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Alton Towers

The Rides

Located in Staffordshire, Alton Towers is the largest of the country's theme park attractions, and is home not just to the theme park but also to a water park as well. All the usual hair-raising rides are here for you including the world famous Nemesis, Ripsaw and Oblivion. But as well as these there are plenty of rides and attractions for the younger visitor or those slightly fainter of heart.

Height, health or age restrictions often apply on rides such as these stomach turners so you may be best advised to check direct with the park if you are in doubt. The theme park opens in March and its latest ride "Thirteen" billed as the ultimate rollercoaster will open for the summer as well.

Entry details

The water park is open all year. The website address is www.altontowers.com and the site office contact number is 0871 222 3330. Information lines are open from 9am to 5pm 7 days a week. The website is one of the best for this type of attraction, easy to use and full of ideas and suggestions on how to get the most from your visit.

At the time of preparing this article for the BEST Advice site, the Summer 2010 prices had yet to be released so a visit to the website is a must when you are planning your day.

The park does all it can to cater for disable visitors but does reserve the right to refuse admission to some rides on the grounds of user safety. A full and detailed statement explaining this is on the web site for you to read and the information help line will happily answer any questions you may wish to ask. The web site also has a special offer section, a short break/hotels section and you can use it to buy "fastrack" tickets to avoid queuing.

Getting there

The park is situated between the M1 and M6 and it has excellent provision for visiting by train with stations close by at Stoke-on-Trent and Derby. The site run bus services from the stations direct to the venue. The SatNav postcode is ST10 4DB. Many SatNavs will have Alton Towers preloaded in the "Places of Interest" files. A word of warning thought the web site suggests you do not use the shortest route facility to find the park but stick to the "fastest" or "direct" options as the shortest route can lead you astray. It also suggests checking for traffic disruption due to ongoing roadworks before you visit.

Journey time from Shefford: 2hrs 30mins (122 miles).

Legoland Windsor

All those Lego bricks!

Sighted on a hill giving spectacular views of Windsor Castle Legoland covers 130 acres and is one of the country’s most popular theme parks. It is designed for children aged 3 years to 12 years and offers a full day out with a variety of rides and attractions. You can see many of the world's great sights and buildings, all built from Lego and the park prides itself on offering excellent facilities for visitors with disabilities. As with many attractions, disabled visitors can bring a carer along and get them in free, and the staff will do all they can to ensure disabled visitors get the most from their visit.

Entry details

Entry is £37.80 for adults and £28.61 for senior citizens and children, so a family of four would spend over £130 getting in, but once inside you don't pay for rides or attractions and the car parking is ample and free. You can get a reduction on the prices by booking on line. (Based on 2010 prices)

The park is open from March to November and closes on selected days so a visit to the Legoland website before you go is advisable. The site also gives information on ticket deals etc. You can also contact the park direct for ticket information on 0871 2222 001. Information and booking lines are open 7 days a week from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Getting there

Getting there involves the M25 again, leaving at junction 15 to join the M4 from which the park is well signposted. SatNav won't work on the park post code and will send you to a residential road, so use either preloaded "places of interest" file or follow the ample signposts.

Journey time from Shefford is given as 1hr 20mins (56 miles) but plan for a lot longer than that while the M25 roadworks continue.

Thorpe Park

The Thrills

Billed as the "Nations Thrill Capital," and advising visitors to bring a spare pair of pants, Thorpe Park is home to the Tidal Wave, Colossus and its latest attraction, Saw Alive, as well as many other rides and attractions. As with most theme parks height, health and age restrictions can apply and the height restrictions here vary from ride to ride but are between 0.9m to 1.4m minimum.

Entry details

The park opens in the middle of March so check the Thorpe Park website for full details. Ticket prices, as shown on the website for 2010, are £36 for an adult and £22 for a child, and please note, adult prices apply to children over 12 years of age. Discounts for groups and for online bookings are available so it is a must you check out the details on the site if you are thinking of going.

As with other theme parks offering thrill rides, the park has a policy of refusal if they consider that the safety of the participant could be at risk and full details of this policy are on the website under the top banner category of "plan your visit."

Getting there

The park is in Surrey, so by car it's the M25 again. Come off at Junction 13 and follow the A320. The park is very well signposted when you get on to the A320. By train you will need to get to Kings Cross and then Waterloo where you catch a train to Staines. Half hourly buses run from Staines railway station to the park.

SatNav post code is KT16 8PN. The journey time is given as 1hr 25mins (57 miles). As before factor in longer journey times due to the M25 roadworks.

Chessington World of Adventures

... and the spills!

Chessington has three main attractions all situated on the same park. It is a theme park with rides and other attractions, a large Zoo and a Sea Life Centre. It offers a full day out with something to interest all the family.

Entry Details

The theme park closes for the winter, but the other attractions remain open. For opening dates for the theme park, check the web site. The park offers a variety of ticket options, but do charge for the disabled and their helpers or carers.

As so many ticket options are available checking the website is a must as on line bookings will save you money. Paying at the gate on the day for a family will work out considerably more expensive than pre-booking tickets via the website.

Visit the Chessington World of Adventures website for full details on the attractions, new rides, admission costs, opening times. The park information office will also help you with any questions not answered by a visit to the website and they can be contacted on for general enquiries please call 0871 663 4477.

Getting there

It is located on the Leatherhead Road, near Chessington in Surrey, which again means the M25 is the most direct route. Leave the M25 at Junction 10 and follow the signs on the A3.

SatNav postcode is KT9 2NE but the park is very well signposted from all approach routes.

Journey time from Sheffordis given as 1hr 30mins, a distance of 70 miles. Factor in a longer journey time for 2010 due to the M25 road works.

Disneyland Paris

What! A day out to Paris?

Yes, it is possible, but only just and not for the faint-hearted! With Eurostar trains now going from St Pancras International straight to the Disneyland Paris site, it is possible to get there and back in a day from Bedford station. But I suspect it would be a fraught experience and very tiring for all involved, adults and children alike. So make a long weekend of it instead.

Many companies, including Disneyland itself, now do good deals on overnight stays and longer breaks with meals thrown in and kids going free, so if you fancy a trip to the "Magic Kingdom" it really pays to shop around especially on the internet as you can find tickets booked on the web are discounted. There is way too much information to repeat here so a good place to start for packages is the Disneyland Paris website. All inclusive packages are available but if you want to plan the journey separately you will need train information which you can get from Eurostar. This site will also give you the details of trains which can take you and your family on breaks to Paris itself or Brussels.