IF you’ve got any theme park fanatics in the family, you’ll want to read on.
While the UK’s biggest theme parks are home to some world-class rollercoasters and rides, they aren’t always the kindest to your bank balance.
Once you add up entry for the whole family, parking, and a place to stay for the weekend, sometimes you’re looking at spending hundreds.
But we’ve mapped the most affordable theme parks in the UK, plus cheap hotels and holiday parks nearby.
Research from credit card brand Aqua has found the UK’s top 10 most affordable theme parks.
The rankings are based on factors like the price of a peak-season weekend adult ticket, and bang for your buck when it comes to the number of rollercoasters at the park.
10. The Milky Way Adventure Park / Twinlakes Family Theme Park
In joint-10th place for the best-value theme parks are The Milky Way Adventure Park in North Devon and Twinlakes Family Theme Park in Melton Mowbray.
Both parks have an average adult ticket price of £20, with just three rollercoasters in each park; however, they have plenty of other attractions and lots to do for younger children.
All rides at The Milky Way Adventure Park are included with the cost of your entry, and include the Gravity Rider tubing slide, the Cosmic Caterpillar coaster, and the Milky Way Train, which takes you around the scenic countryside grounds.
Twinlakes Family Theme Park is an all-weather option with indoor activities like soft play and the Davy Jones indoor water ride, plus outdoor fun like a splash park and live falconry performances.
Another plus of both attractions is that you can park for free.
However, when it comes to a place to stay, Twinlakes is drastically cheaper.
A hotel stay near Twinlakes averages £172 per night, whereas it averages £260 for a stay near Milky Way.
For an affordable stay just five minutes down the road from The Milky Way Adventure Park, opt for Parkdean Resorts Bideford Bay Holiday Park.
A two-night stay in June in a Bronze caravan, which sleeps up to six, starts from £141.
If you stay as a group of six, that works out to £11.75pp per night.
For an affordable stay near Twinlakes, try their heated pods. You can stay two nights in a lodge that sleeps up to six, with theme park tickets included, for £199 total.
If you fill the lodge, that works out to just over £33pp for two nights’ accommodation, theme park entry and all of your rides already paid for.
9. Paultons Park
Paultons Park in the New Forest ranks at number nine, with an entry ticket costing a pricey £46.75pp – but there are 10 thrilling rollercoasters here to enjoy, plus plenty more, including a brand new theme park land.
The new £12m Viking-themed land, Valgard – Realm of the Vikings, which opened on May 16, will feature an inverted rollercoaster called Drakon.
The theme park has plenty more to see and do, such as the spooky Ghostly Manor ride and family-friendly, dinosaur-themed coaster Flight of the Pterosaur.
Even though the entry cost is steep, kids under 1m in height go free – plus the cost per coaster, if you ride them all, works out to an affordable £4.68.
When it comes to accommodation, a nearby hotel averages at £234 per night, which brings this theme park down in the rankings.
However, we’ve found an affordable stay at the nearby Sandy Balls holiday village.
A three-night stay in a six-berth luxury caravan from June 29 costs £296 total – working out at £16.44pp per night.
8. Adventure Island
Southend-on-Sea‘s Adventure Island ranks at number eight, and is a free-admission theme park, meaning it’s free to walk around. But to access the rides, you’ll need a £25 wristband.
There are more than 40 rides and attractions to choose from here, including seven rollercoasters.
Popular rides and attractions include Axis, the huge pendulum swing ride, and Rage, a thrilling, twisting rollercoaster.
The cost per ride averages at an affordable £3.57, according to Aqua, making this seaside theme park a wallet-friendly choice.
As for accommodation nearby, the average hotel would set you back £196 per night.
However, a stay at the Premier Inn Southend On Sea (Eastern Esplanade) starts at just £68 a night.
7. Alton Towers Resort
Popular theme park Alton Towers in Stoke-on-Trent comes in at number seven, with an average adult ticket price of £38 for 19 rollercoasters – some of which are world-famous.
Younger children will love the new Bluey coaster and Peter Rabbit Hippity Hop ride, while adrenaline junkies can take on The Smiler or Oblivion.
The average cost per coaster here is £2, so it’s fair to say that you get some great bang for your buck at this theme park.
However, it is worth noting that the cheapest parking available is £13, and the average cost of a nearby hotel is £171 a night.
For a budget-friendly base, opt for the Weathervane Hotel by Greene King Inns, where you can bag a double room for two nights for just £125.
6. Drayton Manor Resort
Drayton Manor in Tamworth offers a great-value family day out, with entry tickets averaging at £30, 12 rollercoasters, and over 50 rides and attractions.
Family favourites include Thomas Land, a Thomas the Tank Engine-themed area with 25 rides and attractions of its own, and adrenaline zones, Vikings and Adventure Cove.
Some of the park’s most popular coasters are The Wave, an inverting coaster, and Gold Rush, the wild west-themed ride that opened in 2024.
The average cost per rollercoaster works out to £2.46. Parking costs a reasonable £10, and the average nearby hotel costs £141 per night.
Stay at the nearby Travelodge Tamworth M42 with double rooms from £28.99 a night.
5. Codona’s
Codona’s Amusement Park in Aberdeen is a traditional beachfront amusement park with seven exciting rollercoasters.
There are several ticket options to choose from, which include various perks like food and rounds of mini golf, but the average adult ticket costs £25.
Popular rides include the Dead Man’s Drop, a tower ride that launches you into the sky before sending you plummeting back down, and the refreshing White Water Log Flume.
There’s also karting, bumper boats, adventure golf and a Ferris wheel that offers spectacular views of the city skyline. The average cost per rollercoaster based on ticket price works out to £3.57 per coaster.
The average hotel cost nearby is £149 per night, but you can stay in a double room at the Holiday Inn Express Aberdeen City Centre from £51 per night.
4. M&D’s Scotland Theme Park
M&D’s in Strathclyde is an all-singing, all-dancing attraction known as Scotland’s Theme Park, and it has an affordable entry cost of £20.
There are both fairground-style rides and thrill coasters here, making M&D’s a fantastic option for a family day out or staycation.
The Runaway Mine Train is a fan-favourite and takes riders through twists and turns through a mining town on an adorable miniature train.
For something more adrenaline-pumping, there’s Freak Out – a spectacular, spinning pendulum ride that can be seen (and heard) from the other side of the park.
The cost per coaster works out to just £2.49, and there’s plenty more weather-proof things to see and do, like 10-pin bowling and exploring one of the largest indoor amusement arcades in Scotland.
The average cost of a hotel in the area is £174 per night, but you can stay 3 minutes away in a double room at the Holiday Inn Express Strathclyde Park from £69 per night.
3. Fantasy Island / Gulliver’s Land
Coming in joint-third for the UK’s best-value theme parks are Fantasy Island in Ingoldmells near Skegness and Gulliver’s Land in Milton Keynes.
The average adult ticket price for both parks is £26. Fantasy Island has 10 rollercoasters, and Gulliver’s Land has just seven.
Fantasy Island offers colourful and thrilling loop rides right on the beach front of seaside town Ingoldmells, plus classics like water rapids, bumper cars and a log flume.
The big three thrill rides at Fantasy Island are The Odyssey, a looping coaster, Millennium, a high-speed ride and The Volcano, a tower ride that shoots you high into the sky.
Gulliver’s Land, on the other hand, focuses on rides and attractions for primarily younger children.
There are rides like The Wriggler, a caterpillar coaster, and the Rockin’ Tug, a gentle pirate boat ride.
Mini thrill seekers can also enjoy the tall Tree Top Swings, or soar into the skies on the 360° ride Dragon Siege.
There’s also a dinosaur sculpture area, and a farm park where you can meet the animals.
The average cost per rollercoaster at Gulliver’s Land is £3.71, whereas at Fantasy Island it works out to £2.61.
But Gulliver’s Land takes the edge when it comes to parking, as you can park for free, whereas parking at Fantasy Island starts at £8.
The average cost for a hotel near both theme parks is £135.
For a cheap place to stay near Fantasy Island, book a Silver Caravan at Coastfields in Ingoldmells – three nights over a weekend in a six-berth caravan starts from £205 total in June.
And for somewhere to stay near Gulliver’s Land, go for the Holiday Inn Express Milton Keynes, where you can bag a double room with a hot breakfast included from £86 per night.
2. Lightwater Valley Family Adventure Park
Lightwater Valley in North Yorkshire ranks as the second best-value UK theme park, with an average adult ticket price of £25.
With a lineup of 11 family-friendly coasters to choose from, riding each works out to just £2.23 per ride.
There are wholesome, family-friendly coasters like the Ladybird and Spin Bug, and fun extras like a Jeep Safari as well as several miniature train rides.
Plus, 2026 brings a new ride, the Spinning Racer, to the park, a colourful, curving rollercoaster that looks like a giant Scalextric track.
While you can park for free, which is a plus, the average cost of a hotel nearby is a hefty £222 a night.
Luckily, we’ve found a much cheaper option. You can book a double room at the Premier Inn Thirsk hotel from £57 per night.
1. Blackpool Pleasure Beach
The best-value theme park according to the data is family-favourite Blackpool Pleasure Beach.
While the average adult ticket price is £32, there are a whopping 26 coasters to have a go on – that works out to a cost of £1.22 per ride.
Rollercoasters include the Big One, with a 235ft drop, and Launch Pad, which shoots you to speeds of 80mph.
There are also dark rides like the Ghost Train and Valhalla, plus Nickelodeon-themed rides like SpongeBob’s Splash Bash and the toddler-friendly Bikini Bottom Bus Tour.
Plus, there’s a major new ride coming this year – the £8m Aviktas, a record-breaking gyro swing ride, is set to become the tallest in the UK, at 138ft tall, and is set to open this month.
The cheapest available parking nearby is £15, and the average price for a hotel in the area is £121.
For a budget-friendly base for your Blackpool staycation, stay at Haven Marton Mere, where four nights in a saver caravan which sleeps four starts at £49 this June.