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Five great amusement parks to take the family to in Italy

From a glimpse of the prehistoric, to water parks, Europe's fastest ride, Italy in miniature and an island of dolphins, there's plenty of options for holidays with children in Italy this Summer.

Published: 17 July 2018 17:28 CEST
Five great amusement parks to take the family to in Italy
The 'Katun' ride at Mirabilandia. Photo: inna_g/Depositphotos
It's one of the pressing questions every family with children faces each Summer: How to plan a holiday that will allow the right detente for parents and enough amusement for the children?
 
Italy has the largest haul of World Heritage Sites than any other country in the world, but crumbling monuments in the blistering heat aren't necessarily every young person's dream. Italy's beaches have something for everyone, but finding a free spot for four towels can be a challenging affair. 
 
To make planning for this Summer's holiday in Italy a little easier, we've put together a review of some of the country's favourite amusement parks to keep the little ones happy. 
 
1) Mirabilandia, amusement park, Ravenna (Emilia Romagna)
 
Mirabilandia, literally 'wonderland,' is probably Italy's most famous amusement park. Boasting 36 attractions and rides, Mirabilandia claims to have Europe's best inverted coaster which will allow you and your kids (stomach bowels allowing) to “travel at 110 km/h, for 1.200 metres, with 360° loops.” 
 
 
Not all rides are as sickeningly thrilling however, with attractions split into three categories: Intense, moderate and soft. Other highlights include a journey around 'Dinoland' and a water park. Mirabilandia has on-site hotels, stores and restaurants and is only eight kilometres from Ravenna Airport. 
 
Tickets: There are various ticket options, but a 2-day pass for 2 adults and 2 children in July is €99. 
 
Getting there: Train to Ravenna and then the 176 bus to Mirabilandia. 
 
App: Yes. 
 
2) Leolandia, amusement park, Bergamo (Lombardy)
 
 
Leolandia, in Lombardy – northern Italy – is a Mirabilandia competitor, although it claims to be “nr.1 among theme parks in Italy.” The vast amusement park encompasses six key areas and 40 different rides. Ideal for younger children, the park includes a pirate ship adventure, a life-size Thomas the Tank Engine train, a water ride based on a design by Leonardo da Vinci – as well as more traditional rides. Leolandia also has on-site restaurants, bars, hotels and stores. Leolandia's 'Mini Italia' features 160 Italian monuments in miniature, saving you the time of criss-crossing Italy to see them all. 
 
Tickets: €29.50 – €39.50, depending on the season and day. 
 
Getting there: The Leolandia Express bus shuttle departs from different stops in the northern Italian cities of Bergamo and Milan. 
 
App: No. 
 
3) Parco della Preistoria (NB: site not available in English), educational park, Cremona (Lombardy)
 
For fans of Jurassic Park and paleontology. Spread over an area of 100 hectares on the banks of the Adda river, 25 kilometres outside of Milan, the park features more than 50 life-size prehistoric animals – dinosaurs, amphibians, fish.
 
This is more of a learning experience than some of the other amusement parks, although the sight of a T-Rex is sure sure to cause its own thrills. The park does not offer accommodation. 
 
Tickets: Adults, €12. Children, €9. 
 
Getting there: From Milan, take metro Line 3 to the end of the line, San Donato Milanese. From there take the bus service 'Autoguidovie Linea Extraurbana' K 512 – K 511 in the direction of Vailate. Get off at the post office in Via Matteotti – the park is then a 500-metre walk away. 
 
App: No. 
 
4) Zoomarine (NB: website not available in English), water park, Rome (Lazio)
 
Besides unusual water rides (including the opportunity to travel inside a shark), Zoomarine, a water theme park and maritime educational park outside of Rome, boasts a dolphin island, a forest of parrots, a beach of penguins, aquatic birds and an oasis of turtles. 
 

 
Other attractions include a jet surf, a beach, several pools and water slides and the oddly-named 'harakiri' ride. 
 
Tickets: Adults, €25. Children, €23. A family ticket for 4, including all-you-can-eat buffet, is €88. 
 
Getting there: Zoomarine provides a shuttle bus from Roma Termini, the main train station in Rome, on weekends and public holidays only. Tickets can be purchased onboard – there is one departure per day on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays at 9.30am, returning at 5pm. 
 
App: No. 
 
5) Italia in Miniatura, replica of Italy in miniature, Rimini (Emilia Romagna)
 
An obligatory school outing for most Italian school children, 'Italia in Miniatura' (Italy in Miniature) hosts 270 monuments, palaces and famous Italian sites, surrounded by 5,000 miniature trees, all lumped together on a replica of Italy's boot-like shape. Look down on the Tower of Pisa, Milan's cathedral, the Vatican and more. 
 

 
The park also features Europe in Miniature, with 30 tiny replicas of classic continental monuments such as the Acropolis, the Eiffel Tower and Copenhagen's Little Mermaid. 
 
Tickets: Adults, €23. Children, €17. A family ticket for 4, including all-you-can-eat buffet, is €88. 
 
Getting there: Take bus number 8 from Rimini train station, or the Navetta Costa Parchi, a shuttle bus, from several coastal towns near Rimini. 
 
App: No. 

 
In most cases the reduction for children is defined by a height below 140cm, not by age. 
 

TRAVEL NEWS

German train strike wave to end following new labour agreement

Germany's Deutsche Bahn rail operator and the GDL train drivers' union have reached a deal in a wage dispute that has caused months of crippling strikes in the country, the union said.

Published: 26 March 2024 09:55 CET
German train strike wave to end following new labour agreement

“The German Train Drivers’ Union (GDL) and Deutsche Bahn have reached a wage agreement,” GDL said in a statement.

Further details will be announced in a press conference on Tuesday, the union said. A spokesman for Deutsche Bahn also confirmed that an agreement had been reached.

Train drivers have walked out six times since November, causing disruption for huge numbers of passengers.

The strikes have often lasted for several days and have also caused disruption to freight traffic, with the most recent walkout in mid-March.

In late January, rail traffic was paralysed for five days on the national network in one of the longest strikes in Deutsche Bahn’s history.

READ ALSO: Why are German train drivers launching more strike action?

Europe’s largest economy has faced industrial action for months as workers and management across multiple sectors wrestle over terms amid high inflation and weak business activity.

The strikes have exacerbated an already gloomy economic picture, with the German economy shrinking 0.3 percent across the whole of last year.

What we know about the new offer so far

Through the new agreement, there will be optional reduction of a work week to 36 hours at the start of 2027, 35.5 hours from 2028 and then 35 hours from 2029. For the last three stages, employees must notify their employer themselves if they wish to take advantage of the reduction steps.

However, they can also opt to work the same or more hours – up to 40 hours per week are possible in under the new “optional model”.

“One thing is clear: if you work more, you get more money,” said Deutsche Bahn spokesperson Martin Seiler. Accordingly, employees will receive 2.7 percent more pay for each additional or unchanged working hour.

According to Deutsche Bahn, other parts of the agreement included a pay increase of €420 per month in two stages, a tax and duty-free inflation adjustment bonus of €2,850 and a term of 26 months.

Growing pressure

Last year’s walkouts cost Deutsche Bahn some €200 million, according to estimates by the operator, which overall recorded a net loss for 2023 of €2.35 billion.

Germany has historically been among the countries in Europe where workers went on strike the least.

But since the end of 2022, the country has seen growing labour unrest, while real wages have fallen by four percent since the start of the war in Ukraine.

German airline Lufthansa is also locked in wage disputes with ground staff and cabin crew.

Several strikes have severely disrupted the group’s business in recent weeks and will weigh on first-quarter results, according to the group’s management.

Airport security staff have also staged several walkouts since January.

Some politicians have called for Germany to put in place rules to restrict critical infrastructure like rail transport from industrial action.

But Chancellor Olaf Scholz has rejected the calls, arguing that “the right to strike is written in the constitution… and that is a democratic right for which unions and workers have fought”.

The strikes have piled growing pressure on the coalition government between Scholz’s Social Democrats, the Greens and the pro-business FDP, which has scored dismally in recent opinion polls.

The far-right AfD has been enjoying a boost in popularity amid the unrest with elections in three key former East German states due to take place later this year.

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