Getting there is easy. Picking a winner is a lot more difficult. Picture: Darren McNamara

A race-day punter enjoys the drama of the Melbourne Cup. Picture: Craig Burrow

It’s one of those bucket-list items - like walking over the Sydney Harbour Bridge, climbing Uluru, sailing through the Great Barrier Reef…

The magnetism of the Melbourne Cup is extraordinary.

It is more than just a horse race. It is revered as a sporting, social and cultural event that has played a significant role in defining a young nation.

In 1895, American writer Mark Twain came to the Melbourne Cup and remarked: ‘‘Nowhere in the world have I encountered a festival of people that has such a magnificent appeal to the whole nation. The Cup astonishes me.’’

 Top tips: Victoria travel guide

Those sentiments remain the same to this day, even as Flemington’s Melbourne Cup Carnival of four race meetings spread over eight days has grown to become one of the world’s great sporting extravaganzas.

On that first Tuesday in November, the race truly does stop the nation. Everyone from hardened punters to those who only bet once a year become engrossed in a 3200m handicap that is unlike any other horse race.

You don’t have to back the winner, either, to enjoy the Melbourne Cup. Just to be in the Victorian capital for Cup week is an unforgettable experience.

Melbourne is a vibrant, multicultural city and is renowned for the way it embraces major sporting events. Think of the AFL grand final, the Australian Formula One Grand Prix, Australian Open Tennis and MCG Test cricket.

But these are overshadowed by the Melbourne Cup, where crowds of more than
100,000 attend Flemington for each of the four race days.

As a racing journalist, I’ve been to every Melbourne Cup since 1994.

I’ve seen Makybe Diva’s unique treble in 2003-04-05, the emotion of Damien Oliver’s 2002 win on Media Puzzle just days after his brother Jason was killed in a race fall, and one of the greatest Australians of them all, the legendary Bart Cummings, win his 10th, 11th and 12th Melbourne Cups.

They have been some of the great moments in Australian sport and it is certain another unforgettable chapter in the race’s history will be written this November at the 150th running of the Melbourne Cup.

MELBOURNE CUP TIPS
So, if this is your year to catch the Cup Carnival, here are some tips that might help you enjoy the experience even more.

Where to stay
Try to get to Melbourne on the Friday before the big race.

Be warned, accommodation is at a premium at Cup time and most hotels increase their room rates, but there is a wide range to suit most budgets.

It’s best to stay in the city, where there are so many pubs and clubs and some truly magnificent restaurants.

Where to party
Southbank and Crown Casino, which are a short walk over Princes Bridge from Flinders Street Station, have many night clubs and places to eat. This area is party central during Cup week.

Many of racing’s biggest names – including trainers, jockeys and owners – flock here to party the night away after a big race meeting.

Make the effort to go to Flemington on Victoria Derby Day on the Saturday before the Melbourne Cup.

This is arguably the best race meeting in Australia and recognised as one of the very best anywhere in the world.

The feature race is the Victoria Derby, a classic three-year-old race older than the Melbourne Cup, and the day includes the Mackinnon Stakes and Lexus Stakes, which are important Cup trials.

Getting around
There is only one mode of transport to Flemington on each of the four days of the Cup Carnival – the train.

Regular services leave from Flinders Street Station every 10 minutes or so and have only a handful of stops on the way to the track.

The trip takes about 15 minutes and the train stops right behind the main grandstand at Flemington.

If you are brave and choose to drive, then be prepared for horrific traffic jams and long delays.

Pre-Cup warm-up
Derby Day also gives first-timers to Flemington the opportunity to get their bearings at a racecourse which boasts cavernous grandstands.

Think of this race meeting as a trial run for Cup Day.

Where to stand
The Tuesday is a public holiday in Melbourne for a race that is the world equine staying championship. It is also a staying test for punters.

There are up to 10 races on Cup Day. Apart from the Melbourne Cup, the other nine are of little significance except as a punting medium.

But in order to truly appreciate Cup Day, try to get there as early as possible, find a comfortable vantage point and then enjoy one of world sport’s great events.

By the last race, usually about 5pm, you will be grateful that you caught the train and don’t have to battle the heavy traffic back into the city.

Something for the ladies
If Derby Day is for racing aficionados and Cup Day is a truly Australian experience, then Thursday’s Oaks Day is something else again.

This is traditionally Ladies Day and although it is a work day in Melbourne, its crowds have been greater than for the Melbourne Cup in recent years.

There’s a different crowd on Oaks Day, too. It’s predominantly 18 to 35-year-olds, who go to the races for the social occasion. And the party continues long after the last race, in pubs and clubs back in the city.

Emirates Stakes Day on the second Saturday is the final day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival.

The VRC markets it as ‘‘Family Day’’ and crowds have grown from 20,000 in 1995 to nearly 100,000 now.

All that is left is to back the Melbourne Cup winner. The big race is still almost four months away, so it’s a bit early to be giving out tips.

Then again, there’s always Bart.

Melbourne Cup discount
Needtoescape.com.au is offering Escape readers an exclusive 10 per cent discount on its 150th Melbourne Cup Carnival Riverside Enclosure packages, which are available for Victoria Derby Day, Melbourne Cup Day, Oaks Day and Emirates Stakes Day.

To redeem your discount, call needtoescape.com.au, 1300 551 669 and quote the code word ‘‘trifecta’’.

 Top tips: Victoria travel guide