Royal Ascot: Getting Ready — Tickets, Dress Code and Getting There
An ad for Royal Ascot popped up on my phone recently, and it sent me straight back to planning our two visits — the first a few years ago, and again in 2025. Both times it was Ian’s idea of a birthday present for me, delivered roughly a month after my actual birthday.
Neither of us follows racing. We couldn’t name a favourite horse if our lives depended on it. What drew us in was the spectacle: a very British institution built on dress codes, morning suits, and the kind of theatrical formality that’s genuinely worth seeing up close.
The Enclosures
Royal Ascot is divided into four separate enclosures, each with its own rules. The Royal Enclosure is invitation-only. The Queen Anne Enclosure — named after the queen who founded the races in 1711 — requires a black or grey top hat for men, which was a non-starter since Ian flatly refused to wear one. That left us with the Village Enclosure both times: suit and tie for him, no hat required, and a noticeably younger and looser crowd. Exactly the right call.
Tickets
Tickets ran around £60 the first year and closer to £70 the second. They’re cheaper if you book before February, and prices climb steadily after that. Check ascot.co.uk for the current pricing — they vary by day and enclosure.
The Dress Code
The women’s dress code for the Village Enclosure ran to a full page: nothing too short, sleeves or proper straps required, heels strongly encouraged, and a hat or fascinator non-negotiable. I spent weeks hunting for one in exactly the right shade and came up empty, so in the end I made one myself — and one for our daughter, who came along both times.
In practice, I needn’t have worried so much. Once we arrived, it was clear the rules were really just a baseline for not looking like you’d wandered in from the beach. Nobody was checking hem lengths with a ruler. As long as you weren’t wearing a belt as a skirt with trainers, or skipping the fascinator for a flower clipped in your hair, you were fine.
Getting There
Accommodation near the racecourse was eye-wateringly expensive, so both times we stayed about half an hour away. The first year we drove and paid £40 for on-site parking. Ian could barely drink, and our daughter — a month off eighteen — wasn’t drinking either, so I ended up the only one properly enjoying the Pimm’s. Not a bad situation to be in.
The second year we tried to be smarter and booked taxis instead, which backfired spectacularly. The first taxi never showed. The hotel arranged a replacement, which took forty minutes. Getting back was worse: every taxi in range quoted £80. After half an hour waiting for an Uber that no driver would confirm, Ian — a Yorkshireman to his core — deployed his catchphrase: “how much?” We walked. Not all the way back, just far enough from the taxi rank to escape the surge. About ten minutes down the road, an Uber finally confirmed and picked us up.
The train is probably the cleanest option. National Rail runs direct services to Ascot station from London Waterloo — around 55 minutes — and it’s a short walk to the course. Sidesteps the parking and taxi lottery entirely.
Practical Information
Royal Ascot Racecourse
High Street, Ascot, Berkshire, SL5 7JX
Village Enclosure tickets: from around £60 — book before February for the best prices
Official site: ascot.co.uk
By train: London Waterloo → Ascot (direct, ~55 min). Short walk to the course. Avoids parking and taxi problems entirely.
Driving: On-site parking ~£40. The driver can’t drink — factor that in.
Taxi: Book your return journey before you leave home. Prices surge heavily at the end of the day.
Next in this series: what the day itself is actually like — the Royal Procession, the racing, and the hottest tent in Berkshire. And a first-timer’s honest verdict from someone who had no strong feelings about horses going in.
