What are the best places to visit in Blackpool

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A. Blackpool is the busiest holiday beach resort in the North West and has loads to offer its visitors. Some of the best places to visit include the following:

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Blackpool Pleasure Beach: has more than 160 rides, including the largest and fastest roller coaster in the world - the Pepsi Max Big One. Apart from its white-knuckle rides it is also famous for its "shows"that run throughout the summer season in particular - these usually include live cabaret, the Ice Show, and the Circus Big Top. Its Beaver Creek theme park is popular with younger children and it also has lots of restaurants, cafes and bars to visit.

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Admission to the Pleasure Beach is free, you pay for individual rides. It is open daily from late March to early November and then at weekends throughout November and December. More information is available by telephone on: 01253 341033.

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Blackpool Tower: was built in 1894 and is 520 feet tall. It has recently undergone a massive face-lift, the price of its regeneration is rumoured to have exceeded �13 million - and for this you get family fun including a circus and lots of rides including the well-publicised Dawn of Time that takes you from the dinosaurs of the past to the astronauts of the future. Entrance to the tower is free. It is open daily from 10am throughout the summer, at Easter and Christmas. For specific opening times throughout the year telephone 01253 622242.

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Trams: no visit to Blackpool is complete without a trip on a tram - tramlines stretch for 12 miles along the promenade and are great fun. The first tram ran on 29 September, 1885.

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Blackpool Zoo: is located two miles from the promenade and boasts some of the most spacious living environments for animals in any zoo in Europe. It has all the usual favourites - lions, tigers, giraffes, monkeys, snakes etc. More information is available by telephone on 01253 765027.

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The Piers: as you can probably tell from the above, Blackpool doesn't do things by halves. Most seaside towns just have a pier and a bit of promenade to boast of - but Blackpool has three piers in addition to every thing else going on. The South Pier has a circus marquee and a theatre; the Central Pier has a fun fair with a huge big wheel and the North Pier has a theatre, restaurants, bars and amusements.

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Blackpool Illuminations: from the end of August to mid-November, when most seaside resorts are thinking about closing down after a busy summer season, Blackpool is just entering its second season - when its five miles of fun and festive lights - known as the Illuminations - are turned on tourists come flocking back.

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The Golden Mile: if kiss-me-quick hats, slot machines, fish and chips and rock come to mind when you think of English seaside resorts, then its spiritual home can be found on the Golden Mile - but it is the very tackiness of the Golden Mile that make it well worth a visit.

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Sandcastle: is a huge indoor water park complete with beach, palm trees, giant inflatables and even sunbeds - just in case the British weather doesn't quite hit the mark. It is open all year round. Further details by telephone on 01253 343602

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Other attractions in Blackpool include the Winter Gardens, the Sea Life Centre and Louis Tussaud's Waxworks. You can see exactly what Blackpool has to offer by taking a virtual tour of the town and all its attractions online at www.blackpool.com

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Q. Where can I find a hotel in Blackpool online

A. Two of the best places to find a hotel or B&B in Blackpool are at www.blackpool-hotels.co.uk and www.hotels-england.co.uk/lancs/blackpool.htm

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If you require further information on any aspect of tourism in Blackpool contact the Tourism Services Department, 1 Clifton Street, Blackpool FY1 1LY. Telephone: 01253 478222.

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By Karen Anderson