Alton Towers Review

Overall Rating

This is the best place to come because there is so much to do, it is suitable for all ages. I guarantee you'll have the time of your life and want to back again and again

It is extremely expensive to stay in the hotel and your not going to fit everything into one day. Although the package you recieve when staying in the hotel is great, because you have full use of all the facilities there and a great breakfast, food around the park and in the hotel otherwise is expensive so you need alot of spare cash.

Alton Towers was one of the best places i came to with my friends. Just starting my exams, we used this holiday to blow off steam before the big event.
20th october 2003- got up very early (6:00)grabbed some breakfast and was driven to Reading train station with my friends to catch a Virgin train at 8:06. (virgin trains is grat value - £8 return up to stafford station.) arriving at about 10am, i had previously booked a taxi to pick us up at the station and take us to the hotel. A fixed rate of £30. arriving at the hotel, we checked in immediately and was taken up to our room. The room is incredible. Perfect size, everything you need including an ensuite bathroom. Your provided with simple key cards that work extremely well and efficiently.
After a couple of minutes of unpacking we headed straight into the park with our tickets and back entrance passes to corkscrew, run away mine train, black hole and hex (I believed these have now changed to better rides). It's about a ten minute walk to the park from the hotel, but it is cool because it is a fenced off private walk way called 'woodland walk'. We started in the forbidden valley and worked out way around the park as much as we could on the first day. Doing the most popular rides was a good way to go First of all. Air, Nemesis, Ripsaw, Blackhole, Oblivion, Hex, Duel the Haunted Mansion, Corkscrew and Runaway Mine Train. My advice was if you arrive in the park early, then do all the important rides (mentioned above) first, cos they get Long queues. If you don't really want long queues at all go in standard time or off peak. (the dates are on the website - www.altontowers.com). To save money all lunches we ate in fast food restaurants which are dotted all about the park. To get from place to place, if i were you, you should take a cable car, there go from certain points. One station is at the entrance to forbidden valley.
Because we had a whole other day left at the park, we got back to the room at about 5.00 and had an early supper at about six. The package came with tickets to europes largest waterpark. we headed off to this which was great. You got slides, rapids, lazy pools, jacuzzi's and everyso often a large vat of water gets tipped over the whole water park. It is impossible to stay dry, so make sure you don't bring your towel into the park, leave it in the changing rooms. If you don't have a towel they can be provided. We were so exhausted by about 9:30pm we went back to our room only to find, that they were putting on a performance of chicago, right in the middle of the hotel, which was great fun for all ages. There's alot of audience participation. We found our selves, in our room by 10:30 and pretty much asleep after that. EXHAUSTING day.
The next day you have be up pretty early to have a full breakfast (FREE) and to be in the hotel lobby at 8:30 for early rider ticket. These tickets allow only hotel guests in the park for an hour before anyone else. This is great because you have the run of all the rides. NO QUEUES what so ever. It's best to check out when you leave in the morning, cos you don't have time to go, and come back to check out. Don't worry you can leave your bags with the porter, who puts them into storage for free. The day ran like the last apart from the fact, we left by 4:00pm because we booked a taxi at 4:30pm to take us to stafford station to catch the virgin train at 5:15. This whole holiday was incredible and it set us back roughly £300 altogether. As i said quite expensive, but all worth it.