Beat the queues at a 4* Parc-Astérix hotel with family rooms

Why stay over? Well, if you’re packing for a day out, organising the family and driving to the theme park all before it opens, there’s a good chance you poor grown-ups will be exhausted before you even get there! Be tempted instead to stay overnight at this Parc-Astérix hotel, where you can revel in the anticipation, enjoy a drink in the Gaulish bar, treat yourselves to a family meal in the hotel restaurant and, in the morning, enjoy a humongous buffet breakfast, fuelling you with all the stamina you’ll need for the exciting day ahead. The icing on the cake is that as guests of a Parc-Astérix hotel you’ll get beat-the-queues VIP access to the theme park after breakfast ‒ a full half an hour before the gates open to the general public.

And staying overnight at the Parc-Astérix hotel isn’t just a savvy move but an exciting one too ‒ as you’ll discover when the kids first clap eyes on the place. Have we travelled back in time, you’ll wonder? Are we on a film set? Is Astérix going to appear around the next corner? Well, yes he does actually ‒ the first of many selfie opportunities during your family weekend break ‒ and with the tall, wooden riverside buildings clustered around the reconstructed Seine river, your Parc-Astérix hotel has truly captured the spirit of ‘Lutèce’ ‒ the old name for Paris.

And the natural, earthy, woody tones characterise the hotel interior too, the family rooms striking that clever balance between making you feel you’re in a historical setting yet with all the comforts of the 21st century too. Whilst the kids will love the bunkbeds, you’ll love all the mod cons of a 4* hotel from the walk-in shower and air con to wifi, a queen size bed and mini-bar.

Whatever your thrill threshold, there’s something for everyone inside the theme park itself, from the Grand Splatch log flume and Pégase Express high-speed train right through to the rip-roaring rapids and hair-raising rollercoasters. With 40 rides and 5 shows, you’re so going to need to pit-stop every now and again for an ice cream, a crepe or Northern France’s firm favourite: a lovely warm ‘gaufre’ (waffle).

And when you want to come back down to earth, there’s plenty more fun to be had in Northern France on your family weekend break. Chantilly for example ‒ only a 25-minute drive away ‒ is home to ‘Potager des Princes’ where adults appreciate the lovely gardens and kids are amused by the fun animals on the farm, more low-key than Parc-Astérix of course but still… Fantastique!