Europa-Park has been open to visitors in Rust, in south-west Germany, since 1975, and its layout is the thing that shapes a family day here: the park is divided into quarters themed on European countries, and the eating follows the same logic rather than being gathered into one central canteen. Greek dishes sit in one area, pizza in another, a vegan deli somewhere else, so a meal tends to be wherever you already are when a child runs out of patience. A separate indoor water world, Rulantica, belongs to the same resort and runs on its own rules about what you can carry inside, which is worth knowing before you pack a bag for both. The one thing to sort out before you travel is tickets: the park itself recommends booking online in advance because capacity is limited, so arriving on the day and hoping is the part of the plan most likely to fail on a busy date.


