The Derby at Epsom, run each June, is the most famous flat race in the world and a great British day out, from the grandstands to the legendary crowds on the Downs. From Buckinghamshire it is around an hour and a quarter, but Derby Day turns the local roads into a car park. Here is how to arrive in style and leave without the queue.
- The Derby is held each June at Epsom Downs Racecourse in Surrey.
- Epsom is around 75–90 minutes from Gerrards Cross via the M25, busier on Derby Day.
- A chauffeur drops you near the enclosures and handles the notorious race-day traffic and parking.
When and what is the Epsom Derby?
The Derby is the centrepiece of a summer festival of racing at Epsom each June, a flat race steeped in history and watched around the world. The meeting draws enormous crowds, from corporate hospitality in the grandstands to the famous free-to-enter throng on the Downs, and the surrounding roads feel every one of them.
How far is Epsom from Buckinghamshire?
Epsom Downs is around 75–90 minutes from Gerrards Cross via the M25 and the A-roads into Surrey. The motorway run is straightforward; the congestion builds on the approach to the course on race day, when tens of thousands of racegoers converge on a hilltop with limited access.
Why be driven to the Derby?
A day at the Derby is long and sociable, and the post-racing exit from the Downs is slow. A chauffeur drops you close to your enclosure, avoids the parking scramble, and collects you at an agreed time, so you enjoy the racing and the hospitality without watching the clock or the car park. See our executive cars.
Is it good for a group day out?
Very much so. The Derby is a classic group occasion, and travelling together by car keeps everyone together with no one stuck on driving duty. For a full summer of racing, pair it with our Royal Ascot guide.