• 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.

Is there anything I should know before going to Europa Park for the first time?

Matt N said:
We’ve booked the Castillo Alcazar restaurant for the night we get there, but we’re not really sure other than that. We were thinking we’d quite like to try the pizzeria in Hotel Colosseo on at least one night, but you can’t book that online.

My parents also suggested we could maybe eat in the park some days.
Click to expand...
For the evening the hotel restaurants are a good, although not cheap choice. During the day it is easier to eat in the park. General rule of thumb: Food in the park is good, food in the hotels is better.
 
You will get all the major coasters done easily on the first day plus the others and even some of the smaller attractions. I managed that easily and that is with spending most of the day in O'Mackay's drinking off a stinking cold. The only coaster I didn't go on in August was Schweizer Bobbahn as it always seemed to have at least a 30 minute queue and up to 45 mins at some points all day every day of our visit. It's not worth that sort of wait if you have been on it many times before. Mattahorn Blitz is good for late afternoon when the queue should be no longer than 15 mins. During the day it can build up quickly and is quite slow moving.

As you will be entering via the hotel entrance in Spain, you will easily polish of Wodan & Blue Fire before any queue builds up, possibly more than once; And with you most likely exiting that way too, always a good bet for last rides, especially if you can run round again and get another go before the queue lien shuts.

The only times I have seen EP super busy is during Halloween when it can become very crowded. Back in 2017, Blue Fire and Wodan had queue times showing as 99+ with most others showing as at least 60. But still managed most things pretty early on before the lines built up and got on Silver Star a few times, in between beers, during the day as sometimes the queue dropped to 30 mins. You won't get anything like this during your visit.

The only thing I worry about is will they run out of Alcohol?:p Not happened yet thankfully. Also, have I brought enough blank cheques with me?
 
Vik said:
As you will be entering via the hotel entrance in Spain, you will easily polish of Wodan & Blue Fire before any queue builds up, possibly more than once; And with you most likely exiting that way too, always a good bet for last rides, especially if you can run round again and get another go before the queue lien shuts.
Click to expand...
Is Spain/the hotel entrance near to Iceland, then? If that’s the case, I might well try and do Wodan & Blue Fire during ERT, if they’re open…
 
Dave said:
Yes they are close, excuse the rough sketching
D5D65309-23FD-4A39-A5E8-20728D4DF316.jpeg
Click to expand...
Ah right; cheers @Dave! So looking at Europa’s ERT list on the website, perhaps Alpenexpress and Blue Fire might be good things to do during ERT? (Wodan isn’t open, apparently)
 
Yeah do those then head to Wodan for it opening. Though you need to do Wodan at the end of the day at least once as it’s a very different beast once it’s warm.
 
Is Wodan one of those coasters that’s sluggish in the morning and fast at night, then? Like people often say about Icon?
 
Matt N said:
Is Wodan one of those coasters that’s sluggish in the morning and fast at night, then? Like people often say about Icon?
Click to expand...

It’s never sluggish, but in the mornings it’s “wow” and in the evening “ohh ****”

Even though you are staying in the hotels I would also walk through the village one morning and go on via the entrance.
 
Dave said:
Even though you are staying in the hotels I would also walk through the village one morning and go on via the entrance.
Click to expand...
Are you still eligible for ERT if you walk in through that entrance, or does it not open until 9am with the rest of the park?
 
ERT for hotel guests is only through the resort entrance in Spain.

The main entrance opens at around 8.15 - only the main street and Italian area are accessible. A selection of rides in these areas are open for ALL guests from 8.30 (this may just be Voletarium at off-peak times, but sometimes Geisterschloss and Volo Da Vinci too). At 9am the rest of the park opens and there's usually a rush to Silver Star and Eurosat but if you head slightly further you can easily tick off some of the coasters in Switzerland/Greece with minimal waits. The EP express monorail may be open before 9am (check this!) to allow you to get between the hotels and the main entrance.

A full list of ERT rides is displayed just inside the turnstiles at the Spain entrance
 
Matt N said:
Are you still eligible for ERT if you walk in through that entrance, or does it not open until 9am with the rest of the park?
Click to expand...

Even when I stay at the hotels I don’t do ERT as I was likely in the bars until 2am the night before and I have ridden blue fire more times than I can count.
 
To be honest, I was thinking I might do ERT on the first day if my parents are up for it, and tick off that end of the park first. I’ve never done any of it before, so I’m quite impartial in terms of where I’d want to start.

I will probably try the entrance one day, though; as weird as it sounds, I’d quite like to give the entry experience of a Europa day guest a go at least once!
 
Matt N said:
To be honest, I was thinking I might do ERT on the first day if my parents are up for it, and tick off that end of the park first. I’ve never done any of it before, so I’m quite impartial in terms of where I’d want to start.

I will probably try the entrance one day, though; as weird as it sounds, I’d quite like to give the entry experience of a Europa day guest a go at least once!
Click to expand...

You will get all the main rides done in a day, operations are slick. This isn’t a Merlin park.

Make time for the older kids rides and smaller attractions, they are a mix of charming and completely off their head weird.

The only part of the park that gets busy to a mildly frustrating level is food queues at lunch time if it’s busy, but if you like German food the beer garden near the entrance rarely queues and is nice.
 
It's very reassuring reading that operations are so good at Europa park but i'm interested to know if anyone has visited over easter. We are visiting from April 17 - 20th any guesses what crowds will be like then. Secondly are far more importantly as far as the wife is concerned! is tea widely available and is there a kettle in the rooms?
 
I haven't seen tea and coffee making facilities in the hotel rooms at EP either. I don't think it's a standard item you see much on the continent; it's mainly a British thing.

Some of the suites come with coffee making facilities but it's not worth upgrading just for those 😅. If it's that big a deal then I would recommend you take a travel kettle with you. You can also get tea at the hotel cafes and bars and at breakfast.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top