Europa-Park With Little Kids: Rides They Can Ride

The question most parents ask is what their small child can actually ride at Europa-Park, a park famous for its big coasters. The park is friendlier to little ones than its reputation suggests. Its lowest height limit on the rides below is 90 cm (about 35 in), and there are several play areas and a family dark ride with no minimum height.

Europa-Park sets its limits in centimetres, not the 36, 40 and 42 inch bands used by many parks. This guide is therefore organised by what your child can do: rides and play areas with no minimum height, then rides from 90 cm (about 35 in), then rides from 100 cm (about 39 in). Every ride below was checked on Europa-Park’s own attraction pages, but these are examples only, not the full list. The official website has the definitive current list, and it includes a filter that matches rides to your child’s age and height.

Stats at a Glance

Kids’ Area: Ireland – Children’s World (Little Lamb’s Land and Limerick Castle)
First Roller Coaster At: about 35 in (90 cm) — Ba-a-a Express (age 3+)
Companion Rule: Varies by ride. Ba-a-a Express: under 6 years or under 120 cm (about 47 in) only with an adult. Alpine Express ‘Enzian’: under 8 years or under 130 cm (about 51 in) only with an adult.
Rider Swap: Yes, called ‘Baby-Switch’

Rides With No Height Minimum

**Jim Button – Journey through Morrowland** is the best no-minimum pick. It is a gentle family dark ride in which you travel in a steam-locomotive-themed train through the story world of the Jim Button films. It runs about 3 minutes. The official page gives no minimum height, only a companion rule: children under 120 cm (about 47 in) or under 6 years may ride only when accompanied by an adult.

**Little Lamb’s Land** is a tiny-tots playground on rolling Irish-style hills with woolly sheep and lambs. The official page lists no age or height limits. **Limerick Castle** is a big covered indoor play castle for racing, climbing, crawling, sliding and jumping. The park describes it as designed for ages 4 to 12, and it works well on a rainy day.

**Adventure Playground** is a water play area with slides, water slides and even a maze. It is described as especially for children under 1.2 metres (about 47 in) tall. The park’s family page also points to the **Lítill Island water playground** in Iceland and the Minimoys Kingdom as play areas. Check the official page for each before you go, because rules can differ.

What Opens Up at 90 and 100 Centimetres

**From 90 cm (about 35 in), age 3 and up:**

**Ba-a-a Express** is the first roller coaster your child can ride, and the official page lists it as a rollercoaster with a minimum of 90 cm (about 35 in) and age 3. Children under 6 years or under 120 cm (about 47 in) may ride only with an adult. It is themed around the Emerald Isle and is the best first-coaster pick.

**Alpine Express ‘Enzian’** is the park’s family rollercoaster, listed at 90+ cm (about 35 in) and age 3+. Children under 8 years or under 130 cm (about 51 in) may ride only with an adult. It reopened in 2024 after closing in 2023.

**Red Baron** is an interactive flying gondola ride, listed at age 3+ and 90 to 140 cm (about 35 to 55 in), with a maximum of 2 people per gondola. **Mini-Scooters** are miniature bumper cars for ages 3 to 8 and 90 to 130 cm (about 35 to 51 in), with a maximum of 2 people per car. The official pages state no explicit companion rule for either, so check the sign at the ride.

**From 100 cm (about 39 in), age 4 and up:**

**Pegasus** is a YoungStar coaster listed at 100+ cm (about 39 in) and age 4+. Children under 8 years or under 130 cm (about 51 in) may ride only with an adult. **Poppy Towers** is a free-fall tower for children in the Minimoys Kingdom, listed at 100+ cm (about 39 in) and age 4+. Under 6 years or under 120 cm (about 47 in) requires an adult.

**Arthur** is a Minimoys-themed ride at 100+ cm (about 39 in) and age 4+. The park notes that under 6 years or under 120 cm (about 47 in) requires an adult and recommends the test seat, because guests with strong thighs or girth may not fit. **Kolumbusjolle** is an indoor boat ride with light and sound effects and some darkness, at 100+ cm (about 39 in) and age 4+. Under 8 years or under 130 cm (about 51 in) requires an adult.

The rides above all sit at 90 or 100 cm, so your child will not need to reach 42 in (107 cm) for any of them. Europa-Park’s bigger coasters are a different story. The third-party guide we read lists WODAN, Eurosat – CanCan Coaster and Poseidon at 120 cm (about 47 in). We did not confirm those numbers on the official pages, so check them before you rely on them. Blue Fire and Silver Star sit well above that.

Practical Tips for a Day With Small Kids

**Measure first.** Every ride with a minimum height has a measuring stick at the entrance. Use the official attraction filter at home to see which rides match your child’s age and height. The park says some children under a certain age or height may ride only with an adult. The wording differs from ride to ride, so read each ride’s sign.

**Companion rules are not a loophole.** A companion requirement applies to children who already meet the ride’s minimum. Nothing on the official pages we read says an adult lets a child ride below a ride’s minimum height or age.

**Use Baby-Switch for the big coasters.** Europa-Park’s rider swap is called Baby-Switch. In the park’s words: “Speak together to a member of staff at the attraction with height restrictions about the ‘Baby-switch’ option. While your partner queues and rides, you can wait with your child, for example, by the playground.” The partner receives a card, which the other adult hands over after the ride, letting them enter through the exit or a special entry without a full queue.

**Strollers and rest.** You can rent a pushchair at the main entrance or the hotel-parking entrance for €5.00 plus a €50 deposit. The park says the pushchairs are only suitable for children who can sit up, as lying down is not possible in them. For a break, the park suggests the Ireland – Children’s World area, Lítill Island water playground in Iceland, the Minimoys Kingdom, and the Würmchen Wies’n playground in Austria.

**Be realistic.** Europa-Park has plenty for ages 3 to 8, and its play areas for toddlers under 3 are good. Rides for the very smallest are limited, though, because the coaster and ride minimums start at age 3 and 90 cm (about 35 in). For the definitive current list, height rules and opening times, use the official Europa-Park website, since rides can close for maintenance and seasonal hours change.

Explore more: Theme Parks guide.

Plan Your Europa-Park Visit

Best Rides for Little Kids at Europa-Park FAQs

What can a toddler ride at Europa-Park?

Toddlers under 3 have the fewest options. Jim Button – Journey through Morrowland, the dark ride, lists no minimum height on the official page. Children under 6 years or under 120 cm (about 47 in) may ride only with an adult. Little Lamb’s Land (a tiny-tots playground with no listed age or height limits) and the Adventure Playground (a water play area for children under 1.2 m, about 47 in) are also open to small children. Many rides start at age 3 and 90 cm (about 35 in), including Ba-a-a Express, Alpine Express ‘Enzian’, Red Baron and Mini-Scooters. Check the official website for current rules.

How tall does my child have to be for their first roller coaster at Europa-Park?

The official page for Ba-a-a Express lists a minimum of 90 cm (about 35 in) and age 3. Children under 6 years or under 120 cm (about 47 in) may ride only with an adult. Alpine Express ‘Enzian’, the family rollercoaster, is also listed at 90+ cm (about 35 in) and age 3+, but with an adult required under 8 years or under 130 cm (about 51 in). Pegasus, a YoungStar coaster, is listed at 100+ cm (about 39 in) and age 4+.

Does Europa-Park have a rider swap policy?

Yes. It is called Baby-Switch. Speak to a member of staff at the attraction with height restrictions. One adult rides while the other waits with the child, and the partner then gets a card that lets the waiting adult ride via the exit or a special entry without a full queue. The park says it is available on many of the larger rollercoasters that you cannot ride with your child. Ask at each ride, as not every attraction offers it.

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Photo: Olga Ernst / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Best Rides for Little Kids at Europa-Park (2026)