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Trip Planning: Information, advice and questions!

AstroDan said:
You'll be fine next Thursday/Friday. EuropaStreet (that's us!) will also be on resort from Wednesday evening through until Sunday. It will be busy, but not absolutely heaving to the point you will have problems.

Let me know whether you are or are not staying on resort hotel property and that will inform my recommendations...
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We are staying offsite for two nights in Rust. Landing into Basel late Weds night and staying there, before hopefully getting the first train out on Thursday morning and arranging to drop our bags off first before hitting EP for two full days.

I have been before a couple of years ago at Christmas when it was fairly quiet, unfortunately not expecting re-ride seasons on Wodan & Blue Fire like we had last time!
 
IDB said:
We are staying offsite for two nights in Rust. Landing into Basel late Weds night and staying there, before hopefully getting the first train out on Thursday morning and arranging to drop our bags off first before hitting EP for two full days.

I have been before a couple of years ago at Christmas when it was fairly quiet, unfortunately not expecting re-ride seasons on Wodan & Blue Fire like we had last time!
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So; in accordance with the fact that the park will open early as it's a holiday period...

Arrive at the entrance plaza at 8.20am. It will open shortly afterwards. Do Voletarium immediately the park gates open.
Go to Italy.
Ride Volo da Vinci. Then, wait to the right of Geisterschloss where there is a cut through to France. At 9.00am, that will open. Make your way through the madding crowd to Silver Star. Then do Pegasus and Poseidon immediately after. You should be able to do all of this by 9.45am. Euro Mir probably the best thing to do next.

On your second day, I recommend a different approach. If you want, do Voletarium again first thing, then do Geisterschloss and Piccolo Mondo before 9am in Italy. Then, wait by the exit of Volo da Vinci. At 9am, when the rope drop happens, head to Arthur. It is a fair walk but it will be worth it to avoid too much of a queue. Ride it. Then head to Iceland and get on Wodan and Blue Fire. You should be able to do all of this by 10.30am.

Rides like Matterhorn Blitz and Schweizer Bob Bahn will get quieter towards the last hour of the day. Eurosat is typically best between noon and 3pm.

But honestly... you don't need to frog march around. You'll get on it all. No problemo.

Park will close at 8pm or later, meaning you can effectively end up with 12 hours + of park time each day!

We'll see you in O'Mackays for some live music about 4pm, right?

:)
 
Burbs said:
How regular?
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It will vary depending on the time of day. Now doubt they'll have a schedule at the hotel. It's not going to be constant though as there just won't be the demand (yet).

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A tip that might be of use if you are flying into or out of Basel Euroairport and need a night’s layover in Basel before an onward train journey to Ringsheim.

If Basel hotels are too expensive, it might be worth looking at accommodation near Weil am Rhein Bahnhof. The train station is one stop out of Basel on the line you will need to take a train to Ringsheim on.

The Weil am Rhein area can be easily reached by taking Tram No.8 from outside Basel SBB train station.

As you will cross the border from Switzerland into Germany on the tram, you may find accommodation to be cheaper in Germany than in the centre of Basel. There are a few hotels / b&bs located off Hauptstraße and also a large shopping centre nearby.
 
Hello, first time poster but long-time lurker. The addition of the waterpark has finally twisted my partner's arm into a visit to EP. I'm thinking of around this time next year (yes, I am planning that far in advance!) and I think I'm fairly confident on the trains/transport and we're planning to stay in the town rather than use the resort hotels for cost saving mainly. I'm thinking a 5-day stay (Mon-Fri) all together, but it will depend on flight times which I won't know until nearer the time. Ideally I'd like two days in the park, one in the waterpark and a day trip away somewhere else.

However, some questions:

How much should we budget for food/drink each day? I'm assuming the park will be more expensive for evening meals than the town? What sort of prices are we looking at for lunch/snacks within the park? We won't be going for anything fancy (no Michelin Star required) but would like to treat ourselves once or twice when we're there - any suggestions? Equally, is there anywhere to be avoided?!

I know there is a Lidl within the town, are there any other options for a basic food shopping, like bread, milk, snacks, etc?

As I say, we're planning on staying in the town but haven't decided between a guesthouse or an apartment. I feel like an apartment would offer a bit more flexibility, but the idea of breakfast being provided for me might sway me the other direction.

Thank you all! :)
 
Nothing wrong with advance planning!

If you are looking at this time next year, please ensure you don’t go on Ascension Day or the subsequent Friday & Saturday. I think you’ll find it too busy for a first time visit.

As well as Lidl there is an Edeka Supermarket in Rust, plus a couple of bakeries. Also a few pizzerias if you don’t want to eat at night en-park.

Last week we stayed in a basement apartment, which slept up to 5 people. We didn’t even see the owners, key was in the door when we arrived and we left it back in the door when we left.

I’ve done the trip via plane, train and bus from both Basel and Baden-Baden airports. So if I can help with public transport issues please let me know.

If you download the DB Navigator app to your smartphone it’s very straightforward to find which trains/buses you need to catch.

A Baden-Württemberg regional ticket should cover you for public transport as long as you adhere to the times you can use it.
 
Somniare said:
Hello, first time poster but long-time lurker. The addition of the waterpark has finally twisted my partner's arm into a visit to EP. I'm thinking of around this time next year (yes, I am planning that far in advance!) and I think I'm fairly confident on the trains/transport and we're planning to stay in the town rather than use the resort hotels for cost saving mainly. I'm thinking a 5-day stay (Mon-Fri) all together, but it will depend on flight times which I won't know until nearer the time. Ideally I'd like two days in the park, one in the waterpark and a day trip away somewhere else.

However, some questions:

How much should we budget for food/drink each day? I'm assuming the park will be more expensive for evening meals than the town? What sort of prices are we looking at for lunch/snacks within the park? We won't be going for anything fancy (no Michelin Star required) but would like to treat ourselves once or twice when we're there - any suggestions? Equally, is there anywhere to be avoided?!

I know there is a Lidl within the town, are there any other options for a basic food shopping, like bread, milk, snacks, etc?

As I say, we're planning on staying in the town but haven't decided between a guesthouse or an apartment. I feel like an apartment would offer a bit more flexibility, but the idea of breakfast being provided for me might sway me the other direction.

Thank you all! :)
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First of all, welcome to TowersStreet (or in this case, EuropaStreet)!

Glad to see that you are planning your first trip to Europa-Park, I am sure that you will not regret it. May/June can be a good time of year to visit also; the weather is often lovely and the crowds not too bad (just try and avoid the French bank holiday which we hit last week).

How much to budget for food and drink? That is a very good question! It is very easy to spend a lot on food and drink at Europa-Park if you want to, but you do not have to. Food on park is mostly very reasonably prices, for example you can get a delicious Shepards Pie at O'Mackays for just €7, a Mario's pizza and soft drink for under €6 or a bratwurst, chips and soft drink from Walter's Wurst for around €10. In general a good meal on park should not set you back more than €10-15 for a main and then add on any sides/desserts you may want.

If I was you I would avoid the burgers from the likes of the Three Piglets in England, Burger Bear in Germany and CMAK in Russia; they're fine but there are so many nicer options in the park. It is worth checking out the website as menus are available for some restuarants.

In terms of drinks; a bottle of water costs €3, soft drinks and beers between €2 and €4. Cocktails in the hotel bars start at €9.90 for most of them and rise to around €14. Speaking of the hotel bars, make sure you check them out. You don't have to be staying on Resort to have a drink in the bars and the cocktails are exceptional.

It is also worth checking out the hotel restaurants, especially if you do want a nice meal in the evenings. I recommend Don Quichotte in El Andaluz and Silver Lake Saloon over at the Camp Resort. Bubba Svens and Tre Kronen over at Kronasar are also brilliant but may be more difficult to get to. Again, check out the website to see the menus of the hotel restaurants (you can also book tables online ahead of your visit).

As you say there is a Lidl in Rust and you will also find an EDEKA near to Bell Rock (however a new one is currently being built so it may have moved by this time next year).

I hope that is all of use and feel free to post any more questions you have in the build up to your trip. Between us on here we will have the answers!
 
Rob said:
As you say there is a Lidl in Rust and you will also find an EDEKA near to Bell Rock (however a new one is currently being built so it may have moved by this time next year).
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Is there? Interesting, do you know where it's being built or have you just heard about it?
 
Burbs said:
Is there? Interesting, do you know where it's being built or have you just heard about it?
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We saw it from the Kronasar shuttle bus, it is just off the main EP access road. Apparently they have been trying to get planning permission for 10 years and have finally been successful!
 
Rob said:
We saw it from the Kronasar shuttle bus, it is just off the main EP access road. Apparently they have been trying to get planning permission for 10 years and have finally been successful!
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Forgive my lack of knowledge of Rust's roads, but does that mean it's further out the town than it currently is?
 
Thank you for your great replies! Those prices seem very reasonable, from the little I've looked might even be cheaper having a larger lunch/a few snacks, rather than a big dinner elsewhere.

Possibly a really obvious question, but from looking at the map I can't really tell - where is the public entrance exactly? It looks like the hotels are all near the south of the town, near the Lidl, and so getting accommodation near there might save us a long walk back from the bar of an evening! But then might be a lengthy walk in the morning to get there for opening. I'd hazard a guess at it being about twenty-thirty minutes from one side of the town to the other?
 
Somniare said:
Thank you for your great replies! Those prices seem very reasonable, from the little I've looked might even be cheaper having a larger lunch/a few snacks, rather than a big dinner elsewhere.

Possibly a really obvious question, but from looking at the map I can't really tell - where is the public entrance exactly? It looks like the hotels are all near the south of the town, near the Lidl, and so getting accommodation near there might save us a long walk back from the bar of an evening! But then might be a lengthy walk in the morning to get there for opening. I'd hazard a guess at it being about twenty-thirty minutes from one side of the town to the other?
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Your guesses would indeed be correct! I have stayed in several places around Rust, one of which being an apartment on top of the current Edeka, which location wise would be my preference. Rust is a very nice, flat town to have a wander through, and for me personally I'd much rather have a longer walk to wake me up in the morning and then have a very short wander back after you've had a few drinks after a long day out, in the evening.

:)
 
I've had a look through the posts and need some clarification please.

What's the best way to get to Basel train station from Basel Airport using public transport, how much it would be and which side of the airport and is it easy to find? Thanks!
 
owenjones92 said:
I've had a look through the posts and need some clarification please.

What's the best way to get to Basel train station from Basel Airport using public transport, how much it would be and which side of the airport and is it easy to find? Thanks!
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There's a bus stop outside the main terminal to the right, you can't miss it. Its bus number 50 and runs very regularly.

I think its like £2, the ticket machines take card to avoid Swiss Franc faff.
 
RicketyCricket said:
There's a bus stop outside the main terminal to the right, you can't miss it. Its bus number 50 and runs very regularly.

I think its like £2, the ticket machines take card to avoid Swiss Franc faff.
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Cheers thanks! Yeah I was confused about the whole Swiss Franc thing! So it's either pay with card or Swiss Franc? No euros?
 
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