Those looking for a proper theme park near London filled with thrill rides should look no further than Thorpe Park. Located about 20 miles southwest of the city center, and only a few miles south of Heathrow Airport, this is by far the easiest to reach amusement park for roller coaster junkies passing through London.
Opened on the site of a former concrete quarry in 1979, the 500-acre Thorpe Park has continued to add new rides every year as its gained in popularity. It was purchased by The Tussauds Group in 1998, which was purchased by Merlin Entertainment in 2007, so now it’s part of the world’s second largest entertainment group (after Disney), and also part of the same family that includes the London Eye, Alton Towers, and the Chessington World of Adventures, as well as the Madame Tussauds wax museums, of course.
The rides
Thorpe Park contains dozens of water rides and roller coasters, each within one of the special theme areas contained within the park. These are big and world-class thrill rides, and the names of some of the more popular ones will tell you most of what you need to know including: Stealth, Nemesis Inferno, Colossus, Tidal Wave, Rush, Samurai, Vortex, Slammer, Detonator, and X:\ No Way Out.
Park hours
The 2008 season runs from February 16 to November 9, but it’s only open on weekends for the first month or so. Thorpe Park opens at either 9:30am or 10am each morning, and closes at either 5pm or 6pm most days, but until 8pm through most of August. Times vary a bit each day, so it’s good to check the specifics on the park’s schedule page.
Prices and discounts for admission
During 2008 the basic rates are £33 per adult and £21 per child, but there are a variety of ways to get really good discounts off those high prices, most of which are easily available on the park’s advance ticket purchasing site. Online prices are £24 per adult and £16 per child, and they also offer tempting discounts for families of 4 or 5, as well as great specials for groups of 5 or more who book all at once online.
Getting to Thorpe Park
If you don’t have a car and you are staying somewhere near central London you’ll want to get to the Waterloo Station, which is a railroad station also on the Underground network, and then board a train to the Staines Station. From there you can get a shuttle bus, which goes directly from the train station to the park every half hour during opening times.
Those coming by car should get to the M25 ring road near Heathrow and then take junctions 11 or 13 and follow signs via A320 to Thorpe Park. Car parking is free and easy once you reach the site.
Address:
Thorpe Park
Staines Road, Chertsey
Surrey, KT16 8PN
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