO give away 2,500 free tickets to students across the country.
All you have to do is head to the Ascot racecourse ticketing portal, select British Champions Day tickets and enter the promo code STUDENTSBCD. *This could change for 2018, so don't hold me to it!*
Just keep checking back on this site here, details are usually announced a couple of months before.

British Champions Day 2016.

Don't forget to bring along your student ID on the day either! There's usually a designated Student Lounge, Photo Booth, Evening DJ's and some pretty fab Ascot freebies. It's a great FREE day out and so worth it! Oh and bring a group of 15 or more and you'll bag yourself a free bottle of prosecco! So what are you waiting for...?! Time to get a race day in your diary!

Thanks for reading,
Izzie x

British Champions Day 2016.

Click here for a direct link to the Royal Ascot webpage for plenty more detail and to book tickets.