Multiple zoo visits in a day (the UK)

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stubeanz

Well-Known Member
15+ year member
All this talk of how many zoos you could do in a day on snowleopards great roadtrip thread got me thinking, it would be good to list examples of multiple zoo visits that can easily be done in a day but in the UK.

I prefer to spend lots of time at zoos so have only managed two zoos in a day, however I'm sure if I pushed myself I could do more easily.

Great places for multiple zoos trips IMO are

The Isle of Wight - owl and monkey haven, IOW butterfly world and Amazon world all doable in a day. These can also be swapped for any number of small zoos in the island. The only down fall is getting there so it would be best for a
Few days or holiday in the island.

Kent - Packed to the brim with zoos, wingham wildlife park, RSCC and Howletts are all around the corner from each other.

London- Also has plenty of small zoos and quite a few free zoos so a number of these should be possible in a day. The only thing holding you back is traffic!

So there's an attempt of a start however I am inexperienced within multiple zoo visits over the number of 2 so thought I would hand it over to everyone else!
 
This is a great idea for a thread! That way in the future when I visit the U.K. (whether in 5 years or 10 years) I'll have a head-start on my year-long planning of a big road trip. Alone I can easily see many tiny American zoos in an hour or so but I often will spend 5 hours or longer at major zoos. I don't rush at all but I also don't spend hours watching animals move around their exhibit. For example, at the moment I see Ring-Tailed Lemurs EVERY SINGLE DAY and so the inclination to stop and watch them for a long time is simply not there. Children make a huge difference as for instance on my current road trip of 80 small zoos in 26 days I am solo but if I had brought my wife and 4 kids along then there is no way I'd even see half the zoos that I'm touring. Kids love to sit in sandboxes for an hour or marvel at wild squirrels. :)

I'd love it for someone to plan out a big U.K. zoo trip!
 
Locally (to me at least!) I can do 3 collections in a day; Dudley, BNC and Sea Life!

In the Torbay area it's easy to combine Living Coasts and Shaldon, you could possibly squeeze in Paignton as well if you're willing to rush but I wouldn't reccomend it! ;)

Bristol is a probable 4; Wild Place, Bristol, The Aquarium and Noah's Ark.

South Wales is a 3; Folly Farm, Manor House and Silent World.

There's a few suggestions to be going on with and all are realistically doable!
 
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Going purely by personal experience:

Devon: Living Coasts and Shaldon are doable in a day even if reliant on public transport; if one has a car I believe it *is* possible to do Paignton in the same day too.

Isle of Wight: Even by public transport, it is easy enough to do Isle of Wight Zoo, Amazon World and Owl/Monkey Haven in a single day, as bus routes and timetables around the island are very good. This is doable even if you are travelling to and from the island on the same day! I myself only did the latter two collections when I visited the island, but this was solely because I wasn't bothered about visiting the former collection.

Cotswolds: As far as the cluster of collections in the Cotswolds goes, there are a lot of collections in close proximity to one another, so with a little judicious time-management it is possible to do a handful of the following in a single day:

Cotswold Wildlife Park
Crocodiles of the World
Birdland
Cotswold Farm Park
Heythrop Zoo (when open)
Cotswold Falconry Centre

I would not try to visit *all* of these collections in a single day though!

West Midlands: It is easy enough to do Dudley and BNC in a single day, and I have done so myself. I have never been to Birmingham Sealife but I imagine this would also be doable in the same day. Another "two-fer" in the area is a combination of West Midlands Safari Park and Hagley Falconry.

Cambridgeshire: The combination of Linton, Shepreth and Hamerton is entirely doable.
 
I've done two zoos in a day many times, but never three. But giving it some thought Porfell, Wingz and the Monkey Sanctuary at Looe (Wild Futures) could all be done in a day with time to spare to take in Aquariums at Fowey and Mevagissey.
 
Has anyone ever done Newquay and Paradise Park in the same day? I imagine they would be easy enough to do with a car, wouldn't like to try it on public transport though!
 
Brum said:
Has anyone ever done Newquay and Paradise Park in the same day? I imagine they would be easy enough to do with a car, wouldn't like to try it on public transport though!
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Yes. very easily (with car that is).
 
Another easy combination is Whipsnade and Woburn, though there is quite a lot of duplication in visiting both on top of each other like that. Also Whipsnade in particular really(IMO) warrants more than half a day I think.
 
Great additions everyone. In terms of two a day I have visited...

Brent lodge nature centre and Goulders hill park zoo (very easy and could even add in another collection!)

Beale park and the living rainforest

West Midlands safari park and Hagley falconry centre (Dudley could also be possible if you were quick!)

As mentioned before Isle of Wight have plenty of combinations!

Also banham and Shorelands wildlife park should be easily done.

I know what you mean about taking the family along, most trips are with the family so it takes a while longer!
 
With regards to family I have done Sea Life and BNC in a day, in that order with time for a picnic in between. Dudley and the other two would be a nightmare owing to public transport issues but in a car it would be entirely feasible to fit in all 3 and lunch!
 
Brum said:
Has anyone ever done Newquay and Paradise Park in the same day? I imagine they would be easy enough to do with a car, wouldn't like to try it on public transport though!
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Of course I have done those 2 in the same day have also done Gweek or The Blue Reef Aquaruim on the same day as well!
 
zoogiraffe said:
Have to say at the moment so far nobody has mentioned any double ups that I haven't done yet!!
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Okay then: here's one you definitely have not done but which would be easy to pull off by car - by public transport it would be trickier due to the collections being on different rail lines:

Five Sisters Zoo and Scottish Owl Centre
 
zoogiraffe said:
Of course I have done those 2 in the same day have also done Gweek or The Blue Reef Aquaruim on the same day as well!
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Gweek never occurred to me, but i did debate throwing Blue Reef in as it is quite convenient! :o

Anyone ever doubled up Weston Seaquarium with Bristol? Or WMZ with Rhyl Seaquarium? Or the 3 Leeds collections; Lotherton, Harewood and Tropical World?

Another easy one to do would be Blackpool zoo and Sea Life, likewise Great Yarmouth Sea Life, Thrigby and Amazona in Cromer. You could even throw in that reptile place next to the Sea Life as well.
 
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Brum said:
Gweek never occurred to me, but i did debate throwing Blue Reef in as it is quite convenient! :o
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Thats because you are not me but that said the time I did that they did have a Hooded Seal;)

Brum said:
Another easy one to do would be Blackpool zoo and Sea Life, likewise Great Yarmouth Sea Life, Thrigby and Amazona in Cromer. You could even throw in that reptile place next to the Sea Life as well.
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Think I can do a bit better than that for the Norfolk/Sussex Coast,like Suffolk Wildlife Park,great Yarmouth Sealife Centre,Amazonia Great Yarmouth and Thrigby Hall Wildlife Gardens!!:D
 
Africa Alive you mean? :p That does make sense but I was just going north from Yarmouth, if you were starting further south then your way makes much more sense! :)
 
I've followed separate trips to Linton, Shepreth, The Raptor Foundation and Twycross with an hour or two at Hamerton. Also had a rubbish morning at Whipsnade, so headed to Twycross for the afternoon.

I think I might have gone to YWP on a late night after popping into Woodside first too.
 
Brum said:
Africa Alive you mean? :p That does make sense but I was just going north from Yarmouth, if you were starting further south then your way makes much more sense! :)
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Nope I got the name right its the collection itself that have got it wrong:D,as how they can call themselves that when they exhibit those well known African species such as Asiatic water Buffalo,Asian Short-clawed Otter and Turkish Spiny Mouse:p:rolleyes:,until those species leave its Suffolk Wildilfe Park to me:mad:
 
zoogiraffe said:
Nope I got the name right its the collection itself that have got it wrong:D,as how they can call themselves that when they exhibit those well known African species such as Asiatic water Buffalo,Asian Short-clawed Otter and Turkish Spiny Mouse:p:rolleyes:,until those species leave its Suffolk Wildilfe Park to me:mad
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At least the water buffalo is found feral in parts of Africa, the other two are inexcusable though! :p To be honest I'll accept ASCO's as a replacement until we can get some more spot-necked in to Europe! :)

And at least I don't use an exclamation mark at the end of AA! :p
 
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