Alton Towers may sit just outside the Peak District National Park, but it makes a brilliant addition to a longer stay in this part of Staffordshire and Derbyshire. Whether you're planning a full day of rollercoasters or building a family break around the resort, there's plenty to explore both inside the park and across the surrounding countryside.

If you're planning your day at the resort, start with our Alton Towers Rides Guide. We've brought together our individual ride guides covering many of the park's best-known attractions, including Nemesis Reborn, The Smiler, Wicker Man and Congo River Rapids, alongside guides to the different themed areas of the park.

One particularly useful LGPD feature is our Alton Towers Live Ride Queue Times. These can be viewed wherever you are, making them useful when you're planning your visit before arriving at the resort as well as while you're there. Queue and ride availability information is updated regularly, helping you decide where to head next and make better use of your time in the park.

There's also much more to this corner of the country than Alton Towers itself. If you're staying for a couple of days, consider using one of them to discover the landscapes of the southern Peak District. The historic market town of Ashbourne makes a good starting point, while Dovedale, Ilam and the surrounding White Peak offer limestone valleys, riverside paths, villages and excellent walking.

That combination is what makes Alton Towers particularly interesting as part of a Peak District break. One day can be all about rollercoasters, family rides and live queue watching, while the next can be spent walking beside the River Dove or exploring the quieter villages and countryside nearby.

Rather than treating Alton Towers as somewhere to visit and immediately drive home from, give yourself an extra day if you can. It provides a great opportunity to combine one of Britain's best-known theme parks with a completely different side of the Peak District.