I don’t know if it’s obvious already, but we love amusement parks and take every opportunity we get to visit one.
Even though we’ve been to quite a few: PortAventura, Disneyland Paris, Disneyland California, Universal Studios, Tripsdrill, Peppa Pig Park, and yes, even “balciul” from Turnu Măgurele (every year for the first 18 years of my life!), it seems we always come back to the best one: EUROPA PARK, in Germany.

Where is Europa Park and how do you get there?

Europa Park is located in Germany, in a small village called Rust, right near the French border. It’s a great area to explore — you can easily combine your park visit with trips to Strasbourg, Colmar, or Freiburg, just to name a few of my favorite nearby places.

Closest airports:

1. Strasbourg Airport (France) – 64 km
2. Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden Airport (Germany) – 64 km
3. Basel Airport (Switzerland/France/Germany) – 90 km
4. Stuttgart Airport (Germany) – 175 km

Last year, we spent two days at the park and it didn’t feel like enough, so this year we went for three full days. We booked the same accommodation as the year before, a clean, comfortable apartment just 10 minutes away by car. Highly recommend staying nearby if you’re not booking one of the themed hotels inside the resort.

What makes Europa Park special?

Europa Park is family-owned, and if that doesn’t mean much to you at first, let me explain. Unlike many corporate-run parks, this place feels personal… more thoughtful, more cared for, more… human.
The owning family actually lives in Rust and walks through the park regularly. What’s even cooler is that their company also designs and manufactures rollercoasters for other theme parks around the world. Many of their prototypes are first tested right here at Europa Park — and for the first few years, you won’t find them anywhere else. An example is Voltron which is a brand new coaster introduced last year. If you’re an adrenaline junkie, this one’s for you. It’s wild.

Entrance Fees

Let’s talk money because planning ahead matters.

As of August 2025, ticket prices are:

• 1-day ticket: €73
• 2-day ticket: €138
• Parking: €10 per car per day

• Kids under 4 years old enter free
• Reduced rates for seniors and guests with disabilities
• Birthday perk: Children aged 0–12 get free admission on their birthday

When you consider the scale and quality of the park, I think it’s great value compared to other major theme parks.

How to make the most of your visit

Download the Europa Park app which works super good.
You can check real-time waiting times, and during high season (like our summer visit with 95% park occupancy), the longest we waited for major coasters was 20–45 minutes. That’s really not bad.

The app also has a Virtual Line from where you can join a digital queue for certain rides (we mostly used it for Voletarium). The downside is that you can only be in one virtual line at a time.

Outside the big thrill rides, most attractions had little to no waiting time, maybe 10 minutes max. The park is so well-organized, it’s rare to feel frustrated by lines.

And honestly, there’s something for everyone. You won’t leave the park thinking it wasn’t worth the money. I promise.

Baby Switch ticket for parents

If you’re visiting with young kids who aren’t allowed on the big coasters, Europa Park offers something amazing: Baby Switch tickets.

Here’s how it works:

• Before starting to queue, go together at the attraction and ask for the baby switch ticket.
• One parent goes on the ride while the other waits somewhere outside with the child.
• Once the first ride is over, the second parent can skip the queue and ride without waiting again. There is no need to use the baby-switch ticket immediately – it can be used during the entire day.

Eating at Europa Park

Europa-Park offers a wide variety of restaurants with good-quality food at reasonable prices, making it easy to enjoy a meal. For example we paid, in the Germany-area, 9 euro for a sausage with French fries. Drinks, however, can be quite expensive.

The good news is that the park allows you to bring in as many snacks and drinks as you like, which is a great way to save money without starving. I highly recommend taking advantage of this option, especially if you’re visiting with kids or plan to spend the entire day exploring all the attractions.

But there is a unique dining experiences at Europa-Park: the FoodLoop restaurant from Luxembourg area, where your food arrives via a spiraling conveyor system. Plates and drinks travel down the spiral track directly to your table, making every meal feel like a mini spectacle. It’s not just fun to watch, but also efficient, letting you enjoy your food without waiting.

Best toddler-friendly areas

If you’re visiting with little ones, they will have so much fun. I think for Thea, Europa Park has become a core-memory now. The must-visit zones for toddlers include:

• Ireland
• Grimm’s Enchanted Forest (including the Minimoys area)
• United Kingdom
• The Netherlands

Every themed area has something for the whole family: whether it’s a small ride, an interactive zone, or a live show. There’s always a bit of magic waiting around the corner.

🌟 My all-time favorites

Here are the rides I could go on again and again:

1. Pirates of Batavia – Feels like sailing through the Caribbean
2. Voletarium – A breathtaking flying theatre experience
3. Voltron – Wild, fast, and perfect for adrenaline lovers
4. Silver Star – Classic coaster, pure insanity
5. Phantom of the Opera – A VR coaster (extra charge: €7, but worth it!)
6. Arthur – A smooth, immersive family ride through the Minimoys world

Final thoughts

If you love amusement parks as much as I do, you have to give Europa Park a try. Whether you’re going with kids or just a group of adults, it’s one of the best park experiences in Europe or maybe even the best from the World.

Trust me: you won’t regret it 🥰

And PS: check Rulatinca as well – the water park next to Europa Park. It might surprise you.