5 unmissable theme parks in Europe

For an unforgettable holiday with a sense of adventure, theme parks are where it’s at. From family-friendly teacup rides to roller coasters that’ll spin you around and upside down at lightning speed, here are five of the finest theme parks in Europe.

The second Legoland to be built after the original in Denmark, Legoland® Windsor first opened its LEGO® doors in 1996 but remains a theme park classic. Designed for families with children under 12, it’s an imaginative and playful world spanning 150 acres with 55 rides including the charming Lego City Driving School and Miniland, a model village with LEGO® landmarks ranging from a tiny Taj Mahal to Times Square. But there’s also stimulating stuff for adults in tow, like The Dragon roller coaster, numerous live shows and – of course – LEGO® bricks dotted all around the park for spontaneous construction sessions. There is a themed LEGOLAND® Windsor resort hotel, too – making for an extra easy family trip.

Just an hour and 15 minutes’ train ride along the sunny Spanish coast from Barcelona, PortAventura World is like a beach holiday and a theme park thrown into one. Laid out amid greenery and flowers, the park is divided into six different worlds. There’s Mediterrània, an area modelled on a fishing village with a peaceful lake and the not-so-peaceful ‘Furius Baco’, a catapult that hurls you at a speed of 135km per hour. Or a Mexican-themed area where you can plummet from a height of 100m on the Hurakan Condor freefall and then treat yourself to tasty tacos afterwards. To cool down on a hot summer’s day, take a splash in the various water rides; Tutuki Splash, Grand Canyon Rapids and Silver River Flume being the most popular. Stay at the PortAventura Hotel and get free tickets included in your stay.

An hour’s drive or train ride from central London, Thorpe Park is home to ‘Stealth’ – the UK’s fastest roller coaster – and a number of other record-breaking rides, immersive experiences, and events; check out Colossus, the world’s first ten-loop rollercoaster, or Saw, the world’s first horror movie-themed roller coaster. Or the mighty Tidal Wave water ride. True daredevils only should attempt the Nemesis Inferno, with several hundred metres of sharp twists, turns and sudden lunges in every direction. And if you’re looking for something a little more mellow in between adrenaline kicks, there’s also Derren Brown's Ghost Train, Black Mirror Labyrinth or – if you really need to wind down – a family-friendly teacup ride. Base yourself in London at Stayo Waterloo, close to where the train to Thorpe Park departs from.

Disneyland Paris is one of the world’s most-visited theme parks – and for good reason. It’s just 32km from Paris so doesn’t have to be a standalone trip, yet offers visitors a Finding Nemo roller coaster, a Ratatouille adventure, and a whole world of fantastical wonder framed by the sparkling pink spires of its Sleeping Beauty Castle. And it’s currently celebrating its 30th anniversary so now is the time to visit, with a whole year of special festivities and brand new attractions planned that kicked off on 6th March 2022; from an Avengers Campus opening in summer 2022, to limited-edition 30th anniversary pastries, cocktails and merchandise and a new Disney show featuring Minnie Mouse in a custom Stella McCartney costume. Stay in Paris at citizenM Paris Gare de Lyon for easy access to the train to Disneyland.

Parque Warner is a vivid theme park just outside Madrid that brings to life the magic of Warner Bros Studios, from Spanish-speaking Daffy Duck and Bugs Bunny to themed areas that include the ‘Old West Territory’ and ‘Hollywood Boulevard’. The park’s real show-stopper rides are the ‘Batman: Arkham Asylum’ and ‘Superman: La Atracción de Acero’ roller coasters, the latter speeding up to 100km per hour while the former takes you through dizzying loops and down intense drops. There’s also a charming wooden roller coaster, various family-friendly rides, water rides and fun shows such as the action-filled ‘Police Academy Stunt show’ and the ‘Gotham City Streetmosphere show’. Stay at Hotel Sancho near Estación Madrid - Puerta de Atocha, the station from which you can catch the train to Parque Warner.