In summary
Based on the beloved French comic book series Asterix, this theme park, located 40 minutes from Paris, will appeal to kids and nostalgic adults alike. Asterix tells the story of a Gaulish village which, thanks to a magic potion that enhances strength, resists the forces of Julius Caesar's Roman Republic Army. The story has been revived for a modern audience with a new animated series on Netflix, but you don't need to be a fan (I knew nothing about Asterix prior to my visit) to enjoy this charming theme park, which opened in 1989. Spanning 83 acres, it is home to some of Europe's best rollercoasters, including the record-breaking Toutatis, and boasts unique accommodation options. If you're looking for a theme-park experience that has something to offer all ages and allows you to sample a taste of French culture, then Parc Astérix is the place for you.
When did we visit?
I visited with my two young sons, Odhran, 9, and Reuben, 6, for a two-night break over the May half term holidays. We visited with a group that included a toddler and teens. Parc Astérix typically opens in early April and closes early January. Opening hours vary depending on the season. Typical opening hours are 10am-6pm or 7pm, but from 12th July until the end of August, the theme park is open 10am to 10pm. But there's more on offer than long summer evenings of thrills. During the Halloween season, from 4th October - 11th November 2025, the park will be transformed into a show around monsters and terrifying creatures, as part of its Fear on the Park event, with scary late nights running from 7pm to 1am. And from 20th December to 4th January, the park hosts a festive event, inviting you to discover a Gallic Christmas. So it's always a good time to visit.
What is there to see and do?
There are 50 attractions and shows on offer, and the park is divided into six areas, inviting you to journey back in time to the cartoon worlds of Asterix, his best friend Obelix, and their fellow Gauls. The areas include - Gaul, The Roman Empire, Ancient Greece, Egypt, the Vikings, and Through Time. If you're visiting with little ones, there are plenty of rides and activities for kids under five to enjoy. Take a short trip among the centuries old oak trees on a little train ride, ride the mini carousel, take flight on the mini plane ride, or get splashed on a little water ride.
I had Reuben measured when we entered the park, and he was given a wristband to show that he was scraping in at 1.2m - this saved him having to get his height checked at each ride. Reaching this milestone, he was ecstatic to be able to go on more thrill rides than he's ever been on at a theme park. A little thrill-seeker, he's always looked longingly at chair swings that go high into the air. At other attractions, we've found the height restrictions on these to be a bit arbitrary. So Reuben was delighted to find that he could ride on Les Chaises Volantes - chair swings that whipped round at speed and lifted him high into the air.
But he was beside himself with excitement when he discovered that he was the right height requirement to ascend 40 metres into the air on La Tour De Numérobis - you're in for a blustery ride on this chair swing, which offers a view over the whole park. I had to take my glasses off for fear they'd blow off my face. Reuben also loved the thrill of Discobélix - where you whirl around on a giant disk that swings back and forth towards a cauldron that releases a flame so hot you can feel the heat on your face as you're hurled up towards it.
Meanwhile, Odhran was getting his thrills on Tonnerre 2 Zeus, but I found this wooden rollercoaster too rickety for a second ride - my head rattled enough first time round. Le Cheval de Troie, which spins you 12m above ground on a magic carpet ride, was another of Odhran's favourites. He ran towards Oziris, one of the park's biggest thrill rides, but changed his mind at the last minute. I hopped on, and enjoyed the loops, twists and hairpin turns of this exhilarating ride.
There are also lots of fun shows at Asterix that are not to be missed. We particularly enjoyed Les Plongeons De L'Olympe. In honour of Zeus, four Roman and Greek athletes compete in a diving competition. I won't give too much away, but it's a hair-raising spectacle.
We felt smug in our wise decision to ride on Menhir Express at the end the day. During the summer months, you might appreciate the opportunity to get a cool soak on this fun log flume ride, but no amount of time in one of the coin-operated heated booths afterwards was going to get us comfortably dry. Ponchos at the ready for this ride! Or, like us, you can leave the water rides until the end of the day and then make your way straight back to the nearby hotel to change.
There were other low-key enjoyable moments, such as sipping on a refreshing beer, while the kids chased each other round one of the playgrounds. We loved visiting the Asterix village, the meet and greets with characters, and the daily parade.
We had two days to fully explore Parc Astérix, and it's a park that is wonderfully themed and really is suitable for all ages.
Our top three rides at Parc Astérix
Pegasus Express
We'll go so far as to say this was our favourite attraction at Parc Astérix, as kids only need to be 100cm to ride with an adult, so it's a great thrill rollercoaster for families. We rode on Pegasus Express four times during our visit to Parc Astérix. We loved the theatre of coming face to face with Medusa before being flung backwards along the track. It's replaced The Dragon rollercoaster at Legoland and Runaway Mine Train at Alton Towers (which we love!) as our new favourite family-friendly coaster.
Toutatis
Reaching a height of 51 metres, and a speed of more than 66mph, Toutatis is the fastest multi-launch coaster in France. It boasts a world record of 23 instances of airtime - where riders experience a floating sensation as their bodies momentarily lift from their seats. This steel coaster attracts thrill-seekers from around the world. I loved the high powered launch, the steep climbs and the sensation of suddenly being propelled backwards. Mostly, I appreciated being able to enjoy the thrill without getting rattled around, as this is a nice smooth experience. It's also a decent ride time, which makes it worth the queue. You can purchase various fast track options at Parc Astérix, but on the day of our visit, the wait for Toutatis at around midday was only 15 minutes. At busiest times, you might be queuing for 45 minutes. But even that is significantly shorter than the queue times reached for thrill rides at other theme parks, such as Alton Towers. Visitors must be at least 1.3m to ride on Toutatis.
Les Chaises Volantes
Odhran and Reuben held their arms out like they were flying, on this chair ride that lifted them 10m above the ground. While they also loved the 40m high chair ride, we're choosing Les Chaises Volantes as one of our top three rides at Parc Asterix for the fact that it's the first high chair ride Reuben has been tall enough to go on, and the boys enjoyed it so much, they went on it four or five times during our two day visit to the park.
What's the accommodation like?
There are three hotels to choose from for a family short break - Les Trois Hiboux, La Cité Suspendue, and Les Quais De Lutèce. They are all a short walking distance to the park, and guests can enjoy 30 minutes early access.
Designed to resemble the ancient city of Lutetia (a Gallo-Roman town and predecessor of modern-day Paris) on the banks of the Seine, Les Quais De Lutèce is a magical setting. It's like walking on to a movie set, and the boys loved chasing each other across the wooden bridges and along the little river that runs through this charming recreation of a Roman town.
Alternatively, guests can enjoy an enchanted woodland stay at La Cité Suspendue - The Hanging City. We nested at Les Trois Hiboux - The Three Owls, where we enjoyed the elegant theming. Our room had a cosy cabin feel, and a little balcony, looking out on to trees for a sense of peace and tranquility. The boys enjoyed their separate bunk bed area.
There was plenty of wardrobe space for unpacking bags, and free wifi. But there was no mini-fridge or kettle in the room, and there was no air-conditioning - it's only in hindsight that I realised this, as it wasn't too hot during our stay so we didn't need it. But there was a big powerful fan in the wardrobe, as I used this to try and dry clothes after the water rides. My bed was super comfy and it might sound like a small thing, but I really appreciated the heavy curtains that allowed for a good night's sleep without the light creeping into the room in the early hours of the morning.
Guests at each of the three hotels can enjoy character meet-and-greets before breakfast, and Reuben was quick to jump in line. Another highlight of our stay was the games room at Les Trois Hiboux. I think these might be classic French games, as we'd never come across them before. One involved tossing small metal disks into holes on a wooden table to try and get the highest score, with bonus points if you got it through the mouth of a metal frog, sat on the board. Another game involved carefully manoeuvring two pieces of string to guide a small wooden ball along a wiggly path to the top of the board, without dropping it. This was harder than it looked! The boys also enjoyed playing table tennis outside. You have to give your room number at the reception desk in order to get a loan of the equipment to play these games.
Meanwhile, the lounge at the back of the hotel lobby was a lovely place to relax with a chilled wine or a tasty cocktail at the end of a day in the park.
What about food and drink?
Whether you're after yoghurt and cereal, pastries and pancakes, or a hearty cooked breakfast, the buffet at Les Trois Hiboux had plenty on offer to fill hungry tummies before hitting the park. I was pleased to see self-service juice and hot drinks machines with a variety of tea bags on offer, as I can't start my day without at least two cups of English Breakfast tea. Odhran and Reuben loved stacking up pancakes and smothering them in Nutella. Breakfast is including in the price of the stay.
We also enjoyed the dinner buffet at Les Trois Hiboux, where there was a variety of fish, meat, pasta, vegetables and salads on offer. The boys loved the novelty of a buffet and being able to come and go and try a little of this and a little of that. The mini doughnuts and the self-serve ice-cream machine, with a choice of sweet toppings, were a hit! For a family of two adults and two kids (aged 3-11) the dinner buffet will cost around £85 in total.
During our visit, we also enjoyed an evening all-you-can-eat buffet meal at Les Berges De Seine at Les Quais De Lutèce, where there was a huge selection of food on offer. There was lots of seafood, a massive cheese station, and a large dessert counter. There were even snails, which the boys weren't brave enough to sample, but enjoyed hiding on each other's plate.
During our stay we also visited Le Cirque, within the theme park grounds for lunch. This is an all-you-can-eat buffet in the unique setting of a circus big top. This costs around £30 for an adult, and close to £11 for a child. The boys got value for money at the sweetie counter alone, where their eyes nearly popped out of their heads when they saw the giant jars filled with marshmallows and jellies. Odhran piled his plate so high with sweets that I had to wrap a couple of handfuls in a napkin for later! They also enjoyed the variety of fresh fruit on offer.
As a vegetarian, who doesn't eat fish, I found myself filling my plate with a somewhat odd combination of dauphinoise potatoes and green beans, alongside a slice of pizza, pasta salad and corn on the cob. But the food was tasty and I enjoy sampling of different flavours.
Whether you're after a buffet, a sandwich, or a fast food burgers and chips option, there are lots of food outlets within the theme park to suit all tastes and budgets. When it comes to snacks, you're looking at a cost of around £3 for a small bottle of water, around £3.50 for a soft drink and around £3.70 for an ice-lolly.
How to get there?
Budget airlines easyJet and Jet2 fly direct to Paris from the UK. But we travelled by Eurostar from London St Pancras to Gare du Nord. From here, a taxi will take about 30 minutes, and cost around £55 to £70. The best way to get to Parc Astérix by public transport is to take the RER B from Gare du Nord, and get off at the stop Aéroport Charles De Gaulle 1.
At the airport, the park operates a shuttle that runs every 30 minutes every day the park is open. Staff at bus information will be able to guide you. A single ticket costs under a tenner. Free for under 3s.
Find out more about your options in how to get to the park here
How much does it cost?
One night, plus theme park entry tickets, costs from £57 per person for a stay at Les Trois Hiboux, based on two adults and two children sharing. Buffet breakfast is included. Book here
Take a Break's verdict
Parc Astérix has such a unique identity and we loved the theming of this park - the attention to detail and the character meet-and-greets and parade. The accommodation does that rare thing for a theme park, of catering not only for kids but also considering the comfort of parents. It steers away from garish decoration and instead offers an experience that feels tranquil and relaxing. The bar at our hotel was a cosy setting that offered a selection of lovely wines and cocktails. It was a place to sit back and chill out, and the games room and outside table tennis helped to bring the sense of a family break designed for everyone to unwind. When it came to the food offerings at Parc Astérix, it was refreshing to see more than the standard offerings of nuggets and chips, pizza and tomato pasta on the menu for kids. The boys enjoyed a varied selection of fish, meats and veg during our stay.
The theme park is easy to navigate and really does have plenty to offer all ages. It has world class rides and Pegasus Express and Toutatis are two of the best theme park rides we've experienced. Another thing we loved about this theme park is that we never lost the sense of being in France. It maintains a French identity and the boys were throwing out any French words they'd learnt at school and asking me to check phrases on Google Translate. Parc Astérix is easily accessible with a shuttle bus service. So, keep an eye for low-cost flights or a deal on the Eurostar, as this world class theme park is a family break away the kids won't forget in a hurry.