Motion sickness at Alton Towers: what's rough and how to cope

Photo: Ed6767, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Resized and converted.

Alton, Staffordshire, United Kingdom · Merlin Entertainments · ~2.5M visitors (2024, industry estimate)

Yes, at the extremes. Alton Towers is a terrain park that swings between world-firsts and toddler territory: Nemesis Reborn returned in 2024 as an intense inverted coaster, Oblivion still delivers the original vertical-drop dive, Rita launches to 100 km/h in 2.5 seconds, and Th13teen hides a free-fall drop track in the dark. Yet the same park contains CBeebies Land, the UK benchmark for preschool zones, plus the Skyride cable car and the Gangsta Granny dark ride. So the motion-sickness reputation is deserved but avoidable: the intense rides are concentrated, named and famous, which makes them easy to plan around. The trap is the terrain itself; the park is spread out, and a tired, overheated walker is a queasier rider by mid-afternoon.

The rides most likely to set you off

• Nemesis Reborn: intense inverted coaster, fully rebuilt for 2024.

• Oblivion: the original vertical-drop dive coaster.

• Rita: 0-100 km/h launch in 2.5 seconds.

• Th13teen: coaster with a free-fall drop-track section in the dark.

Nemesis Reborn is the roughest on the body: a fully rebuilt but still intense inverted coaster whose sustained forces, taken with legs dangling, outlast anything else in the park.

Where to reset between rides

When your stomach needs a break, head for CBeebies Land, Alton Towers Skyride or Gangsta Granny: The Ride. Slow visuals, a fixed horizon and a seat that is not spinning give your inner ear time to settle before the next big ride.

Feeling queasy at Alton Towers right now?

Stop the nausea

Open Dizzout, plug in any headphones, tap play. Drug-free sound therapy, and most people feel better in about 90 seconds. No pills, no drowsiness, no waiting for a tablet to kick in.

Download on the App StoreGet it on Google Play

On a computer? Dizzout installs on your phone — scan the code, or open dizzout.com/get on your phone and it'll take you straight to the right store.

Your survival plan for Alton Towers

1. 1

   Ride Nemesis Reborn first while your inner ear is fresh; its sustained inverted forces are the hardest thing here to do tired.

2. 2

   Take Oblivion as a single event; the vertical dive is over fast, so it makes a better midday choice than another long inversion ride.

3. 3

   Know what Th13teen does before you queue; the free-fall drop-track section arrives in the dark with no visual warning, which is exactly what catches sensitive riders.

4. 4

   Use the Skyride between areas instead of marching the whole terrain; saving your legs also saves your stomach in the heat.

5. 5

   Base younger kids in CBeebies Land and rotate thrill riders out in pairs.

6. 6

   Eat after Rita, not before; a 2.5 second launch on a full stomach is self-inflicted.

7. 7

   Keep headphones handy and start Dizzout's sound therapy at the first queasy moment; most people feel better in about 90 seconds.

Going with kids

CBeebies Land is the UK benchmark for preschool park zones.

Common questions