Alton Towers based in the north of the village of Alton in Staffordshire is one of the UK's most famous theme parks. It features 8 roller coaster rides and 3 water rides. In total there are 33 attractions set out in 500 acres of Alton Towers.

On peak days Alton Towers attracts over 30,000 visitors daily.

Alton Towers is notable for its extreme rides, including:

Nemesis: Europe's first inverted roller coaster, a roller coaster in which people hang with their legs dangling down (or up depending on orientation) from the floorless ride cars. This is said to be the world's most intense rollercoaster, with a maximum G-force of 4G.

Oblivion: the world's first vertical drop roller coaster, with G-forces of 4.5G.

Corkscrew: a ride with two inversions which many riders find uncomfortable due to the rough track. This is the oldest roller coaster at the site, built in 1980.

Air: the world's first flying roller coaster of its kind, in which riders find themselves suspended horizontally facing down, as though flying.

Rita - Queen of Speed: which can take riders to 100 km/h in approximately 2.5 seconds, with G-forces of 4.7G.

The park is split into many themed areas. The Skyride is a cable car system which visitors can use to travel between Towers Street, Forbidden Valley, and Ug Land. The areas in clockwise order:

Towers Street

Towers Street is the first area that visitors to the park encounter. Themed as a town street, it leads to views of the gardens and the Towers ruins. The street contains several shops, including the Towers Trading Co., which sells official park merchandise. The first Skyride station is located nearby.

Merrie England

An area themed around medieval England. Rides include a traditional spinning Tea Cup ride and The Flume, a log flume themed around bathtime, with riders sitting in bath tubs. The Flume is sponsored by Cussons Imperial Leather. The area contains several gaming sideshows at which prizes can be won, several food outlets and the Courtyard Tavern (the park's only pub). This area includes a currently unused 3D Cinema, a McDonald's and a Goalstriker soccer-simulator.

Katanga Canyon

Themed as an adventure area. Rides include the Runaway Mine Train (a powered roller coaster) and the Congo River Rapids. Both are well-established rides in the park and whose ride tracks share a tunnel. The area has Kentucky Fried Chicken and Pizza Hut restaurants with a shared indoor seating area. There is a shop located at the exits of the two rides called 'Katanga Cargo', hosting 'ancient' tribal themed merchandise.

Gloomy Wood

The Gloomy Wood is a small, ghosts-and-monsters themed area containing the ride Duel: The Haunted House Strikes Back!. The ride was originally a non-interactive ride named The Haunted House, but was upgraded in 2003 with laser-based plastic guns to shoot LED lights scattered around the rooms and monsters, with each player's score displayed on a digital display in the ride car to encourage competitive play. New for 2007 is Haunted Hollow an outdoor walk-through following part of the route taken by the old railway, linking from Merrie England to Gloomy Wood, along the route tombstones and other scary items make noises and special effects are used to great effect.

Forbidden Valley

Themed around a post-apocalyptic landscape, with large rocks and rusty pieces of metal and machinery scattering the area. One of the major rides is Nemesis, an inverted roller coaster based around a monster. At the end of the valley is an "oasis", with calmer colours and plants, where the ride Air, a Bolliger & Mabillard flying coaster, is located. Also in the area are the Ripsaw and The Blade thrill rides. This area contains a Skyride station.

Ug Land

Ug Land is a prehistoric/neanderthal themed area containing two of the park's major roller coasters. These are Rita - Queen of Speed (notable for its drag racing theme clashes with the area's prehistoric theme) and Corkscrew. It also features Ug Swinger, a traditional 'waveswinger' ride. There is also a range of food outlets and shops. This area contains a 'Skyride' station.

Cred Street

Cred Street is aimed at the younger audience of Alton Towers, and is themed with bright colours. There is a wide selection of bouncy castles and ball pits in the Cred Street playground.. There are four rides in Cred Street especially suitable for younger children; Frog Hopper, Bouncing Bugs, Cred Street Carousel and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory . The Peugeot Driving School, for under 10s. The area includes a McDonald's as well as a café and sweet shop. The final Skyride station in Ug Land is located at the area's edge.

The Towers

The Towers ruins are from what the park derives its name, and has sometimes featured a spooky maze during the Halloween period. Added for the 2000 season was the ride Hex - the Legend of the Towers within the ruins itself, an indoor swing ride which made use of the history of the Towers. The story for the ride is based on one of Staffordshire’s great legends about a chained oak.

There is currently a £1.1million project in place to restore the oldest parts of the castle. It is currently unknown how the completed renovations will be used.

X-Sector

Oblivion in X-SectorPreviously called Fantasy World. A futuristically-themed area, X-Sector contains the innovative Oblivion ride, a roller coaster in which riders experience an 87 degree drop (the world's first roller coaster to do this). The extra-wide roller coaster cars are held hanging over the edge for a few seconds before dropping downwards under gravity into a large hole amid mist, and then re-emerging into a heavily banked turn leading back into the station. The area features a Kentucky Fried Chicken and Pizza Hut outlet, and a Goalstriker soccer-simulation installation close by. Also in the area are the Enterprise and Submission thrill rides. Blackhole's tent is also situated in X-Sector awaiting to be used for future development.

Adventure Land

Adventure Land is aimed at visitors between the ages of five and ten, and consists mainly of climbing frames, slides, swings and similar equipment. There are two rides: Beastie, a small roller coaster, and Spinball Whizzer, a Maurer Söhne pinball-themed spinning roller coaster. The area also contains a food outlet.

Old MacDonald's Farmyard

Themed around a traditional farm, this area contains a small petting zoo as well as a few rides for younger visitors, which include Doodle Doo Derby, a farm-themed carousel, and Riverbank Eye Spy, a recently re-themed boat ride. In 2003, the old barn that used to hold the farm animals before the Foot and Mouth crisis of 2001, was converted to a play barn called 'Ribena Berry Bish Bash', that contains thousands of small foam balls that are propelled, raised, thrown, dropped and shot.

Alton Towers Opening times

The theme park is open from 17th March 2007 until 11th November 2007.
Gates open at 9.30am. Rides and attractions open at 10.00am.
Closing times vary throughout the season. Please check before you visit or see the boards at the entrance to the park.

YourDay DVD

Capture you day at Alton Towers on a 20 minute DVD that consists of clips of you around Alton Towers. Get more information here.

Prices

Prices range from £22.00 - £32.00, kids under 4 go in free. There are special discounts for groups and families. You can also save money by booking your tickets in advance. Get the latest prices - Click Here

You can also get individual and family season tickets.

Prices also reflect the number of activities that you will be taking part in.

There are also special discounts for school outings.

How To Get To Alton Towers

Address: Alton Towers, Alton, Staffordshire, ST10 4DB, England

Phone number: 08705 20 40 60

Website: www.altontowers.com

By Car

Alton Towers is clearly signposted:

Traveling North:
M1 - Junction 23a or M6 - Junction 15

Traveling South:
M1 - Junction 24a or M6 - Junction 16

Traveling times

London - 3 hours 150 miles
Nottingham - 1 hour 40 miles
Manchester - 1.5 hours 50 miles
Sheffield - 1.5 hours 45 miles
Glasgow - 5 hours 270 miles

Download map or get directions

Sat Nav reference is ST10 4DB

By Train

Virgin Trains offer a range of excellent value all-inclusive tickets from London, the West Midlands and Manchester. The package includes return rail travel to Stoke-on-Trent, bus transfer from Stoke-on-Trent to Alton Towers and entry to the park. For more information please visit http://www.virgin.com/trains or call 08457 222 333.

Midland Mainline offers an all-inclusive day out from London St Pancras, Leicester, Chesterfield, Sheffield, Wakefield, Westgate and Leeds. The package includes return train travel to Derby, luxury coach transfer from Derby to Alton Towers and full day entry to the park. For more information please visit http://www.midlandmainline.com or call 08457 125 678

Central Trains operate a discounted all-inclusive Alton Towers day out package from selected stations in the East Midlands and North West of England. The package includes return train travel to Uttoxeter, coach/bus transfer from Uttoxeter to Alton Towers and entry to the park. For details visit http://www.centraltrains.co.uk or call 0121 634 2040

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