The Traveller's Magazine
Do you have a head for speed and love hanging up-side-down? Britain’s gone crazy for roller coasters, thrill rides, water parks and nostalgic carousels. Here are the best theme parks to visit this summer in our own backyard. Disney? Forget it!
Alton Towers – Staffordshire
With more than 50 rides, Alton Towers is one of the best theme parks in Britain. The newest thrill ride to try this summer? The Smiler. It cost a whopping £18m to build and is the world’s first 14-loop roller coaster with added crazy psychological effects like blinding lights and optical illusions. It all sounds quite exhilarating!
Admission: £36 for adults, £30.60 for children
Pleasure Beach Blackpool – Lancashire
We can’t get enough of Blackpool. The newest ride at this park is named after our favourite duo: Wallace & Gromit’s Thrill-O-Matic It’s a £5.25m four-minute ride. Also new this year is the Hot Ice Show and Poppy Cat at Nickelodeon Land. Did you know that the park’s most famous ride, The Big Dipper turned 90 last year?
Admission: £19.99 for adults, £17.99 for children
Thorpe Park – Surrey
Thorpe Park is one of the closest theme parks to London and makes a great day trip out of the capital with a London car hire. The newest ride at Thorpe Park is not for the faint of heart! It’s called The Swarm and drags riders to a bling 127-foot drop along this roller coaster track. It’s enough to make your heart stop.
Admission: £24.99 for adults, £21.58 for children
Flambards Experience – Cornwall
While not as well known as some of the other parks on this list, Flambards Experience is a great park to visit if you’re holidaying in Cornwall. The Thunderbolt will whip you around at lightning speed while the Skyraker 001 will drop you from sky. On a hot summer’s day, there’s nothing better than a super soaking ride on the Canyon River Log Flume!
Admission: £17.95 for adults, £12.50 for children
Oakwood Theme Park – Pembrokeshire
Oakwood is the only theme park in Wales and is also home to Megafobia, voted the best ride in the UK and third best ride in the world (at least according to the Roller Coaster Club of Great Britain). Journey into Neverland to relive Peter Pan’s adventure on rides like Tink’s Flying School, Lost Boys Adventure and Crocodile Coaster.
Admission: £23 for adults, £16 for children
Which parks will you be visiting this summer? Do you dare to ride some of these thrilling coasters?
