Bamberg travel guide. Bamberg - a medieval German city on seven hills
Many tourists seek to somehow diversify their vacation, which, in principle, is correct. Indeed, often, round-the-clock lying on the beach and visiting excursion programs, is not always able to give a full-fledged memorable vacation. Amusement parks will help to correct this situation, a vivid example of which can be Thorpe Park ( Thorpe Park), located in London - the county of South England Surrey, which is only half an hour from the capital. On 500 acres of land there are a large number of different attractions. Even just watching them can drag on for a whole day, not to mention riding them.
Thorpe Park is famous for being one of the five most extreme amusement parks in all of Europe. And this title was given to him not without reason, because from the local attractions, even just from looking at them, it literally takes your breath away. That is why most of them are not designed for children at all. If you are an ardent lover of a swing, so to speak, "hot" - no doubt, you are here. After all, Thorpe Park is just the place where you can always get your huge dose of adrenaline, breakneck speed and unforgettable sensations. If you do not differ in such hobbies, but still decided to ride something for the sake of interest, get ready - it will be very scary!
One adult ticket to any Thorpe Park attraction costs approximately 50 pounds. But very often the park hosts various promotions that provide pleasant discounts. It is also worth noting that in the summer people come here just great amount visitors, due to which impressive queues for attractions are formed. If this state of affairs does not suit you at all, you can purchase additional ticket, which is called Fast Track. It provides free, that is, extraordinary access to specific entertainment. It costs about 5 pounds for one attraction. Although, of course, it is unlikely that you will be able to skip the line at all, since you will have to stand behind other visitors with the same tickets.
The vast majority of local attractions have very promising names. For example, created based on the famous film, the attraction "The saw" ("Saw"). By the way, it is strongly not recommended to go here with children. After all, even experienced adults scream in fear in this terrible corridor when they rush straight at the spinning axes at high speed. One has only to close one's eyes - a sharp free fall down. It would seem that nothing could be more terrible. But at Thorpe Park, anything is possible.
However, there are attractions here, so to speak, easier. These include a variety of pyrotechnic shows and carousels. They are the most preferred for children.
Getting to Thorpe Park is not difficult at all. You need to get to Stines Station by electric train or shuttle bus, which leave directly from Waterloo Station. This station, in turn, is located almost in the very center of the capital. Therefore, his search should not be difficult for you. Adult fare will cost 9.7 pounds. A child ticket costs half as much - 4.75 pounds.
There are many amusement parks in the UK that are similar to Disneyland. Here they are called theme parks. Adults and children enjoy spending time here. The parks host festive parades of heroes of fairy tales, legends, films, entertainment is provided for those who are looking for a quiet family vacation with children, and for those who seek thrill from speed and flying over the ground on a giant roller coaster.
Rita attraction at Alton Towers
Nearby, as a rule, there are hotels where you can stay for a few days to catch all the attractions. The most favorite English parks in 2016 are Alton Towers, Thorpe Park, Legoland, Blackpool Pleasure Beach (on the coast, near Manchester) and Drayton Manor (near Birmingham).
Alton Towers
The most popular theme park in the UK, Alton Towers is located in the heart of the UK near the cities of Manchester and Birmingham. In 2014 it was visited by 2.9 million people. The park became the most visited in the United Kingdom and the seventh in Europe. Its territory occupies 42 hectares. It has four hotels, a water park, an aquarium, several types of roller coasters, a difficult rope path along the tops of trees and amusement rides for children. 
Thrill-seekers will love the rollercoasters such as Nemesis (flying over the rocks and river of the Forbidden Valley), Obvilion (almost vertical fall from a height of 60 meters), Rita (you can experience 4.5G overload in 2.5 seconds reaching a speed of 100 m / h ). In 2016, Galactica opened a new virtual reality attraction in which visitors soar through interstellar space, observing the wonders of the cosmos up close. 
There are plenty of things for younger kids to do too. You can ride the boats of the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory attraction, take a trip on an old train, visit the shark aquarium and the water park. All of the above is only a tenth of the entertainment offered by Alton Towers. 
The four Alton Towers hotels offer visitors double rooms from £130, including breakfast, parking, free WIFI and a free second day in the park. Guests of the hotel can also use access to the park early in the morning, while there are no queues for popular attractions.
Alton Towers is open from March to November, from 10 am to 5 pm. Ticket prices fluctuate depending on the season. In May 2016 full first day tickets were £51.60 for adults and £46.40 for children under 12. The second day in the park costs only £7.50. If you order tickets on the park's website https://www.altontowers.com 5 days in advance, you will receive a 30% discount.
The water park is open from 10 am to 5 pm. Tickets are £15 for adults and £10.50 for children (ages 3-11).
How to get there
You can get there from London public transport in three hours. Your best bet is to take the train to Manchester from the station to Stoke-on-Trent (Hanley). The cost of a one-way ticket is £ 34. The trip will take an hour and a half. It will take another hour to take bus 32A from Uttoxeter Town Center to Alton Towers Entrance.
Thorpe Park
Located near the town of Chertsey, 20 miles from London, Thorpe Park is designed for people with strong nerves. Here are some of the biggest rides in Europe, immersed in a scary setting, such as Stealth (flying at 80 miles per hour at a height of 205 feet), SAW - The Ride (the world's first rollercoaster horror film based on the film " Saw"), COLOSSUS (flight including vertical loop, cobra, double corkscrew and barrel roll). The park is ideal for adrenaline junkies and thrill seekers, but there are also activities for young children. 
For families with children aged eight and over, I'm a Celebrity Get me Out of Here! This is a journey through the jungle, through vibrating bridges, catacombs and a tropical cyclone.
In May 2016, the world's first psychological attraction DERREN BROWN'S GHOST TRAIN, designed by the famous illusionist Derren Brown, opened, in which a virtual journey on a Victorian train will make you doubt the reality around you. 
The Shark is located next to the park. hotel hotel, room rates start at £130 and include a two-day pass, parking, breakfast and early access to attractions.
The park is open from 9.30 to 17.00. Entrance fees for 1 day in Thorpe Park Resort- 51.50, and if you buy online, then £27.99.
The queues can be very long. If you don't want to spend most of the day waiting, purchase a Fastrack Fast Entry and Lunch Package for £75.99 or online for £49.99.
How to get there
The most convenient way to travel is to take regular trains from Waterloo Station to Staines. Travel time is from 30 to 50 minutes. Express bus #950 runs every 15-20 minutes from Staines train station to THORPE PARK. The cost of a round-trip ticket on the Express for adults is £ 3.70, for children from 4 to 12 years old - £ 2.70. Travel time is 8 minutes.
LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort
What child doesn't dream of becoming a knight, an explorer or a pilot and entering an exciting world of adventure? There are over 55 LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort parks where kids can fly through the treetops, hunt fearsome dragons, ride Viking boats, or go diving on a magical underwater adventure to Atlantis.
Legoland Windsor was opened in 1996 and is designed for families with children aged 3 to 12. It is only a few miles from Windsor Castle and 8 miles from Heathrow Airport.
The park has many water rides where visitors can be doused from head to toe. Luckily, there are stand-up dryers next to them that can get you back in a few minutes and pounds, and raincoats are sold in stores. The most dangerous attraction in this respect is DUPLO Valley, in which 1200 liters of water pour out of the tower, flooding everything around.
Another popular attraction for young children is Fairy Tale Brook. This slow travel on a boat through a magical world made of 5 million Lego bricks, where children meet Little Red Riding Hood, the three pigs, Cinderella, Snow White and the seven dwarfs.
pirate camp English weather does not often bring sunny days. Therefore, although all the rides continue to work even if it rains, in Legoland some of the rides are indoors. Among them, the LEGO Star Wars Miniland Model Display depicts scenes from the Star Wars movies, Atlantis Submarine Voyage, an underwater journey.
The park is very popular, especially in sunny days and during school holidays. To save time waiting in line, you can purchase Qbot. Depending on the cost, Qbot offers different levels of services.
Q-Bot Regular (£20) – Wait times are the same as everyone else, but you don't have to queue.
Q-Bot Express (£35) - Cuts wait times in half.
Q-Bot Ultimate (£75) – Gives you almost instant access to rides.
The Legoland® Resort Hotel offers themed family rooms (2 adults / up to 3 children) from £247 low season to £337 high season, which include breakfast and two-day park tickets, plus special benefits such as early arrival times on popular attractions. While the park closes from November to March, the hotel is open all year round.
1. Download the Resort App for free from the Legoland Windsor website in advance, because the park does not have WiFi or any 3G signal.
2. Buy tickets online and print at home.
3.Although the rides open at 10 am, the turnstiles are open as early as 9:30 am.
4. It's best to start at the back of the park where the lines are shorter.
5. Dress the children in bright clothes, put your phone number in the child's pocket.
6. There are many food outlets in the park, but you will save time and money if you bring food and especially water with you.
The park is open from March to November from 10 am daily. Closing times vary throughout the season from 5pm to 7pm.
Tickets in 2016 for adults were from £34.20, for children (3-15) from £27.45.
How to get there
Just half an hour by train from Paddington station to and Central, via Slough, or from Waterloo to Windsor & Eton Riverside. Travel time from the station is less than one hour. From both railway stations there is a bus to the park. Travel is paid.
It can be considered one continuous attraction. This stronghold of English traditions is today one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. Every year travelers from all over the world flock here, so it is not surprising that the city infrastructure is built in such a way that all guests here feel as cozy and comfortable as possible.
At the same time, it has not lost its unique charm, so it cannot be confused with any other city. As for entertainment, all kinds of attractions in London are found in great abundance, so no one will be bored.
thorpe park
This amusement park definitely deserves to be at the top of any tourist's list. The air here is literally saturated with fun and adrenaline, and anyone who dares to look here is unlikely to leave this place of their own free will.
Attractions in Thorpe Park are particularly diverse. There are both completely harmless options for the smallest, and terrifying monsters, from the mere sight of which even desperate daredevils can experience treacherous knees. The latter include the famous: "Samurai"; "Detonator"; "No exit"; "Inferno".
Another feature of Thorpe Park is that its halls of horror are stylized as well-known horror films, such as the famous horror film Saw.
The park is open from March 20 to November 9, and the exact opening hours can be found on the website https://www.thorpepark.com/. The cost of adult and children's tickets is the same - 24.99 pounds for one day and 30.99 for two.
London Eye
Another popular attraction. This Ferris wheel differs from others by the huge size of the booths, inside which you can move freely in order to better view different areas of the city. A full turn takes about half an hour, so during the movement it is quite possible to have time to take a photo for memory.
The wheel operates according to the following schedule: from January to March and September to December, the London Eye is available from 10.00 to 20.30; from April to July: 10.00 - 21.00; from July to August: 10.00 - 21.30. An adult ticket costs a little more than 18 pounds, a child ticket costs 10, children under 4 years old are admitted free.
The attraction also has its own website https://www.londoneye.com/, and tickets can be bought right there. In this case, even a 10% discount is provided, and for an additional fee you can hire a guide, as well as order wine and various treats.
LONDON:
1 Science Museum. In no other museum in Europe you will find so many interesting exhibits (more than 300,000). Believe me, the objects exhibited here can captivate not only your children, but also you! You will be able to see a prototype of a modern computer weighing three tons - a calculating machine invented by the mathematician Babage. And also the oldest steam locomotive, the first jet engine ...
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2 Natural History Museum.
The greatest museum dedicated to life on Earth. In the hall of dinosaurs you feel like a part of the movie "Jurassic Park", and in the hall of "Underground Energy" almost the axis of the globe. Most of all expositions that tell about the history of the development of our Universe and scientific discoveries are interactive, which is always attractive for children. The hall "Dinosaurs" with a thirty-meter skeleton of a monster that lived 60 million years ago is especially popular. The "nail" of the exposition is the battle of dinosaur-robots.
3 Puppet theater "Little angel".
This is a puppet theater with funny fairy tales and weekend performances. Performances at 11:00 and 15:00 on Saturdays and Sundays. It is better to book tickets in advance.
4 London Zoo.
One of the oldest zoos in the world, located in beautiful park Regens. Open daily from 10 am to 4 pm.
5 London Aquarium.
In several aquariums (total more than two million liters of water) the richest collection of aquatic flora and fauna from all over the world is presented. Open from 10.00 to 18.00 daily.
6 London Planetarium. Offers "Possible Reality" attraction (3D) as part of a star show and travel through the solar system. New exhibition areas: Star, Planet and Space reveal the secrets of galaxies. Open daily.
7 London Transport Museum. A colorful collection of buses, trams, trains and more tells the story of London and its transport system. Experience the opportunity to become, for example, a bus driver or a subway train driver, and history will come to life! The exhibits are equipped with information in six languages - you just need to touch the screen. Open from 10.00 to 18.00 from Saturday to Thursday, from 11.00 to 18.00 on Fridays.
8 Pollock Toy Museum.
Three floors are literally crammed with a variety of toys. The museum specializes in miniature theatres. Toy theaters live here, their colorful characters and scenery are kept. Exhibition of dolls and teddy bears. Two shops sell antique toys and famous paper toy theatres.
Open from 10.00 to 17.00.
9 Bethnal Green Childhood Museum.
The museum has a magnificent collection of dolls, dollhouses and children's costumes, puppets and everything related to childhood. The highlight of the program is the Venetian puppet theater of the 18th century. On Saturdays there is an art workshop, where anyone can come. Open: from 10.00 to 17.50 from Monday to Thursday and on Saturday, from 14.30 to 17.50 on Sunday. Friday - closed. The entrance is free.
10 London Butterfly Museum.
Thousands of butterflies fly free in the real jungle. And young fans of horror films, of course, will be delighted with giant spiders, ants and other insects. Open: from 10.00 to 17.00 daily.
11 Pirate ships.
"The Three sisters" and "The Sea Lark" - both schooners are an exact copy of pirate ships: the first was launched in 1789, the second refers to XIX century. One of the exhibitions tells about the history of piracy in general, and the other is dedicated to Robert Louis Stevenson and his Treasure Island. Open from 10.00 to 17.00 daily.
12 Trocadero Entertainment Complex.
The largest entertainment complex in Europe. Modern attractions with the use of computers and lasers, a cinema with the effect of presence - all this captures and captivates not only children, but also adults. Open: Sun-Thurs from 10 to 12, Fri-Sat 10-13. December 25 - closed.
14 London Eye- one of the largest Ferris wheels in the world, with a breathtaking panoramic view of London. It will also be interesting to visit a new generation 4D cinema nearby.
15 Hamleys Toy Shop is a real toy paradise for children, located on seven floors, where you can find everything you want! Open all year round, Mon-Fri from 10 to 20:00, Sat - 9-20:00, Sun - 12 - 18:00
16 Rain Forest Cafe- a children's cafe, stylized as a jungle, a great place for a family lunch or dinner.
17 Ripley's Incredible Things Museum- the most interesting museum about the most unusual and incredible thing that has ever happened in the world. Open daily, all year round, from 10:00 to 24:00 (last entry at 22:30).
18 The Circus Space -
teaching children simple circus tricks.
19 TheKidsCookerySchool- children's culinary school.
20 Musicals - in London there are performances of many musicals that will be of interest to children - "The Lion King", "Shrek", "The Wizard of Oz", "Mamma Mia", "Wicked", "BillyElliot", etc.
ENTERTAINMENT OUTSIDE LONDON:
1 Legoland in Windsor. A park dedicated to Lego, popular with children all over the world, is located near Windsor ( 1 hour drive from London). It is recommended to visit the children's town for at least 5 hours to visit all the attractions. For children, this is an exciting show, where they themselves are part of it, a circus program goes on all day, carousels work, a children's Railway, bicycles for rent. Children can visit ice caves and, having passed them, they will fall into the tropical jungle, from the jungle - into the atmosphere ancient egypt etc. Children walk along the narrow paths of the children's forest, which is inhabited by fairy-tale characters, pirates, horror stories.
Legoland is open from the end of March to the end of September daily, in October - all weekends and the last week.
2 World of Adventures in Chessington. Total half an hour from London by train, and you find yourself in a theme park that covers an area of 26 hectares and is extremely popular. It is the largest amusement park in England. Here is one of Europe's largest "hanging" roller coaster, dragon river, magic carpet, crypt of horrors, flying elephants, smugglers' cave, "vampire" from Transylvania, pirate galleon, precipitous canyons, "Wild West" cowboys. Chessington World of Adventures boasts not only rides, but also a zoo, the Skyrail Safari monorail and an international circus. Open from 10:00 to 17:30 daily.
3 Thorpe Park. Not far from London is Thorpe Park, which is believed to have the highest waterslide, as well as a host of other attractions. There is also a farm, safe for swimming "seashore" for children with water sports sports and entertainment on the artificial beach.
4 Alton Towers. largest amusement park central England. Located 3 hours drive from London. Nestled among splendid gardens, it is animated by frequent costumed parades, musical performances and spectacular fireworks displays.
5 Baconscott -
a children's model village with miniature cities and a model railway so kids can feel like giants. One and a half hours drive from London.
Open: daily from the end of February to the end of October, from 11 am to 4:30 pm. Children under 2 years: free.
6 Drusillas- chic children's park entertainment and zoo, with the only population of lemurs in the UK, trampolines, swimming pools, numerous attractions - a paradise not only for children, but also for adults! Fans of the cartoon about Thomas the Tank Engine will be able to take a fascinating ride on the real Thomas!
Open every day, except Christmas holidays, from 10 am to 5 pm in summer, from 10 am to 4 pm the rest of the year.
7 Warwick Castle- the castle, where many programs for children are held, the chivalrous theme for boys is especially interesting. The castle is located two hours from London. Open from 10am - 6pm from April to early October, 10am - 5pm - from October to March
8 Riding on fireballs-for children there is a great offer - a trip with an instructor, 1 passenger in the back seat. Age is not important for the organizers, they have their own parameters: height must be from 148 cm to 191 cm, weight - no more than 100 kg. If children meet these parameters, then they can ride a real racing car with a driver. The entertainment lasts 20 minutes, including instructions. The race venue is located in 1.5 hour drive from London.
9 Cadbury Chocolate Factory– for young chocolate lovers it will be a real gift to visit the famous Cadbury factory, where you can learn all the secrets of chocolate production, as well as take part in this exciting process yourself. The factory is open all year round, located near Birmingham, 2.5 hours from London.
10 Leeds Castle. On the territory belonging to the old romantic castle of Leeds, surrounded by a moat, there is an interesting poultry house, the opportunity to climb high into the sky on hot-air balloon to admire scenic surroundings, as well as stray through the green maze.
11 Willows Farm Village- for animal lovers and those who want to spend a day full of other activities for small children, you can go north of London, where this wonderful complex and park is 40 minutes away.
Open daily.
Entertainment in London is aimed at vacationers of all ages - there will never be bored either for kids, or for their parents, or for noisy youth companies.
Amusement parks in London
- "ThorpePark": small children will be delighted with water activities, and teenagers and adults - from dizzying slides and other extreme rides ("Samurai", "Saw", "Hellish Retribution", "Detonator").
- "Chessington": in this amusement park you can not only have fun on any of the 40 rides, but also visit the aquarium and the zoo, attend all kinds of shows that take place throughout the day in different parts of the park. Visitors to the park have the opportunity to visit such themed areas as "Wild Asia", "Land of Dragons", "Transylvania", "Mexican", "Pirate Bay".
What are the things to do in London?
Can't imagine your vacation without visiting nightlife? Pay attention to the club “Bagley’s Studios” (4 stylish bars and 5 dance floors are at your service), “The End” (lovers prefer to have fun here). electronic music, and in addition, theme parties are held in this club 2 times a week), “Roof Gardens” (here you can not only have fun on the dance floor, but also walk through the garden, and attend interesting presentations and other cultural events that often take place in this club).
In the list of places to visit, it is recommended to include a visit to the London Aquarium: here you will be able to observe the marine life that lives in the Atlantic and Pacific reservoirs. In addition, you can come here for lectures, as well as watch the process of feeding fish. And the kids, for sure, will be delighted with the opportunity to touch starfish and stingrays.
love unusual entertainment? Be sure to visit the Beatle’s London Walk: you will be invited to look into the houses of the members of the legendary British quartet, the Abbey Road recording studio, the gallery where John met Yoko Ono, the office of Paul McCartney.
As an entertainment, you can go for a walk along the Thames, going to river cruise“City Cruises”: as part of this tour, you will be able to admire the beauties of London and take unique photos.
Fun for kids in London
- The ship-museum "Cutty Sark": its little guests will surely want to look at the numerous exhibits presented in the museum, attend interesting lectures and learn the art of knitting sea knots.
- Namco Funscape: Entertainment Center offers couples with children to spend time on the autodrome or in the laser labyrinth, play air hockey, bowling and lip-pong.
- Peter Harrison Planetarium: Thanks to state-of-the-art HD projection technology, here your child will be happy to go for a walk on Mars, find himself in the center of the Sun, watch the birth of a star.
London invites its guests to stroll along Trafalgar Square, see Buckingham Palace, spend time in one of the parks, ride the London Eye…
