My 10-year-old son Odhran kicks up a rust-coloured cloud of dust as he races over the rim of a giant crater, towards a space rover and what looks to be a small alien craft. This is the foreground of Station Cosmos - a four-star hotel with a space outpost aesthetic. It's like a Mars-based movie set, and at night, the dramatic lighting adds to the world-building. We haven't even entered Futuroscope's main theme park area and we already feel transported to another planet.
Located in Chasseneuil-du-Poitou and around a 20-minute drive from Poitiers Airport, Futuroscope's rural positioning perfectly complements its otherworldly aesthetic, as the park's ultra-modern architecture becomes a focal point on the flat landscape.
A short walk and we're standing for the obligatory photo by the entrance sign. Then it's through the turnstiles and the difficult decision of which attraction to visit first. Futuristic architecture obscures the rides inside. Unlike most theme parks, where you can see on arrival what each attraction entails, at Futuroscope you're met with a sci-fi landscape of glass, steel and geometric shapes - adding to the sense of intrigue.
The rides and attractions
There are more than 40 attractions at Futuroscope but only two of these are rollercoasters. Objectif Mars (or Destination Mars) is a family rollercoaster with a minimum height of 1.1m to ride accompanied by an adult. The concept of this indoor/outdoor ride is that the rider is on a rigorous astronaut training programme. We loved the immersive element to this ride with the on-screen robots and special effects. Then there was the thrill of being launched along the track in spinning carriages, before a surprise vertical drop.
Then there's Mission Bermudes - a hybrid water rollercoaster. This is another family-friendly ride with a minimum height of 1.05m to ride accompanied by an adult. This ride takes you on an exciting rescue mission. The language barrier meant we couldn't fully understand the story but this didn't make it any less enjoyable. It's a really clever design with parts of the track submerged in the water so you can't always tell which way you're going or what's coming next. Rapids, a whirlpool and a vertical lift before a 15 metre plunge, make this a really engaging and thrilling ride.
But what's unique about Futuroscope as a theme park is that it's not all about rollercoasters. Instead, it combines science with cinema, simulators, and immersive experiences. Tornado Chasers is a multi-award-winning ride, placing you at the heart of a storm. Watch the action unfold on the world's largest indoor LED surround screen, while the 120-person platform rises, falls tilts and spins, sweeping you away in a whirlwind experience. Another highlight is Dances with Robots, where you climb aboard a nine-metre-high robot and get spun around and upside down to the synchronised sound of DJ beats. This was the busiest ride during our visit. Expect average queue times between 25-45 minutes, but it can be longer during the summer and French school holiday dates.
Futuroscope offers fun 3D and 4D attractions, including a 'flying theatre' experience (a bit like Flight of the Sky Lion for anyone who has been to LEGOLAND Windsor) and we loved the humorous train ride through different periods in time with the mischievous Raving Rabbids (gibberish speaking rabbits with mannerisms like the Minions). We couldn't resist purchasing a souvenir rabbit plushie from one of the gift shops.
Alongside the bigger rides, Odhran enjoyed some the simpler attractions and mechanical designs, such as The Centrifuge - where you harness yourself into a circular carriage that you can then operate to swing yourself frontwards, backwards and upside down, and The Pendulum - another self-operated ride, where a two-person carriage is hauled to the top of a V-shaped track and released, using gravity to then swing you back and forth like a pendulum.
Futuroscope is full of unique attractions and every corner you turn, you stumble upon something unexpected. We had a laugh in the Upside Down House, a gravity-defying walk-through attraction.
There were school trips at the theme park during our visit, as it's a fun way to teach kids about science and technology. They can learn about motion and forces, physics and outer space. But there's also a lot about Earth and our ecosystems, and one of my favourite attractions was Antarctica, which highlights how this continent plays a vital role for the planet. It's shown in IMAX Laser 4k technology for a fully immersive experience. Bring headphones so you can listen to it in English, narrated by Benedict Cumberbatch. You'll need to download the free ListenWIFI app before your visit and connect to the wifi for this particular attraction (not the general Futuroscope wifi).
Food and drink
Futuroscope is all about theatre, immersive experiences and optical illusions, and the dining experiences live up to the theming. We visited Space Loop rollercoaster restaurant. After ordering our food and drinks on tabletop touchscreens, we watched it whizz along tracks and down spiral rails before arriving at our table. I couldn't resist the unique blue burger offering.
At L'Atelier des Saveurs, we enjoyed table service, while surrounded by unusual props related to attractions around the park, such as print of Mona Lisa with a bunny rabbit head, and an astronaut on arrival. There was music from a virtual band, and dessert was a solar system of ice-cream and sorbets or a chocolate sphere served with a theatrical dry ice effect.
I'd recommend an apéritif at Le Bar des Pilotes (The Pilot's Bar) at the space-themed Station Cosmos Hotel. Odhran loved all the Star Wars props in this lounge bar, and there's a terrace with a spacecraft for photo opportunities. Again, there was great attention to theming and my rum-based cocktail came served in a test tube.
Accommodation
We stayed at Hôtel Ecolodgee, a short walk from the theme park entrance. This is a nature-themed village of wooden lodges overlooking a large pond. Our lodge had a double bed and separate kids area with two single beds. The bathroom had a large shower and basic toiletries. There was a hair dryer but frustratingly the plug didn't fit the socket. Towel and bed linen were provided, but there was no mini-fridge if you wanted to keep anything cool. There was no kettle with teas/coffee, but bottled water was provided. Also, there was wifi but no air con (though we didn't need this during our early June visit).
Each lodge has its own little terrace, where you can sit and eat your breakfast, which is delivered every morning in a basket. Our basket contained a flask of hot chocolate (or you could choose tea or coffee), a glass bottle of fresh orange juice, mini ciabattas with strawberry and apricot jam, a pain au chocolat for me, a ham and cheese sandwich for Odhran, yoghurt and jars of pureed fruit.
Our lodge was right by the water, and we loved spotting the ducks waddling round outside. But the biggest thrill was the frogs! While they made quite a racket at night (I think it must have been mating season), Odhran loved pushing the reeds apart and counting how many frogs he could find. There were loads, from well-camouflaged dark brown ones to a bright green variety. Both mornings before we left Ecolodgee and on the evenings when we returned, Odhran was frog-spotting by the pond.
How do I get to Futuroscope?
Ryanair operates direct flights from London Stansted to Poitiers. The flight is approximately 1hr 30mins. From Poitiers it's a 20 minute taxi ride to Futuroscope.
How much does it cost?
Prices for a family of four start from £774 for two nights stay at Hotel Ecolodgee and three days at Futuroscope. This includes tickets for Aquascope. Book here or find out more here