In this guide
Thorpe Park, Chessington and LEGOLAND Windsor all sell day tickets from £32 online and £68 on the day, and the train to each takes under an hour from a London terminus. The choice between them is about the age of your children, not the price.
This page compares every park that works as a day trip from London: the train, the cheapest legitimate ticket, who it suits, and the dates in autumn and winter 2026 when it is shut.
💡 The Short Version: Teenagers: Thorpe Park, where most coasters need 1.4m. Ages 3 to 12: Chessington, which has a zoo and is on Oyster in Zone 6, or LEGOLAND Windsor. Toddlers and Peppa Pig fans: Paultons Park, the longest trip of the four. Book online: at the Merlin parks the gate costs about twice as much. Travelling by train as a group, the Days Out Guide takes a third off at the three Merlin parks. The thing that ruins the day is the calendar: Thorpe Park shuts for the winter after 1 November 2026, and the parks close on some weekdays in October. Or book through GetYourGuide: it sells the official Thorpe Park and Chessington day tickets with free cancellation up to 24 hours before, and a LEGOLAND ticket with a coach from Victoria.
The parks, compared
| Park | Train from London | Journey | Ticket | Season, autumn and winter 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thorpe Park | Waterloo to Staines, then the 950 bus | 34–38 min, then 15 min | From £32 online, £68 on the day | Fright Nights to 1 November, then closed for the winter |
| Chessington | Waterloo to Chessington South, Zone 6 | 36 min, then a 10-min walk | From £32 online, £68 at the gate | Howl’o’ween to 1 November; Christmas dates 21 November to 3 January |
| LEGOLAND Windsor | Paddington or Waterloo to Windsor, then the 702 or 703 bus | 28–53 min to Windsor, then 15 min | From £32 online, £68 on the day | Brick or Treat to 1 November; Christmas dates 28 November to 2 January; reopens 11 February 2027 |
| Paultons Park | Waterloo to Southampton Central, then the X7 bus or a taxi | 75–77 min, then 23–26 min by bus | £46.75 online for October 2026 dates, £61.50 on the day | Halloween to 2 November; November weekends; Christmas 5 December to 3 January |
| Gulliver’s Land | Euston to Milton Keynes Central, then a bus or taxi | 32–41 min | About £26 online, £29 on the day | Weekends in October and daily from 24 October; Christmas 22 November to 23 December |
| Adventure Island | Fenchurch Street to Southend Central | 59 min, then a short walk | Free entry; day wristband £30 | Weekends and half term in October; Christmas event on selected days from 28 November |
| Dreamland Margate | St Pancras to Margate | 89 min, then a short walk | Free entry; Mega Wristband £24.99 | Weekends in October and daily 24 October to 1 November, then closed for the winter |
| Diggerland Kent | St Pancras to Strood, then the 151 or 170 bus | 33 min to Strood | £39.50 on the day, less online | Weekends in October and daily 24 October to 1 November, then closed for the winter |
The child prices are where the parks differ. Thorpe Park lets anyone under 1.2m in free and charges everyone else the same. Chessington and LEGOLAND let under-90cm children in free; Paultons, under-1m.
Which park for which family
- Teenagers and adults: Thorpe Park. Hyperia, Stealth, The Swarm, Colossus and the rest need 1.3m to 1.4m, and Fright Nights adds scare mazes for 13 and over.
- Ages 3 to 12, with a day of rides and animals: Chessington. Only one ride needs 1.4m, the zoo and SEA LIFE are in the ticket, and Oyster gets you there.
- Ages 2 to 12, LEGO fans: LEGOLAND Windsor. It needs a whole day; Windsor itself is a second one.
- Under-5s: Paultons Park for Peppa Pig World, or Chessington’s World of PAW Patrol, where all four rides take children from 0.9m.
- A mixed-age family: Chessington. Thorpe Park leaves under-1.2m children with a handful of rides.
Booking through GetYourGuide
GetYourGuide sells the parks’ own tickets, so the price matches the from-price direct. What changes is the small print. The Thorpe Park, Chessington and LEGOLAND day tickets can be cancelled free up to 24 hours before; booked direct, they are non-refundable. For a date chosen weeks ahead, that is worth having.
The only package with transport is the LEGOLAND Windsor ticket with a return coach from Victoria Coach Station, £85, which saves the change at Slough and the bus from Windsor. Against a £32 ticket and the train, that is a premium of roughly £47 a seat; our LEGOLAND guide compares the two.
The cheapest way into the Merlin parks
Thorpe Park, Chessington and LEGOLAND Windsor all belong to Merlin Entertainments, and two discounts cover all three.
The Days Out Guide offer takes a third off the online advance price, for up to six people, at all three parks, from 1 June 2026 to 31 May 2027. The rules:
- You need a National Rail ticket to the park’s station. Oyster and contactless do not count, even though contactless works on all three routes.
- Book through the Days Out Guide by 23:00 the night before, with the code you get when you book the train.
- Main season only. It does not cover Thorpe Park’s Fright Nights scare mazes, Chessington’s Zoo Days or its winter event, short breaks or Fastrack.
- On the busiest days Merlin guarantees as few as six discounted tickets per park, so book early for a weekend.
It pays for a group: on a £32 day, a third off for four people is about £43. Full rules in our guide to National Rail 2FOR1.
The Merlin Annual Pass starts with the Essential Pass at £139, which covers all three parks, the London Eye, SEA LIFE and Alton Towers, but is barred on 25 busy days, including 17, 24, 25 and 31 October 2026. Gold, £239, is barred only from Alton Towers on 6–8 November 2026 and adds free parking. If you will only go to one park twice, the single-park passes are cheaper: Thorpe Park and Chessington each sell one from £64.
Thorpe Park
Chertsey, Surrey · Waterloo to Staines, then the 950 bus · from £32 online, under-1.2m free · season ends 1 November 2026
The thrill park. Hyperia, which Thorpe Park bills as the UK’s tallest and fastest coaster, needs 1.3m; Stealth, The Swarm, Colossus, Nemesis Inferno and SAW need 1.4m. Children under 1.2m go free, but they have only a handful of rides. Contactless works to Staines, Oyster does not, and the 950 bus takes cash or contactless. Fright Nights runs on set dates to 1 November 2026, from £39.
Chessington World of Adventures
Chessington, Greater London · Waterloo to Chessington South, Zone 6 · from £32 online, under-90cm free · Christmas dates to 3 January 2027
A theme park, a zoo and a SEA LIFE aquarium on one ticket, for children of about 3 to 12. Only Rattlesnake needs 1.4m; World of PAW Patrol, opened in 2026, takes children from 0.9m. It is the one big park on Oyster. It is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays in early October 2026 and on most days in November, and the car park is inside the ULEZ. Minecraft World opens in 2027.
LEGOLAND Windsor
Windsor, Berkshire · Paddington via Slough or Waterloo direct to Windsor, then the 702 or 703 bus · from £32 online, under-90cm free · Christmas dates to 2 January 2027
Built for children of about 2 to 12. Trains from Paddington take 28 to 38 minutes with a change at Slough, or 53 minutes direct from Waterloo, then the 702 or 703 bus from Windsor Parish Church takes about 15 minutes for £3; the 702 also runs from Victoria to the gate in about two hours. The park is open on most days to 1 November 2026, then on selected dates in November and for Christmas, and is closed from 3 January to 10 February 2027. Tickets bought on the day cost £68.
→ The full LEGOLAND Windsor guide
Paultons Park
Ower, Hampshire, on the edge of the New Forest · Waterloo to Southampton Central, then the X7 bus or a taxi · £46.75 online for October 2026 dates, under-1m free · free parking
Home of Peppa Pig World, which is aimed at ages 1 to 6, in a park built for families with children under 14; the Valgard coasters, opened in May 2026, give older children something bigger. It is also the hardest to reach: there is no station, so it is the train to Southampton Central, then the X7 bus, £3 and 23 to 26 minutes, or a taxi, which Radio Taxis will do for a fixed £20 if booked ahead. The X7 does not run on Sundays. It is not a Merlin park, so the Merlin passes and Merlin’s Days Out offer do not apply. Dates can sell out, so book before you buy the train ticket, and note that the park is closed from 4 January to 5 February 2027.
→ The full Paultons Park guide
The smaller parks
These four work as a day out from London without needing a page of their own. Each runs its own season, and three of them close for the winter at the start of November 2026.
Gulliver’s Land, Milton Keynes
Livingstone Drive, Milton Keynes MK15 0DT · Euston to Milton Keynes Central, 32–41 min, then a bus or taxi · about £26 online, £29 on the day · free parking
A park aimed at children aged 2 to 13. Day tickets are about £26 online and £29 on the day, and under-90cm children go free. From the station, the No. 8 bus to Woolstone Roundabout or the No. 3 to Pagoda Roundabout leaves a short walk. In October 2026 it opens at weekends and every day from 24 October, with Fright Fiesta from 10 October to 1 November, fireworks on Saturday 7 November, and Christmas at Gulliver’s from 22 November to 23 December. Check the opening calendar before you travel.
Adventure Island, Southend
Southend seafront, beside the pier · Fenchurch Street to Southend Central, 59 min · free entry, day wristband £30
Adventure Island and Southend Pier. Photo: Leon Wallis, CC BY-SA 4.0.
A seafront park beside Southend Pier, and the cheapest day out here. Entry is free; rides are £4 a ticket or £30 for a day wristband, cheaper booked online, and a day wristband comes with a free annual pass, activated on the day (for bookings activated by 31 December 2026). Under its Go On Together rule, anyone 14 or over riding with a child under 1.2m rides free. c2c trains from Fenchurch Street take 59 minutes and contactless works, £10.80 off-peak each way; Greater Anglia runs from Liverpool Street to Southend Victoria. Both stations are a walk down the High Street from the seafront. In October 2026 it opens at weekends and every day of half term, and its Christmas Wonderland, with Father Christmas, runs on 28–29 November, 5–6, 12–13 and 19–24 December 2026, at £40 for a child with one adult.
Dreamland, Margate
Marine Terrace, Margate CT9 1XJ · St Pancras to Margate, 89 min · free entry, Mega Wristband £24.99
The Gallopers, Dreamland. Photo: Oast House Archive, CC BY-SA 2.0.
A seaside amusement park of vintage rides, a roller disco and street food, a short walk from Margate station. Entry is free; rides are £3 a token, or unlimited on a £24.99 Mega Wristband (£12.99 for the Tiny Tots band, for children 0.8m to 1.2m), and wristbands are half price on its October 2026 open days. It opens at weekends in October and every day from 24 October to 1 November 2026, rides 11:00 to 16:00, then the amusement park closes for the winter. The Scenic Railway, the Grade II* listed wooden coaster behind the carousel, no longer runs as a ride. Margate also makes a day trip without the rides; it is on the list in our day trips guide.
Diggerland Kent
Medway Valley Leisure Park, Strood · St Pancras to Strood, 33 min, then the 151 or 170 bus · £39.50 on the day · free parking
A park where visitors of any age ride, drive and operate real diggers. £39.50 on the day for everyone over 90cm, cheaper online, though online tickets must be booked by midnight the day before and carry a £5 booking fee; under-90cm children go free. High-speed trains from St Pancras reach Strood in 33 minutes, and the 151 and 170 buses pass the park; Rochester and Chatham stations are on the same routes. It opens at weekends in October and every day from 24 October to 1 November 2026, then closes for the winter from 2 November.
Further afield
Alton Towers, Merlin’s park in Staffordshire, is covered by the Days Out Guide offer and the Merlin passes above; from London it is a trip to plan with a night away. In London itself, Babylon Park in Camden is an indoor park with a rollercoaster; it is in our guide to London in the rain.
Halloween and Christmas, 2026
| Park | Halloween | Christmas |
|---|---|---|
| Thorpe Park | Fright Nights: 2–4 and 9–11 October, then 15 October to 1 November, from £39 | None; closed from 2 November |
| Chessington | Howl’o’ween: 3–4 and 10–11 October, then 17 October to 1 November, from £34 | Christmas at Chessington: selected dates 21 November to 24 December, from £32 with the Christmas Village |
| LEGOLAND Windsor | Brick or Treat: 10–11 October, then 17 October to 1 November, from £37 | LEGOLAND at Christmas: selected dates 28 November to 2 January, from £34 |
| Paultons Park | Halloween Spooktacular: 9 October to 2 November, in the normal ticket | A Celebration of Christmas: selected dates 5 December to 3 January, from £41 |
| Gulliver’s Land | Fright Fiesta: 10 October to 1 November, from £19 | Christmas at Gulliver’s: 22 November to 23 December |
| Adventure Island | Open weekends and half term | Christmas Wonderland: weekends from 28 November, then 19–24 December |
Fright Nights is for teenagers and adults, with scare mazes for 13 and over; the others are pitched at families. Our Halloween in London guide covers them alongside the city’s scare attractions, and Christmas in London has the rest of the season.
What people get wrong
- Buying on the day. The three Merlin parks charge £68 on the day, against from £32 online, and Paultons £61.50 against £46.75.
- Tapping in with Oyster to Staines or Windsor. Contactless works on both routes; Oyster works only to Chessington South.
- Planning a November trip to Thorpe Park. It closes after Fright Nights on 1 November 2026.
- Turning up at Chessington on a Tuesday or Wednesday in early October, when it is shut.
- Taking a child between 1.2m and 1.4m to Thorpe Park. They pay full price and miss most of the big coasters.
Continue planning your London trip
- 🌀 Thorpe Park — tickets, the train and the 950 bus, height limits and Fright Nights.
- 🦁 Chessington World of Adventures — the zoo, the rides and the Zone 6 train.
- 🧱 LEGOLAND Windsor — tickets, the train and bus from London, and what suits which age.
- 🐷 Paultons Park — Peppa Pig World and how to reach it without a car.
- 👨👩👧 London with kids — free farms, zoos and family days out in the city.
- 🎃 Halloween in London — Fright Nights, Howl’o’ween and the city’s own scare attractions.
- 🎟️ National Rail 2FOR1 — the Days Out Guide rules, and why contactless does not qualify.
- 🗺️ Day trips from London — castles, cities and coast, with fares, journey times and closing days.
Common questions
What is the closest theme park to London?
Chessington World of Adventures. It is inside Greater London: Chessington South station is in Zone 6, 36 minutes from Waterloo, and Oyster works. Thorpe Park is about 20 miles out, 34 to 38 minutes from Waterloo to Staines plus a 15-minute bus.
Which theme park near London is best for teenagers?
Thorpe Park. Its big coasters, including Hyperia, Stealth and The Swarm, need 1.3m to 1.4m, and Fright Nights in October is built for teenagers and adults. Chessington, LEGOLAND and Paultons are aimed at younger children.
Which theme park near London is best for young children?
LEGOLAND Windsor and Chessington for children of about 3 to 12; both let under-90cm children in free. Paultons Park, home of Peppa Pig World for ages 1 to 6, is the longest trip, and lets under-1m children in free. Gulliver's Land in Milton Keynes is aimed at ages 2 to 13.
Can you get to Thorpe Park, Chessington and LEGOLAND by train?
Yes. Thorpe Park is Waterloo to Staines, then the 950 bus. Chessington is Waterloo to Chessington South and a 10-minute walk. LEGOLAND is a train to Windsor from Paddington or Waterloo, then the 702 or 703 bus. Contactless works to all three stations; Oyster works only to Chessington South.
Are the theme parks near London open in winter?
Mostly not. Thorpe Park, Dreamland Margate and Diggerland Kent close after 1 November 2026. Chessington, LEGOLAND Windsor and Paultons Park open on selected dates for Christmas, into early January 2027, and Adventure Island runs a Christmas event on selected days from 28 November.
What is the cheapest theme park near London?
Adventure Island in Southend and Dreamland in Margate are free to enter; you pay for rides, with a day wristband at £30 and £24.99. Of the big parks, Thorpe Park, Chessington and LEGOLAND all start at £32 booked online, and a third comes off with the Days Out Guide offer if you travel by train.
