• ℹ️ Heads up...

    This is a popular topic that is fast moving Guest - before posting, please ensure that you check out the first post in the topic for a quick reminder of guidelines, and importantly a summary of the known facts and information so far. Thanks.

24 hour trips?

Martin

TS Member
Just been wondering, which European parks can reasonably be travelled to, done, and returned home, in a day? Without breaking the bank or over exerting or missing out on things? Asterix is definitely possible, but travelling from the north west might limit the options slightly compared to the south east? I'm keen to try and tick a few parks off the list that I've not got round to before the season is out, without having to have to plan a trip or book more time off work.
 
Eee just posted this in the ep section and not the other European parks section, can a mod please fix it, my bad.
 
If you live in the very South of Britain, I’ve heard that Plopsaland De Panne can actually be an easier day trip than Alton!
 
Tayto Park can be done, plenty of airports with early morning flights out to Dublin, and evening flights home.
 
If you live in the very South of Britain, I’ve heard that Plopsaland De Panne can actually be an easier day trip than Alton!

It can indeed, I did it a few years back...

Asterix would be a push given the 2/3 hour drive from Calais, though you could potentially fly to CDG instead... I'd probably wager Legoland Billund as one though since it's RIGHT OPPOSITE THE AIRPORT...
 
Efteling, Phantasialand and Movie Park Germany are short flight times and are reasonable easy to get to from the airport. Especially if you get a hire car.

A quick search of Friday night and returning Saturday seems to list flights around £70 from Manchester Dusseldorf. Perfect for Phanta or MP. Be careful with the opening times of MP as they are quite sporadic, we went in October last year and the Halloween mazes looked amazing. Shame my mate wimped out :(
 
Efteling is definitely possible, but deserves more time than it would get. From experience if PL is quiet you can do everything in enough time that if flights are scheduled you can but again, why would you.

Northern France, Belgium, Holland, west Germany, maybe Spain, anything further would probably be too far unless flights were really early and late?
 
I'd probably wager the two Walibi parks (fly to Brussels and Amsterdam respectively) could be done in a day as well... Would think both be doable on trains as well...
 
I know you've obviously been Martin, but I reckon you could do Grona Lund in a day easily considering the size of the park and the flights to/from Stockholm are pretty good.
 
Course, you'll have to actually plan a route to & from the place, and not wing it after the park's shut and it's getting dark. Not that we ended up doing that or anything... :p
 
Don't rule out the ferry from Hull if you're looking to save costs. You can take a car and get a two berth cabin with an overnight sailing each way to the Netherlands or Belgium for around £100. Not sure how feasible it is to drive off the ferry and return the same day, however.
 
I’ve done a few 24 hour trips without having to hire a car.

Liseberg and Tivoli are really obvious ones as they are in the city centre meaning you can get a flight and then bus transfer from the airport to the city meaning no need for an overnight trip.

Legoland Billund is a good one. The airport is a 30 minute walk or 10 minute bus ride from the park and flights are conveniently timed meaning you can get to the park for opening and get a late flight back. It also has much better coasters than your average Lego park.

Isla Magica in Seville and Parque de Attracciones Madrid are two good Spanish parks to do in a day as they are also pretty much in the centre of their cities and are pretty fun one day parks.

It’s worth pointing out that certain parks mentioned previously like Efteling can be done in a day but it’s a push and they are easily two day parks. So whilst you can do them in a day, I’d not necessarily recommend it.
 
Don't rule out the ferry from Hull if you're looking to save costs. You can take a car and get a two berth cabin with an overnight sailing each way to the Netherlands or Belgium for around £100. Not sure how feasible it is to drive off the ferry and return the same day, however.

Not very I do not think, the ferry time from Hull to Rotterdam is about 10 hours 15 mins. It is a nice crossing though if you want to take a slower pace and take your car. Certainly not something that can be done in a day though. The ferry from Harwich to the Hook of Holland (other side of the river from Rotterdam) is about 6 hours 45 mins, even that would be a push.
 
Top