England

Drayton Manor Theme Park

Last updated 9th June 2017

The lowdown

Travel time: Drayton Manor Park is near Tamworth, Staffordshire, 2 hours from London by car or 1 hour 20 minutes by train. 

Getting there: It’s located on the A4091, just off the A38 / A446, J9 M42 and Exit T2 M6 Toll. Car Parking is £3 per car. The nearest train station is Tamworth, trains from London Euston depart every 30 minutes and cost from £23 for an adult return. 

Accommodation: For visitors travelling from far and wide or looking to turn a day trip into an overnight stay, there’s the on-site four-star Drayton Manor Hotel. It has 150 bedrooms, including 15 Thomas & Friends-themed family rooms; from £230 a night for a family of four in July. 

Booking: Visit draytonmanor.co.uk or call 0844 472 1960.

Ride time

Smaller children and Thomas the Tank Engine fans will delight at Thomas Land at Drayton Manor, and its ride, Winston’s Whistle Stop Tour. The peaceful monorail ride carts you around the park, taking in the sights – such as the 10-acre zoo – from on high.

Meanwhile, for older kids, there are heaps of adrenaline-fuelled attractions, Apocalypse, which has been voted the UK’s scariest ride by Channel 5’s The Gadget Show

Top tip: A fantastic wet-weather guarantee means that if it rains continuously for two hours or more when you visit, you’ll be given a free return trip to the park – can’t say fairer than that.