The unusual theme park based on volcanoes just two hours from the UK – with rollercoaster and new immersive attraction
HAVE you every wanted to visit a a theme park where rides and volcanoes go hand-in-hand?
If you have, Vulcania is where you need to be because volcanoes are the heart( or core) of it all.
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You'll find the unique park in Auvergne - coincidentally, the region in France renowned for having 450 dormant volcanoes.
The biggest and most well-known is Chaîne des Puys, a chain of 80 volcanoes that stretches over 21 miles.
And the park was designed to educate visitors on volcanoes - and have fun doing it.
A new attraction that has been added to Vulcania added this year is a new immersive experience with four parts.
The first uses interactive mapping technology which allows visitors to immerse themselves into the land of colvanoes.
Another is a film dedicated to two volcanologists, the third is an interactive animation that delves into climate change.
And the fourth, is a night-time show where the whole of Vulcania lights up - so you'll have to stay until closing for this one.
For anyone seeking more thrills, there is a rollercoaster called Namazu which stands at 52.5 feet tall and covers 584 meters of track.
It reaches speeds of 42.8 mile per hour and was named Best New Attraction in Europe at the Parksmania Awards 2021.
Other rides include the Abyss Explorer where you can explore underwater volcanoes, another is gives visitors an immersive bird's-eye view over the top.
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There's another attraction with a dragon, and quite a terrifying imagination of what would happen is the volcanoes in the region became active.
For anyone more interested in the facts, you can hear from scientists who will hold exhibitions at the theme park who are more than happy to answer all your questions.
If space is what tickles your fancy then you can learn all about that too as Vulcania is home to the biggest planetarium in France.
It has a huge 22-metre dome and can hold over 300 people at once.
Inside it holds laser shows, workshops and documentaries.
Since it opened in 2002, Vulcania has welcome over seven million visitors.
One visitor wrote on Tripadvisor: "A crazy Attraction, home screen theatrical movies, dynamic seating 4D animations, stunning special effects and an educational space full of models and presentations."
Another added: "Everything is educational but with a real fun element."
The easiest way for Brits to get to Vulcania, is by flying to Clermot-Ferrand.
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You can do this by flying from London Stansted which takes just one hour 45 minutes and flights are as cheap as £29 with Ryanair.
Once in Clermont-Ferrand, it's then a 40-minute drive to the theme park.
Or, jump on a shuttle bus to Vulcania which offers return journeys for €3.20 (£2.76) from five towns in France including Clermont-Ferrand and Orcines.
Tickets for entry into the park on the day costs €32.50 per adult (£28) and €27 (£23.26) for children aged six to 16.
If you pre-book your ticket, then this comes down to €27 (£23.26) and €22 (£18.95) for child aged six to 16.
Plus, a UK based theme park is about to get a revamp in the form of a whole new land.
Next time you visit a theme park, you may want to use our top tips to make the most of your adrenaline-inducing day out.
- Go to the back of the theme park first. Rides at the front will have the longest queues as soon as it opens.
- Go on water rides in the middle of the day in the summer - this will cool you off when the sun is at its hottest.
- Download the park's app to track which rides have the shortest queues.
- Visit on your birthday, as some parks give out "birthday badges" that can get you freebies.
- If it rains, contact the park. Depending on how much it rained, you may get a free ticket to return.
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