Alton Towers is one of the worlds leading theme park resorts with a host of rides and attractions spread over 500 acres of countryside

Based north of the village of Alton in Staffordshire on the site of a semi-ruined gothic country house  of the same name, the park attracts well over two million visitors a year. There are also two hotels, which are the Alton Towers hotel, and the Splash Landings hotel.

Besides rides like Nemesis, Rita Queen of Speed and Oblivion where you plummet 200 feet into a deep, dark underground abyss pulling 4.5G there is also a water park with rides from shoots and plumes to safer areas for youngsters.

In 1980 the decision was taken to develop a theme park. Rides and attractions were added until 1990, when it was bought by the Tussauds Group, which itself was bought by the Charterhouse group in 1998. Charterhouse then sold Tussauds to Dubai International Capital in early 2005, who sold it on to Merlin Entertainments in March 2007

If you're travelling to Alton Towers by train, the two easiest stations to head to are Stoke-on-Trent and Uttoxeter. You can get the X39 bus service from Stoke-on-Trent to the park, which runs from March 17 - November 11.

From Uttoxeter, there are two bus services that go to the park - the 32A service operated by First Potteries, and the X30 service run by Alton Towers.