Efteling was the family vacation we didn’t know we needed. After opting for an intense 7 day cruise last year, Javi and I wanted to try a slower-paced trip this summer break with our 4-year-old twins. When Javi suggested taking the kids to Efteling, a theme park in Holland, I was hesitant; as a Floridian who’s been to some of the world’s most popular theme parks, that was NOT my idea of a relaxing vacation. I had some preconceived notions of what Efteling might be like in June; hot, crowded, long lines, and expensive. However, I’m happy to report the park completely exceeded my expectations and I would 100% recommend this trip to anyone with small children. Here’s a few reasons why we loved it:
- Affordable: Efteling tickets cost around 40 – 50€ per person per day. Food inside the park was reasonably priced (hello 9€ kids meals) and you’re allowed to bring food and drink with you. Hotels in the area are reasonably priced and there’s ample public transport options.
- Limited lines: It took us less than 5 minutes to get through ‘security’ into the park and we enjoyed 80% of the attractions without queuing. Most of the rides where we wait din line were 10 minutes or less, save for the most 3 – 4 most popular rides in the park which took 30/40 minutes. We used the alarm in the app to notify us when the wait was less than 10, 20, 30 minutes etc. for specific rides to save time too.
- Lots of greenery: The park is nestled within a large wooded area, so there’s plenty of shade and opportunity to simply enjoy being outside.
- Fairytale themes: The characters and attractions at Efteling are inspired by well-known fairy tales; there was everything from Little Red Riding Hood, to fairies, to fire breathing dragons. Even though we weren’t familiar with the parks’ mascot and characters, it didn’t impact our experience negatively in any way.
We loved exploring Sprookjesbos!
When is the best time of year to visit Efteling?
We visited Efteling the last week of June, once the kids got out of school in Spain. I would recommend the second half of June as the ideal time to visit for a few reasons:
- Dutch kids are in school until July; keep in mind you’ll encounter end of school year student groups on weekdays but most of them left fairly early.
- The weather was ideal at this time of year; 70 – 75°F (21 – 24°C) and overcast. Comfortable to walk around with or without a light jacket, and if the sun popped out you could find shade under the greenery.
- Prices are cheaper before school gets out; we got cheaper flights, cheaper hotels, and park entrances are slightly cheaper the earlier in June you book. I would also try to go during the week if possible as opposed to the weekend; we went Friday and Saturday with Friday being noticeably less crowded.
How many days should you spend in Efteling?
I’m glad we stayed two full days, but I would have also been content with one day at the park. If you’ve got spare time I’d go for two days so that you don’t feel rushed to see everything. Depending on when you go, the park is open from 10am to 10pm (but tends to closer earlier in the low season e.g. 6pm). We walked 20,000 steps (around 16 km) both days at the park. Note, you can rent wooden strollers for smaller kids at the park for just 5€ a day. Our hotel also rented wagons for 9€ a day.
All smiles on the back of a snail
Should you stay at the hotels inside Efteling?
When I compared prices we decided to book accommodation outside the park. I found a great deal through another travel blogger who recommended GuestHouse Hotel Kaatsheuvel. We booked their 2 day package which included 3 nights at the hotel, free breakfast, entrances to the park for 2 days, and free cancellation. We had a fantastic experience at the hotel; there were tons of play spaces dedicated to the kids, the staff was nice, the room was comfortable, and the park was literally a 10 minute walk from the hotel. From what I read online, the main advantage to staying in the park hotels is access to swimming pools and you get early entrance to the park (30 minutes) in the morning. But those factors didn’t justify the cost difference for me…I might have considered it had we visited it in July or August though.
You can see Symbolica (our favorite ride) in the background!
What’s the best age for kids to visit Efteling?
Based on our experience, I’d say kids aged 4 to 13 is the ideal age range for enjoying Efteling. My twins (who turn 5 next month) were able to enjoy almost all of the attractions at the park save for the most intense roller coasters. The rides at Efteling are broken into the following categories:
- Suitable for little ones / the entire family
- Must be at least 100cm tall to ride
- Must be at least 110cm tall to ride
- Must be at least 120cm tall to ride
- Must be at least 132cm tall to ride
The majority of attractions we visited were suitable for the entire family, however I’m glad my kids are over 110cm tall because we discovered their love of roller coasters on this trip. 😂 That being said, our favorite attractions like Droomvlucht, Symbolica and Sprookjesbos were suitable for all ages. If you’ve got both big and little kids in your family there are plenty of attractions for smaller children like 2 – 3 years old (playgrounds, carousels, etc) and if you’ve got exclusively bigger kids I’d take advantage of the ‘single riders’ line; you can skip all the queues and get on the rides directly when there’s an extra seat. I saw families with big kids (who didn’t mind riding alone) doing this and thought it was a smart idea.
My kids made me ride that giant wooden roller coaster with them…
What’s the best way to get to Efteling?
We flew into Eindhoven Airport airport because it appeared to be the closest to Efteling (and there were direct flights from Seville). If we had flown into Amsterdam or another city I doubt we would have had issues getting to the park as the trains and buses in Holland are well connected. We considered renting a car but because we planned to stay in larger cities after Efteling we decided to rely on taxis and public transport to avoid dealing with finding parking. I booked a taxi via booking.com prior to our arrival to take us from Eindhoven Airport to Efteling and used Uber for our return to the airport from Den Bosch.
Sweet treats on every corner
What languages are spoken at Efteling?
While all the staff we encountered spoke English, the country’s primary language is Dutch. This means Dutch is used in all of the rides and live shows. I was worried the language barrier might negatively impact our experience, but the only time it really bothered me was listening to the talking trees in Sprookjesbos (I was dying to know what they were saying)…it didn’t seem to phase the kids at all! Leo and Noa especially enjoyed Raveleijn (Efteling’s live show) because you can fight fire-breathing dragons in any language. 😜
I was *the most* excited about the talking trees
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