Best for: Riding the UK’s fastest roller coaster
One of the leading theme parks in the world, Thorpe Park is a must-visit for adrenaline junkies. The world’s first horror-movie themed ride, ‘Saw’, throws you over a vertical drop of 100ft; Derren Brown’s Ghost Train makes you face the terrifying Demon; ‘The Walking Dead’ makes you scramble to safety; while Stealth – the fastest rollercoaster in the UK – propels people from 0-80mph in under two seconds.
Can’t bear to tear yourself away from these delights? Then stay on site at the Thorpe Shark Hotel (around £110 for a room plus a day pass), which comes with added bonuses like fasttrack (that means no queues for any rides) until 11am. Quick pre-work rollercoaster, anyone?
Anything else I should know? There’s a virtual queueing system for people who are unable to queue, and a full accessibility guide is available to download from the website.
Price: Online from £35; children aged 2 and under: free
Get there: 32 minutes by train from London Waterloo to Staines, then bus; around 45 minutes by car from central London.