London Theme Parks

London, the capital city of England is known for its many historical attractions and if you are planning a visit to London anytime soon, you might want to know if the city at all offers any theme/amusement parks where your youngsters can enjoy a quick adrenalin rush.

Even though London doesn’t have any permanent theme parks located within its city center (the city however does erect a temporary Winter Wonderland theme park at its main Hyde Park for the holiday season every year) it has a number of theme parks located on the edges of Greater London which are easily accessible from central London.

Thorpe Park
Staines Road, Chertsey
Surrey, KT16 8PN
http://www.thorpepark.com/

Thorpe Park which is often called the ‘UK’s Thrill capital’ is located about 20 miles to the southwest of London, a few miles to the south of Heathrow Airport in the town of Staines. This amusement park extends over 500 acres and offers several roller coaster rides like the Saw, Saw Alive, Rush, Tidal Wave Samurai, Vortex, Colossus, Stealth, Detonator and Nemesis Inferno and other water based rides. Thorpe Park opened in 1979 on the site of a former concrete quarry and today this park which operates on a seasonal basis is extremely popular with Londoners and visitors alike.
Thorpe Park’s peak season extends usually from mid-February to early November though its busiest times are during the month of August when the park usually stays open longer until 8pm. The park charges a general park charge for adults over the age of 12 of £39 per head but if you book your tickets online you can save approximately £10 per ticket.
Children are under the age of 12 are charged £ 25 on the actual day of your visit though discounts for children and other park visitors are also available online. Thorpe Park is also easily accessible via public transport if you are staying in Central London as the South West train line from Waterloo station offers easy access to the to the Staines station which is served by the Thorpe Park shuttle bus that runs every half hour during the operating hours of the park. If you have access to a car then the park can be accessed via the M25 ring road which transports you near Heathrow after which junctions 11 or 13 on the A320 provide direct access to the park where parking is free.

Chessington World of Adventures
Leatherhead Road
Chessington
Surrey
KT9 2NE
http://www.chessington.com/

Chessington World of Adventures which is located 12 miles southwest of Central London is a park that offers many rides and attractions for a wide range of age groups. The theme park at Chessington World of Adventures is divided into nine differed theme areas like Wild Asia, Toytown, Mexicana, Transylvania, Forbidden Kingdom, Land of the Dragons and others. Located within these diverse lands are small and large roller coasters and other rides. The theme park also incorporates a zoo which has a sea life center, a safari experience and a petting zoo.
Tickets for the theme park are available at the venue and online as well. The park in fact offers substantial deals for tickets purchased online. Chessington World of Adventures is a seasonal park which is open for Mid-March through late December. However like other theme parks in the UK it is open for longer hours on all days of the week during the summer months. The various schedules for the park are available on its website. The park is easily accessible by the South West rail services from various London stations like Waterloo, Clapham Junction and Wimbledon which transport visitors to the Chessington South Station from where the park is easily accessible via a 10-minute walk.

Legoland Windsor
Winkfield Road,
Windsor,
Berkshire,
SL4 4AY
http://www.legoland.co.uk

Legoland Windsor belongs to the Legoland group of theme parks and it is located near Windsor which lies to the west of Heathrow airport. This park which is aimed at younger children aged 3 to 12 offers nearly 50 rides, live shows and interactive attractions. Some of the main attractions of Legoland include- Miniland which features many European landmarks which have been constructed out of 35 million Lego bricks and Duploland which offers a fairy tale boat ride, water slides and fountains along with a couple of mini-golf courses that are all aimed at young children. Yet another exciting part of the park is Traffic which features the immensely popular Legoland Driving School, a boating school and a fireman attraction. Pirates Landing, Viking Land, Adventure Land, Waterworks, Orient Expedition, Magic Theatre and Enchanted Forest are some of the other attractions at Legoland.
The Park in recent years has introduced a system to cut down wait times at rides. This system which is known as Q-Bot enables park-goers to rent a device that serves up to six people. With the Q-Bot device you can book yourself on 14 major rides so that you avoid waiting in queues. You just have to book your time slot and then show up at the special queue to access your ride. Legoland like all other theme parks is seasonal and stays open from mid-March through early November. The park is additionally open only on weekends during certain months but during late May to early September it is open every day. Information about opening times, tickets and special packages are additionally available on the park’s website.
Legoland is easily accessible by rail from London’s Paddington Station via Slough First Great Western trains to Windsor and Eaton Central though the park is also served by the South West train service which can be accessed at London’s Waterloo station and provides access to Windsor and Eton Riverside. If you have access to a car then Legoland Windsor is easily accessible via the M25 as it is located 8 miles west of Heathrow airport. Parking is free at the park though preferred parking slots cost more for visitors.

Adventure Island
Sunken Gardens
Western Esplanade
Southend on Sea
Essex
SS1 1EE
http://www.adventureisland.co.uk/

Adventure Island which is located in the seaside town of Southend on the sea is a theme park that is situated at a distance of 40 miles east from Central London. However this park is quite a viable option for visitors as it is easy to get to and is free to enter. Rides at Adventure Island can be accessed by paying for each ride or buy purchasing wristbands that allow unlimited rides for duration of time. The park offers discounts for off peak seasons and details of these discounts are posted periodically on the website of the theme park.
The rides at Adventure Island are divided according to different age and size groups. The park offers thirty rides which are divided into three main categories Big Adventure Rides, Junior Rides and Mini Rides each of which encompass 10 rides each. Additionally the park offers other attractions like mini-golf, bumper cars, rock climbing and several water based attractions. Adventure Island is open on weekends all throughout the year but during the UK summer months it is open every day.
If you are staying in or near central London getting to Adventure Island is quite easy for the park is connected by rail services which are available from London’s Liverpool Street Station or Frenchurch Street Station. These direct train services will transport you to Southend Central or Southend Victoria stations from where the park can be easily accessed on foot. If you plan to drive to the park then once you get to the M25 ring road either Junction 29 (A127) or Junction 30 (A13) will lead you eastwards towards the resort town of Southend.