Thorpe Park offers a wide variety of rides to keep families happy for a day for more. Surrounded by lakes, the island-park appeals adrenaline-freaks, and families with older and younger children. Thrill-seekers will adore its super-fast Stealth coaster and Derren-Brown-themed Ghost Train; not to mention its super-soaking Tidal Wave ride. Attractions for little ones, meanwhile, include bumper cars, water slides, a teacup carousel, and a giant beachside paddling pool. The park also offers restaurants, fast-food outlets, and shops.
To save vacation time, your park tickets in advance online to save the hassle of sorting them at the last minute. One-day passes give you unlimited access to all the rides in a single visit, so all you need do is hop from ride to ride. Other options can include ticket-and-transfer combos from places such as Brighton that incorporate round-trip transportation, so you don’t have to worry about driving or parking.
Thorpe Park is located near Chertsey in Surrey, and easily accessed by car via Junctions 11 and 13 on London’s M25 orbital motorway. The most convenient nearby railway station is Staines, which is served by regular trains from London Waterloo mainline station. #950 Thorpe Park buses run from both Staines train station and Staines bus terminal every 15–20 minutes.
Thorpe Park is open daily from April to mid-September, as well as select days over Halloween and the rest of October. The busiest times are high summer, school holidays, and event periods; so to avoid crowds, it’s best to arrive as early as possible.
If you like your rides fast, furious, and frightening, you’ll be spoiled for choice at the park. Take an unforgettable journey through the strange and mesmerizing special effects of Derren Brown’s Ghost Train; plunge down the vertical 100-foot (30-meter) drop of the SAW coaster, and brave the high-speed spirals and rolls of the Colossus, the planet’s first 10-loop coaster.