The Galway Races is a seven-day horse racing festival at Ballybrit Racecourse, on the north edge of the city, every year in late July and early August. It is the biggest social event in the Galway calendar and one of the biggest in the country. Around 150,000 people attend across the week. Here is how to do it without ending the week broke.

Which days to pick

Monday is the opening day and the most relaxed. Tuesday is Galway Plate day, the highlight of the steeplechase calendar, and very busy. Wednesday is Ladies' Day, dressed-up, busiest of the week, the most expensive accommodation in the city sells out twelve months in advance. Thursday is the Galway Hurdle. Friday and Saturday wind down. Sunday is the family day with extra entertainment and lower attendance.

If you want the atmosphere without the crush, go Monday or Sunday. If you want the experience at peak intensity, pick Wednesday and book everything well ahead.

How much will the day cost?

Entry is twenty-five to thirty-five euros per day depending on the day. Add a programme (five euros), food on site (anywhere from fifteen for a sandwich to fifty for a sit-down meal in one of the restaurants), and drinks (Guinness on tap, around six fifty). Reasonable to budget eighty euros for entry, food and a few drinks before any betting. A sensible bettor sets aside another fifty euros and stops when it is gone.

How to bet for beginners

Each-way bets at five or six to one are the safest entry point. You bet five or ten euros each-way, the horse needs to finish in the top three, and you get a return if it places. A win bet only pays if your horse wins outright. Place bets pay if it finishes in the top three (or top two in smaller fields). Read the form a bit before you bet, or just back the favourite and the second-favourite in the smallest fields you can find.

The Tote (the on-track parimutuel betting) is good for beginners because the odds are calculated from how much was bet on each horse, so the value evens out. Avoid the on-course bookies until you understand price movements, they are professionals and they will eat your money politely.

How do I get there from the city?

Shuttle buses run from Eyre Square every fifteen minutes from late morning until first race. Tickets are five or six euros each way. Driving and parking is possible but charges around twenty euros and takes longer than the bus. The bus is the local choice. Coming back, the post-racing buses queue at the racecourse for an hour or so after the last race; expect to wait fifteen to thirty minutes.

What should I wear?

For most days, smart casual. Men in jeans and a clean shirt are fine. Women in a summer dress are fine. For Ladies' Day, the dress code is much more elaborate; women come in proper hats and matching outfits, and men in suits and ties. Even on Ladies' Day there is no enforced dress code at the public enclosures, but you will feel out of place in shorts and trainers.

Eating

The food on site is improving but still expensive for what it is. The McDonagh's seafood stand on the racecourse does fish and chips that locals queue for. The Hurdle and the Plate both have sit-down restaurants that take bookings. Many locals eat lunch in town before going out and pick up a snack on site.

Is it worth going if I do not know anything about horses?

Yes. The atmosphere is the main event and you do not need to be a horse person to enjoy it. Bet small, watch the parade ring, listen to the commentator, drink a few pints, and you will have a properly Irish day out. Even if you lose every race, the experience itself is the value.

Where to stay during race week

Galway accommodation in race week sells out months in advance and prices triple. If you have not booked by April, expect to stay in Salthill, Oranmore or Athenry and commute. Some visitors book Limerick or Ennis and use the train. It is feasible.