CENTRE PARCS PARIS AND DISNEYLAND BY CAR
- Hannah Stanbra
- Apr 16
- 7 min read
If you or your clients are wanting the flexibility of driving your own car to Disneyland then read on for the details of my recent trip.
We absolutely love a road trip, been able to load the car with as much as you want without thinking about weight restrictions is a biggy, been able to take the bigger buggy instead of the lightweight travel one, and the flexibility of been able stop when we want or venture to new places to explore are all added bonuses of a road trip
If you do not live local to Folkstone I would recommend having an overnight stay there to break up the journey. We stayed at the Holiday Express Folkstone which is only a few minutes drive to Le Shuttle and serves an amazing Breakfast setting you up for the journey ahead
Le shuttle-
The earlier you book usually gets you the best rates as agents we can book commissionable rates via Direct Ferries. Arrive at least 1 hr before your booked departure
When driving in France there are some rules and regulations you need to consider
You must carry:
Hi-vis vests for every passenger (you’ll need to keep them inside the car, not the boot!)
Breathalyser tests (technically required, though the fine has been scrapped—so it’s up to you. The alcohol limit is lower than in the UK so some drivers may prefer to be on the safe side if you plan on drinking.)
Warning triangle for emergencies
Headlamp beam converters (to stop your UK headlights from dazzling other drivers on the right-hand side)
UK sticker (unless you’ve got the new number plates with the UK symbol)
Here’s a link to the European travel essentials you must have when travelling by car
ALSO France is super strict on speed camera warnings. If your sat nav has alerts for speed cameras, make sure to turn them off before you go, as they’re illegal there. You don’t want to get caught out by that one!
The crossing literally takes 35 minutes use this time to prepare your car for driving in France and set your speedometer to km/h
Arriving in France:
Once you’re off the Tunnel in Calais, you’re straight onto the motorway, and the signs for Paris (and Disneyland!) are clearly marked. You could be at the parks in 3 hours – it’s such an easy drive with plenty of stop offs on the way for toilet breaks or fuel and snack top ups
Tolls:
Most of the French motorways (autoroutes) are toll roads, and you’ll need to pay as you go. From Calais to Disneyland Paris, you’re looking at around €22-25 in tolls each way, so be sure to have your payment handy.
The toll booths accept both cash or card, and it’s usually a simple process—just drive up, take a ticket when you enter the motorway, and pay at the booth when you exit the toll portion of the motorway.
TOP TIP The toll ticket window is designed for cars with the steering wheel on the left! So if you don’t have someone riding next to you, you might need to get out of your car to pay.
Fuel Costs
As for fuel, you’ll need to factor in petrol or diesel for the trip.
We used about one tank of fuel from Calais to Disneyland Paris and back. That costs around €80 depending on your car and fuel prices.
Of course, prices vary, but it’s a good ballpark figure to budget for.
Check your insurance and road side assistance for European driving
If you are planning on driving into Paris you will also need to apply for a Crit’Air sticker it’s really straight forward to apply online however if you intend to drive to the Disney area and back this is not required
For more information on the rules have a read here
ARRIVING AT CENTRE PARCS:
Villages Nature, what a fabulous place to say it’s so close to Disney you really do feel you’re in the middle of nowhere surrounded by lots of greenery and wild life. It was not what I expected at all, it has such a chilled and calm feel to it. There’s an app where you can book all your activities on such as pony riding, chocolate making, stuffed teddy making, Bowling etc. We didn’t book anything prior to going and actually there’s a lot of things to do for little ones that don’t require bookings, such as the farm, indoor and outdoor play, swimming and plenty of nature trails and walks around the parc. It’s hard to compare to the UK centre Parcs as it has been so long since I visited with our now adult children but my thoughts are it’s so much quieter than the UK Parcs and perhaps not as many activities but to me it’s the perfect combo if you are intending to visit Disneyland. The best thing about this
Parc is definitely the swimming pools it is HUGE and so much to do no matter what age or swimming ability and even better the pools are heated to a lovely temperature in the winter months the indoor temps min 30 deg and outside pools and lazy river a lovely 34 deg. The pools are linked so no getting cold to go between the indoor and outdoor areas. Towels can be rented for €5 or take your own, life vests for children are free and the life guards are really great and will help make sure your little ones are in the correct size, lockers are operated by your wristband as are all the activities and it’s how you get into you accommodation
Bars, shops and restaurants:
I was pleasantly surprised with the prices here. The supermarket is really no different to home and has everything you could possibly need. Having your own facilities in your rooms here is great so stock up on snacks, drinks, alcohol and things for breakfast in the mornings.
The restaurants vary in price so you can eat a la carte, street food/fast food there is plenty of choice. The Italian ‘Vapino’ was our favourite, kids pizza drink and dessert €13 and main menu Pizza from €14 and they did an amazing Risotto for €13.50. All the restaurants serve alcoholic drink and cocktails too and you can sit outside most of them when the weathers fine and just order drinks. A large pint was €9 Cocktails €10 Glass of wine €7
Accommodation:
We stayed in a 2 bedroom cottage, the cottages are located on the edge of the parc so can be a decent walk to get to the centre, some hire bikes or golf buggies to get around. There are also Apartments which are located around and above the activity centre so if you like to be where the action is these are ideal
Top tip: Follow the directions to the Davy Crocket Ranch it is literally next door unfortunately the satnav directions will take you to the visitor centre of the park not the overnight stays check in
DISNEYLANDS SANTA FE HOTEL:
As with all Disney onsite hotels download the app when you book and your magic passes will be available on the app (add to your wallet on your phone to make accessing your passes easier when entering the parks) you can also book all your meals and character dinings here. Staying at a Disney onsite hotel gives you the Disney extra magic time in the parks but the biggest advantage is that the onsite hotels are within walking Distance to the parks so if you want to go back for a freshen up in the afternoons this is easy to do, the security queue also is a lot quieter than the main entrance one & you also don’t have the chaos of the shuttle buses when the parks close which can be a bit manic especially if you have a pushchair
The Santa Fe is the Cars themed hotel one of the cheapest onsite hotels. I often get asked is it worth paying the extra for the Newport Bay or Marvel Hotel …and the Disneyland Hotel, but let’s be honest you cannot compare a 5* newly renovated hotel with any other if you love complete Luxury then of course Disneyland Hotel is for you but for us I’ll save my money for the 5* Beach Resorts considering the time you spend in the hotel here. Sooo on this stay we decided to see for ourselves what the budget hotels have to offer and honestly they’re great. Rooms are spacious and clean, all have a Bar, Restaurant, Shop and Character Meet and Greet all offer the shuttle buses but so easy to walk to and from the parks. You can eat and drink at any Disney Hotel and booking the restaurants is very easy on the app.
So it’s a YES from us to go with a budget hotel we genuinely didn’t find much of a difference between the Newport Bay and the Santa Fe, I personally find all Disney hotels are a little dated with decor but that’s Disney it is traditional and themed. The Marvel hotel if you want more modern would be better suited but I personally didn’t feel it’s necessary if you are into Disney all the hotels are great. We did venture over to the Cheyenne (literally across the river from Santa Fe) for their all you can eat buffet and it’s was really good, these are great value for money at approx £30 per adult & £20 per child or included if you do the dining options.
So to conclude it’s a big thumbs up from us for the Santa Fe and the Villages Nature Centre Parcs
DISNEYLAND PARIS & DISABILITIES:
You can apply for Disney Priority card for children or adults with Disabilities
We applied for our access card prior to arriving and you can collect from you Disney hotel concierge desk or City Hall at the parks. This was the first time we have used something like this on our holidays and honestly it was amazing, you skip the queues and rides and shows, just show your access card to the staff and they will direct you. The shows was the best use of this card for us as you have spacious areas near the exits but room for your wheelchair or pushchairs and if you do need to leave and it gets a bit much you can easily do this with our disruption to anyone else. You also get to access priority viewing areas for the fireworks and the Parade. We didn’t use for the fireworks and chose to watch from the bottom of main street the view is still great and not as busy and easier for a quick exit. We did however use the pass for the parade and in all honesty you felt like animals crammed into a small roped off area and you had to get there around 30 mins before the parade so the boredom of waiting had well and truly kicked in before it even started. We wished we had viewed from the bottom of Main Street as a lot less crowded, but other than that for the rides and shows it’s really worth applying for
See link below for list of what disabilities are accepted and what proof you require
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