Travelling to CHIO Aachen: Your Chauffeur Guide to the World Equestrian Festival

CHIO Aachen in one paragraph

CHIO Aachen, the World Equestrian Festival, is one of the most important horse shows in the world and takes place every summer at the Soers showground in Aachen, Germany. It sits about 250 kilometres from Amsterdam, 140 kilometres from Brussels and 85 kilometres from Düsseldorf. The easiest way to get there and back without parking stress is a private chauffeur who drops you near the entrance and collects you when the last round is over.

Whether you are a rider’s family, a sponsor hosting guests, or a fan travelling for the Grand Prix, the logistics are part of the experience. This guide covers how to get there, where to stay and how to plan your days.

What makes CHIO Aachen special

Equestrian fans often call Aachen the “Wimbledon of horse sport”. Over roughly ten days the Soers hosts top-level competition in five disciplines:

• Show jumping, culminating in the Grand Prix of Aachen, one of the majors of the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping.
• Dressage, with world-class riders in the Deutsche Bank Stadium.
• Eventing, including the cross-country course through the Soers.
• Driving, with spectacular marathon obstacles.
• Vaulting, gymnastics on horseback.

Around the arenas you will find hospitality areas, shopping villages and a festival atmosphere that draws visitors from all over Europe.

How to get to CHIO Aachen

Distances and driving times

From	Distance (approx.)	Driving time (approx.)
Maastricht	35 km	40 min
Cologne	70 km	1 h
Düsseldorf	85 km	1 h 10 min
Liège	55 km	50 min
Eindhoven	110 km	1 h 20 min
Brussels	140 km	1 h 45 min
Amsterdam / Schiphol	250 km	2 h 45 min to 3 h

Airports for CHIO Aachen

• Maastricht Aachen Airport: closest, about 40 kilometres, with limited scheduled flights.
• Düsseldorf Airport: major hub, about an hour by car.
• Cologne Bonn Airport: about an hour by car.
• Brussels Airport: good long-haul connections, roughly 1 hour 45 minutes.
• Amsterdam Schiphol: the widest choice of international flights, under three hours by road.

SilverDrive collects you at any of these airports with flight tracking and 60 minutes of free waiting on arrival.

Train and public transport

Aachen Hauptbahnhof is well connected to Cologne, Brussels and Liège. During CHIO, shuttle buses run between the city and the showground, but on peak days queues can be long, especially after the evening sessions.

Why a chauffeur makes CHIO easier

The Soers lies on the northern edge of Aachen in a largely residential area. On Grand Prix Sunday and the Nations Cup evening, roads around the showground get very busy. A chauffeur solves the three biggest headaches:

1. No parking hunt. You are dropped near the entrance and collected at an agreed point.
2. Flexible timing. Stay for the prize-giving or leave early. Your chauffeur adapts.
3. Comfortable evenings. Enjoy the hospitality tent and dinner in the city without anyone having to drive.

For sponsors and VIP hosts, a fleet of chauffeured cars or a Mercedes-Benz V-Class for small groups keeps guests together. For larger parties we provide vans and our Setra coach through our event transportation service.

Tips for your CHIO visit

• Buy tickets early for the Grand Prix Sunday and the Nations Cup evening; they are the most sought-after sessions.
• Bring layers and rain gear. Aachen weather in early July can change quickly, and much of the day is spent outdoors.
• Agree a fixed meeting point with your chauffeur. Mobile networks can be busy when tens of thousands of visitors leave at once.
• Allow time to explore the grounds. The showground is large, with stables, warm-up arenas and the shopping village spread out across the Soers.

Where to stay

Hotel rooms in Aachen fill up quickly during CHIO. Popular alternatives:

• Aachen city centre: close to the Dom and the old town, 10 to 15 minutes from the Soers by car.
• Maastricht: a charming base across the border, about 40 minutes away. See our Maastricht chauffeur service.
• Cologne or Düsseldorf: larger hotel choice, about an hour each way.
• Country hotels in South Limburg or the Eifel: quiet and green, ideal with a chauffeur.

Make it a longer trip

Aachen rewards an extra day. The Aachen Cathedral, built for Charlemagne, was one of the first places inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The old town around the Rathaus and Elisenbrunnen is lively in summer, and Aachen is famous for its Printen gingerbread. Across the border, Maastricht and the rolling hills of South Limburg are a short drive away, and Cologne is an hour east.

A sample CHIO day with a chauffeur

• 08:00: pickup at your hotel in Maastricht.
• 08:45: drop-off at the Soers for the morning dressage.
• 13:00: lunch in a hospitality area.
• 15:30: show jumping in the main stadium.
• 19:00: chauffeur collects you at the agreed meeting point.
• 19:30: dinner in Aachen’s old town, then back to your hotel.

Book your CHIO Aachen transport

Plan early: CHIO week is busy for hotels and for chauffeurs alike. SilverDrive offers fixed prices agreed at booking, our own fleet and screened, English-speaking chauffeurs, with cross-border experience between the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. See our Aachen chauffeur service, then book your CHIO transfer or ask for a quote for multi-day and group arrangements.