Europa Park Resort, Germany

Europa Park Resort, Germany

Europa Park is Germany’s largest theme park and holiday resort. It is the second largest theme park in Europe after Disneyland® Paris, and with over 100 different attractions, rides and shows, is a fun and thrill-packed experience for the whole family. A range of themed hotels on the park offer multi-night stays. This is a great way to see more of the attractions on offer at Europa Park.  

Every year over 5 million people visit Europa Park, and if you are travelling to the south-west of Germany make sure you go!

Where is Europa Park?

Europa Park is located in Rust, south-west Germany, just over the border from France. Rust is close to the soaring mountain range of the Black Forest, and the nearest French city is Strasbourg, around 45 minutes drive away.

Driving to Europa Park from Calais

It takes just 35 minutes to cross the Channel with LeShuttle. It is then an easy drive down to Europa Park, which will take you a little over six hours.

For the quickest route to Europa Park, take the A26 southbound from Calais towards Reims, before joining the A4 towards Strasbourg. From here, you simply need to follow signs for the France-Germany border across the Rhine and then onwards to Rust.

The history of Europa Park Resort

Europa Park was created by Franz Mack of the Mack industrial company and was opened in 1975. He was inspired by visiting the theme parks of the USA. The ‘theme’ of the park was Europe, with areas that celebrated European nations. The Mack company manufactured rollercoasters, so it is no surprise that Europa Park is full of them – with a rollercoaster in almost every area!

Discover Europa Park resort

Each themed area’s attractions, rides, shows, food outlets and hotels are inspired by the architecture, scenery, gastronomy and culture of a country or region of Europe. There are also fantasy areas such as Adventure Land, Grimm’s Fairytale Forest and the Minimoys Kingdom, inspired by the ‘Arthur and the Minimoys’ films. 

Germany’s biggest theme park

At 94 hectares, Europa Park is the largest theme park in Germany and one of the biggest in Europe. 

Check out our guide to the best theme parks in Europe.   

Rulantica water park

Make a splash in Rulantica, the water world of Europark. There are 30 slides, 13 themed areas, 3 saunas, 2 pool bars and 32,000m2 of water in Rulantica. Toddlers get to play in their own slides, while there is plenty of funnel and jump slides for aquatic adventurers. Slides with twists and turns and more gentle journeys to the big splash offer fun for all the family. 

Explore the virtual worlds of YULLBE

YULLBE is an innovative VR experience for the whole family, where you can go beyond the limits of your usual reality and see the impossible become possible. Put on the YULLBE headset and plunge headfirst into the worlds of science fiction, art, space, sport and adventure. The innovative YULLBE PRO and GO offer free roaming VR experiences for up to 32 people at any one time. 

Must-visit attractions

For the kids

Whatever your little ones are into, there is plenty to entertain them at Europa Park. From miniature car racing to a spinning dragon carousel, from swing boats to a ride through the Minimoys Kingdom inspired by the Arthur movies, there will be no tiny tantrums here. The VirtualLine service allows parents to book the next free slot at a popular attraction to save on queuing times. 

For the whole family

Whether you are at Europa Park for one day or longer, the family-friendly fun never stops. Take your crew over mountains and waterslides on the Tiriol Log Flume, one of the park’s oldest and most popular attractions. The unmistakable dome of the France section is the stage for a dark ride on the EuroSat CanCan coaster. Cancan music will be in your ears as you journey through a Parisian night, faster and faster to the music and the dancers of the Moulin Rouge. 

You might want to try the Volatarium – a breathtaking virtual ride through the skies of Europe – and Wodan, a giant wooden rollercoaster which crosses the path of two other attractions. 

For the adrenaline junkies

Rollercoasters, Europa Park’s got them! 13 at the last count. 

The big attractions for adrenaline junkies are the blue fire Megacoaster, which hurtles for 1000 metres through a rugged Icelandic landscape, and includes the highest loop of a catapult rollercoaster in Europe. If you are brave enough to be strapped in you will be turned upside down four times along the way!

Other rollercoasters fighting for adrenaline time are the Euro-Mir, which sees you nosedive from two enormous towers, the Swiss bobsleigh run and the Atlantica SuperSplash, a water coaster designed for maximum drench.

Accommodation options

Themed hotels

Six themed 4* standard hotels cater for your every need during your stay at Europa Park. Choose to follow in the footsteps of the pilgrim fathers in an authentic New England hotel, experience the Mediterranean elegance of a Spanish Finca, or achieve calm, relaxation and reflection in a hotel themed on a Portuguese monastery.

Although the inspiration of these hotels may be from days gone by, the comforts are thoroughly modern! 

Relax & unwind

The Europa park hotels feature pool and sauna areas where you can lose all the stresses of daily life, not to mention the juddering muscles and nerves of a day on the rollercoasters! 

A wild west adventure at Camp Resort

With its teepees, log cabins and covered wagons, Camp Resort conjures the pioneering spirit of the Wild West. Guests can gather around the campfire, sashay into the Silver Lake Saloon and swim in the natural swimming lake.  

A great family day out with LeShuttle

Whether you go for the day, or stay overnight at one of the on-site themed hotels, you and your family will have a wonderful time at Europa Park. Thankfully our 35 minute crossing from Folkestone via LeShuttle is rather smoother than a rollercoaster ride!