ALTON Towers is adding two new attractions to its annual Scarefest celebrations for Halloween – one for families and the other not for the fainthearted. 

The UK’s biggest theme park has created Amigos in the Afterlife, where guests magically step into the afterlife to meet some colourful and friendly spirits, in a series of rooms themed around the Mexican Day of the Dead. 

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The new attraction takes over the previous site of the Alton Towers Dungeon and features spooktacular effects, encountering mischievous characters who challenge guests with tasks to earn their passage back to the living realm.

My crack team of ‘terror testers,’ aka my son Clark, nine, daughter Lily, 12 and her friend Faye, 12, loved meeting such silly characters as one minute they were in a Mexican wrestling ring and the next they were solving riddles and silly songs.

Just next door is more glow-in-the-dark fun with the return of Trick O’ Treat Town with HARIBO, where the kids filled their bags with tons of sweets while travelling from room to room, howling with laughter at some of the goofy spooks they met along the way. 

If you fancy treating yourself to this family fun you need to purchase the Spooks Duo package, costing £15 per person. 

For people who like their Halloween more terrifying, Alton Towers also offers you the Frights Combi package for £34.

This gets you into four seriously scary attractions. We did Altonville Mine Tours – Tiny’s Revenge, which is this crazy maze in the dark based around the concept that an escaped killer is on the run from a US prison.

We were screaming our heads off as insane characters in gas masks jumped out at you from every nook and cranny, while we squeezed through a wooden maze in the dark, with haunting sounds and smoke along the way. 

12-year-olds Faye and Lily were shoved to the front by two adult participants who clearly just wanted to survive with a killer on the loose.

The girls loved being scared like this and it’s perfect for teens and older, but anyone younger needs to be seriously brave to take this on.

We had our fill of scares after this one but there’s plenty more eerie-sistible frights for horror fans. 

As part of the Combi Frights package you also get access to Daz Games: Panic Reloaded. The flagship attraction is best described as an immersive experience where escape room meets live-action scare.

It’s concocted by YouTuber Daz Games and unlike the usual live-action horror experiences where you simply follow a path to the end, this one has an active aim – finding symbols to escape.

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The frenzied running of people desperate to find their symbols and escape the hellhole, along with flashing lights, ominous music and obstacles, makes it all the more thrilling.

Alton Towers has brought back another scare maze from last year too – The Attic: Terror Of The Towers – which sees you go on a spooky ghost hunting tour around the grounds of Alton Manor. 

But most terrifying of all is its brand-new attraction COMPOUND. This disorientating live-action scare maze is based on the story of Nemesis Reborn, which has had an alien-themed facelift this year to celebrate its 30th birthday. 

In COMPOUND, guests find themselves as a subject of the Phalanx – a shady organisation originally tasked with keeping the Nemesis beast under control.

It is an intense and disorientating scare attraction, set within an intimidating scientific facility featuring dark and claustrophobic environments amongst the hallways and chambers of their labs.

Guarded by their screaming operatives, guests are plunged into a sinister sci-fi experiment where their DNA is the next weapon.

It makes the nearby Nemesis Sub-Terra ride look like a kiddies soft play and will be irresistible to people who like their Halloween horror turned up to ten. 

All around the park there was Halloween-themed fun, with entertainment on the resort’s front lawns arena featuring shows with the Freaky Five characters, meet and greets, photo opportunities and more.

CBeebies Land gets into the fun too with its Monster Ball being held in Big Fun Showtime.

In it, guests can join their favourite CBeebies friends to dance, play games and enjoy a skele-fun party. 

And guests are also able to enjoy Rides in the Dark across the Resort throughout Scarefest. 

Alton Towers has a range of offers this autumn, which includes Scarefest. See here for more details.

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FORGET seat reservations and luggage fees – passengers are now being stung by ‘bundled fees’.

Most holidaymakers are aware of the extra costs that come with booking flights, especially with budget airlines.

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This can be both good and bad – it can mean extremely cheap flights, with the lowest on offer being with Ryanair for £14.99 between the UK and Europe.

But it also means your cheap tickets can become more than double the price if you want a certain seat and checked luggage.

And airlines are now going one further by offering ‘bundles’ of these extra perks – but may not be saving you money.

Airline consultant John Strickland told the Telegraph: “One of the current trends is ‘bundling’.

“[This is where] where airlines package together different perks – seat choice, extra baggage, speedy check-in – for a single price.”

This makes it easier to add on everything you might want to include, but might come at a price.

A previous study found that Ryanair passengers has as many a 32 different prices for a flight, depending on what extra perks were being added.

Along with seats, baggage and check in, it can also include car hire, travel insurance and airport fast track.

For example, Ryanair offer five ‘fare bundle options’.

This includes the cheapest Basic Fare, along with Regular Fare, Fare Plus and Family Plus, to Flexi Plus.

Wizz Air are similar, with their cheapest Base Fare, going up to Wizz Go, Wizz Plus and Wizz Smart.

Some airlines are even offering carbon offsetting or charity donations at the check out.

However, unless you want all of the bundle inclusions, this is unlikely to save you money.

The cheapest Ryanair luggage fees are £6, while seats are as little as £4.50.

Bundles can easily be double this, as they include extras like Priority Boarding.

According to NerdWallet, the best way to avoid this is to do a direct side-by-side comparison, rather than assume it is saving you money.

And if opting for a bundle, check the difference between the top option and middle option.

This is because of a bias called “compromise effect” which sees consumers often go for the middle option, rather than cheapest or most expensive.

Some airlines have introduced new bundles too.

American Spirit Airlines introduced its Go Big package this summer, which includes priority check in, bigger seats, a checked and carry on bag, as well as snacks, drinks and WiFi.

Another study found that travellers are getting angrier, and hidden fees could be to blame.

Beth Walter, a business communication professor from Carnegie Mellon University, told the Seattle Times: “A big factor in consumers losing their tempers is the feeling that they are getting nickel and dimed at every turn.

“No one likes hidden fees, and if they pop up during trips they can easily trigger the temper of a stressed-out, exhausted traveller who has been preparing for their summer vacation since last year and is expecting that everything goes according to plan.”

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THE Christmas season is almost upon us, and there’s no better way to spread holiday cheer than a festive day trip with family and friends.

Castles and stately homes across the country are adorned with garlands, wreaths, stocking and lights, and the UK even has it’s very own Lapland.

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Also new this year is the UK’s highest snow globe, 52 metres high and with fairytale-like falling snow.

We’ve put together a list of some of the best Christmas day trip offerings – but you’ll have to be quick before tickets sell out.

The Polar Express and other festive train rides

The Polar Express offers the experience of a train ride set to the sounds and songs from the family favourite holiday movie The Polar Express.

Departing from many different locations in the UK, passengers experience the magic of the classic story as they are whisked away by rail for a magical one-hour trip to the North Pole. They are joined on board by the popular characters inspired by the movie including dancing chefs who serve each passenger hot chocolate and a delicious treat.

Rail operators that offer the experience include London Euston, Swanage Railway, Spa Valley Railway in Tunbridge Wells and Caledonian Railway in Scotland.

The price of a ticket varies by location and class of travel, but typically costs between £22.95 and £59 per person.

Other festive train rides in the UK include Severn Valley Railway Santa Specials, Dartmouth Steam Railway’s Train of Lights, and Belmond British Pullman.

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Warner Bros. Studio Tour London Hogwarts in the Snow

Harry Potter fans are invited to experience a very ‘Harry Christmas’ at the walk-through exhibition and studio tour in Leavesden, Hertfordshire.

Iconic Harry Potter sets are dressed for the festive season in a blanket of film making snow, beginning with the Great Hall, with towering Christmas trees and fireplaces adorned with holly, mistletoe and wreaths, and finishing up with a walk around the Hogwarts Castle model, blanketed with snow.

Tickets are available until the 31st of December and start from £56.

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Christmas castles

If there’s one thing the UK has a lot of, it’s castles. And what better what better way to celebrate the festive season by visiting one embellished with large trees, garlands, and festive lights.

Warwick Castle, Bamburgh Castle and Hever Castle are just a couple of the many castles offering festive experiences.

Leeds Castle in Kent is also putting on A Nutcracker Christmas, which offers the chance to wander through rooms filled with sparkling decorations and to meet some Nutcracker character favourites.

Along the way, be prepared for a thrilling showdown between the Nutcracker and the cunning Mouse King, and your mission is to rescue the Sugar Plum Fairy.

The Christmas event is running 23rd November-5th January, and entry is included with general admission to the castle, which is £31.50 for adults and £22.50 for kids if you book online.

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UK’s Highest Snow Globe at Up at The O2

Up at The O2, the award-winning roof walk attraction, has announced it will be launching the UK’s highest snow globe later this year.

From 22 November 2024 to 5 January 2025, climbers visiting Up at The O2 will enjoy a guided climb over The O2’s iconic roof, before stepping into an immersive snow globe when they reach the attractions’ 52m-high summit. Against the backdrop of the London skyline, the UK’s highest snow globe will feature fairytale-like falling snow, the sweet smell of cookies, and a whimsical winter set-up, making for the ultimate festive photo moment.

During an extended 25 minutes on the roof, climbers will have plenty of time to capture the ultimate snowy shots and will also be treated to a delicious gingerbread cookie to enjoy. For those looking to really get into the festive spirit, glasses of bubbly, along with soft drinks, are also available to purchase.

Snow Globe Climbs are available from £44 per person, with tickets on sale now at the Up at The O2 website.

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Lapland UK

Lapland UK is an immersive theatrical experience near Ascot, with experiences and performances for the whole family to enjoy.

A 4.5-hour journey through an enchanted forest and Elven world, and helping the Elves make toys, decorating gingerbread with Mother Christmas, ice skating, and meeting the man in red himself, Father Christmas, are just some of the activities on offer.

Tickets for this year are now sold out. But for a chance to grab any return tickets when they become available, you can subscribe on the website.

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Christmas At Kew and other light shows

Christmas At Kew has become a key date in London’s festive calendar, with its light trail taking over its 300-acre botanic garden.

Be mesmerised by the flickering flames in the fire garden, wander beneath larger-than-life illuminations and don’t forget to glimpse Father Christmas along the way.

Along the route, you’ll also find independent street food vendors offering tasty festive delights, from hot food and sweet treats to spiced winter warmers and hot chocolate. 

For non-Kew members, tickets are £25.50 for off-peak and £32 for peak times. Members pay £21.50 for off-peak and £26 for peak times.

Other light shows going on across the UK include Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, Longleat in Wiltshire, Killerton in Exeter, Bedgebury in Kent, Mayfield Park, Manchester, and Liverpool Cathedral.

For a free Christmas lights tour option, walk around Oxford Street, Regent Street and Bond Street in London. The lights are usually switched on in early November and remain up until around January 6th. 

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Historic houses decked out for Christmas

Historic houses all over the country are also being decorated for the season. From the 1800s to the 1980s, visitors can be transported back to the festivities of different times.

Prepare to be spellbound at Anglesey Abbey in Cambridgeshire as the Magic of Books exhibition inspires the festive decorations around the ground floor of the house.

Take a trip down memory lane at Hanbury Hall in Worcestershire, with decorations inspired by rumours of wild house parties at the Hall in the 70s and 80s. 

And immerse yourself in a Victorian Christmas at Somerset’s Tyntesfield.