Alton Towers

Alton Towers, the largest theme park in the United Kingdom, is in Staffordshire, England. It is generally considered by rollercoaster enthusiasts to hold its own with any such park in the world.

Understand
Alton Towers is owned by Merlin Entertainments, who also run Madame Tussaud's, Warwick Castle, The London Eye and the London Dungeon and the Blackpool Tower amongst others.

Nemesis and Oblivion (you get the picture) are white-knuckle rides to match anything in Europe and most rides in the USA. The park is very well-themed and is built in several zones, namely Tower Street, Mutiny Bay, Katanga Canyon, Gloomy Wood, X-Sector, Forbidden Valley, Dark Forest, The World of David Walliams, Adventure Land and CBeebies Land. The ruins of this stately home are even used in a ride: Hex.

Alton Towers is well signposted from the major motorways and is easily accessible from the major cities in England. Those visitors who wish to overnight can stay at one of the park's five accommodation options – the Alton Towers Hotel, CBeebies Land Hotel, Enchanted Village Woodland Lodges and Treehouses, Stargazing Pods and the Splash Landings Hotel, which is also associated with a spectacular water park.

By car
Alton Towers is accessible on both the M6 and M1 motorways. As it is a major tourist attraction it is very well signposted. Be prepared to drive the last few miles on narrow country lanes.

By train and bus
The public transport links to Alton Towers are infrequent Alton Towers, but good options exist seasonally from Stoke on Trent, Uttoxeter and Derby.

You will need to be at either:

Derby train station or Nottingham bus station to catch the X52 bus to Alton Towers. There is only one bus per day April-August so make sure you don't miss it. As of 2019 the prices of the X52 are:
 * from Nottingham: (one-way/return) adult £10/15, child £6/9
 * from Derby: (one-way/return) adult £8/12, child £5/7

Stoke-on-Trent train station, then catch the 30 bus to the Towers. Uttoxeter train station, then catch the 32A bus to the Towers. This bus has an average frequency of about once every two hours and is a local service, servicing all the little villages around Alton Towers. These buses have gained a reputation with the locals as being a bad service and there is little need to use them as getting to Uttoxeter requires changing or passing through at either Derby or Stoke.

Get around
You can get a free park map from staff at the entrances or at various information points scattered throughout the park. Alternatively, a PDF copy can be found on the official website.

By foot
The best way to get around the park is on foot. The park however is quite large and very hilly so be prepared to walk long distances between rides.

By monorail
There is also a monorail between the hotels and car park and the park entrance. This is quicker than the 10-minute walk between the two but can have large queues during peak times.

By cable car
Also, you can use the cable car (Skyride) to get between the Park Entrance, Forbidden Valley which is an alien-themed area and Fountain Square, for The Towers, The World of David Walliams (one of the two children's areas of the park) and the Dark Forest. It is advisable to use the Skyride when traversing the valley between Forbidden Valley and Fountain Square as it is a very long and steep route through the park's gardens.

Thrill rides


There are 9 main thrill (or 'white knuckle') rides which are designed to provide maximum excitement and fear to riders.

Family rides
Other rides worth a go are the following:



CBeebies Land
The section within the park is aimed at younger visitors themed around the CBeebies franchise.

Other activities

 * +21 other rides and attractions.
 * +21 other rides and attractions.
 * +21 other rides and attractions.
 * +21 other rides and attractions.

Buy
Various ride photos.

Eat
There is a number of full service restaurants, fast food outlets and stands throughout the park including a pizza-pasta buffet, an American BBQ and a Mexican restaurant. There are various stands serving curry, chilli, filled jacket potatoes, etc., together with traditional English dishes such as fish and chips. If you wish to bring your own food into the park, there is a picnic area beside Mutiny Bay and there are lockers throughout the park.

Drink
Cafes and vending machines distributing soft drinks, water and juices are plentiful throughout the park.



Sleep
Alton Towers has three hotels, camping cabins and a lodge for overnight stays.



There are many hotels and restaurants in the surrounding Derbyshire and Staffordshire area. Ashbourne, a historic marketplace town, is nearby and has a number of hotels and B&Bs.

Cope
Facilities include:

Baby change facilities
There are 9 baby-changing facilities located within the toilets around the theme park.

Medical centre
There is a First Aid Centre between the Teachers Lounge and the Skyride Station on Towers Street.

Cash machines
There are several ATM cash machines around the park, but the only free ATM services are on Towers Street.

Smoking areas
Designated smoking areas are provided across the resort, including at Alton Towers Hotel and Splash Landings Hotel. Smoking is not permitted outside of these areas, including the use of e-cigarettes.

Stay safe
All rides have posted safety instructions which should be observed. Staff members are well-trained in first aid. Major incidents are incredibly rare and the operators consider it a professional responsibility to ensure a safe experience, despite the thrills.

In the summer and around Halloween time the place becomes overcrowded, so beware of pickpockets. Other crime is rare and Alton Towers remains an incredibly safe place to visit.

If you have young children and they get lost, please refer to the Resort First Aid centre next to Towers Street.

Go next

 * Leek
 * Ashbourne
 * Stafford
 * Stoke-on-Trent