Germany has some amazing theme parks, though Europa-Park, Phantasialand and LEGOLAND® Deutschland top them all. (Europa-Park)
Sure, everyone has heard of Disneyland Paris, but if you are looking for a park with the same kind of immersive theming, much better rides, reasonable rates and closer proximity, my advice is to visit one of these three stand-out German amusement parks.
#1 Europa-Park
Europa-Park’s Blue Fire megacoaster intertwines with the Woden wooden coaster in the Icelandic area. (Europa-Park)
Europa-Park is, hands-down, the best theme park in Germany. But you don’t need to take my word for it; military families have also voted it as the “Best Amusement Park” in the Stars and Stripes “Best of Germany” poll for over a decade. The park has won numerous accolades for their coasters, performances, theming, family-friendliness and is a 10-time winner of the Golden Ticket Award for “Best Theme Park Worldwide.”
There are 20 themed worlds at Europa-Park, with each highlighting multiple dimensions of a particular culture or country. The Icelandic area (my favorite) has the geothermal-themed Blue Fire Megacoaster, a cute downtown seaport with water rides and the incredible Wooden— a Viking mythology-themed wooden coaster. The park does an amazing job of combining high-thrill rides with calm slower rides for small kids and pretty playgrounds tucked into the tree-filled grounds. Shows are also top notch and my parents (yes, I dragged them along) loved the horse spectacle in the Spanish Arena. This year, Europa-park is opening a brand-new Monaco world with a dual-carriage Formula 1 Grand Prix coaster, yacht marina and a cirque show.
Rust, Germany hosts Europa-Park and is surprisingly well stocked for such a tiny town. It is full of apartment rentals (ferienwohnung) and small hotels. We’ve always found a place within walking distance of the park entrance. Europa-Park also offers six hotels and a campground, whose patrons get benefits like pre-opening hours and a dedicated entrance.
Book tickets ahead of time at www.europapark.de, and consider a second day to spend at the affiliated Rulantica water park. I highly recommend downloading the app to store tickets, see line times, shows and to queue virtually for some of the larger rides.
#2 Phantasialand
The Rookburgh world in Phantasialand with it’s steam punk atmosphere and F.L.Y. coaster is an incredible example of the immersive theming at this amusement park. (©Phantasialand)
My colleague here at Stars and Stripes disagrees on my rankings and thinks Phantasialand should be #1 in Germany. Her reasoning is justified. This place is incredible if you are happy to have fewer rides in exchange for fully immersive theming. Spread across six distinctive fantastical worlds, Phantasialand takes scenic storytelling to the next level. It won the “Most Immersive Theme Park in Europe” award from Parkscout in addition to honors for rides, events, coasters and hotels.
The worlds in Phantasialand lean into the imaginary and fanciful. This is especially true in the park’s newest area: Rookburgh. Contained within a steam-punk town of floating dirigibles and 1800s-esque travel trunks is the world’s longest flying coaster: F.L.Y. It is a super smooth ride even with two high-speed launches and a fun transition from sitting to flying. Each world at the park has at least one major ride to keep adventure-seekers happy. There are also plenty of places for low-stakes thrills, especially in the fantasy world. My favorite area, however, is the Africa region with its Black Mamba coaster snaking around the walkways and the Adventure Trail my family loves to race through.
Phantasialand is located in Brühl, tucked in the countryside between Cologne and Bonn with convenient public transit connections, meaning it can be a day trip from either city. However, if you can splurge for one of the on-site hotels, do it. They are highly themed and integrated into the park. The Hotel Charles Lindbergh won “Europe’s Best Theme Hotel,” jumping into the deep end of steampunk even on the booking page where you reserve aeronaut cabins and become members of the Explorers Society.
Book tickets and hotels at www.phantasialand.de, and download the Phantasialand app to get wait times and show details live in the park.
#3 LEGOLAND® Deutschland
LEGOLAND® Deutschland’s newest ride is the Maximus family coaster, built for brave kids as young as 6 years old who are ready to take on some speed and corkscrews. (©LEGOLAND Deutschland Resort/Fabian Stoffers)
If you want a park tied to recognizable characters, shows and products, LEGOLAND® Deutschland is for you. Part of the LEGOLAND® chain of parks, the German location sets itself apart with its massive Miniland that includes many of the world’s biggest LEGO® builds. This is the perfect park for a family of brick builders.
LEGOLAND® is unique on this list in offering a family-focused amusement park. All the staples: coasters, rides, shows and restaurants are designed for a variety of ages, and there are a lot of places to play and explore in 11 themed zones. If your kids make you watch every single episode of NINJAGO® like mine, be sure to go meet La-Lloyd and your other favorite characters in their ninja world. LEGOLAND® Deutschland’s newest ride is the Maximus family coaster, built for brave kids as young as 6 years old who are ready to take on some speed and corkscrews. The park also recently announced that an entirely new Harry Potter themed area and hotel are in the works.
Super unique to the Germany LEGOLAND® is the extensive Holiday Village that makes it a true resort destination. I highly recommend staying at the village, giving your family the chance to explore it’s 16 playgrounds, especially the massive pirate ship. There are themed hotel, cabin or camping options.
For families with toddlers, it’s good to know that adjacent to LEGOLAND® is the Peppa Pig Park. This place is ideal for little Peppa fans. All the attractions are sized for kids aged from 2 to 5 years old, with solo and parent-child rides. It is not affiliated with LEGOLAND®, but they do offer a “Brick and Pig Adventure” discounted two-day ticket for both parks.
Get tickets and resort reservations for LEGOLAND® Deutschland at www.legoland.de, and download the app for ticket storage, wait times, shows and an augmented reality game to find hidden creatures in the Mythica land.