Accommodation nearby?

Mon Sep 20, 2010 9:39 am

Hello,

I'm a Guide leader in Edinburgh and am looking to bring a group of ~12 down to Alton Towers during the October holiday. I'm really struggling to find cheap accommodation near to the Towers though. We'd be looking to come down and stay on a Friday night, before spending a full day at the Towers and then returning (by train) on the Saturday. Can anyone advise of a local hostel that's good but cheap? I'd prefer somewhere central in Stoke/Derby/Nottingham as we'll be coming by train so won't have much flexibility.

Thanks!

Mon Sep 20, 2010 10:29 am

Hello Joanne,

Welcome to the forum!

I think you may have a little trouble finding accommodation locally for so many people on short notice, as the October holiday falls right in the middle of 'Scarefest' which is one of Alton Towers busiest periods.
Many of the local B+Bs are instantly booked up as soon as the annual dates are announced.

Having said this, I usually find the 'Trip Advisor' site to be quite useful when looking for accommodation as it allows you to search by location/price, and also read reviews from people who have stayed at the location previously:
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/

I hope this helps!

Mon Sep 20, 2010 10:49 am

Hiya, Alton Castle have a bunkhouse called 'The Stables' very nearby (I can't remember the name of the road offhand, but it literally is five minutes away, very near the old gatehouse). It's got three rooms full of bunkbeds which would be more than enough to house you all! There's a bit of info on this link: [url=http://www.altoncastle.co.uk/ourstandard.asp?pageid=75" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;]http://www.altoncastle.co.uk/ourstandard.asp?pageid=75[/url]. Hope that's helpful!

DiogoJ42 · Mon Sep 20, 2010 12:01 pm

Will you be hiring a minibus? The roads around Alton are not exactly friendly to pedestrians. Most of them are narrow, winding, 40mph country lanes with no footpath, on steep hills. A five minute drive could be up to a 45minute hike on foot. With a bunch of Guides in tow in may take over an hour!

Mon Sep 20, 2010 1:35 pm

Thanks all,

Comments are appreciated

Thank you for the recommendation of the Stables; I've contacted them and will wait to hear what they say. Unfortunately Tripadvisor isn't much use when trying to find hostels, as opposed to hotels and B&Bs. I've tried hostelworld and hostelbookers, but there doesn't seem to be anywhere in Stoke itself; hence hoping for some local knowledge!

In terms of getting to AT, I was thinking that if we were in one of the main towns then we'd be able to get the bus there on the Saturday. Otherwise it'll probably be a taxi job, as hiring a car is too expensive. I've been to AT quite a few times myself, but have always driven there in the past - but don't fancy driving all the way from Edinburgh! Plus there's only myself with a car, so we'd have to hire one for the other leader, and would still be limited to taking 8 girls. It's proving to be a bit of a nightmare! I was originally hoping to simply hire a mini bus in Edinburgh, but that's going to cost over £1000 as it involves an overnight stay (think 10 hours of driving in one day is pushing it a bit). Aaargh!

Thanks,

Joanne

Crofty · Mon Sep 20, 2010 1:52 pm

Theres quite a few youth hostels around the peak district I understand. Not sure how available they will be at this point in time.
This one seems to be on the money, it's only 2 miles away from Alton Towers. The 32A bus stops around 1 mile away, This bus also stops at Alton Towers.

I'll move this topic to Trip planning.