Disneyland Paris may be France’s most famous theme park but there’s an underrated, lesser-known gem that I discovered with my son which I’ve been telling everyone to visit immediately
It’s not as famous as Disneyland Paris(Image: Supplied)
Theme parks are not my thing. Like many first-time parents, when my first son was born, I was wildly optimistic about the prospect of travelling with him.
I imagined my sweet boy hanging off my hip as we wandered around restaurants and museums on city breaks, enjoying all the things I enjoy.
The reality, of course, is that children like children’s things. And if you’re lucky, they’ll tolerate your interests for half an hour at most. Which is why, for years, the idea of a theme park holiday filled me with dread.
So, when I found myself taking my 11-year-old to Futuroscope in France, I approached it with an endurance test mindset. What I didn’t expect was that by the end of the trip, I’d be recommending it to other families.
Getting there
The journey, in both senses, was easier than I expected. Just months away from starting secondary school, my son has reached that fleeting sweet spot between childhood and adolescence where he still wants to spend a weekend away with his mum.
Our route from Manchester involved an Avanti train, a night near St Pancras station, an early morning Eurostar, the Paris Metro and a high-speed train to Futuroscope station near Poitiers. On paper it sounded like a lot.
In reality, it became very much part of the adventure and my son was enjoying all the responsibility – checking maps and practising his French on DuoLingo.
As a mum of three, I realised how rarely we get this kind of uninterrupted time together. Even before we’d reached the park, the journey itself had already brought us closer.
Staying at the Ecolodgee
A short walk from Futuroscope station and we were there. In fact, the journey via Eurostar was so seamless that my son repeatedly asked whether we’d actually left England yet.
We stayed at the Ecolodgee near the park entrance for really easy access. It’s made up of nature-inspired cabins overlooking a beautiful lake with very lively families of frogs to provide endless wonderment for curious kids such as mine. My son along with some neighbouring kids named themselves ‘the frog hunters’ for the duration of our stay, which says it all really. Nature is the best playground.
The cabins themselves are thoughtfully designed with cabin beds for kids cleverly separated from the master bedroom area yet in the same space. According to my son, the hand-delivered breakfast basket that arrived on our cabin doorstep each morning filled with French delights was the best meal of the entire trip.
I couldn’t agree more. Sitting on the terrace together, listening to frogs and looking out across the lake with no screens, was just perfect.
The rides and attractions
As someone who once rode Blackpool’s Pepsi Max Big One six times in a row without hesitation, I’ve reluctantly had to accept that age has made me considerably less fearless.
Two fun-packed days with my son however, meant stepping out of my comfort zone and straight into the arms of a nine-metre-high robot. Dances with Robots is a ride that throws you around to music at a fear factor of your choosing. Speaking on behalf of both of us, that fear factor was apparently “expert level” according to my son.
I emerged feeling slightly shaken and wondering how I was going to survive an entire weekend of being flung upside down. Thankfully, I quickly realised that Futuroscope isn’t really a theme park in the traditional sense.
Yes, there are plenty of thrilling rides; my son called Objectif Mars (Destination Mars) “the best ride ever” before immediately asking to go on it again. But much of what makes Futuroscope special isn’t physical at all. It’s immersive, imaginative and distinctly French in a way that truly sets it apart from most theme parks.
If needed, English language translation is available through the ListenWIFI app for many of the story-led attractions, but I found myself happily dusting off my GCSE French for the most part and embracing the fact that this is a park built with French families in mind.
Chasseurs de Tornades (Tornado Chasers) was a favourite. We were plunged into the heart of a tornado on a revolving platform, combining blockbuster storytelling with a thrill factor that doesn’t make you question your life choices. My kind of ride.
I also loved La Clé des Songes (The Key to Dreams), a spectacle of water screens, projections, lights and pyrotechnics in the most grand and beautiful setting, that really was like stepping into a dream.
What I appreciated most though was the overall balance.
One minute my son was absolutely wired on the water rapids ride Mission Bermudes, the next he was peacefully gliding around the world with me on The Extraordinary Journey.
Each attraction activated different parts of his imagination. And, more importantly, gave me just enough recovery time.
The food
Futuroscope offers a huge variety of food options ranging from French dining and buffets to gelato and street food – without a nugget in sight.
La Table d’Arthur is great for most tastes with its generous self-service buffet, while L’Atelier des Saveurs offers a more traditional French dining experience.
The most enticing option for children, however, is Space Loop Restaurant, a futuristic dining experience where your meal travels from the kitchen to your table via a rollercoaster suspended above your head. The star attraction is the famous blue burger, which is as blue as a bottle of WKD and, unsurprisingly, is a child’s dream, as is much of the food at Futuroscope.
For us, though, enjoying it all required extra planning.
My son has multiple food allergies, including sesame, nuts and fish, so eating anywhere new can be very stressful. Throw in a language barrier, an overwhelming buffet and you have a familiar challenge for many allergy families.
Thankfully, Space Loop had a delicious pasta option and fries, which kept my son very happy and full. Meanwhile, when I felt stressed by the choices at La Table d’Arthur, staff were able to give a detailed allergen information sheet which was reassuring.
Travelling with food allergies will always need extra vigilance, but once I knew how to ask, our meals became easy and enjoyable.
My overall verdict on Futuroscope
What I loved about Futuroscope overall was that rather than stepping into a global brand, I felt like I’d genuinely travelled somewhere both unique and affordable. The food, language, attractions and even the families around us reminded me that we were in France at every turn. And for me, that’s its biggest selling point.
It also gave me something I hadn’t expected from a theme park holiday.
As my son edges closer to his teen years, uninterrupted one-on-one time can be surprisingly hard to find.
Whether eating food delivered on a rollercoaster or exploring virtual worlds, the trip gave us space to try new things and just be together and that’s what I’ll look back most fondly on.
Of course, he’ll treasure the rides the most. And strangely, we’ll probably both remember the frogs.
Book the holiday
- Stay three days and two nights at Futuroscope from €896 (£774) for a family of four staying at Hotel Ecolodgee, with Futuroscope tickets as well Aquascope tickets. Find out more and book at futuroscope.com.