Alton Towers

The Dukie

I am heading to alton towers in a couple of weeks with a bunch of lads and just wondering if anyone has info on stoke on trent. Will be staying there and want to know about the surrounding i.e. pubs,food,things to do etc. Also, bus times to alton and train times to and from manchester?A friend said you can't get train back to manchester from stoke.How do you get back?Also, anyone been to alton before, is it any good?

lynchie

Been there before but stayed within the park. Not sure about stoke, drove through it on the way from Manchester. AFAIK, the nearest train station is Uttoxeter and there are buses from there to the park. You can get times / prices from nationalrail.co.uk

mcgrate

stayed in the quality hotel in stoke. Very cheap and cheerful and about 30 mins from alton towers. http://www.choicehotelsuk.co.uk/info/GB112


Flew into nottingham; so dont know about manchester. Sorry.

deisemum

You can get a train from Stoke back to Manchester, my family did.

We flew into Manchester airport then got the shuttle train into Manchester city, takes about 12 mins approx, then switched platform and got train to Stoke, crossed platform and got another train to Uttoxoter where we stayed. We travelled back on a Sunday and due to our flight time we got the bus from Uttoxoter to Stoke via Alton Towers then got train from Stoke to Manchester.

If you're staying in Alton Towers then you can get a bus from Stoke to Alton Towers. Same bus if you stay in Stoke which is probably better as there isn't much in Alton. If there's a group of you then it might be worth pricing a taxi but if I remember correctly it's about 30 mins drive from Stoke to Alton Towers.

Depending on how soon you're planning on going www.lastminute.com normally have reduced admission tickets to most of the big UK theme parks, often up to 50%. They may not have them advertised yet but should do so soon enough, they've done this offer every year for some time now. This normally coincides with the UK school holidays. We went in August and got 50% off admission plus 2nd day entry for £5 per person.

The rides in Alton Towers are very spaced out. You'll find groups of rides close together but then it's a bit of a trek to other areas.

My family's favourite theme park so far is Pleasure Beach in Blackpool. There are around 125 rides of all sorts and no long walks between areas. It doesn't have the mad long queues that Alton Towers has. This is the park they'd most like to go back to.

It's so easy to get to, Aer Arann flight from Dublin to Blackpool and the Blackpool airport is almost beside Pleasure Beach, one stop on the train or you can walk it. Needless to say there's plenty of places for entertainment at night as lots of hen and stag groups descend on Blackpool.

Munster_Gal

The Dukie wrote: »

I am heading to alton towers in a couple of weeks with a bunch of lads and just wondering if anyone has info on stoke on trent. Will be staying there and want to know about the surrounding i.e. pubs,food,things to do etc. Also, bus times to alton and train times to and from manchester?A friend said you can't get train back to manchester from stoke.How do you get back?Also, anyone been to alton before, is it any good?

Did you go already? If so where did you stay?
Heading over in 4 weeks time

Tar.Aldarion

Did you find out stoke is a ghost town?
I stayed in a B&B near it, was brilliant.

Alton Towers is great too.

Munster_Gal

Tar.Aldarion wrote: »

Did you find out stoke is a ghost town?
I stayed in a B&B near it, was brilliant.

Alton Towers is great too.

heading over this weekend. Changed our hotel booking from Stoke to Derby. Can't wait

Tar.Aldarion

Good stuff, it's awesome, stoke was not!

Munster_Gal

Had a brill weekend in Alton Towers. Was too tired to even go for drinks afterwards so it actually didn't matter where we were staying in the end lol.
Defo worth going over there though for anyone who might be thinking about it

Tar.Aldarion

glad to hear it was good, we too had a fantastic time, unreal fun there. Oblivion...I've heard the screams...

Munster_Gal

Tar.Aldarion wrote: »

glad to hear it was good, we too had a fantastic time, unreal fun there. Oblivion...I've heard the screams...

I can't decide on my fave ride. Went on Oblivion 5 times - Air twice. Only did Nemesis once.
Hex was a surprise! Bloody brill.

Tar.Aldarion

Between rita and oblivion for me, air was awesome too! ah!!!

altontowers

Does anyone know much about SW6?

Munster_Gal

altontowers wrote: »

Does anyone know much about SW6?

No, I've only read that it's going to be a worlds first. It's going to be beside Rita. Construction has already started... I'm all excited just thinking about it!!! :D:D:D

kenon

Munster_Gal wrote: »

I can't decide on my fave ride. Went on Oblivion 5 times - Air twice. Only did Nemesis once.
Hex was a surprise! Bloody brill.

It was between Nemesis and Oblivion for me. Nemesis pinching it because Oblivion is over so quick.

I just watched the videos of Nemesis and Oblivion and it brought it all back...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_Z77jidZTw

I forgot on Oblivion that they tilted you for a few seconds facing down before you're chucked through the dry ice in the hole. :eek:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-EA0l9JUsc

Tar.Aldarion

Dunno how nemisis is rated so high, felt a bit slow for me

metamorphosis

Munster_Gal wrote: »

I can't decide on my fave ride. Went on Oblivion 5 times - Air twice. Only did Nemesis once.
Hex was a surprise! Bloody brill.

I wasnt impressed by air at all. the only thing special is your looking at the ground - i though it was slow moving compared to nemisies. Loved oblivion.

Last october was in six flahs in new jersy - tallest and fastest roller coaster in the world. called kingda ka. ****ing something else it was. literally springd you u and down. your off in like 30secs!

Munster_Gal

I think Nemesis was THE RIDE back in it's day but now it just feels like regular rollercoaster. I liked it all the same but with Oblivion there was those few seconds of sh**ing yourself before being dropped into the hole.... Loved that feeling!