IT’S FAIR to say that Alton Towers is one of the UK’s most-loved theme parks.

If you’re thinking about visiting the attraction, make sure you read our essential guide first.

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Alton Towers Resort is one of the UK’s most popular theme parks, with 40 rides and activities spanning from record-breaking rollercoasters to an indoor and outdoor waterpark.

Established on April 4, 1980, the Staffordshire-based theme park’s initial rides included the UK’s first-ever double loop roller coaster — the Corkscrew.

It is the largest theme park in the UK, covering 550 acres.

A new £12.5 million indoor rollercoaster codenamed ‘Project Horizon’ is set to be built, but very little is known about the project so far.

Opening times

Alton Towers opened its doors for 2024 on March 16.

The theme park closes over the winter, and this will be on November 7, 2024.

However, the theme park runs a number of seasonal special events, which are detailed below.

How to get there

The address for Alton Towers is Farley Lane, Alton, Stoke-on-Trent. ST10 4DB.

Located in Staffordshire, near the village of Alton, the nearest motorway exits are:

• M1 Northbound – Junction 23a
• M1 Southbound – Junction 28
• M6 Northbound – Junction 15
• M6 Southbound – Junction 16

For those travelling by public transport, Uttoxeter is the nearest train station to the resort.

From there you can take a 20-minute taxi or the 30-minute X41 bus.

An Alton Towers coach is also bookable through their website.

The bus departs from Birmingham Newman University, Northfields Super Store, University of Birmingham, TK MAXX New Street and Freffs Scott Arms Shopping Centre.

Ticket prices

Like most parks, it’s always cheaper to buy Alton Towers tickets in advance from their website.

Advance Alton Towers tickets can start at:

• 1 Day Pass — £29
• 2 Day Pass — £48
• Short break at the onsite hotel — £90 per family
• Waterpark pass — £18
• Golf 18 Holes — £6

On the day tickets start at:

• 1 Day Pass — £69
• 2 Day Pass — £80
• Waterpark pass — £25
• Parent and Toddler pass — £68

The theme park sells annual passes with discounts.

Alton Tower’s £99 Silver Pass can get theme park lovers up to 10% off food and drinks and a further 10% off the waterpark and Alton Tower’s Dungeon.

The £139 Gold Pass will beef this discount up to 20% and offer benefits such as a Bring a Friend voucher and Discounted Fastrack.

Merlin Annual Pass holders get a minimum of 200 days of off-peak entry to the park.

You can buy tickets on the day you visit from the admissions team, but prices are subject to availability and bookings may sell out.

Alton Towers’ best rides

Best for thrill-seekers — Nemesis Reborn

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Or features writer Richard Moriarty for The Sun tested out the latest addition to the park with his son, and had this to say about it:

“Daddy, this is awesome!” screamed my son as we were whizzed around the 716-metre track at speeds of up to 55mph.

As the name suggests, Nemesis really has been reborn. And wow. What a thrilling ride it offers.

Smooth, slick, exciting and terrifying in equal measure — it is a rollercoaster where, when you get off, you are not quite sure what just happened.

Best for families — Runaway Mine Train

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Runaway Mine Train is now the oldest rollercoaster at the theme park.

Even so, everyone enjoys a trip on this family-friendly coaster.

Plus, if you are patient and wait to ride later in the day, you might even be lucky enough to whizz around the track three or four times.

As The Sun’s Richard Moriarty explained: “… our gruesome twosome could ride together as they are both big enough, allowing mum and dad to enjoy a coffee.”

Best for toddlers — Get Set Go Tree Top Adventure

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This is the perfect place to start your family day out.

You can wake up the sleeping bugbies as you glide high above CBeebies Land on this toddler-friendly rollercoaster track.

Some of the other popular kids’ rides can be seen below, so you can also plan the rest of your day while up in the air.

Alton Towers events

Scarefest

Alton Towers runs a spooktacular annual Halloween Scarefest.

This includes Compound – a new live-action scare maze based on the Nemesis Reborn ride.

There is also a family-friendly interactive attraction called Amigos in the Afterlife.

Christmas

Their Christmas Day Out experiences (available on select days only) are the perfect way to escape dark and dreary winter days.

And for those wanting to immerse themselves in the magic of Christmas overnight, the park also runs Santa Sleepovers.

How to save money at Alton Towers

Thrifty mum-of-three Catherine Loftohouse gave her top tips on saving money when visiting the theme park.

She told The Sun: “If you pay on the day, it could cost £68 per adult and £64 per child at Alton Towers, so this year we saved about £280 just on that one day trip.”

Catherine continued: “This year, we visited Alton Towers in September and spent about £45 on six tickets.

“My brother and I both got a pair of Sun Superdays tickets as he lives in a separate household.

“Each pair costs about £9, as it’s the cost of nine copies of the paper (70p or £1 depending on day of the week) and then a £2 booking fee.

“Meanwhile we used a £25 adult and toddler ticket from the Alton Towers website for my husband and youngest son.”

There are many other ways to cut down on your trip.

Children under 3 can go free and the theme park offers Student tickets for £20 if you have a verified StudentBeans account.

Any parents visiting with a toddler (under 5) can save by purchasing a Parent & Toddler pass in advance for £29.

Additional children under 5 can be added onto the pass for just £5. This offer is not available during weekends and school holidays.

And as mentioned by Catherine, through Sun Savers you can unlock our Sun Superdays offer, which gets you two free tickets to Merlin attractions, including Alton Towers.

Find out about fastrack

Alton Towers fastrack tickets offer a variety of benefits.

As their website explains, these advantages include:

• Less time queuing: Exclusive fastrack queue lines offer reduced waiting time on some of our biggest rides and attractions. That means you have more time to explore and enjoy everything that we have to offer.
• Help planning your day out: Single shot fastracks come with a specific time slot to enjoy your favourite ride. Set up your fastrack slots to help plan an efficient thrill-seeking route around the park.
• Unbeatable package deals: Alton Towers’ packages combine some of our biggest thrill rides and family favourites. Book your fastrack experience as part of a package deal to enjoy big savings.

Alton Towers parking explained

There are a number of options for parking your car at the theme park.

Standard parking costs £10 for guests. 

Gold, Platinum and Premium Merlin Passholders are entitled to free Standard Car Parking.

There is no need to pre-book your parking space as you can just scan you pass at the exit barriers.

Standard Parking is between 15-25 minutes walk to the Alton Towers’ entrance.

You can follow the road signage to the carpark, or ask members of staff for directions.

As there are both grass and tarmac car parks, you may be parked on grass.

Express parking is charged at £20 for guests and can only be booked online in advance.

Gold, Platinum and Premium Merlin Passholders are able pre-book Express Parking for £10 (must be pre-booked online in advance).

CBeebies Land Hotel Guests get free express parking, but hotel booking confirmation must be provided.

Express Parking is a 1-3 minute walk away from the Theme Park Entrance.

Blue badge parking is charged at £10.

Gold, Platinum and Premium Merlin Passholders and on-site hotel guests are not charged for blue badge parking — but your current and valid blue badge must be presented, with the badge holder present in the vehicle which is requesting disabled parking.

One vehicle is permitted to park on blue badge parking per blue badge (spaces on the day will be allocated subject to availability on a first come first serviced basis).

Average Alton Towers queuing times

According to QueueTimes.com, the average waiting times for the park’s top 10 busiest rides are as follows:

• Wicker Man — 48 minutes
• The Smiler — 46 minutes
• TH13TEEN — 34 minutes
• Rita — 32 minutes
• Galactica — 31 minutes
• Spinball Whizzer — 28 minutes
• Gangsta Granny: The Ride — 26 minutes
• Get Set Go Tree Top Adventure — 26 minutes
• Octonauts Rollercoaster Adventure — 26 minutes
• Runaway Mine Train — 25 minutes

While you’re here, take a look at Legoland Windsor, Thorpe Park and Chessington World of Adventures‘ opening dates, ticket prices and locations.

CHRISTMAS is a magical time of year and one of the best ways to get into the festive spirit is to see a light show. 

There are many stunning light shows across England from Kew Gardens in London to Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire.

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Some even serve festive treats including mulled wine and gingerbread men to help you get into the fun of the season. 

Here are the eight best Christmas light shows in England.

Kew Gardens, London

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When Christmas arrives, Kew Gardens is lit up with more than a million bulbs.

It’s an entirely new way to see the 320 acre attraction which is home to over 16,000 species of plants. 

The gardens are bathed in warm, colourful light and the trail is lined with thousands of candles, holographic laser beams and canopies of fairy lights. 

Visiting Christmas at Kew doesn’t have to break the bank either, as ticket prices range from £21.50 for members at off-peak times to £26 at peak times. 

For non-members, it is a little bit more expensive with off-peak tickets costing £25.50 and peak tickets costing £32. 

Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire

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The grounds at Blenheim Palace are already so beautiful that they have been used in Harry Potter, James Bond and Indiana Jones — but Christmas there is really something special.

There are thousands of illuminated lights transforming the historic building and grounds into a winter wonderland.

Kids will love the Neverland in the palace experience, which gives them the opportunity to explore the sparkling state rooms, complete with a model London skyline

Also, £1 will be added at basket stage for each Neverland in the Palace ticket to Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity. 

Longleat, Wiltshire

Bristol is home to the beautiful Longleat House which opens its gates for visitors to welcome them to its annual Festival of Light. 

The grounds, which are home to one of the UK’s most exciting safari parks, will turn back the clock and take visitors on a journey from the dawn of man to the present day. 

But that’s not all because this light show has a Santa train to meet Father Christmas and his elves.

The Festival of Light runs from November 9, 2024 to January 5, 2025.

Oxford Street and Regent Street

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Oxford Street and Regent Street are among the busiest streets in Europe and they are both home to some of England’s best light displays every Christmas.

Both streets have over 300,000 LED lights which provide great photo opportunities while you do some Christmas shopping. 

Regent Street has huge angels of light spanning across the entire street and Oxford Street is draped in over 5,000 white stars. 

Oxford Street will be lighting up from November 5, 2024, and Regent Street will follow suit just two days later. 

Killerton, Exeter

Christmas at Killerton will feature a traditional Christmas experience that includes an enchanted decorated house, which has green garlands, warming fireplaces and lush trees to make you feel cosy.

There is more fun to be had in the garden, which has an outdoor trail for the kids to enjoy.

The gardens and chapel grounds will be covered in Christmas lights, making it the best location for a Christmas family photo so dress to impress.

Christmas at Killerton will run from November 26, 2024 to January 2, 2025.

Bedgebury, Kent

Bedgebury is home to a one-mile magical winter trail which has fields of light and giant luminous seed pods.

Then, you’ll walk through sparkling tunnels of light and the forest is drenched in all of the colours of the rainbow.

It’s perfect for a little Christmas warmth on a cold December day.

Christmas at Bedgebury runs from November 14 to December 31, 2024.

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Mayfield Park, Manchester

The Twilight Trail transforms Mayfield Park into a 6.5 acre Christmas extravaganza with 50,000 lights.

From hot chocolate to toasted marshmallows, there is plenty to eat and drink as visitors wander through the winter wonderland.

Tickets are now on sale. Adult tickets priced at £14 and child tickets are £9, with under two-year-olds gaining free entry.

The Twilight Trail runs from November 14 to December 31, 2024.

Liverpool Cathedral

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The Light Before Christmas 2024: Starlight is an immersive sound and light installation by the acclaimed artistic collective Luxmuralis, in one of the most historic cities in England.

The cathedral will be become a stunning display of sound, light and storytelling — but it only runs for one day so you’ll need to hurry to get tickets.

Head on to Liverpool to catch The Light Before Christmas when takes place on November 30, 2024.

LONDON’s Winter Wonderland will be opening next month with some updates – a much-loved rollercoaster is set to return following a one-year hiatus, as well as other reimagined activities.

The winter attraction will run for six weeks in the capital’s Hyde Park, with a variety of attractions, activities, entertainment, and food on offer.

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After a break from Winter Wonderland last year, the rollercoaster Wilde Maus XXL will make its return in 2024.

The 30-metre tall coaster rollercoaster features multiple twists and turns with a G force of 2.5, and the queue is even interesting – with spinning platforms and stepping stones over water.

Munich Looping, the world’s largest transportable rollercoaster, will also be part of this year’s lineup.

Other rides include the Aeronaut Starflyer, the Hangover and the Euro Coaster.

The Magical Ice Kingdom is back for another year, but this time with a brand-new theme: Alice in Wonderland.

Inside the Alice in Wonderland Ice Village, more than 500 tonnes of snow and ice will be used to bring Lewis Carroll’s story to life.

Visitors enter through the Queen of Hearts‘ castle before discovering key scenes and characters like the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party and the Cheshire Cat.

The Magical Ice Kingdom claims to be one of the largest ice exhibitions in Europe, with some carved sculptures taller than five metres.

Fan favourites, like the Real Ice Slide, will be part of this year’s festivities.

The Real Ice Slide sees visitors climb to the top of the slide before heading down the 35m slope on a rubber ring.

Meanwhile, the open-air Ice Rink will also be returning for the 2024 season.

Visitors will be able to skate across the 1,795 square metre rink as live acoustic music plays in the background.

Bar Ice, the Apres-ski-themed Bar, will also return for 2024.

The freezing cold bar has been brought back to London in association with Mixtons Cocktails – think DJ beats and classic cocktails with a twist.

Other popular attractions include the Giant Wheel, ice sculpting workshops, and Zippos Christmas Circus.

Those who aren’t keen on big rides will be able to watch the Cirque Berserk show Thunderbolt – an “adrenaline-fuelled circus stunt” show performed by a troupe of daredevils.

And following a run of sell-out performances in 2023, Children’s TV Megastar Justin Fletcher, known for his role as Mr Tumble on CBeebies, will also return for 2024 – and tickets are already limited.

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More than 20 new traders will be making their Winter Wonderland debut in 2024, with the site’s Christmas Market featuring a diverse range of handmade crafts.

As part of the new line-up, live demonstrations will also be hosted at the market.

Food and drinks like mulled wine, hot chocolate, and tankards of Bavarian beer can also be purchased.

What else do I need to know?

While entry is free into Winter Wonderland in the morning and early afternoons on certain days (normally weekdays), entry prices for peak times range from £5-£7.50.

Visitors will then need to pay if they want to go on any of the rides or experience any of the other attractions.

For example, ice rink tickets cost £17 for a full-paying adult and £11 for a child and entry into the Ice Kingdom costs £13 for a full-paying adult and £11.

Fast-track tickets on the Giant Wheel cost £16 per adult and £12 per child, cheaper tickets are available for those who don’t want to purchase fast-track.

Entry to Bar Ice cost £18 per person, with one cocktail included in the price.

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If you’re clever and book activities in advance online, you can get free entry into the park when you spend over £25.

Visitors can also purchase the Santaland Unlimited Ride Pass, which gives park-goers unrestricted access to over 12 family-friendly rides, including Race-O-Rama, Santaland Express Train, Winter Spinner, and Racing Coaster – although this is three rides less than last year.

The pass costs £25, and it includes free entry to Winter Wonderland.

A new Off-Peak offer is on the cards for 2024, with off-peak visitors unlocking 20 per cent of selected Magical Ice Kingdom and Ice Skating tickets.

Winter Wonderland will run for six weeks from November 21, 2024, until January 5, 2025.

It will be open from 10am until 10pm every day between those two dates, excluding Christmas Day.

The nearest London Underground stations to Hyde Park are Bond Street, Green Park, Knightsbridge, Marble Arch, Hyde Park Corner, Paddington, and Victoria.

Several bus routes will also get you there, and Paddington, Victoria, and Marylebone train stations are also nearby.

What’s it like to visit London’s Winter Wonderland?

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The Sun’s Travel reporter Hope Brotherton visited London’s Winter Wonderland last year, here’s what she thought…

THE smell of deep-fat fried batter wafts through the air, and bright, sometimes flashing, lights can be seen in every direction.

A mixture of pop songs and Christmas jingles also compete for some attention, which means I can only be in one place – London‘s Winter Wonderland.

It’s a sprawling maze of high-octane rollercoasters, funfair rides, wooden stalls, food vans, and other activities.

While there’s no real way to explore the festive attraction, I made a beeline for the Magical Ice Kingdom.

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Last year’s theme centred around Norse Mythology but I’m equally excited to see the Alice in Wonderland-themed ice carvings at this year’s attraction.

For me, another one of Winter Wonderland’s highlights was the Real Ice Slide – a 35m slope.

Despite being over in seconds, the Real Ice Slide was a true rush of fun.

Another one of Winter Wonderland’s highlights is the Giant Ferris Wheel, where park-goers are treated to spectacular views of both the park and the London Skyline.

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Journeys on the Ferris Wheel last around 15 minutes, making it well worth the wait.

No trip to Winter Wonderland is complete without riding at least one rollercoaster – and I opted for Munich Looping, the world’s largest transportable rollercoaster.

I gave several other rides a go, including the Haunted Mansion and the Traditional Wave Swinger.

I also had a good wander through the wooden market stalls, and I watched as other park-goers won prizes on one of the many funfair games.

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In the mean time, here is Butlin’s ‘ultimate Christmas holiday weekend’ launching this year.

And here are some affordable December city breaks you can still book.

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