Blackpool Pleasure Beach, Lancashire

Pleasure Beach in Blackpool is the UK's top theme park attracting over 5 million visitors a year.

Entrance to the park is free although in 2009 there will be a charge. Once inside the park you can purchase a wristband for unlimited access to over 125 rides. In 2007 Pleasure Beach was ranked the 14th most popular theme park in the world with its combination of thrill rides, rollercoasters, water rides, amusements and shows. There is something for everyone from the fast thrillers like Pepsi Max Big One and Revolution to the family orientated Alice ride or Lunar carousel.

One of the most famous rides at 235ft is "The Big One", Europe's tallest roller coaster. The latest coaster addition is Infusion, a suspended coaster that takes you through five incredible loops plus a double line twist.

There are height restrictions on the bigger rides but there are plenty of rides and amusement for small children so they won't feel left out. Specially designed for small children is Nickelodeon Land, with lots of characters they will recognise from the Nickelodeon Network.

You can also climb to the top of the 158 metre high Blackpool Tower to get stunning views as far away as North Wales.

There is no shortage of places to eat and drink with over 35 restaurants and cafes, as well as a pub and a hotel.

Alton Towers Theme Park, Staffordshire

Alton Towers is one the UK's biggest tourist attractions in every way attracting millions of visitors every year.

Located in the beautiful grounds of a semi-ruined gothic country house near Stoke-on-Trent in the West Midlands, the theme park provides a wide range of activities and adventures to suit people of all ages.

Alton Towers is the home of many of the UK's best known rollercoasters including Nemesis (Europe's first inverted roller coaster), Oblivion (the world's first vertical drop roller coaster), Air, Corkscrew and Rita - Queen of Speed.

Young children can enjoy the Charlie & The Chocolate Factory ride, visit the Farm or enjoy loads of rides and activities to keep all ages happy including many traditional fairground attractions.

Those looking for a more relaxing time can row on the lake, enjoy beautiful views of the park from the aerial cable car ride, or walk in the scenic gardens.

Visitors can enjoy and extended stay in the themed Alton Towers hotel or the Caribbean village style atmosphere of the Splash Landings hotel which overlooks the Waterpark.

EDF Energy London Eye, UK

The London Eye was formally opened by the then Prime Minister, Tony Blair, on 31 December 1999, although it was not opened to the public until 9 March 2000 because of technical problems.

Since its opening, the Eye has become a major landmark and tourist attractionand one of the iconic sights of London. From January 2011, it's official name was changed to the EDF Energy London Eye.

At 135m high The London Eye is the tallest ferris wheel in Europe and travels gently at a speed of 26cm per second. Each rotation takes 30 minutes in which time you can marvel at the views that span (on a clear day) up to 40km in all directions.

This is the UK's most popular paid for visitor attraction, visited by over 3.5 million people a year.

The London Eye is within walking distance from several underground stations including Waterloo, Embankment, Charing Cross and Westminster. Waterloo is the closest tube station.

Legoland Windsor, Berkshire

In Legoland nearly everything you see is ingeniously built from Lego. This child orientated theme park brings Lego to life and offers kids tons of fun with 50 interactive rides, live shows, building workshops, driving schools and attractions.

Where else can your child drive a JCB digger, drive a car, fly a plane or sail the seas in complete safety? There are height restrictions on some of the faster bigger rides but plenty of rides for smaller children too.

There are daily theatre shows, puppet shows, a live stunt show and an amazing 4D mediaeval experience.

Loads of places to eat or you can take your own picnic to enjoy in the 150 acres of park. Plenty of places to buy Lego merchandise at the end of the day to extend your collection.

Thorpe Park, Surrey

Thorpe Park is a 500 acre theme park located in Surrey, not far from London.

As one of Europe's leading leisure parks it has entertainment for all ages. Thrill seekers will be riding the likes of Nemesis Inferno, Stealth and X: No Way Out.

Colossus holds a joint world record for the highest number of inversions on a roller coaster and Stealth holds the record for the fastest acceleration of any rollercoaster in Europe.

There are plenty of water rides at Thorpe Park including the tallest log flume in the UK and one of the tallest water rides in Europe.

For the less adventurous or those who don't meet the height requirements there are more suitable rides to be found in Octopus' Garden and Neptune's Kingdom.

A variety of places to eat and drink throughout the park with an emphasis in certain food venues on healthy eating!

Madame Tussauds, London

Madam Tussaud (born Anna Maria Grosholtz) created her first wax figure, of Voltaire, in 1777. Other famous people she modelled at that time include Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Benjamin Franklin. During the French Revolution she modelled many prominent victims. In her memoirs she claims that she searched through corpses to find the decapitated heads of executed citizens, from which she would make death masks. Her death masks were held up as revolutionary flags and paraded through the streets of Paris. On her father's death she inherited his collection of wax works, with which she toured Europe before settling down in London.

Madame Tussauds is a museum that contains wax models of famous people. There are numerous galleries such as Pirates of the Caribbean, World leaders, Warhol's women The Royal Family, Sports Stars, the Culture zone and the History of London.


There are interactive tasks such as entering the Big Brother diary room, umpiring an Andy Murray tennis match or taking a penalty alongside David Beckham.

You can have your picture taken alongside A - list celebrities like Drew Barrymore, Orlando Bloom, Nicole Kidman and Leonardo DiCaprio.

For something a little scarier try visiting the Chamber gallery where serial killers lurk. The music zone represents legends of pop from Bob Maley through to current chart toppers Kylie and Justin Timberlake. Visitors are encouraged to try out their own dance moves to see if they can win an award. Or choose a track to perform, and listen to expert feedback on your talent from The X Factor judges.

Altrenatively, in the Stardome you can watch a film made by Aardman animations (Wallace and Gromit) which tries to explain to aliens the nature and status of celebrity culture.