The best rollercoasters around the world

Initially, the slides were more like slides: people sat on wooden carts and descended from an artificially created hill. Over the past 100 years, the number of thrills has increased exponentially. While the criteria for what makes the best roller coaster - design, number of turns, speed - can vary, today there are plenty of adrenaline-pumping tools for thrill-seekers. We list the top 10 best roller coasters in the world.

1. Formula Rossa (Ferrari World, Dubai, UAE).

When it comes to speed, no other coaster in the world can match the Formula Rossa. Modeled after a Ferrari sports car, this rollercoaster is the fastest in the world. It accelerates riders from zero to 240 km per hour in five seconds. The track is located on the Ferrari Raceway and runs for about 1.5 miles. The ride only lasts a minute and a half, but it's one of the most thrilling 90 seconds you can experience on a roller coaster anywhere in the world.

2. Kingda Ka (Six Flags Great Adventure, New Jersey).

It is the fastest roller coaster in America and the tallest roller coaster in the world. In fact, given its height and speed, it could also be considered the scariest roller coaster in the world. The track reaches a height of more than 45 floors, after which the racers rush down at a speed of more than 200 km per hour. And this speed is reached in just 3.5 seconds. Although the entire trip lasts only about 50 seconds, few people can last longer.

3. Jersey Devil Coaster (Six Flags Great Adventure, New Jersey).

The second coaster in New Jersey's Six Flags Great Adventure to make it to our list is the Jersey Devil coaster, which debuted in June 2021 as the tallest, fastest, longest single-rail coaster in the world. The graceful trains carry 12 passengers each (one passenger per row), with legs positioned on either side of the monorail track. Named after a folklore creature that is said to have lived in the local forests for centuries, this thrilling ride accelerates to 93 km per hour with a vertical drop of 39 meters. Rising 13 stories high, the coaster travels 914.4 meters of track.

4. Steel Dragon 2000 (Nagashima, Japan).

This is the longest roller coaster in the world. The 2438.4 meter track, which reaches almost 97 meters at its peak, cost more than $52 million to build. Steel Dragon 2000 accelerates passengers at a speed of 153 km per hour on a 93-meter descent.

5. Steel Vengeance (Cedar Point, Ohio).

Cedar Point is often referred to as the rollercoaster capital. It is home to many of the most exciting rides in the US. The Steel Vengeance defies gravity. It is the longest hybrid roller coaster in the world, made of wood and steel. Thrill-seekers are immediately given 30 seconds of an exciting ride, during which they turn over four times and overcome a 1750-meter track, the height of which reaches 61 meters.

6. T Express (Everland Resort, South Korea).

For riders looking for an old-fashioned yet extreme getaway, South Korea's T Express is the second tallest wooden roller coaster in the world at nearly 56 meters tall. The track is conveniently located on a hillside, which allows riders to descend from a height of 46 meters. The ride reaches a top speed of 105 km/h and drops the cabs down 77 degrees. T Express is regularly ranked as one of the best wooden slides in the world.

7. Pantheon (Busch Gardens Williamsburg, Virginia).

The fastest slides can go up to 117 km per hour, reaching 55 meters with a 95-degree drop and two turns. On this two-minute ride, where riders achieve weightlessness on five hills, three bursts of speed are forward movement and another is backward movement.

8. Goliath (Six Flags Great America, Illinois).

Goliath may not be the tallest wooden slide in the world, but it does have the highest drop. Although the slide is only 50 meters high, passengers aboard the Goliath plunge 55 meters into an underground tunnel and exit on the other side. At its fastest speed, the coaster reaches 116 km/h and has two turns, making the ride a test of endurance.

9. The Smiler (Alton Towers, UK).

This attraction will turn your world upside down. It has the highest number of flips of any coaster in the world, a dizzying 14. And passengers are sent up the loops at 50 miles per hour. But do not think that quantity cancels variety. Throughout the route there is a roll, and a dive loop, and a corkscrew. The Smiler is recommended to visit on an empty stomach.

10. Full Throttle (Six Flags Magic Mountain, California).

The terrifying Full Throttle boasts the tallest and fastest vertical loop in the world. Its passengers fly through the loop, which reaches a height of 49 meters, at a speed of 112 km per hour. While you are driving, the attraction changes direction several times.