Buckle up, it’s time for thrills and spills at some of the best theme parks in Europe. Fun for all the family!
Bundle your family into the car for the ride of your life at one of these European theme parks.
1) Duinrell Amusement Park and Tiki Waterpark
Where: near The Hague in Holland
Why: It may be in the heart of lush forest and near to a sleepy wide beach but you'll get white knuckle rides and thrilling water slides at this amusement/water park combo. Older kids can ride the Mad Hill or Scary Toboggan Runs while younger children can enjoy the more gentle Fairytale Wonderland. The Tiki Park next door is the largest covered waterslide park in Europe and has 1000 metres of slides and shoots offering tremendous speed with the Tyfoon and a more leisurely ride on the Lazy River. The park is open from now to October 26 2014.
Entry: From €21
Driving from the UK: Catch the Dover to Dunkirk ferry and pick up the A16 to Belgium and continue on E40 then E17 towards Gent/Antwerpen. Get onto the B401 then onto R1 merging with A12 and then E19 into Netherlands. Continue onto Ring Rotterdam and merge onto A20/E19/E25 towards den Haag/Hoek van Holland.Then pick up the E19 towards Amsterdam and mergewith N14 and follow the signs.
2) Disneyland Paris
Where: Paris, France
Why: With landmarks of pink castles of pink spires and turrets and all the Disney favourites milling around, the kids will feel at home and the adults will feel like kids. Thrilling themed rides include A Small World, Buzz Lightyear’s Laser Blast, the Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean and the Space Mountain Knuckle Ride that takes you on a fast journey, some of it upside down. The whole day is wrapped up beautifully with the Disneyland Park parade at 7pm and, if you stay till the end, there’s a spectacular firework and laser show around 9.30pm.
Incidentally, if you stay in the Disneyland Hotel, though it is expensive, its location above the park gates means you can get into the park early and could have a two-hour window where you can enjoy the best rides without queuing before everyone else arrives.
Entry: Various packages from €58/£49
Driving from the UK: Ferry from Dover to Calais then pick up the A26 Motorway and change to the A4 straight to the Parks. There are plenty of signs along the way. It will take around three hours.
Copyright © 2014 by The Travel Magazine. This article was written by Sharron Livingston and originally published at The Travel Magazine
