Where to stay when visiting thorpe park and chessington

blondie81_2

Hi All
Looking at getting the merlin pass and would like to plan a trip to visit legoland, thorpe park and chessington, looking to go in the easter holidays so need accommodation for 2 adults and 2 kids (12 and 8) spending a few nights in each area can anyone recommend cheap hotel near to these attractions

modgit

theres a premier inn at chessington, it will take only a few minutes to walk into the park.

Thorpe is driveable to from chessington so you can stay there for both parks, we've also stayed in epsom premier inn for thorpe too.

For legoland we've stayed in staines and slough, my friend uses premier inn heathrow though.

If you can get them at the £29 a night, then its a good deal.

hope that gives you a starter.

springdreams

We stayed in Travelodges.

They are more than sufficient, considering all that we did was sleep there.

And they are often cheaper than Premier Inn.

susancs

If your Easter holiday dates are the same as ours 7 April to 21st there are some good room rates on the Travelodge site currently. The parks are not too far apart so I would just pick one hotel for the whole time, rather than wasting time packing up and checking in different hotels. For example from the Woking Travelodge it is about 20 mins drive to Thorpe Park, 30 minutes to Chessington, 40 minutes to Legoland. kids eat free for eat paying adult at the TL and it is a buffet type one, so usually good value for a family of four.

blondie81_2

thanks for all your info so far, you have given us a great starting point any other suggestions greatly recieved :beer:

susancs

I haven't seen yet if they are doing them this year again but they have in previous years done an annual unlimited refills Merlin drinks bottle and we found that good value as you just decant into disposable cups for the whole family at the theme parks and Warwick Castle so saves carrying around lukewarm drinks.

There is not much for younger children to do at Thorpe Park, especially if the beach bit is not open (probably won't be in April) so we used to split into two groups with an adult and older child being dropped off at TP and the other adult driving with the younger child to Chessington and then returning later to TP.

In regard to all the parks, get there before opening time and head to the back of the park as you will get less queues and more done as a lot of people start at the front. Also the parks tend to thin out with people leaving to drive home from 4.30-5pm onwards, so often that is a good time to get on rides. Food is expensive in the parks even with the Merlin pass discount and you waste time queuing for tables etc, so my advice would stop off on the way and pick up something like the Tesco, Sainsburys, Boots meal deal sandwich, pasta pots, drink and snack for lunch.

I would get some festival type rain ponchos from the pound shop as they are expensive in the parks and are handy if it is raining or for the wet rides. The less busy days we have found are when it is raining as often hardly any queues. if the weather is nice Legoland has a nice water play area so swimming wear and towels are useful.

Some of the Travelodges are near stations that go into London e.g. Woking trains go into London Waterloo and you have the London Eye, London Aquarium and Dungeons (probably too scarey for the 8 year old IMO, but the 12 year old will love it) all beside the train station and you can use your Merlin passes on these attractions. Also a 10 minute direct journey on the tube from Waterloo to Baker Street for Madam Tussauds which you can use your pass at. It is good to do The Eye during the day and when the sun is going down. It might be worth booking as cheap accomodation as possible and booking a weeks stay to do as much as possible (especially as often you can't use your pass in London in the August school hols). You might also consider a night in London first (Sunday usually the cheapest) and parking overnight at a train or tube station e.g. Sunday 6 April a family room is currently £39 and it is 10 minutes walk from there to Waterloo (or 1 stop on the tube from Southwark to Waterloo). You could park at Stanmore tube station which would be £1.50 for the Sunday (more chance of getting a space on a Sunday as fewer commuters) and £5 for the Monday. You pay and display for the two days and the tube goes direct from there to Southwark (2 min walk to the TL) or Waterloo. Kids aged 10 and under travel free. £3.60 for an off peak daily Travelcard for unlimited use on tubes, buses for the older child and £8.90 per adult for a daily off peak TC (on the Monday purchase after 9.30am for off peak rates and off peak all weekend)
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/roadusers/tubestationcarparks/

By the way if you are planning to visit Warwick Castle with the passes there is a nice Travelodge at Leamington Spa which used to be an Old Regency hotel and it still has stained galss windows and huge family rooms. If you book in advance you can often get a good deal and there is a Wetherspoons pub opposite for cheap breakfasts. If you go around the back roads you can find free parking or free parking on the high road in front of the hotel from 6.30pm to 8am.

Blue264

Perhaps you're like me and prefer country pubs, etc, to Travelodges and the likes?
If so, check out the Greene King chain of pubs and look for the ones with accommodation, As an example, the King Arms at Westerham, part of the Old English branch of the chain, is available for 18th April - 2 nights BB inc. tax for £115 per night. That's their rate for a family room.

https://www.oldenglishinns.co.uk/our-locations/the-kings-arms-westerham

I've stayed a few of these pubs now and they're all individual and quirky, with bags of character.

Just looking on Booking.com for the Chertsey area on 18 April 2 nights, you may like to check out Beaumont Estate Windsor (£202 total) or Innkeepers Lodge Weybridge (£141 total) and see if they're better for you.

Millysunflower

We also have merlin passes and regularly stay ivermectin to do a couple of days at various parks. We also stay in Innkeepers lodges and I have to say they are miles better than travel lodges. Usually they have real character, rooms are bigger, restaurants nicer, I'd throughly recommend the one at weybridge, we were there last year for 4 nights. Great service, lovely food and just a short drive to legoland and chessington (are you doing legoland too? It's good, not great).

I agree food at oarks is poor and overpriced, we always took picnic. Visited the pound land before going and bought loads if drinks/crisps/snaks so just picked us sausage rolls every day.

Also have a battle plan. Go in the website and other forums and work out which rides you want to do and go there first. Then do the ride two or three times. By 11am it's busy and your queuing, so save quiet rides or sea life centres for then.

Oh and the photos are very expensive... Get a package deal if you decide to get them as it works out cheaper.

And get lanyards, at legoland they will swap pop badges with you. Out boys loved doing it and staff were really good at giving them extras. They also did this at chessington.

Have a great time!

paul2louise

so glad i have found this thread, now i have my merlin pass i need to start planing our holidays, great stuff.

paul2louise

i suppose all the travel lodges around london are chargeable car parking.

springdreams

paul2louise wrote: »

i suppose all the travel lodges around london are chargeable car parking.

Those in London do. In fact some don't have their own parking, and you need to use public car parks.

However, I have not paid for parking for any near Lego Land, Chessington or Thorpe Park.