If we had to choose one amusement park in Europe that’s worth planning an entire trip for, Europa-Park in Germany would definitely be among our top picks. With more than 100 attractions, 14 roller coasters, and 21 different themed zones, you can “visit” almost all of Europe in a single day. Importantly, both young children and thrill-seeking teens and adults will find plenty to do here.
More Than 100 Attractions and All of Europe in One Place – We Tried Europa-Park in Germany. This is one of those theme parks whose scale is impossible to grasp from photos alone. There are not just countless rides. As you move from one part of the park to another, the architecture, music, restaurants, decorations, and even the entire atmosphere change. For example, one moment you’re walking through Italy, and next you’re in Iceland, Greece, France, Spain, or Croatia.
Greta, Oskaras, and I visited recently, and we can confidently say this is one of the most impressive amusement parks we have ever visited. Now, we are already planning a return trip to PortAventura World – because after trying the rides at Europa-Park, we realized that the kids are now ready to tackle even the most extreme roller coasters at this Spanish park, which they didn’t dare to try a year ago.
More than 100 attractions and all of Europe in one place: we tried Europa-Park in Germany
All of Europe in one amusement park
Themed countries are one of Europa-Park’s biggest highlights. Currently, there are 18 European-themed zones. The first – Italy – opened back in 1982. Today, each country is represented by more than just decor: you’ll find architecture, music, food, and attractions that blend into each country’s story.
Europa-Park isn’t just a place to go from one ride to another. It’s also fun to simply stroll, look around, and notice the details. Therefore, the park is perfect for families where not everyone wants to ride extreme coasters all day. Personally, I loved the park’s layout, country accents, and open spaces – I’m not a fan of rides, so the kids had fun with Dad while I enjoyed the park itself. Furthermore, Europa-Park is very tidy, well organized, and offers many shows.
More than 100 attractions – from toddlers to thrill-seekers
One of Europa-Park’s greatest strengths is its huge variety of attractions. You’ll find over 100 rides and 14 roller coasters, but there are also many gentle family attractions, play areas, water rides, and activities for younger children.
When traveling with kids of different ages, you don’t need to choose a park just for little ones or only for teens. While some chase extreme coasters, others can enjoy boat rides, fairy tale adventures, family rides, or watching performances.
The most impressive Europa-Park roller coasters
If your family loves adrenaline, Europa-Park is a perfect choice.
For example, one of the newest and most thrilling rides is Voltron Nevera powered by Rimac in the Croatia zone. The track is 1385 meters long, with four launches and seven inversions, while the 105-degree launch is even steeper than vertical. The top speed is 100 km/h. Honestly, just watching it made me dizzy, while the kids left with an adrenaline rush I thought would never end.
Another park icon, Silver Star, climbs to 73 meters and hits speeds up to 130 km/h. The kids and their dad tried this first – they were nervous, but said it was definitely worth it.
WODAN – Timburcoaster is equally impressive: a wooden coaster 40 meters high, more than a kilometer long, and reaching up to 100 km/h. Blue Fire Megacoaster accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in just 2.5 seconds.
Any one of these rides would be enough for a separate adrenaline park, but in Europa-Park, they’re just part of the fun. Additionally, the water rides are amazing – perfect for a hot day.
Europa-Park with younger kids
The park has many attractions and spaces designed just for younger visitors. You’ll find colorful carousels, small trains and coasters, water games, fairy tale areas, and various family activities. You can visit the Grimms’ Fairy Tale Forest, set sail with Pirates in Batavia, try interactive activities, or simply choose calmer rides. The official park app lets you filter rides by age and height.
Do you need more than one day at Europa-Park?
In theory, yes. In practice, if you want to truly enjoy the park, we recommend two days, especially during the busy season.
After all, with more than 100 attractions and 21 themed zones, it’s nearly impossible to experience everything in one day. Not to mention the shows, restaurants, breaks, lines for the popular rides, and simply walking around.
We visited at the end of summer – lines were 25–45 minutes, which is actually not long for a park of this scale. There were plenty of people, but as I mentioned, the rides are so well organized that as soon as one train returns, the next leaves.
If you only have one day, it’s worth choosing your must-see attractions in advance and not trying to do it all – that just won’t happen. That’s why our kids downloaded the park app ahead of time and picked out the rides they really wanted to try.
Next door – the giant Rulantica water park
If you have more days, you should know Europa-Park Resort also includes Rulantica Water World. It’s separate from Europa-Park and needs a separate ticket and, of course, an extra day.
Rulantica is open almost all year. You can plan your trip to spend one or two days at Europa-Park and another at the water park. Rulantica usually runs daily from 9:30 to 22:00, except for December 24 and 25.
This time, we skipped Rulantica and enjoyed the water rides inside Europa-Park. Although we’re sure Rulantica is impressive, we can visit water parks in Tenerife year-round, so we swapped it for another amusement park in Germany, which we’ll write about soon.
Europa-Park tickets and practical tips
- Buy your tickets in advance – we purchased through our partner’s app and got in with no waiting. You can get one- or two-day tickets.
- Use the same app for Rulantica tickets.
- Download the app before you arrive. It’s one of our most important tips. The official Europa-Park & Rulantica App gives you maps, real wait times for rides, and show schedules.
- Europa-Park isn’t just a summer park. Another unique feature is the long season. Summer runs from late March through the whole summer. At the end of September, you’ll find Halloween events, in November there’s HALLOWinter, and from late November the park turns into a winter wonderland. The winter season lasts until mid-January, then the park closes only for a few months. Important: the park closes on December 24 and 25.
- Parking is in Rust, Germany, in Baden-Württemberg near the French border. Regular parking for a full day is 10 euros. We pre-booked parking in the app. Don’t try to save here; it’s better to park easily than search for a free spot and waste time.
- Restaurants and food – You can bring your own food – no one will stop you. The park has plenty of places to sit, rest, and eat. However, remember someone carries what you bring all day. There’s a huge range of food options, both in cuisine and style. You’ll find more than just fast food kiosks – plenty of lunch and healthy meal choices.
- Souvenirs – Like any park, there are lots of shops here. But be sure to stop by at least one – you’ll find Lithuanian-made amber jewelry and souvenirs in the Scandinavia zone near the WODAN coaster entrance. We even got to chat in Lithuanian with the staff.
Was Europa-Park worth visiting with kids?
Our answer – absolutely yes! The park combines extreme rides, family attractions, activities for little ones, themed zones, shows, and an incredible atmosphere.
Most of all, the size is amazing. More than 100 attractions, 14 roller coasters, and all of Europe in one place – you come for the rides, but quickly realize it’s much more than a regular amusement park. For me, the impression was this – with teens, it’s even more fun than Disneyland Paris.
