Forest family hotel in Asterix theme parc near Paris

The earthy yet modern accommodation at Parc Asterix’s hotel is based in three ‘villages’ (Village des Potiers, Village des Artistes and Village des Druides) linked by footbridges. There’s a great restaurant with ground-floor terrace where you’ll enjoy the generous buffet breakfast, and there’s an added treat in store for the kids too: Astérix and his best friend Obélix not only make an appearance at breakfast but will be delighted to pose for family selfies with you! Just plan your time carefully so that you don’t miss out on a thing: you’ll need to walk the wooded trail to the theme park’s VIP entrance by 9:30am because its attractions are open to hotel guests a whole 30 minutes before gates open to the rest of the world!

Your walk to the theme park is the perfect time to tell the (excited!) kids just who this Astérix character is! Truly dear to all French children (and adults!) who’ve grown up with him, he’s France’s favourite figure of fun, hailing from ‘The Adventures of Astérix’ ‒ a comic book series about Gaulish warriors who fight the Roman Empire. And what can you expect at Parc-Astérix? Well, the fun-filled theme park in his name includes rapids, a rollercoaster, the legendary high-speed drop ‘Olympe’, dolphin shows and a fiendish swaying roman galley. With 85 acres, 40 rides and 5 shows there are simply too many attractions to mention! There’s the odd stop for ice cream too, of course – or maybe you’ll be tempted instead by a French crêpe or a gooey waffle? Whatever you choose, ordering treats is certainly the best way to encourage the kids to speak a little bit of French!

And if you can prise yourself away, discover what else Northern France has to offer while you’re here: there’s Ermenonville forest close by ‒ for an adventure at the heart of nature ‒ or you can visit ‘Potager des Princes’ gardens in nearby Chantilly; there’s a whole host of animals on site who provide no end of entertainment with their rabbit racing and chicken concerts (yes, you read that right!). It’s fun all round in Northern France!