Airport Parking and Hotels (APH) is helping savvy parents and grandparents plan ahead and budget this summer by comparing ticket prices at some of the most popular theme parks in the U.K. The comprehensive research is available in the Know Before You Go section of the APH website at www.aph.com/themeparks.

The research compares the ticket costs for adults, children, seniors and groups across 12 major theme parks in the U.K. including Alton Towers, Crealy Adventure Park, and LEGOLAND. It also compares the cost of annual passes and the different VIP packages on offer for the ultimate family thrill experience.

Ticket prices range depending on whether the guest is an adult, child or senior and whether visitors are purchasing a one-day ticket or a two-day ticket, with two-day tickets offering a more cost-effective option. An adult one-day ticket can range from as little as £12.95 at Adventure Wonderland to up to £50.40 at Alton Towers in Staffordshire. Costly adult fares are also found at Chessington World of Adventures, LEGOLAND and Thorpe Park, with on-the-day ticket prices ranging from £47.00 to £49.99. Some parks also offer the option to upgrade a one-day ticket, allowing visitors to come back and enjoy the fun for a second day. For example, there is an additional charge of £7 at Chessington World of Adventures or £12 at Drayton Manor.

To ensure visits to theme parks are fun for all the family, each of the parks in the survey (except for Thorpe Park), offer a reduced fare for children. The ticket price for children ranges from £10 at Fantasy Island in Skegness to £49.99 at Thorpe Park in Surrey. For those planning a trip to Alton Towers this summer, adults accompanied by a child under 4-years-old can benefit from a 10% discount off their adult ticket.

When it comes to seniors visiting theme parks, eight out of the 12 researched parks offer a reduced ticket price, however this is not available at the likes of Thorpe Park, Fantasy Island, Chessington World of Adventure or Blackpool Pleasure Beach. Seniors visiting Adventure Wonderland can purchase tickets for as little as £10.95 and those visiting Alton Towers can take advantage of tickets priced at £25, a half price saving off the adult cost.

Theme parks make for a fun-filled day for all the family in the summer, with some parks offering special fares for group discounts. Nine out of the 12 theme parks surveyed offered a group booking discount however, at Alton Towers and Thorpe Park, a group discount only applies when booking tickets for over 10 people. Meanwhile, parks such as Adventure Wonderland, Drayton Manor Theme Park, LEGOLAND, Oakwood Theme Park, Paultons Park and Peppa Pig World all offer a range of tickets depending on visitor numbers such as whether it is a 3-member, 4-member or 5-member family visiting.

For adrenalin junkies looking for a year-round thrill, annual passes are also available at 11 of the researched parks. Annual passes provide the likes of unlimited access, priority parking and discounts to retail shops and food, and prices range from £25 for children at Crealy Adventure Park to £189 at Blackpool Pleasure Beach. Although Fantasy Island Theme Park does not provide an annual pass, they do provide a Seven Day Ride pass at £80 for adults and £40 for children.

For families looking for VIP treatment, packages are also available at selected parks. Alton Towers offer five different VIP packages ranging from £75 to £265 and benefits include early ride time, express parking, unlimited drinks, a VIP Host and overnight stay. Furthermore, LEGOLAND and Chessington World of Adventures offer a similar VIP experience for £200 and £350 respectively, and benefits include access to a VIP host, unlimited food, unlimited souvenir photography, free parking and a goodie bag. Lastly, for larger groups that want to indulge at a theme park, Drayton Manor's Ultimate Thomas Land VIP experience, which costs £250 for up to 10 guests, includes access to a private suite, complimentary breakfast and restocked refreshments.

For further information on Airport Parking and Hotels (APH),

Visit www.aph.com or call 01342 859515.

ENDS

NOTE TO EDITORS

About Airport Parking and Hotels (APH)

Airport Parking and Hotels (APH) is the UK's award winning long stay airport parking operator and booking agency, after winning the Best Airport Parking Company for a fifth year running at British Travel Awards 2014. This year APH also celebrates its 35th year as a retailer and operator of pre-booked airport parking and travel extras. APH offers parking at all major UK airports as well as airport hotels packaged with parking and airport lounges. APH is also a carbon balanced company and has, through support of the World Land Trust, helped purchase more than 1,000 acres of endangered rainforest.

Media Enquiries

Sarah Salord / Lauren Hill / McCluskey International / 020 8747 2170 / aph@mccluskey.co.uk