The 153rd Kentucky Derby runs on Saturday, May 1, 2027, at Churchill Downs in Louisville, with post time scheduled for approximately 6:57 p.m. ET, and the Kentucky Oaks is the day before, Friday, April 30, according to KentuckyDerby.com. Derby Week fills Louisville's hotels, private homes and restaurants, and on Oaks and Derby days the streets around the track run on a special traffic and parking plan.
Elly8.net books the private-car side of the weekend at fixed, all-in prices: tracked pickups at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport (SDF), cars for Oaks and Derby Day that work with the track's vehicle rules, evening cars for Derby Eve parties and dinners, and Executive Sprinters for groups. The desk runs 24/7 through Derby Week.
How do you get to the Kentucky Derby by private car?
On Oaks and Derby days, Churchill Downs uses pre-purchased, vehicle-specific parking passes and a separate drop-off pass for cars and buses on Kentucky Derby Drive, and rideshare and taxis use a lot at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium. A chauffeur works within those rules: drop-off with the right pass, and a planned pickup after the races.
That is the core of Derby transport. The track is only about 5 miles (8 km) from downtown Louisville and about 3.7 miles (6 km) from SDF, roughly 10 minutes on a clear road, but almost nobody drives it on a clear road on Derby Day. Neighbourhood streets close, lots open early and fill, and the hardest moment of the day is leaving after the Derby itself, when most of the crowd moves at once.
See Louisville prices and reserve
The track's rules for cars (and how we plan around them)
Churchill Downs publishes its parking plan on the Travel and Parking page. For the 2026 Oaks and Derby, the rules were as follows; the 2027 plan is published closer to Derby Week, and the desk checks it before your booking date.
- Onsite parking is pre-purchased only, and sells out. All onsite parking was reserved in advance, could not be bought on the day, and was sold out for Oaks and Derby. Some premium tickets include parking, for example The Mansion, Spires Terrace, Woodford Reserve Paddock Club, suites, Matt Winn's and select dining rooms.
- Passes are vehicle-specific. Passes are issued for a car, limo, mini-bus or motor coach, and the wrong vehicle type is turned away. Passes for buses, Sprinter vans and limos were mailed as physical passes to the purchaser.
- Drop-off pass. Cars and buses could pre-purchase a Derby Drive drop-off pass, using Warren Avenue between Queen and Thornberry. It was drop-off only, with no pickups, and the pass was surrendered at drop-off.
- Rideshare and taxis. On Oaks and Derby days there was no onsite taxi or rideshare service; riders used the Bronze Lot at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium, and paid parking was available there on the day.
- Shuttles. Guests with frontside reserved tickets could park at the Kentucky Exposition Center and ride a free shuttle to and from the Black Lot outside the Paddock Gate.
- Closures. Central Avenue was closed for the weekend.
What this means for a chauffeured booking: if your ticket includes a parking pass, tell the desk the pass type and we book a vehicle that matches it, then the chauffeur uses your pass to park and wait. If you have a drop-off pass, the chauffeur drops you on Derby Drive and the desk agrees a pickup point for the evening, outside the closures; expect a short walk. Bring the physical pass, or arrange to hand it to the chauffeur before the day.
Distances and drive times
| Route | Distance | Clear-road time | Elly8.net price |
|---|---|---|---|
| SDF to downtown Louisville | about 8 mi (14 km) | about 15 min | fixed from US$125 to US$325 |
| SDF to Churchill Downs | about 3.7 mi (6 km) | about 10 min | quote in the web booker |
| Downtown Louisville to Churchill Downs | about 5 mi (8 km) | about 9 min | by the hour from US$95 an hour |
| Louisville to the Bourbon Trail distilleries | day trip | 8-hour package | from US$700 to US$1,400 |
On Oaks and Derby days, the desk sets departure times by the lot opening times and your seating, not by the map.
Arriving for Derby Week
Most visitors fly into SDF. The chauffeur tracks the flight and meets you inside arrivals with a name board, with complimentary waiting after a tracked landing. Fixed transfers from SDF to downtown Louisville run from US$125 in a business sedan to US$325 in an Executive Sprinter. Private-aviation guests give the desk the tail number and FBO, and the chauffeur meets you there; see private jet and FBO car service and the Louisville airport site for terminal information.
Derby Week begins well before the Oaks, with race days and parties through the week. If you stay outside downtown, in a rented home or in a hotel across the river, give the desk the exact address in the web booker for a fixed quote.
Oaks and Derby Day plans
Derby Day, full day. The most common booking. The chauffeur collects you in the morning, drops you with your pass, and is ready after the last race. Because the Derby is run in the evening and the exit takes time, a long day is normal. The Louisville full-day chauffeur package (8 hours) runs from US$700 in a business sedan to US$1,400 in an Executive Sprinter, and the 10-hour day from US$855 to US$1,710. For longer days, book by the hour from US$95 an hour.
Drop-off and timed return. If your ticket only allows a drop-off, book two transfers: the morning drop and a timed evening pickup at the meeting point the desk confirms. This costs less than a full day and suits guests who are staying until the end.
Oaks Day. Friday is a full race day in its own right, and many visitors attend both. Book each day separately so each has its own confirmation and chauffeur details.
Evenings. Derby Eve and Derby Week parties and dinners are the other peak. The 5-hour evening out and event night package runs from US$475 to US$950. Chauffeurs follow local rules on alcohol in vehicles; plan your celebrations for the venue, not the car.
A sample Derby Day with a chauffeur
Every booking is planned around your seats and pass, but a typical full day looks like this:
- Morning pickup. The chauffeur collects you at your hotel or house with time to reach the track as lots open. In 2026, lots for pass holders opened at 8:00 a.m. on Oaks and Derby days. Earlier is better if you want to see the undercard races.
- Arrival. With a parking pass, the chauffeur follows the lot's own entry directions, which differ by lot, and parks. With a drop-off pass, you are dropped on Derby Drive and the car leaves the area.
- During the races. The chauffeur stays within reach, and you can message the desk at any time to change the pickup time, for example if part of the group wants to leave before the Derby itself.
- The exit. After the Derby, you walk to the car or to the agreed pickup point. The desk times the meeting for when the crowd has started to thin, and the chauffeur takes you to dinner, a party or straight back.
Groups, hats and the right vehicle
Derby outfits are part of the day, and hats travel better in a roomier vehicle. A business sedan suits two guests; a Business SUV or First Class SUV suits three or four with space to spare; the Executive Sprinter carries a group in one vehicle with one pass. For larger parties and corporate hospitality, see Sprinter vans with a driver, group transportation and sports event and game-day transportation. Match the vehicle to the pass you hold: a Sprinter needs the pass issued for its type.
Partner vehicles are four model years old or newer (seven for Rolls-Royce, Maybach and Bentley), and child seats are available on request.
Elly8.net vs rideshare, taxi and the shuttle
The free shuttle from the Kentucky Exposition Center is a good option for frontside ticket holders who are happy to park and ride, and it avoids the neighbourhood traffic altogether. Rideshare is fine for a solo traveller going in early, as long as you are comfortable with the stadium lot and the walk, and with demand-based pricing after the races when everyone leaves together.
A pre-booked chauffeur is the better choice for groups, guests in Derby dress, anyone who should not walk far, hosts with clients, and anyone who wants a known car and a fixed price at the end of a long day. The fare is set at booking and does not surge. Compare in more detail on chauffeur vs Uber and Lyft and chauffeur vs taxi.
Corporate hospitality and agents
Companies hosting clients at the Derby often run several vehicles for the weekend: airport transfers, a Sprinter for the group on race days and sedans for executives. A corporate account puts them on one monthly invoice with one contact at the desk, and NDAs are available on request. Travel agents packaging Derby trips can book through a travel agent account. For VIP arrivals and themed evenings, see event transportation.
How to book
- Enter your pickup and drop-off, with your flight number for airport pickups. Downtown fares are fixed on the Louisville page; for other addresses use the web booker.
- Choose the vehicle, matching it to any parking pass you hold.
- Select Reserve now and pay by card, or book on account. Confirmation comes by email, with chauffeur details before pickup.
Derby weekend books out early, so reserve as soon as your tickets are confirmed. Prices on the list do not change for Derby Week; tolls and parking are billed at cost.
Rides in Louisville are operated by licensed, commercially insured local chauffeur partners vetted through the Limousine Worldwide network; Elly8.net takes the booking, fixes the price and runs the 24/7 desk. Elly8.net is a member of LimousineWorldwide.Directory, LimousineAssociation.International, HotelsWorldwide.Directory and VacationsWorldwide.Directory. For hotel ideas and Derby Week events, see GoToLouisville.
Make a weekend of it
The Louisville signature day trip is an 8-hour chauffeured visit to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail distilleries, from US$700 in a business sedan, a natural Sunday after the Derby. Elly8.net also covers Cincinnati, Indianapolis and Nashville for onward trips.
Frequently asked questions
When are the 2027 Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks?
The Kentucky Oaks is on Friday, April 30, 2027, and the 153rd Kentucky Derby on Saturday, May 1, 2027, at Churchill Downs. Post time for the Derby is scheduled for approximately 6:57 p.m. ET, so plan for a long day and an evening exit.
How much does a car for Derby Day cost?
In Louisville, the 8-hour full-day chauffeur package runs from US$700 in a business sedan to US$1,400 in an Executive Sprinter, the 10-hour day from US$855 to US$1,710, and hourly service from US$95 an hour. Prices are fixed and all-in; parking passes, tolls and parking are billed at cost.
Can a chauffeur drop us at the gate?
Only within the track's rules. In 2026, cars and buses needed a pre-purchased Derby Drive drop-off pass, used on Warren Avenue between Queen and Thornberry, and it allowed drop-offs only. Onsite parking needed a vehicle-specific pass. The desk checks the 2027 plan before your date.
Where does the chauffeur pick us up after the races?
If you have a parking pass, the chauffeur parks in your lot and you walk to the car. With a drop-off-only pass, the desk agrees a pickup point outside the closures in advance and sends it to you. Expect a short walk and some wait as the crowd leaves.
Do we need to buy the parking pass ourselves?
Usually, yes. Passes come with certain tickets or are bought in advance from Churchill Downs, and they are issued for a vehicle type. Tell the desk which pass you have so we book a matching vehicle, and give the pass to the chauffeur before the day.
Is the shuttle a better option?
For frontside ticket holders happy to park at the Kentucky Exposition Center and ride, the free shuttle works well. A chauffeur is better for groups, guests in Derby dress, mobility needs, or anyone who wants a door-to-door plan from a hotel or home.
What is the cancellation policy?
More than 72 hours before pickup, cancellation is free; 72 hours or less costs 10%; 48 hours or less, 50%; 24 hours or less or a no-show, 100%. Refunds go to the original card.
Can you take us to the Bourbon Trail the next day?
Yes. The Louisville signature day trip is an 8-hour chauffeured visit to Kentucky Bourbon Trail distilleries, from US$700 in a business sedan to US$1,400 in an Executive Sprinter. The chauffeur drives; you book the distillery tours.
