Travel test

WHAT: Alton Towers’ Scarefest has become an autumn tradition at the Staffordshire theme park.

All the main rides are open and they’ve added four mazes for bigger kids: The Attic, Terror of the Towers; Freak Show – Toxic Junkyard; the Altonville Mine Tour; and Darkest Depths.

Theme Park tickets start at £39, and Scarefest attraction tickets from £10. Overnight stays are from £55 per person, and include free parking and entertainment. WHERE: Alton Towers is about an hour’s drive from Leicester and Sheffield, and even closer to Stoke, Derby or Nottingham, with easy access to the M6 and M1. The car parks go on for ever. Uttoxeter station is 10 miles away. EXPERIENCE: A cast of hundreds dress up as the walking dead, vampires, pumpkin-headed weirdos and assorted paleskinned freaks.

They know how to put on a show, joking with the kids and flash mobbing away all over the place.

There are Halloween dance shows on a big stage, giving a much-needed chance to take the weight off your weary feet.

Whole families make the effort of dressing up – it’s definitely not just for kids. Then there’s Trick O’ Treat town for smaller kids – though it’s maybe a bit noisy and jumpy for more timid youngsters.

Children wander dark corridors, knocking on doors and seeing who (or what) jumps out to give them sweets and scare the life out of them. Cbeebies Land gets in on the act too, with a Monsters’ Ball featuring Peter Rabbit, Postman Pat, the Go Jetters and the Teletubbies. QUIBBLES: Trick O’ Treat town worked a bit too well on my kids, who are six and 11. They were terrified and started crying in unison – but managed to grab as many sweets as they could before running to the exit. VERDICT: Get the face paints out, wear sturdy footwear, bring water and a picnic if you want to save money, and enjoy the ride. If the weather stays nice, it’s a great time of year to avoid the crowds.