Friends on a roller coaster

Thorpe Park or Chessington World of Adventures Resort Comparison

Scream if you want to go faster on our roller coaster ride through two of the biggest and best theme parks in the UK.
By Stuart Bak

With nearly 100 attractions between them, including thrill-a-second roller coasters, splash rides, a zoo, an aquarium and more, it’s no wonder that Thorpe Park and Chessington World of Adventures are two of the UK’s most popular theme parks. We took a closer look to see how these entertainment titans measure up…

Thorpe Park: The Lowdown

Rollercoaster at Thorpe Park

Thorpe Park: The Lowdown

  • Name and age. Thorpe Park opened in 1979.
  • Location. The Surrey village of Thorpe, 20 miles south of Central London.
  • Best for. Thrill-seeking teens and grown-ups.
  • Slogan. 'The home of feel-good thrills'
  • Getting there and getting in. Trains connect Waterloo with Staines, from where the 950 express bus shuttles passengers direct to Thorpe Park. Day tickets, annual passes and VIP experiences can be booked via the Thorpe Park website.
  • Staying over. Thorpe Shark Cabins, made from converted shipping containers are the on-park option, and you can also book ticket+stay packages at some nearby hotels.

Thorpe Park in a Nutshell

Saw – The Ride at Thorpe Park

Thorpe Park in a Nutshell

Thorpe Park sits on a huge tract of parkland, complete with lakes and meadows that lend the park its island-like appearance. Nine themed zones including a jungle, an old town and a haunted dockyard, contain around 30 rides. Among these are the fastest and tallest roller coaster in the country, one of the tallest water rides in Europe and several terrifying movie-themed attractions, based on the likes of The Walking Dead and the Saw franchise. Suffice to say then, it’s largely geared towards families with older kids.

Thorpe Park: Vital Statistics 

  • Size. A chunky 410 acres.
  • Number of zones. Nine, including an Atlantis-style lost city, a spooky dockyard, and an apocalyptic disaster zone.
  • Number of attractions. Somewhere in the region of 30 rides, including eight roller coasters and four water rides.
  • Visitors. Around 1.5 million annually.

Thorpe Park Highlights

The Swarm ride at Thorpe Park

Thorpe Park Highlights

  • For thrill seekers. Only the tallest, fastest and most weightless coaster in the UK, Hyperia soars 236 feet over the aptly named Fearless Valley zone. No less nerve-jangling, Stealth, The Swarm and Nemesis Inferno are very much not for the faint of heart. And be warned: the horror-themed Saw and The Walking Dead rides are pure nightmare fuel!
  • For water babes. Make a splash on the Rumba Rapids, or take your life in your hands for Tidal Wave’s epic 85-foot drop, one of the highest water rides in Europe.
  • For families. Though primarily aimed at teens and adults, Thorpe Park does have a few gentler child-friendly options, including a mini coaster, a playground and a paddling pool.

Chessington World of Adventures: The Lowdown

Family having fun on a day out

Chessington World of Adventures: The Lowdown

  • Name and age. Chessington opened as a zoo way back in 1931, adding the theme park elements in 1987.
  • Location. Chessington, which is within Greater London, is around 12 miles southwest of the city center.
  • Best for. Families with kids of all ages.
  • Slogan. 'We’ve got it!'
  • Getting there and getting in. Regular rail services run from Waterloo, Wimbledon and Clapham Junction to Chessington South station, a 10-minute walk from the park. Entry to Chessington World of Adventures is included with an attractions pass from Go City, which can save you up to 50% on more than 100 London tours, activities and attractions. Find out more and get yours here.
  • Staying over. There are safari- and Aztec-themed 4-star hotels on site, plus a glamping accommodation option.

Chessington World of Adventures in a Nutshell

Clown fish in an aquarium

Chessington World of Adventures in a Nutshell

Chessington is the whole package. Not only does it have some 40 rides, running the gamut from dizzying roller coasters and croc- and mamba-themed thrill rides to river rapids and much gentler rides for toddlers, it also boasts an entire zoo and Sea Life Centre, plus live shows, character meet-and-greets, live music, and kiddies’ play zones.

Chessington World of Adventures: Vital Statistics 

  • Size. 128 acres.
  • Number of zones. There are 11-themed zones, including the watery Shipwreck Coast, the jungly World of Jumanji, and the child-friendly Land of the Dragons. Chessington Zoo and the Sea Life Centre are in addition to these.
  • Number of attractions. Forty-something rides, plus a zoo, an aquarium, live entertainment and more.
  • Visitors. Around 1.5 million each year.

Chessington World of Adventures Highlights

Gorilla in a zoo

Chessington World of Adventures Highlights

  • For thrill seekers. Hit up the World of Jumanji, Wild Woods and Forbidden Kingdom for some of the park’s most terrifying rides. We’re talking the Mandrill Mayhem and Vampire coasters, plus Mamba Strike, Ostrich Stampede and the Croc Drop. Try not to get bitten! 
  • For animal lovers. Chessington Zoo is home to more than 1,000 critters, including several endangered species. Say hey to snow leopards, Asiatic lions, western lowland gorillas, cute Humboldt penguins and more and experience feeding frenzies and fascinating zookeeper talks. The adjoining Sea Life Centre adds sharks, rays, jellyfish, octopuses and more into the mix.
  • For families. In addition to the fab animal attractions, there are several rides and zones designed specifically with younger kids in mind. Land of the Dragons is the park's main children's area, with a huge soft-play zone, a treehouse with rope bridges, and gentle water rides. Meet-and-greets include Elmer the patchwork elephant and characters from CoComelon, who also feature in the live stage shows.

Recap: Thorpe Park vs Chessington World of Adventures

Young couple on a theme park ride

Recap: Thorpe Park vs Chessington World of Adventures

Two titans of the amusement park world, both inside the M25 and within easy reach of Central London. But which is better? Well, your preference is likely to be swayed by how much you crave a thrill ride and how much you’re looking for a family all-rounder for your day out. Thorpe Park falls firmly into the former category. Like, say, Alton Towers, its focus is primarily on rides – and the faster and more furious the better. This is one for the adrenalin fields and will mostly suit teenagers and young adults. 

Thanks to the addition of a zoo, an aquarium and some dedicated zones for smaller children, Chessington World of Adventures is a stronger bet for families, especially those with kids across a range of ages. Suffice it to say that there’s plenty to enjoy here whether you’re two, 12 or 42 years old.

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March is a good time to head to London's parks
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Why London in May is a secret worth sharing

Whisper it quietly – London in May feels a lot like the more popular summer months to come. Daylight hours stretch from 5:30AM until 8:30PM, temperatures nudge towards 20°C, and rain showers seem to lessen by the day. It means May in London is all about getting outside. Visit the likes of Borough Market and you’ll soon have more than enough goodies for a picnic in a Royal Park. Then cruise along the Thames for picturesque scenes of London’s historic skyline or meet the residents of London Zoo in their outdoor paddocks. These are just some of the great al fresco attractions that await visitors to the British capital in May. Wild beasts (and where to see them) Choose to stay in southwest London and you may be a little early for Wimbledon fortnight but you will have the chance to soak up the sun in Richmond Park thanks to the improving weather in London in May. The largest of London’s parks at 1000 hectares and a Site of Special Scientific Interest to boot, this former royal hunting ground still provides a habitat for several hundred fallow deer whilst King Henry’s Mound offers vistas reaching St Paul’s Cathedral. But it’s fashionable Chelsea that's the center of attention in May, when the Chelsea Flower Show takes over the grounds of the borough’s Royal Hospital – a home for military veterans. An annual event par excellence since 1912, attracting senior royals and a smorgasbord of A-list celebrities, this is much more than a garden show, occupying hours of television and pages of newspaper coverage. Further north, Regent’s Park is home to animals as diverse as penguins and tigers, being the site of ZSL London Zoo. A filming location in the first Harry Potter movie and a major conservation project, the zoo looks after around 20,000 animals, from leaf-cutter ants to less numerous pygmy hippos. 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Explore London’s top shopping destinations Dating back to at least 1276, Borough Market would have been known to Shakespeare and his troupe of actors, albeit in a slightly different form than the market takes today. Back then, and until the early 2000s, it served as a wholesale and retail vegetable market. It was then transformed to become a hub for curries rather than carrots and top-notch pies rather than pineapples as the street food craze took hold. Combining everything from food stalls to antiques and bric-a-brac, Portobello Road offers something different each day of the week (excluding Sundays when traders are given the day off but the stores lining the street are still open). The main day for antiques is Saturday, when a bit of friendly haggling may well get you that souvenir of your trip for a bargain price. The other big name in shopping has to be Oxford Street. This broad central London thoroughfare will be able to scratch any shopping itch, since there’s around 300 stores including most of the big names and a fair few flagship stores too. Discovery the importance of sea power to British history Say ‘flagship’ to a sailor and they’ll probably point you in the direction of HMS Belfast, the Royal Navy’s command vessel for the D Day landings in World War Two. Now a museum ship moored between London and Tower Bridge, visitors are able to explore nine decks to discover what life was like on the high seas in peace and war time. Belfast is just one of a series of things to do in London in May visible on Thames City Cruises alongside the Houses of Parliament, London Eye and Tate Modern. Four piers dotted along the river allow you to hop-on and hop-off as you choose, with the full journey occupying the historic stretch of the river from Westminster Pier to Greenwich, a part of London bursting with attractions. Among them are the Royal Observatory and Greenwich Meridian, from where the world takes its timings. The orange ball on the top of the observatory continues to drop at precisely 1PM each day, connected to an atomic clock – the most accurate timepieces in existence. But the naval links don’t stop there. As well as the scientific treasures awaiting in the National Maritime Museum, including objects used by Captain Cook in his ‘discovery’ of Australia, visitors to Greenwich can also step aboard the fastest tea clipper that ever set sail – the Cutty Sark. Compare the life of sailors onboard to that of HMS Belfast built just 70 years later, or soak in the atmosphere with a traditional afternoon tea in sublime surroundings. Unleash the secret of London in May! Thanks to relatively stable weather conditions you won’t have to worry too much about what to wear in London in May. Instead, you can concentrate on enjoying all that London has to offer. 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Ian Packham
Brixton underground station and Electric Avenue at night.
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Things to do in Brixton London

One of London’s most culturally rich neighborhoods, Brixton has a bit of something for everyone. Glorious green space rubs shoulders with vibrant urban street art and the best saltfish fritters you’ll taste this side of the West Indies. Brixton Village life Brixton’s kaleidoscopic Afro-Caribbean heritage is writ large across its bustling market. A huge neon sign points the way to Electric Avenue – the street immortalised in Eddy Grant’s 1983 smash hit – where you’ll find stalls selling fresh produce from plantains to crustaceans, as well as fashion accessories and household goods. Cross the road to enter Brixton Village beneath the railway arches, where trains rumble overhead and the delicious aromas of jerk chicken and freshly roasted coffee vie with dozens more intimate independent eateries. Here, you’ll find everything from artisan pizza to Chinese and Vietnamese street food, burritos, burgers and authentic, modern Caribbean cuisine: think cod fish fritters, curried mutton roti and fried plantain. Yum. On the other side of the railway arches is Pop Brixton, a buzzing pop-up mini-village built from shipping containers. Drop by for poetry nights, community yoga, open mic events and yet more sizzling street food, independent bars and boutiques. Follow the railway line a few yards further to find the Brixton Brewery Taproom. Tucked away under the arches, this local success story serves up a thirst-quenching range of small-batch craft lagers and pale ales from Wednesday to Sunday. Grab some of their colorful cans – inspired by the vibrant batik fabrics sold in Brixton market – to take away. Brixton’s cultural heritage Eye-catching street art is on display at almost every turn in Brixton. It’s like one enormous open-air gallery of contemporary artworks and, best of all, it’s free! Up-and-coming local graffiti artists ensure this highly Instagrammable ‘exhibition’ is ever-changing, but many of the neighborhood's best-loved murals are here to stay. Fully restored to its former glory in 2021, Nuclear Dawn is a Cold War-era masterpiece that depicts a grimacing skeleton striding over a bomb-ravaged London. It’s just across the street from Brixton Village. Meanwhile David Bowie – one of Brixton’s most famous sons – is immortalized in a much-loved portrait on the side of Morley’s department store. The painting has become something of a shrine for fans since the starman’s death in 2016. Many other murals reference the area’s Black heritage and the Brixton uprising. Steven Pusey’s Children at Play is well worth checking out. This huge painting just off Brixton Road was created in the wake of the 1981 riots and portrays racial harmony among local kids. For more on the history of Black heritage and cultural identity in the UK, head to the Black Cultural Archives on the east side of Windrush Square. Inside this Georgian townhouse, you’ll find important collections and temporary exhibitions documenting the Black British experience and celebrating prominent Black Britons. Windrush Square itself – named for the ship that brought the first Caribbean immigrants to the UK in the 1940s – carries huge local significance and is frequently used as a site for celebrations and events including mini-festivals and food markets. Arts and culture in Brixton Brixton’s Ritzy cinema has been keeping locals entertained for over a century, since its inception as the Electric Pavilion during the silent movie era. Nowadays it’s as much community hub as cinema, with a trendy bar serving food and craft beers, and tables that spill out onto the street in summer. Expect a mix of the latest blockbusters, independent movies and old classics showing across its five screens. Head to the top-floor bar, Upstairs at The Ritzy, for nightly entertainment including live music and DJ nights. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Brixton isn’t short of a music venue or two. Within the hallowed walls of the O2 Academy, a striking Art Deco building that dates back to the 1920s, fans have witnessed epic performances from the likes of Madonna, Bruce Springsteen, the Foo Fighters and Iggy Pop. Grab yourself the latest hot ticket and follow the crowds towards the venue’s near-iconic neon-lit dome. Gallery seating upstairs and a clever sloping floor downstairs mean you get a decent view of the action even if, inevitably, you’re stuck behind the world’s tallest person. Over on Brixton Hill, the Electric’s mix of live bands, celebrity DJs and reggaeton club nights caters for an eclectic range of tastes, whilst Windmill Brixton is the place to go to catch up-and-coming acts before they make it big enough to graduate to the Electric or O2 Academy. The great outdoors Stroll a few minutes south from Brixton’s intoxicating urban thrum, and you’ll find yourself in the enormous expanse of green space that is Brockwell Park: 50 acres of gently undulating hills with splendid views across the city. Scan the skyline and even the untrained eye will pick out The Shard, the London Eye and the distant dome of St Paul’s Cathedral. Entering the park from Brixton’s Water Lane, the paths diverge left and right. Head left for the popular Brockwell Lido, a 50-meter outdoor pool that’s open year-round. It’s unheated though, so you might want to consider a wetsuit if you’re visiting in January! Just beyond the lido, hop aboard the cute miniature railway that operates from spring through fall. Bearing right from Water Lane, you’ll pass a fantastically fun kids’ playground with tunnels, rope bridges and fortresses, before emerging at the duck ponds, home to a range of wildlife including swans and gray herons. There’s a delightful walled English garden just opposite the ponds, with a central fountain and mulberry tree, as well as lots more to discover around the park: wildflower meadows, BMX tracks, tennis courts and, perhaps most importantly, a hilltop café serving ice cream. Save on things to do in Brixton Save on admission to London attractions and explore Brixton and beyond with Go City. Check out @GoCity on Instagram and Facebook for the latest top tips and attraction info.
Stuart Bak

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