This is our second piece in the new Culture series, Travels with The Stag. If you have any great ideas for pieces, get in touch!
There are some places in the world that everyone knows; the Eiffel Tower, Disneyland, the Statue of Liberty. There are some places that are your own best-kept secret. And there are some that are known to many, but not to all.
Being a theme park fan, and getting more involved with the community and industry as a result of the NextGen Showcase educational project, I had the privilege to learn more about theme parks across Europe. Part of this culminated with a trip to the Dutch theme park, Efteling, and German theme park, Phantasialand.
In the community I’ve discovered over the past year, these parks are as universally known as Disneyland or Alton Towers - but when I told my friends at home where I was going, most people responded with “I don’t know that one.” And that came as a shock to me! Despite me knowing much less about them both than many people I know, it’s strange to be so invested in something that most people on the outside know nothing about.
So I’m not going to claim that these parks are Europe’s “best kept secrets”, or that they’re niche, or that this is the first our readers will have heard of them. Far from it! They’re both very popular parks. But on the off-chance this is your introduction to them, let’s hope I can convince you to pay them a visit.
De Efteling has welcomed over 5 million visitors a year, and is routinely the third-most visited European theme park after Disneyland Paris and Europa-Park. It’s 70 years old, and from those I’ve spoken to, a beloved attraction in the Netherlands. It’s located in Kaatsheuvel, close to Tilburg and Breda.
Phantasialand opened 55 years ago, and receives around 2 million visitors a year. It’s made up of six themed lands. It is located in Brühl, around a thirty minute drive from Cologne.
After purposely visiting them knowing nothing about them, and having the experience I did at both, it feels unbelievable that my friends back home don’t know what they’re like.
So let me do some student-friendly trip-planning for you!
Efteling
Key attractions
There are many attractions that Efteling is famous for, from the fairytale forest walkthrough that you’re likely to recognise, to a variety of rollercoasters: Baron 1898 - the dive coaster, Joris en de Draak - a surprisingly frantic wooden coaster, Python - a steel coaster and De Vliegender Hollander (The Flying Dutchman) - a water coaster. Non-coaster attractions include the Symbolica trackless dark-ride - which is packed with details and has multiple storylines -, Fata Morgana - a slow-moving boat ride - and Droomvlucht (Dreamflight), a recently-refurbished dark ride. The park is elaborately themed, mostly to a fantasy forest, with cute details and lots of nature.
How to get there
It’s surprisingly easy to reach Efteling from the UK. Travelling from London Stansted (or any other that works for you), fly into Eindhoven. On RyanAir, this flight can be as little as £20 each way. From the airport, it is a 20-minute journey into Eindhoven city centre on the 400 or 401 bus, where you can explore the museums - or continue your journey. Head over to the Centraal train station, and take one of the frequent Intercity or Sprinter trains to Tilburg Centraal. Follow the signs to the bus station, located just outside of the train station, and take the 300, 301 or 136 bus. This part is easy, as the front of the bus literally says Efteling - you can’t go wrong.
Efteling itself is located in the small village of Kaatsheuvel - you’ll see the car park and entrance as you step off of the bus.
Where to stay
Efteling has several accommodation options to choose from for varying budgets and group sizes, including the Efteling Hotel, Bosrijk and Loonsche Land. There is a combination of hotel rooms and holiday homes if you would like to remain on property.
In the village, I stayed in Hotel de Kroon, which is close to the GuestHouse Hotel; only an eight-minute walk from Efteling. These hotels were modern, with a bar and restaurant, and had a variety of room options for groups of different sizes.
The park felt extremely child-friendly, with wide open park areas and slower-moving children’s attractions. The addition of thrill rides in more recent years means it also allows adults to have a great time. I’d recommend going with a group for a couple of days to enjoy the Dutch snacks, fairytale ambience, and rollercoasters.
Phantasialand
Key attractions
Phantasialand was a park that caught me off guard with its grand sense of scale and theming in such a small space. It’s made up of six lands, the newest being Rookburgh, a steampunk city containing the world’s first flying launch coaster, F.L.Y.. From the queue you see different views of the compact land, until you reach the coaster itself - where you soar over rooftops and between buildings. All the advertisement you need is the video they feature on their website: it’s everything you hope it would be. The rest of the park is made up of Mexico (which includes the famous Chiapas water flume), China Town, Mystery (Klugheim), Deep in Africa and Fantasy (Wuze Town). There are attractions here for all age groups, from family-friendly rides like Raik and Maus au Chocolat, to thrilling roller coasters including Black Mamba and Taron, the world’s second-fastest multi-launch roller coaster. I’d give a special mention to Colorado Adventure, which was one of the funniest roller coasters I’ve ever experienced.
What’s more is that just walking through the scenery is an attraction in itself. Everywhere you look you are immersed in the lands; a brilliant feat considering the size of each area.
How to get there
Phantasialand is a 25-minute drive from Cologne Airport, and a 30-minute drive from the city centre. From Brühl train station, you can also take the Phantasialand shuttle bus, the timetable for which is available on the website.
Where to stay
Phantasialand has three on-site hotels to choose from. Hotel Charles Lindbergh, the newest, is probably a little out of our student price range. It makes up part of the exterior of the Rookburgh land, with views from the rooms over the F.L.Y roller coaster and a private entrance into the park.
Hotel Matamba is themed to the Deep in Africa section of the park, while Hotel Ling Bao is themed to China Town. Both have restaurants, rooms with park views, gardens and private entrances to the park. Ling Bao even has a pool!
Alternatively, you can stay in Cologne and travel out to Phantasialand, if you only want to do a day trip.
I had a great time at these parks earlier in the year, and they’re places that the non-theme-park inclined may have overlooked in their travel plans. However, they have something for everyone, and can be visited on a student budget. I hope I’ve convinced you to add them to the itinerary of your next trip to Europe, you will surely have a lovely time.
Enjoy your trip!