With 150,000 or so attendees all heading to the same place at the same time, it’s a whole ordeal. Luckily, this ain’t our first rodeo. Er, horse race.
Churchill Downs is located fairly close to the airport on the southern end of Louisville, and if you’re trying to spend as little time getting from place to place as possible, you can book a hotel near Churchill Downs.
However, we don’t recommend staying close to the racetrack because there’s pretty much nothing else there!
Coming from out of town? Check out Rally, a bus rideshare specifically for the Kentucky Derby with 60 pick-up locations.
You can bus in from Lexington or Bardstown – two of our favorite spots to base yourself for a Bourbon Trail itinerary during your trip – or even as far away as Indianapolis, Cincinnatti and Nashville.
Your cheapest transit option is to take TARC to and from Churchill Downs: a one-way adult cash fare is only $1.75, and buses run all day.
After the races, due to detours, buses pick up passengers at different stops than where they were dropped off. So … definitely bookmark this page with route details now, while you’re still sober.