‘Christmas at Blenheim’

Helpful Information

Entry times

• Christmas at Blenheim opens at 17.00 and closes at 22.00 Trails are available from the following times: 17.00, 17.30, 18.00, 18.30, 19.00, 19.20, 19.40 and 20.00

• Those with tickets for a 20.00 trail should note that last entry is 20.30

• Last recommended departure for the Park & Ride is 20.15

Ticket information

• All tickets are subject to a single transaction charge.

• All patrons (including children under 5 years) must have their own valid ticket, which must be produced to gain entry to the event. Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.

• Advance booking is always recommended as we expect Christmas at Blenheim to sell out in advance.

• On-the-day prices apply from midnight on the day prior to your visit.

• If tickets have not arrived 24 hours before your visit please contact the customer service desk at www.seetickets.com/customerservice or call 08716 204029 (calls cost 13p per minute plus network extras). Within 5 working days of an event all tickets will switch to print at home, so no orders will be posted after this time.

• Tickets can be purchased online until 15.00 on the day of an event, after which time if there are still tickets available, they can be purchased on site from the ‘Christmas at Blenheim’ box office from 16.00 on the day. The box office will be based at the Flagstaff entrance to the East Courtyard.

• Disabled ticket holders are entitled to one free ticket for an essential carer/ companion. For information on Blue Badge holder parking, see ‘Parking’ under ‘Getting Here’.

• Ticket holders consent to photography that may be used for promotional purposes.

‘Christmas at Blenheim’

Blenheim Palace Annual Pass Holders• Annual Pass holders will benefit from an early-bird discount from 29th June-1st September.

Cancellation, exchanges & refunds

• Please be sure that you have chosen the right date and time slot when booking as Blenheim Palace and See Tickets are not able to offer exchanges or refunds once tickets have been purchased. We are also not able to offer refunds/duplicates on unwanted/lost tickets.

• Inevitably bad weather can affect any open-air event. If we have to cancel the event as it unsafe to proceed, visitors will be offered an alternative date/time. No refunds will be offered simply if the weather is inclement. Any decision to cancel the event will be taken at 14.00 on the day of an event.

• If the event is cancelled by us due to weather and ticket holders are not able to attend an alternative night offered, then a refund will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

• Where a refund is due, the ticket must be returned within 28 days of the event due date.

Getting here

Please see the ‘getting here’ section: www.blenheimpalace.com/planyourvisit/getting-here for full travel information.

Arrival

• Please arrive 30 minutes prior to the trail start time to allow sufficient time for your parking and transfer. Both the Park & Ride and Blenheim Palace Car Parking will be clearly signposted. All ticket holders must note that last access to the Trail is 20.30 and should make their way to the start prior to this.

Parking

• Parking can only be guaranteed if booked in advance.

• Prices are as follows: £5 per car for Park & Ride - 5 minutes from Blenheim Palace £8 per car at Blenheim Palace (limited) must be booked in advance. £5 Blue Badge holders at Blenheim Palace.

‘Christmas at Blenheim’• There is limited parking on site at Blenheim Palace, and this is reserved for Blue Badge holders and the remainder available for sale in advance on a first-come, first-served basis.

• Drivers displaying a Blue Badge can park for £5 in the allocated Blue Badge car-park at Blenheim Palace. If you require disabled parking, please ensure that you book pre- paid parking with your entry ticket as all pre-booked parking is subject to availability.

• Fly parking in Woodstock and the surrounding areas is not advised therefore any visitors who believe they may need parking are strongly recommended to book in advance of arrival.

Park & Ride

• The majority of parking is Park & Ride provision adjacent to Oxford Airport - just a short 5-minute ride away from Blenheim Palace.

• Park & Ride coaches will operate from 16.00 - 22.30.

• Please arrive at the Park & Ride 30 minutes prior to your trail start time to allow sufficient time for your parking and transfer.

• For Satnav users, please use postcode OX20 1QF for Oxford Airport.

• All visitors travelling by car without pre-booked tickets must park in the Park & Ride car park and pay £5 in cash for parking in advance of transport to Blenheim Palace.

Other local parking

• If you have not purchased reserved parking with your ticket, local parking is otherwise limited and fly parking will not be tolerated. There will be limited on-the-night parking available at the Park & Ride Car Park, however this cannot be guaranteed.

Drop off/pick up

• There is a designated pick-up/drop-off area at Blenheim Palace – follow signs from the entrance off Oxford Road. The area will be coned off and will have signage to demarcate it.

Trains

• Mainline services run to and from Oxford Parkway. Please check train schedules carefully to ensure you leave adequate time to travel from the station to Blenheim Palace and for your return. We strongly recommend taxis to and from the station are booked in advance. The journey from the station to Blenheim Palace takes approximately 15 minutes.

‘Christmas at Blenheim’Cyclists

• Bike park racks are available at Blenheim Palace adjacent to the Blue Badge Holder Parking. Please note owners leave bikes at their own risk.

Visit Blenheim Palace in the daytime

• Your event ticket does not include entry to Blenheim Palace during the day.

• ‘Christmas at Blenheim’ visitors can purchase a specially-discounted ticket for the Palace Park and Gardens.

• Combined tickets for the ‘Christmas at Blenheim’ event and a day ticket to the Palace, Park and Gardens can be bought online in advance or you can purchase a discounted Blenheim Palace day ticket on the day by showing your ‘Christmas at Blenheim’ ticket onsite upon arrival – only valid on the same day as your event ticket. The combined Palace and Trail ticket does not include the cost of car parking at Blenheim Palace; this must be purchased separately.

• Last entry to Blenheim Palace with a Palace, Park and Garden ticket will be 15.45 with the Palace closing at 16.30. Day visitors will have the opportunity to avail themselves of the festive rides and concessions in the East Courtyard, but will not have access to the Trail without a valid ticket.

At the Event

For our younger visitors

• For the young ones, the magical atmosphere of Blenheim Palace’s East Courtyard will come alive with a Victorian carousel* and festive sideshows.

• On the trail itself see if you can catch sight of the tiny woodland folk - fairies, sprites and nymphs - that make Blenheim Palace their home when no one else is around, and of course, see Santa and his elves along the way. Rides operate throughout the day on Trail nights. *Additional charges will apply.

Eat & Drink

• A wide range of seasonal food and drink will be available at the event, both in the East Courtyard, Oxfordshire Pantry and on the trail itself.

‘Christmas at Blenheim’

A precious time, every time. Britain’s Greatest Palace.

Shopping

• Browse Blenheim Palace’s well-stocked gift shop for your Christmas shopping.

Access

• The trail is approximately 1.5 kilometers in length from entry point to exit.

• Whilst the route is designed so that it can be solely viewed from pathways, some interactive elements may invite the audience onto grass where additional pedestrian matting will be provided.

What to bring and wear

• This in an outdoor event. Please ensure you have sufficient warm and waterproof clothing. Visitors are encouraged to bring a torch in case of an emergency.

Toilets

• There are accessible toilets in the East Courtyard, and at Fisherman’s Car Park at the beginning and end of the trail. Please note there is no further toilet provision on the route.

Wheelchairs, Mobile Scooters and Buggies

• Christmas at Blenheim is an event presented in the natural landscape. Whilst every effort is made to make the trail fully accessible, by its very nature it will on occasion cover difficult terrain particularly during inclement weather. In these circumstances there will be additional steward support available for assistance.

Lighting and special effects

• Please refer to the ‘Access’ section.

‘Christmas at Blenheim’ is presented by Blenheim Palace and Raymond Gubbay Ltd, in collaboration with Culture Creative.