Thorpe Park

Many of the rides here are designed for teens and older children, and have height restrictions. That said, parents with young (or short) children will find plenty to do at Neptune's Beach (a big paddling and sunbathing spot), Octopus Garden (little, friendly rides) and the delightful Mr Monkey's Banana Ride, with its slightly sinister commentary.

Teenagers, meanwhile, will love the horrifyingly fast Stealth (standstill to 80mph in two seconds, plus a hideous vertical drop), the gore of horror-themed white-knuckler Saw, and the spiralling water drop raft ride Storm Surge (new for 2011). Saw is Europe's most extreme G-force experience. Unless you make a beeline for it on entering the park at 10am, you'll have to be prepared to queue for up to two hours to experience the dark, blood-stained slasher movie build-up, the initial drops in pitch blackness, the climb to the top of the loop that has you looking at the sky dry-mouthed while you wait for the vertical downward rush. The screams are in earnest and the eyes are best kept tight shut; unsurprisingly, it's not recommended for under-12s (you have to be over 1.4 metres tall too). In 2010, the 'Saw Alive' horror maze (with six 'live action' rooms) was opened next door. The staff at Thorpe Park are mostly young and extremely friendly, so the atmosphere in the park is surprisingly pleasant.