Europa-Park is a 95-hectare theme park in Rust, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, founded by Franz Mack and his son Roland and opened to its first visitors on July 12, 1975. Built as a showcase for the family’s ride-manufacturing business, Mack Rides, it grew from a modest site with a handful of rides into one of the largest theme park resorts in the world, still owned and run by the Mack family today.
Beyond the record-setting coasters and the 21 European-themed lands, actually planning a visit means knowing when to go, how to get there, and what a ticket really costs. This guide covers all of that, checked against Europa-Park’s own site, alongside the park’s history and ride lineup.
Quick Answer
Europa-Park is a 95-hectare theme park resort in Rust, Germany, owned by the Mack family and home to roughly 100 attractions, including 14 roller coasters. It runs seasonally from spring through early January, with a winter maintenance closure, and uses dynamically priced day tickets — generally the mid-€60s to mid-€70s for adults depending on the date — sold through the official Europa-Park ticket site. The nearest train station is Ringsheim/Europa-Park, linked to the park entrance by a short shuttle bus.
Getting to Europa-Park
Europa-Park sits just off the A5 motorway at exit 57b, about 15 minutes from the French border and within an hour of several regional airports — Strasbourg and Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden are both roughly 64 km away, EuroAirport Basel is about 90 km, and Stuttgart is around 175 km. Drivers can enter Europa-Park-Straße 2, 77977 Rust into a navigation system; the visitor car park charges a daily fee, with a smaller reserved area closer to the entrance available for an extra cost.
For visitors without a car, the closest station is Ringsheim/Europa-Park, served by regional trains and, twice daily, the Frankfurt–Milan Eurocity Express. A dedicated shuttle bus (line 7231) connects the station to the Europa-Park hotels, Rulantica, and the main entrance in about 10 to 15 minutes. On weekends, Swiss visitors can also use the RailCoaster service running directly from Basel and Zurich.
Tickets & Prices
Like most major European theme parks, Europa-Park uses dynamic, calendar-based pricing rather than a single flat gate price. Adult day tickets generally sit in the mid-€60s on quieter weekdays and climb into the mid-€70s for weekends, school holidays, and other peak dates, with lower rates for children, seniors, and multi-day or resort-bundled tickets. Booking online in advance is usually cheaper than paying at the gate, and guests staying at an Europa-Park hotel can access discounted “best-price” tickets bundled with their room.
Frequent visitors can also buy a ResortPass season ticket in Silver or Gold tiers, with the Gold tier adding extras like parking and Rulantica access. Because pricing shifts by date and season, check the official Europa-Park tickets page for the exact price on your travel dates before booking.
Opening Hours & Best Time to Visit
Europa-Park runs a long operating season rather than staying open year-round: it’s typically open from late March through the Halloween and Christmas/winter event periods into early January, then closes for a maintenance break before reopening in spring. Daily hours shift by season, generally starting around 9 a.m. in the warmer months and running into the evening, with adjusted hours during the winter and HALLOWinter events — always confirm exact hours for your travel date on the official Europa-Park site, since they vary through the calendar.
For lighter crowds, aim for Tuesday through Thursday outside German, French, and Swiss school holidays; May, June, and September tend to offer a good balance of warm weather and thinner lines compared with the July–August peak. Within a single day, the midday lull around noon to 2 p.m., when many visitors break for lunch, is often the fastest window to ride, and arriving at opening or staying through the last couple of hours before close can also cut down on waiting.
The Coaster Lineup
Europa-Park’s 14 roller coasters span several manufacturers and styles rather than sticking to one builder. Silver Star, a Bolliger & Mabillard hypercoaster reaching about 73 meters tall, has anchored the France-themed area since 2002, while Blue Fire Megacoaster, built in-house by Mack Rides, launches riders from a standstill to full speed in seconds. The wooden Wodan Timbur Coaster, built by Great Coasters International and themed to Norse mythology, opened in 2012, and the newest addition, Voltron Nevera powered by Rimac, opened in 2024 in a new Croatian-themed area with a Mack Rides multi-launch layout that includes a beyond-vertical top-hat element billed as one of the steepest launches on any coaster in the world.
Beyond those headline rides, Euro-Mir is a spinning coaster themed to the Russian space program with one of the longest ride times in the park; Matterhorn Blitz launches riders through a Swiss Alpine setting; and the indoor Eurosat CanCan Coaster pairs Moulin Rouge theming with an optional virtual-reality overlay. Family-friendly options round out the lineup, including Arthur, an inverted coaster themed to the Minimoys film series, plus Alpenexpress Enzian, Ba-a-a-Express, and the bobsled-style Schweizer Bobbahn.
Themed Areas & What to Expect
The park is organized into 21 themed areas, most representing different European countries and regions, so a walk across Europa-Park feels like a tour of the continent in a single visit. Alongside the roughly 100 attractions and 14 coasters, there are around a dozen water rides, live shows, and dark rides spread across the themed lands, with newer additions like the Croatian-themed Voltron area continuing to expand the park’s footprint.
A Family-Run European Icon
Unlike many major theme parks owned by large corporations, Europa-Park has remained under Mack family ownership since it opened, with Franz Mack’s descendants still directing operations. It was among the first theme parks in Germany to operate for most of the year rather than just a short summer season, and it has been recognized repeatedly among the world’s top-rated theme parks by industry awards such as the Golden Ticket Awards.
Hotels & Rulantica
Beyond the theme park itself, the resort includes several themed hotels, from the Roman-inspired Colosseo to the Spanish-styled El Andaluz, making it possible to build a multi-day stay around Europa-Park rather than a single-day visit. The adjoining Rulantica indoor water park adds a separate ticketed attraction themed around Icelandic sagas, with its own slides, wave pool, and sauna areas, and can be combined with theme park admission on resort packages.
Europa-Park visitor guide FAQs
When did Europa-Park open?
Europa-Park opened on July 12, 1975, founded by Franz Mack and his son Roland as a showcase for their family’s ride-manufacturing business, Mack Rides.
Where is Europa-Park located?
It is located in Rust, in the Baden-Württemberg region of southwestern Germany, near the border with France and just off the A5 motorway at exit 57b.
Are all of Europa-Park’s roller coasters built by Mack Rides?
No. While the park is owned by the Mack family and several coasters like Blue Fire Megacoaster and Voltron Nevera are Mack Rides builds, Silver Star was built by Bolliger & Mabillard and the wooden Wodan Timbur Coaster was built by Great Coasters International.
How much do Europa-Park tickets cost?
Pricing is dynamic and date-based, with adult day tickets generally running from the mid-€60s on quieter weekdays up to the mid-€70s on weekends and school holidays. Check the official Europa-Park tickets page for the exact price on your visit date.
What are Europa-Park’s opening hours?
Hours vary by season, generally starting around 9 a.m. in the warmer months and shifting for the winter and HALLOWinter events. The park is closed for a maintenance break in the depths of winter, so confirm exact hours on the official Europa-Park site before you go.
How do I get to Europa-Park without a car?
Take a train to Ringsheim/Europa-Park station, then the dedicated shuttle bus (line 7231), which connects the station to the main entrance, the Europa-Park hotels, and Rulantica in about 10 to 15 minutes. Swiss visitors can also use the weekend RailCoaster service from Basel and Zurich.
How many rides does Europa-Park have?
Europa-Park has around 100 attractions in total, including 14 roller coasters and about a dozen water rides, spread across its 21 themed areas.
Is one day enough to see Europa-Park?
Given its size and roughly 100 attractions, most visitors plan at least two days to cover the theme park properly, especially if they also want to visit the adjoining Rulantica water park.
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