The affordable European theme park you can visit by train – with new dinosaur-themed ride following £1million project
THERE’S an affordable theme park Brit holidaymakers can visit in Europe, and you can even get there by train.
The little-known French theme park is often overlooked by other more well-known destinations like Disneyland Paris, Parc Asterix and Puy du Fou.
There are other theme parks in France to visit, including Winnoland, which is just 18 miles outside of Paris.
Formerly known as Babyland-Amiland, the French theme park is set to reopen on March, 30 for another season.
The French theme park, which has been open since 1985, originally geared its rides towards younger children.
But in recent years, Winnoland has added new rides and attractions aimed at older children and teengaers.
The park now boasts more than 30 rides and attractions as well as seven foot outlets.
Pteranodon, a 30-metre-high Star Flyer themed around dinosaurs, which launched at the theme park last year.
This year, the theme park will be expanding its offering with another dinosaur-themed ride for its Jurassic Zone.
Designed with younger parkgoers in mind, Pedalosaurus is a pedal machine ride.
Other new attractions include the Story of Bones – a souvenir shop, which will be located at the exit of Pteranodon.
A new food outlet will called DinoDélice is also set to open at the theme park.
The new rides a part of a €1.2million (£1million) investment, which aims to transform Winnoland into an “attractive amusement park” for older visitors.
The theme park has also announced plans for another new ride next year.
The mine train is slated to open in 2025, with construction on the new attraction already underway.
Entry tickets to the theme park cost €18.50 (£15.84) for a full-paying adult, while tickets for children between 90 and 105cm cost €14.50 (£12.41).
Ryanair operates direct flights from the UK to Paris, with prices starting from £15 for a one-way ticket.
For those Brit holidaymakers who don’t want to fly to the French capital, they can also reach Paris via train on the Eurostar.
From Paris city centre it’s a 70-minute drive to the French theme park.
Elsewhere, theme park fans are looking forward to some exciting new experiences opening in the UK.
Minifigure Speedway, Legoland
Work is underway on a brand new ride at Legoland, set to open this year.
The Minifigure Speedway will be the world’s first LEGO-themed duelling rollercoaster.
Passengers will go both forwards and backwards, as well as race between the Team Legends and Allstars, led by a Minifigure captain.
Shockwave, Drayton Manor
Staffordshire’s second-favourite theme park, Drayton Manor, will be converting the current Shockwave rollercoaster into a new “family thrill coaster” in 2024.
The park’s managing director, Victoria Lynn, said that it would be a departure from the resort’s focus on attractions for children, and could even be seen as one of the best rides in the country.
“Drop tower ride,” Adventure Island
Southend’s Adventure Island has revealed plans for a new ride opening next year.
An official opening date for the un-named attraction hasn’t been revealed yet, but it is expected to be launched this year.
Everything you need to know about visiting France
- Brits need to have a passport with at least three months left on it.
- No visas are needed for anyone staying up to 90 days within an 180-day period but you need to make sure your passport is stamped on entry and exit.
- You may also need to show proof of accommodation and funds, around €120 a day.
- The country uses the euro with with around €10 working out to £8.55.
- France is one hour ahead of the UK
- Direct flights to France from the UK take between 1-4 hours depending on the destination
- Or you can travel by train with Eurostar, with destinations including Paris or Lille.