You’re Quids In If You Choose Parc Asterix Over Eurodisney And Ferry Over Eurostar

Written by Sally Beck

Short breaks abroad need a star attraction. There’s not much point leaving the country for a few days without a specific activity in mind. But where to go and what to see that you haven’t seen and done before?

There needs to be fun for the kids, relaxation for the adults, and the break needs to be reasonably priced. If you’ve travelled much in France, the chances are that you’ve seen the signs for the Asterix theme park, which is around 30 kilometers north of Paris. It’s not as obvious a destination as Disneyland Paris, but it’s a much cheaper option in terms of park access and getting there. Plus, it’s just as much fun and much less crowded. Fewer crowds mean shorter queues. The longest we queued for a ride was 30 minutes and in many cases walked straight on, and that was during June half term weekend!

A day pass for Asterix for an adult is £35 and £26 for a child, (under threes go free) whereas Eurodisney is £51 for an adult and £46 for a child (under threes go free).

If you take your car on the DFDS Seaways (formerly Norfolkline) ferry from Dover to Dunkirk, the standard fare is £25 per car, but you can often go for as little as £15, just check regularly for special offers. The ships are all new and at these prices, you can treat yourself to a VIP upgrade which is only £12. The upgrade entitles you to use the blissfully quiet VIP lounge which serves free drinks and snacks.

Traveling by Eurostar to Paris costs around £69 per person. There is a direct train to Disneyland, but it only runs during the school holidays and you need to add around £30 to each fare. At other times, you can take another train, or hire a car but that all adds to the cost.
 
We explored the Asterix option which my daughters Bibi, 13, and Rhiana, 10, said was, “the best weekend ever.” Rhiana added: “The rides were thrilling and fantastic. It was great to be able to visit the beach and then a theme park the next day.”

Bibi said: “The hotel was fun because it had lots to do and was really close to the theme park. I loved the rides at Asterix.”

The ferry crossing from Dover to Dunkirk takes two hours. There are plenty of places to eat on board, special rooms for kids to play in and relaxing spaces for adults. The VIP lounge has two rooms. One with executive chairs and internet access and the other with armchairs, tables and a television. The kids absolutely loved this as they had a special credit card each that allowed them access. The glass sliding doors reminded them of the Starship Enterprise.

Once docked, we headed to the sandy beaches of Dunkirk where there is 15 miles of beach and all the usual beach activities, including sand yachting. Allow French time for lunch and ideally, find a restaurant with an outside space on the sea front so that the kids can play on the beach while you wait (and wait) for your food. Don’t expect Michelin star cuisine though, this is just routine fare. We ate at the seafront restaurant La Cocotte, which was opposite a kids’ trampoline (€2 per child) and the beach. The food was passable but not spectacular, and you’ll eat anything if you’ve waited long enough.

Then it’s a two hour drive to the Novotel Survilliers Saint Witz, which is just five minutes from the Asterix Parc. The kids couldn’t wait to dive into the outdoor swimming pool, then played endless table tennis, before finally haring round the extensive grounds. It costs £97 (€110) for a standard room, which accommodates two adults and two children, plus £62 (€70) for city taxes. Breakfast costs £12 (€13.90).

The Gaulish fantasy land of Asterix was a surprise. It’s a lovely theme park with the usual white knuckle roller-coasters for age of ten(ish) children and upwards. Height restrictions apply. The best was the traditionally built wooden roller-coaster dedicated to Zeus. But an engineering fault meant it broke down for 30 minutes, leaving bewildered passengers stranded halfway up a steep incline. As we were nearly at the front of the queue, (but thankfully not on the thing) it was massively frustrating, but just as we were about to give in, the ride started again.

The park is split into six worlds of the beloved French comic character. These are Gaul, the Roman Empire, Ancient Greece, The Vikings, Through the ages, and Via Antica for reasonably priced souvenirs. The French don’t fleece you for merchandise. In all the worlds there’s a mixture of roller-coasters, swingboats, long boats, water rides, and gentle carousels and boats for little ones. There are shows too. We missed the aquatic ballet performed by dolphins and sealions, possibly because it took the park receptionist 30 minutes to find our tickets...

The park opens at 10am and closes at 6pm (unless there are special night activities) but that gives you long enough to enjoy the rides and have lunch. The general consensus was that none of the kids wanted to leave, but we had to, we had a very comfortable ferry to catch.

Visit www.dfdsseaways.co.uk for ferry information.

www.novotel.com for hotel bookings and www.parcasterix.fr for theme park details.