There are lots of things to see and do all across Europe, and in terms of culture and history it’s a hard continent to beat. However sometimes we want to explore another continent for something a bit more consumer and trashy, that might also provide a bit more high adrenaline fun for the children and big kids among us. Fortunately Europe is full of history but also full of great European theme parks that can make a great day out for all the family and provide a break from the history books and quiet appreciation.
If European theme parks are your thing, then there is of course one that you should visit above all others – that being Euro Disney in Paris. This is perhaps the largest of all European theme parks and also one of the most well known. If you are familiar with the Disney parks in California and Florida then you will know roughly what to expect, and many of the rides will be the same, but it’s not without its unique touches and it can be fun to visit some of the rides with a new twist – such as Tower of Terror, Aerosmith, Crush’s Coaster and Space Mountain – the latter of which is actually slightly more impressive in the French park. Even more though, if you haven’t visited the American version this can provide a cheap alternative way to see the rides and the sites. Either way, it is one of the biggest and most impressive European theme parks, and provides more than a day’s entertainment across the two parks. Here the theme park is not just about the rides, but the shows, the 3D films, the colourful characters and the amazing atmosphere that makes it a joy just to walk around. To visit you will need to travel to the South East of Paris where there are many places to stay other than the Disney resort around Creteil and other nearby regions. Here you can also find the lesser-known Asterix park which also offers a great selection of rides and it’s own cast of colourful characters.
There are also many European theme parks in England and here you can choose from Chesington, Thorpe Park or Alton Towers. Each has a whole lot to offer in terms of high adrenaline rides, though they lack the ‘theme’ aspect that Disney has. Still, in terms of pure adrenaline, something like ‘Stealth’ at Thorpe Park or ‘Colossus’ will be very hard to beat as they exceed several G and feature huge climbs and drops. For European theme parks in England that are a bit more family friendly and that provide more of an atmosphere, try Lego Land which features many events and rides based around Lego and where you can even attend a ‘Lego Driving School’. Alice in Wonderland is also another very impressive park.
In the sunnier European countries meanwhile you can enjoy water parks that are a different kind of European theme parks. For example Aqualand in Corfu and Portugal offers a huge range of fast water flume rides, as well as other water-based activities including huge children’s play pens full of smaller slides, wave machines, whirl pools and water-operated toys.
Germany meanwhile is home to the Loch Muhle – perhaps not a theme park in the traditional sense, but a playground so large and varied that it can provide an entire day’s worth of entertainment. There is a huge variety of European theme parks available ten, and by researching into them it is possible to have a vast range of different experiences that will be fun for kids and grownups.
