For wanting to know what trains go from Alton Towers / Uttoxeter?

[HamPieQueen]

I’m hoping to take DD12 to Alton Towers next month (“hoping” interchangeable for “dreading” in this instance 🤣)

I don’t drive, so will be getting the train to and from Bristol. Nearest train station to Alton Towers is Uttoxeter.

I’d quite like to stay over on Saturday night, but the first train to get us on our way on Sunday is not until 1457!! I’m willing to get a train ANYWHERE earlier, go up north to go south, even, but I can’t find a way of finding out what trains leave Uttoxeter on a Sunday morning without entering a destination. So annoying.

Can anyone help? And is this such an unreasonable ask?!

Get a train from Stoke instead of Uttoxeter. Had a quick look and it seems there are trains from 9 am onwards.

I don't know for sure, more of a bump than anything but you may be easier going to Derby, it's about 10 miles further away but direct from Bristol and then search the x52 bus

How are they meant to get to Stoke?

I haven't checked any times btw, just an idea

The same way they get to Uttoxeter!

I mean, presumably there's no car involved and they're staying in or near Uttoxeter...

You can use Realtimetrains.co.uk - that shows all departures from a station. But it looks like there aren’t any trains from Uttoxeter on a Sunday until 1457 which seems weird

@Gettoachiro On the train then? The train that doesn't have a connecting service that will get them to Bristol until 14.57 on Sunday. If it was possible to go via Stoke, the train journey planner would almost certainly give this as an option!

There may be a bus from Hanley bus station, Derby bus station and Uttoxeter to Alton Towers. Lots of local teens use them as they work at AT .
When I say local I mean Stoke and Uttoxeter.
There will be a pick up near Uttoxeter train station or near the race track.

There is only one line running through Uttoxeter. It’s a small station. The line is an East Mids Railway line from Crewe then stations to Stoke and through to Derby at weekends. Only once an hour in each direction and no trains on a Sunday morning sounds about right.

@ItsaMeMummio The first direct train from Stoke leaves before 2pm on the Sunday according to a timetable I just checked, with trains leaving as early as 9 with various changes.

Alton Towers to Stoke or Derby (as someone else suggested) is not that much longer than to Uttoxeter, so if they aren't staying in Uttoxeter then just travel to a bigger station instead.

As snoozing just said, Uttoxeter is a small station.

Could it be better to look up coach company's that do Alton towers trips?.

I would get the train to Nottingham or Derby then catch the bus to Alton Towers, and do the same in reverse on the Sunday.

I think this tells you exactly what you want to know.

https://www.avantiwestcoast.co.uk/where-we-go/blog/getting-to-alton-towers-from-the-uks-biggest-cities#:~:text=Another%20option%20is%20to%20reach,a%20taxi%20to%20Alton%20Towers.

National Route map. Find the station you want to leave from, check what line it's on, then stick in a likely looking station (in the right direction) into your journey planner.
https://assets.nationalrail.co.uk/e8xgegruud3g/5fzeEKhKFk5ms4Ip6wGpG1/3a9eb099cf65a34bc97f0103be07abbf/Rail_map_v38_orange_May_23.pdf

Lots of helpful info, thanks! My first thought was to go from Derby, but the 1457 train IS the Derby train and there are no earlier ones.

i have looked at coach trips (don’t seem to give enough time at AT - we want to get there early) and at megabus etc to see if we can get closer that way. Local buses make me a bit nervous as I’m never entirely sure which side of the road to stand on but I’m happy to do it if that’s the only way.

The hotel we are staying in on Friday night is in whiston so I’m assuming taxi from Uttoxeter - whiston on Friday and taxi from whiston - AT Saturday morning.

i will look at the links and local buses. Thank you! If it all looks too complicated we might end up trying to come home on the Saturday evening.

A bus

I don't think you have picked the best location to stay to be honest, you would have been better in Uttoxeter itself. Taxis are not exactly plentiful around that neck of the woods.

Stoke might be a little bit further away but the train and bus services are bith better from there.

If you’re staying at Whiston, that would probably be a similarly length taxi ride from Uttoxeter as it would be from Stoke railway station.

It depends where you are travelling home to, but Stoke has other train lines in addition to the Uttoxeter line eg to Manchester or down to Bristol. ETA - and London trains too!

Which bus? The only Stoke-Uttoxeter bus I know of doesn't run on a Sunday.

For those of you with local knowledge, is Uber a thing round these parts? The app suggests uber vehicles are available and the prices don’t look that bad for the journeys (including whiston to Stoke on Sunday morning) but I have been deceived by the app before in Chippenham.

So I lived in Stoke and worked at Alton towers. I’m not sure about whiston. Ubers are pretty good up there but if it’s not too late then I’d cancel your hotel and get the premier inn in festival park, then jump on the bus from Hanley which takes about 45 mins but there’s frequent buses

We have used Uber on occasion in the area. But I think @TheGirlWhoLived ’s suggestion is good if you’re able to cancel your hotel booking without costs.

Try putting your route into Rome to Rio or even Google maps. You can specify departure days i think so will come up with the best public transport options.

OP I'm local too. Whiston is miles and miles away from Uttoxeter in the wrong direction from AT and you would struggle to get an Uber. If you can't stay in Uttoxeter, you could get the train to Blythe Bridge (it's on the same Stoke-Derby line as Uttoxeter) and stay there or get a taxi to Cheadle where you can get an Alton Towers bus from the high street (you want the 32X). The 32X starts in Hanley so if you stay in Stoke (which has loads more available trains) you can get that bus from Hanley bus station as well.

I'd really suggest you reconsider staying in Whiston, it's a very very tiny place that's very inconvenient for non car drivers. Blythe Bridge, Cheadle, Forsbrook would be better choices -- even Tean would be a better choice than Whiston if for some reason you can't find anywhere in Uttoxeter or Stoke.