With just under 6,000,000 visitors per year, Europa Park is the second most visited theme park in Europe, just after Disneyland Park in Disneyland Paris. However, it has won the GOLDEN TICKET AWARD as the best park in the world for 7 consecutive years.
What is Europa Park?
Europa Park is the main park of the Europa-Park Adventure Resort, a true tourist destination composed of:
- Europa Park, the theme park
- Rulantica, the water park
- Six 4-star hotels
- A themed campsite
Why is it the best?
But to understand why Europa Park is so special, I need to tell you who built it and why.
Franz Mack and his son Roland came up with the idea of opening their own theme park offering entertainment for all ages during a tour of the United States in 1972. At the same time, they wanted it to serve as a showcase for the products manufactured in Waldkirch by Mack Rides, their family business, so potential clients could see how their rides worked in practice. It took three years to bring the project to life, and Europa Park officially opened in 1975.
From these first few lines—the full story is available on the park’s official website—you’ll understand immediately why at Europa Park every detail is perfectly in place and nothing is left to chance.
Essentially, Europa Park is the “showroom” of Mack Rides back then, and now Mack International Group, a multi-generational company building attractions all over the world.
Where is Europa Park located?
Europa Park is located in Rust, Germany, just a few kilometers past Freiburg.
It’s easily accessible from northern Italy—about a 5-hour drive from Milan, most of which is through Switzerland.
When is it open?
The park is open about 300 days a year, from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
I know, for us Italians these hours might seem a bit unusual—especially in summer—but most German parks operate this way, and well… Germans like to eat dinner early 🤣
How much does Europa Park cost?
A full-day ticket costs:
- €55.00 for adults
- €47.00 reduced (ages 4–11 and 60+)
A two-day ticket costs:
- €104.00 for adults
- €86.00 reduced (ages 4–11 and 60+)
Parking costs €7 and is paid at the automatic machines at the exit.
At the moment, reservation is mandatory, so I recommend buying your tickets in advance directly from the official website.
I strongly suggest the two-day ticket—Europa Park is truly massive, and you won’t see much in just one day.
Europa Park sells tickets only through their official channels, so if you’re wondering whether you can save money by purchasing elsewhere, like on Tiqets, the answer is no.
How is it divided?
The park consists of 18 themed areas—15 represent a European country, while 3 do not follow this logic but are still well integrated into the overall theme.
Notably, the first themed area of Europa Park was Italy, introduced in 1982.
The three non-European areas are:
- Adventure Land
- Grimm’s Enchanted Forest
- Minimoys Kingdom
The other fifteen are:
- Italy
- The Netherlands
- England
- France
- Austria
- Scandinavia
- Switzerland
- Germany
- Russia
- Greece
- Portugal
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Luxembourg
What are the best attractions at Europa Park?
A fair question, as Europa Park features over 100 attractions—knowing what to go for is essential.
I’ll skip the shows since they vary by season, though they are of very high quality.
Let me focus on my personal selection of must-see attractions.
Schweizer Bobbahn
Located in the Swiss area—worth visiting for its charm—Schweizer Bobbahn is a bobsled coaster: an unusual, fun coaster.
It truly feels like a wild descent through the Alps.
Eurosat – CanCan Coaster
Inside this large geodesic dome are two coasters, both themed around the famous Parisian show, one of which features VR headsets.
The queue’s scenery is well designed—you walk through dressing rooms and backstage areas.
The ride itself is fairly simple, but the lights and music are perfectly tuned to make it fun.
Voletarium
Voletarium is the most beautiful flying theater I’ve ever tried—better than Soarin’.
The massive panoramic screen, wind effects, scents, and movement make for total immersion in a flight over Europe’s greatest landmarks.
Euro-Mir
Located in the Russian area, this attraction may seem like a regular spinning coaster, but you’ll be pleasantly surprised by its 90s dance-style soundtrack and the countless twists and jolts during the ride.
Blue Fire Megacoaster
This is the smoothest and most comfortable magnetic launch coaster I’ve ever tried.
Sponsored by a methane gas company—hence the name—it’s truly a pleasure to ride.
There’s also a heart rate monitor in front of you during the ride—who among you will break the record?
ARTHUR – In the Minimoys Kingdom
This isn’t just a ride—it’s a fully immersive indoor land.
There’s not only the ride itself but also a play land, mini drop towers, a bar, and a small food shop.
Everything is fully themed, including the restrooms.
Snorri Touren
Located in the Scandinavian area, this dark ride takes you on a journey through the aquatic world of Rulantica with Snorri, the water park’s mascot.
It uses many projection techniques that will challenge your senses—you won’t be able to tell what’s real and what’s not.
Piraten in Batavia
A long-time flagship of Europa Park, it was destroyed in a dramatic fire in 2018 that also affected the entire Scandinavian area.
After two years of work, Piraten in Batavia reopened in 2020 and is now more impressive than ever.
Maybe the animatronics aren’t quite Disney level, but everything else is well above average.
Wodan Timbur Coaster
With a top speed of 100 km/h, it’s currently the second tallest and fastest wooden coaster in Germany, and third in Europe for both.
Despite the speed, the onboard comfort is excellent—vibrations are part of the experience but never cross into discomfort.
I think Wodan is my favorite attraction at Europa Park.
Silver Star
We end with the mighty Silver Star!
This Hyper Coaster, sponsored by Mercedes, with its 73-meter height and top speed of 127 km/h, will literally take your breath away!
VirtualLine
Europa Park offers a free virtual queue system that lets you reserve your spot and optimize waiting times.
VirtualLine is not mandatory and not available for all rides.
To use it you must:
- Download the park’s official app
- Enable geolocation
- Go to the dedicated section
- Select a ride with VirtualLine enabled
- Scan your tickets (first time only)
- Wait for confirmation
- Head to the dedicated entrance shortly before your scheduled time
- Show the QR code to the cast member
We were able to use it 2–3 times per day. The more you use it, the more time you save—but be careful not to walk back and forth too much across the park, or you’ll undo the benefit.
Tips and conclusion
Since the park has a long and narrow layout, plan your day carefully—or you’ll end up walking over 20 km without doing many attractions.
Arrive early—the gates open at around 8:15 AM. Attractions on the main street and in the Italian area open right away, so take advantage of that.
Make the most of your time.
The park usually closes at 6:00 PM, but you can still get in line until the very last second—and no one will kick you out, even if you have to wait two hours.
Europa Park is a true gem. Every detail is there for a reason—to immerse you in the park’s main theme.
If you want to know how to organize a trip like ours, you’ll find some ideas in this article.
Feeling the urge to visit Europa Park yet?
