Sharing is caring!

We spent an incredible 3 nights and 2.5 days at Puy du Fou near Nantes in France. It was absolutely incredible and in this post I try and answer all the questions you sent me on social media whilst we were there!

First things first – You need to book a trip to Puy du Fou.

Second thing – You need to book a trip to Puy du Fou soon. You will love it and will want to return again and again.

Thirdly – Puy du Fou is really not that far from the UK so you’ve got no excuse. Do it on a trip to France, make a weekend of it, just get yourselves there. You won’t regret it.

Video Review of Puy du Fou

What did we love about Puy du Fou so much?

We loved the pure spectacle of it. At times we were open mouthed with amazement. Did that really happen? Did that viking ship come out of the water, did that horse? Are they really going to flood that entire stage with water and make it look like the sea – oh they are – of course they are.

We spent hours talking about how what they had done was possible. We debated with the girls what had happened on stage and they talked excitedly about everything we had seen. We loved the explosions and the light shows and the pure extravagansa of the whole thing.

I’d read other reviews of the park before we went but it’s truly impossible to quite explain what it is you will see. If you have an imagination of any sort and love a huge show, you can’t help but be bewitched by this place.

You can pop over to see my Instagram Story highlights of the 3 days we spent at Puy du Fou or watch this video we made that tries to capture the essence of the place!

Is everything included at Puy du Fou?

This was a question I was asked via Instagram whilst we were staying at Puy du Fou. Whilst all the drinks and meals are extra, you don’t pay anything additional for any of the shows or interactive walk throughs after that, you just turn up and head in. It’s genuinely great value for money and we have some tips on how to keep other costs down further down this post too.

Is Puy du Fou all in French?

Yes it is. It’s all in French and I can see why at first that can be a bit off putting to English speakers, even those with a spattering of GCSE French in their back pocket. However don’t be put off by that – you can listen to translations of all the main shows via the Puy du Fou app but most of the time you’ll just want to be watching anyway. It’s a feast for the eyes, the music is incredible and at times you’ll forget it’s French that’s being spoken as you’re swept up in the moment.

So where is Puy Du Fou?

Puy du Fou is a historical theme park in Les Epesses (between Cholet and La Roche-sur-Yon) in the heart of the Vendée region of Western France.  It’s an hour from Nantes airpot and around a 4 hour drive from Paris.

It’s an hour from Nantes airport and we flew into there from Liverpool (flights only £240 for all 5 of us return in August!) and then hired a car to drive from the airport to Puy du Fou.

If you fly into Nantes airport, select ‘avoid toll’ in google maps or on the car’s sat nav as the non-tolled route is easily as quick as the tolled route. In fact I think it might be quicker.

There is also free parking for camper vans during the day. Overnight parking from 1am – 7am costs €10 per night (a bargain). Electricity and water are available on site.

You can get to Puy du Fou by train and shuttle bus but Angers TGV railway station is 1½ hours from Paris and the shuttle bus between Angers TGV railway station takes another 1½ hours and only runs 3x daily. So it is doable but could take some time.

When is Puy du Fou open?

Puy du Fou is open from April to November. Check the website for the most up-to-date information on opening and prices, pick your time of year to visit carefully and consider what’s important to you.

When is the best time to visit Puy du Fou?

When is the best time to visit Puy du Fou is a really tricky question to answer as there are lots of variables. We visited in August 2019, the weather was really hot on one day and it made watching a few of the shows quite difficult as you sat in direct heat and sunlight. However the shows at Puy du Fou do go on whatever the weather and the next day we sat watching the end of another show in torrential rain!

August is probably the busiest time of the year for trips to Puy Du Fou and whilst I wouldn’t suggest you avoid it completely at this time – I would suggest booking in advance and purchasing the Emotion passes, but more on those later.

Buying tickets for Puy Du Fou?

Tickets are cheaper 72 hours beforehand but I’d suggest that if you can you book much further in advance to make sure you can book the emotion pass if you want it, tickets to Cinéscénie (again if you wish to) and or meals on site.

What is Cinéscénie and why do you want to see it?

Cinéscénie is still the biggest night-time show in the world – performed by over 4,000 volunteers, to audiences of 14,000 in high-season. All in French (though translation headsets are available) and it sells out all the time!

Cinéscénie is the show that started Puy du Fou. In 1978 the founder, Phillippe de Villiers, discovered the Puy du Fou Chateau and decided to stage a show in its grounds. Today, Cinéscénie is performed on 23 hectares and involves 4,000 volunteer actors, 130 horse riders, 80 technicians, 30 free-flying drones, 850 fireworks and some 28,000 costumes to create a spectacle like no other. 

La Cinéscénie takes all the highlights from the daytime shows and then adds more incredible stunts and special effects to tell the story of the Maupillier family from the Middle Ages through to the Second World War. It starts with a family sitting around a table who tell their son that the eldest Maupillier son is always called Jacques, which leads the young boy on an adventure back in time to follow the adventures of his namesakes.

It’s as with the rest of the shows a multi sensory spectacular.

Cinéscénie Tickets

Cinéscénie tickets an extra €28 on top of park admission usually sell out months in advance. There are currently no tickets available for Cinéscénie for 2019. Tickets for 2020 are likely to go on sale in October 2019 but do check the website for up to date information.

You can get discounted tickets if you buy it as a combined ticket with park entry and/or accommodation packages too.

Should we visit Cinéscénie with kids?

Cinéscénie costs €28 on top of park admission whether you are adult or child. You pay for the seat. Whilst it is well worth it for adults, the show doesn’t start until 10pm (it has to start when it’s dark) and is around 1 hour 1/2 long. Finishing just before midnight, and it’s well after when you get out of the huge stadium.

We chose not to visit Cinéscénie with our children aged nearly 8 and nearly 9 as we knew we would have had incredibly long and busy days in the park and they would need to sleep. We were also watching the shorter light show on the lake on the Thursday evening which finished at 10.30pm. I took them back to the hotel whilst Matt went on to watch Cinéscénie and they were fast asleep within 10 minutes of us being back in the room so it was a good choice.

Matt really enjoyed Cinéscénie but did say that he definitely needed the translation app to get the most out of the show. Temperatures can drop in the evening too, so make sure you pack something warm.

Top tips for Puy du Fou

Download the app and familiarise yourself with it before you go. The app is great for planning your day, working out where shows are and so that you can listen to translations of the main shows in English.

Take enough devices and headphones (and headphone splitters) for all the family to share. I wish we had taken an iPad in with us to use the translation app as it can run down your phone battery quite quickly.

Spend some time the night before planning, then you can relax, enjoy the shows, experiences, villages, food and take in the surroundings which are really pretty.

Aim to eat lunch early or late, 11.45 or 1.15pm to beat the queues, or even better book times for lunch in advance then you know you have reservations. If you don’t want to eat full meals then there are a LOT of other options and you can take picnics in too.

Bring a raincoat and a sun hat! The shows go on whatever the weather and even in August we had beating sunshine and torrential rain in the same day.

If you’re visiting the park in August do consider booking emotion passes as they almost guarantee you a seat and you can turn up to the shows 10 minutes before they start rather than queueing for a hour like we saw some people doing.

Is the Emotion pass at Puy du Fou worth buying?

Whether the emotion pass is worth buying for Puy du Fou all depends on the time of year you are visting and how busy it is likely to be.

If you’re visiting the park in August do consider booking emotion passes as they almost guarantee you a seat and you can turn up to the shows 10 minutes before they start rather than queueing for an hour like we saw some people doing.

There are however limited emotion passes available every day and I know for example that these are completely sold out for August 2019. So if you really want them you are advised to book early.

In August our view was that the emotion pass was well worth the additional €15 per person per day. We appreciated it a lot, and on more than one occasion we wouldn’t have got into the show we wanted to do without it.

However I know fellow blogger Penny from Parentshaped who visited Puy du Fou in May said “on the whole it doesn’t make as much difference as a fast track ride pass in a theme park, we were generally arriving alongside non pass holders and rather the rushing, it [was] nice to arrive a little early, take your seats, set your translation app and soak up the atmosphere.”

Definitely a time of year consideration.

Shows at Puy du Fou

This is incredibly hard to say and obviously this is hugely subjective but I’ve tried to give you some information about each of the shows and what we thought about them. The shows are numbered on the parc map and on the parc information sheet 1-19.

Our favourite shows at Puy du Fou

Le Dernier Panache (watched twice)

Le Bal des Oiseux Fantomes (watched twice)

Les Vikings (watched twice)

Mousquetaire de Richelieu (tried to watch twice)

Le Signe du Triomphe (watched twice)

Le Mystere de la Perouse (walk-through) – went through twice

Les Amoreux de Verdun (walk-through) – went through twice

Both Globetotting and Tin Box Traveller have posts on what they thought were the best shows too!

• https://globetotting.com/best-shows-at-puy-du-fou/
• https://tinboxtraveller.co.uk/puy-du-fous-best-shows-for-families/

1. Le Sign du Triomphe

This was a show I was feeling most excited about and most confused about before we went. It’s a gladiator spectacular, set in a 6000 seat replica of a Gallo-Roman Stadium. The atmosphere inside is electric and the crowd is encouraged to join in with cheers and shouting, jeering and booing.

I say confused because in true gladiator style, lions and tigers are used alongside the actors and actresses. Whilst they are clearly well cared for and they live off site in comfortable surroundings, I don’t think the show needs them and seeing them used in shows when we have just recently returned from the Serengeti and seen them in the wild made us feel uncomfortable. However French law still allows wild animals to take part in theatre and circus performances.

Le Sign du Triomphe is however an incredible spectacular and one of the best shows at Puy du Fou. We ended up seeing it twice!

Emotion pass entry available | Emotion Pass gives you a separate reserved area to sit in on the side of the winning team!

Average length of Le Sign du Triomphe is 42 minutes

2. Les Vikings

It’s a peaceful village under attack from the Viking warriors who launch their attack with great force! There are huge flames, enormous explosions, 20 metre long viking ships that emerge from the lake complete with vikings on board and disappearing saints. It left us open mouthed and trying so hard to work out just how it had been done. It’s a huge spectacle based on a legend from the nearby Island Noirmoutier, which was apparently the first French Island to be attached by Vikings in 799

We loved it and saw this twice too.

Emotion pass entry available | Emotion Pass gives you a separate reserved area to sit in right in the middle of the seating area, towards the back. Look up for the sign when you go in.

Average length of Les Vikings is 26 minutes

3. Le Bal des Oiseaux Fantômes

Terrifying and amazing in equal measures. This is a bird show but I guarantee it will be bigger and better than one you’ve ever seen. 330 birds circle the sky including eagles, falcons, vultures, kites and owls. All the birds brush against the audience, and work together with their handlers to orchestrate a spellbinding ballet. The spectacle of all the birds in full-flight together is the result of a 25-year long project.

For those amongst our party who don’t like birds this show was utterly terrifying. The birds get sooo close to you and they are huge. For the 3 of us that weren’t terrified, it was perhaps their favourite show of them all. It’s one not to be missed but it will enhance your fear of birds if you had one and make you love them even more if you already did.

Tip: Sit still and don’t let the kids eat snacks!

Kids around me delighted in the show!

Emotion pass entry available | Emotion Pass gives you a separate reserved area to sit in right in the middle of the seating area, towards the back. If you aren’t keen on birds don’t use this seating.

Average length of Le Bal des Oiseaux Fantômes is 33 minutes

4. Le Secret de la Lance

We didn’t get to see this show until our last day, but it still amazed. I had wondered if by that time I would have been immune to the surprises.

This show set in the Hundred Years’ War, tells the tale of a young Shepherdess who sets about discovering the secrets of a lance that has the power to protect the castle. For this show, Puy du Fou has created a huge wall measuring 8 metres high and 60 metres long that completely vanishes in full view of the spectators.

There is also a scene in which the whole castle moves. Yes the whole castle!

Emotion pass entry available | Emotion Pass gives you a separate reserved area to sit in right in the middle of the seating area, towards the front with a great view of everything.

Average length of Le Secret de la Lance is 29 minutes

5. Mousquetaire de Richelieu

When you walk into this enormous theatre the scale of it takes your breath away. It’s the largest curtained stage in the world.

This indoor show is based on the tale of the Three Musketeers. Once the show starts you experience an exciting adventure including sword fights, flamenco dancing and capering horses. More than that though towards the end the whole stage is flooded with water and the horses dance with the flamenco dancers is a lake of water. It’s really quite incredible.

Emotion pass entry available | Emotion Pass gives you a separate reserved area to sit in right in the middle of the seating area, towards the front with a brilliant view.

Average length of Mousquetaire de Richelieu is 32 minutes

6. Le Dernier Panache

Absolutely one of our favourites and one my seven year old was waiting to repeat all day on our last day. We caught the last show of the day for our second viewing and there were people flooding the 360° theatre to do the same.

Le Dernier Panache follows the glorious destiny of a French naval officer – a hero from the American War of Independence – whose life changes dramatically.

The whole seating area actually moves around the circular set and if I tell you that it cost €19million to create – it will go someway to explain how incredible it is. It’s also vast at 7,500 m2: “Le Théâtre des Géants”

Emotion pass entry available | Emotion Pass gives you a separate reserved area to sit in right in the middle of the seating area. You also bypass an often enormous queue to get in.

Average length of Le Dernier Panache is 34 minutes

7. Les Orgues de Feu

As we visited Puy du Fou over Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening this show needed to be watched on Thursday evening, as on Friday and Saturday the night time show is outside the park – Le Cinéscénie (see above).

With Les Orgues de Feu the audience is plunged into an eerie world and into the story of a deep love affair between two fantastical beings – a glass-like pianist and a violinist muse. This romantic show lasting 33 minutes, is played out to the sound of Mozart, Delerue, Bach and Bizet. It’s beautiful, enchanting and when the golden harp rises up from the depths of the lake, and the gigantic organ spits out water and fire your breath is well and truly taken away.

Emotion pass entry available | Emotion Pass gives you a reserved seating area right at the end of the lake. The children could also sit on the floor right in front of the fence giving them a great view.

Average length of Les Orgues de Feu is 30 minutes

8. La Renaissance du Chateau

The premise of this experience is that the former inhabitants of the chateau have returned from the past to take visitors through weapons rooms and underground passages, as the history of the castle unfolds through stories and anecdotes.

This was our least favourite of all the shows and walk throughs and in fact we decided to leave half way through. The castle was dark and very very full when we went in (far too many people let in all at once) and it felt claustrophobic so we decided to cut our losses as there was so much more to see!

Emotion pass entry NOT available

Average length of La Renaissance du Chateau is 30 minutes

9. Les Chevaliers de la Table Ronde

This show is about the knights of the round table. It has grand illusions that captivate visitors and plunges you into the legends of King Arthur. This show in my view should be one of the main 7 it’s so good and the kids love it because the usually know the story so can follow it without a translation.

Try and see this show early in the morning as it doesn’t have as big a capacity as some of the other shows but it’s definitely as popular. If you’re staying on site do the first one around 10.45 usually as it’s at the top of the park so the day visitors who enter from the bottom won’t usually have made their way to the top. If you’re a day visitor – head straight up!

Emotion pass entry NOT available

Average length of Les Chevaliers de la Table Ronde is 17 minutes

10. Le Premier Royaume

This immersive show was new for 2019 and has been entirely designed and produced by the Puy du Fou
teams. The walk through has been inspired by a pivotal period in French history.

In the 5th century, during the fall of the Roman Empire, ravaged by Attila the Hun’s hordes, visitors will follow the fate of Clovis, King of the Franks. They will relive Clovis’s conquests but also share the doubts of this great strategist, torn between the ancestral traditions of his people and the new path opening
up to him to found the first kingdom.

To be honest I didn’t understand all that but I was amazed at the setting and the room changes as we walked through. The thundering horses and the underwater room were perhaps my favourites.

Emotion pass entry NOT available

Average length of Le Premier Royaume is 18 minutes

11. Les Automates Musiciens

Les Automates Musiciens appear on the balconies of “Le Bourg 1900“ playing catchy tunes. We didn’t manage to catch this but understand its worth it if you’re in the area.

Emotion pass entry NOT available

Average length of Les Automates Musiciens is 7 minutes

12. Le Grand Carillion

Le Grand Carillion is at the centre of “Le Village XVIIIème“, the giant clock panics and strikes to the rhythm of the famous popular melodies of the 18th century.

This short show is really quite cute and you see lots of abseiling down the tower. It’s not a big number but it’s quite relaxed and if you don’t get a seat you can just stand in the village and watch.

Emotion pass entry NOT available

Average length of Le Grand Carillion is 10 minutes

13. Les Grandes Aux

A short but sweet water fountain show lasting just 8 minutes. The few times we walked past when this was on, and when we watched it there were very few people around, so it’s nice and relaxing. It’s not a top hitter but nice to see if you’re in the right part of the park when it’s on.

Emotion pass entry NOT available

Average length of Les Grandes Aux is 8 minutes

14. Le Ballet des Sapeurs

In the ‘‘Bourg 1900’’, Puy du Fou Académie pupils play the part of villagers trying to put out a fire, in a theatrical world inspired by musical comedy and the big bands of the big bands of the ‘‘années folles’’.

A number of people told me this was one not to miss so I think I had too high hopes as it wasn’t one of the shows that stood out for us. Cute but not one to traverse the park for.

Emotion pass entry NOT available

15. Le Monde Imaginaire de la Fontaine

A sweet park to walk through which we did whilst waiting for lunch at the Bistro. It contains Fontaine’s famous fables in a plant-filled garden dotted with talking trees and animals statues.

The fables didn’t really mean anything to our kids which didn’t help!

16. Le Labyrinthe Des Animaux

A pretty plant-based maze which is next to the playground and again is a nice place to simply wander.

17. Le Repaire Des Enfants

The playground!

18. Le Mystere de la Perouse

It might be towards the bottom of the list but it is one not to be missed!

The story behind the walk though goes that in 1785, sailors board one of the ships of the explorer La Pérouse. They leave the port of Brest and set sail to brave the unknown waters.

On board the ship, you get to take part in the great discoveries, from Cape Horn to Alaska, and finally Vanikoro…  and endure the most formidable storms!

This walk though is so good we went straight back in after we’d just come out.

TIP: Try and do this when Le Sign du Triomphe and/or Les Vikings is on as it’s close by and everyone else will be in those big shows. Don’t try and do this when they’ve just finished, the queue will be enormous.

Average length of Le Mystere de la Perouse is 15 minutes

Emotion pass entry NOT available

19. Les Amoureux de Verdun

This is one of the walk through experiences that the staff stop you at on the way in to suggest that the kids might get frightened by the themes and the noise. My seven year olds were fine but my eight year old was really scared.

During the walk through you will be taken back in time to a snow-filled trench in the depths of the winter of 1916. Smoke fills the tunnels, the ground shakes with each new explosion and the sirens wail…

It’s incredibly moving and incredibly well put together. If the girls are ever asked at school to write about what life was like for soldiers in the WW1 they will have some fabulous memories to draw on

TIP: Try and do this when it’s not so busy as it can be quite claustrophobic inside when it’s full.

Emotion pass entry NOT available

Average length of Les Amoureux de Verdun is 15 minutes

Le Café de la Madelon

It’s difficult to know whether to put this in the show section or the food section as it’s a full dinner which you eat in front of a show.

The show is full on slapstick and loads of people love it. It wasn’t our favourite show in the park by a long way but that isn’t to say that we didn’t enjoy it. It starts at 8.15pm and finishes by 9.30pm.

Staying on site or off site at Puy du Fou?

If you can I would stay on site. The hotels are a 7 minute walk maximum to the top of the park and staying on site all added to the magic of the time we spent at Puy du Fou. I also think it really assisted with staying later at the park with the kids too as we could literally be home in 10-15 minutes. This was particularly important to us after the night show (Les Orgues de Feu) on the Thursday evening which finished at 10.30pm, but also nice as we spent an hour or so chilling out in the room before dinner in the next door hotel on the Friday evening too. It allowed us a little more flexibility and if travelling with younger ones, possibly even more helpful.

The hotels are all themed and I’ve tried to include some reviews from fellow travellers who have stayed in different accommodation to us at Puy du Fou.

Where to stay at Puy Du Fou

Les Îles de Clovis

We stayed at this fabulous set of lodges that are entirely constructed on stilts so that they rest on the surface of the water. You can feed the ducks from the balcony at the back of your room and it gives it a real sense of space and nature.

This unique lake-top village is based on the Merovingian period and the thatched huts more than comfortably contained our family of 5 in a large double bed, two bunks and a single too.

The shower room was a great size with a separate toilet too and thoughtfully room for all the luggage.

The buffet breakfast was plentiful too and really set us up for the day. Options for breakfast included croissants, cold meats and cheeses, eggs, breads, cereal and plenty of hot and cold drinks.

Le Camp du Drap d’Or

Based on the style of the flamboyant lodgings at Henry VIII of England and Francis I of France’s Field of the Cloth of Gold. These tented lodges are beautiful but cleverly conceal the fact that they are not really tents but rooms with four poster beds with turned oak posts, embroidered tapestries, beaten metal handbasins and tiled bathrooms decorated with gold offer a right royal stay with all mod cons, in magnificent déco.

Katy from Otis and Us and her family stayed in these when they visited Puy Du Fou in August 2019 and we will link back to their review soon.

La Villa Gallo-Romaine

Step back in time 2000 years ago and enjoy an unforgettable stay in the middle of « Ancient Rome » in one of this unique hotel’s 100 family rooms (rooms sleep up to 4).

This was the first of the Puy Du Fou hotels to be built and is the closest to the parc although there can only be 5/10 minutes in it.

There are up to 4 people in a room.

We are standing in front of the Roman Villa in this end of the day Instagram photo!

La Citadelle

Pass through the portcullis and find yourself in the Middle Ages! Spend a night within the ramparts under the protection of the knights of Puy du Fou.

The Citadelle has 74 “classic” rooms which sleep five and 26 “comfort” rooms which sleep three, and offers room-service for breakfast.

North East Family Fun stayed at stayed at La Citadelle which is Puy du Fou’s newest accommodation. Sam writes “We loved pretending to be Knights in our very own medieval castle. The staff speak English in this hotel, the rooms are air-conditioned, there’s free WiFi, a themed tavern and medieval restaurant on-site and the power shower in the mornings and evening was fantastic.”

 Check out their Facebook room tour here. The theming in this hotel didn’t feel tacky at all and really added to their stay – they loved it. 

Le Logis de Lescure

This comfortable 18th-century lodge has 4 suites that are both welcoming and original: Le Planétarium (The Planetarium), Le Salon de Musique (The Music Room), Le Cabinet des Curiosités (The Cabinet of Curiosities) and La Salle des Miroirs (the Hall of Mirrors). Each peaceful and charming suite can sleep 4 -6 people.

Residents of the Logis de Lescure also get a free Pass Émotion each for each day of their stay.

Costs of staying at Puy du Fou

All prices supplied are for advance bookings:

Puy du Fou offers a 2-night B&B family stay (4 sharing) at one of the five themed on-site hotels from €590, including 2 days’ entry to the Park.

Day passes only start at €36/€26 (adult/child); Emotion fast track passes €15pp per day. Open now until 3 November 2019. Further information from Puy du Fou, www.puydufou.com/en, +33 (0) 820 09 1010).

Where to stay near Puy du Fou

Best places to camp near Puy du Fou

https://www.campingfrance.com/uk/our-themes/tourist-sites/puy-du-fou

What is there to eat at Puy Du Fou

There is pretty much anything you want to eat at Puy Du Fou. You can bring food in with you, I saw lots of people eating picnics, but you can also buy sandwiches, pastries, snacks, chips, churros – the choice is endless and plentiful. Yes there are queues when large shows just finish but we often saw places to buy food with little or no queues.

We were lucky enough to be booked in to different restaurants for all our meals and I’ll say what we thought of those below, but the buffet breakfast at Le Banquet de Mérovée in Les Îles de Clovis where we stayed was plentiful too and really set us up for the day. Options for breakfast included croissants, cold meats and cheeses, eggs, breads, cereal and plenty of hot and cold drinks.

Le Banquet de Mérovée

Located in the Iles de Clovis, this restaurant offers an unlimited buffet and the kids loved it, particularly because there was a freezer with ice cream in for dessert. Lots of chicken, roast ham, salmon and fish pie. The desserts were a treat too.

ADULT MENU: €21 if booked in advance (or €24 without a reservation)
Drinks not included

CHILDREN’S MENU (1) : €11.50 if booked in advance (or €13.50 without a reservation)

Drinks included

Le Bistrot

Traditional French cuisine in this Belle Epoque brasserie set within the Bourg 1900. This is a lovely place to sit outside and watch the world go by. We enjoyed watching everyone wander though this area and enjoyed croque monsieurs. Lots of other options too.

Les Deux Couronnes

An all you can eat buffet served in the restaurant attached to the Camp du Drap d’Or accommodation in the overnight village. The meats were really good in this restaurant and I really appreciated the macaroons and strawberries for dessert.

ADULT MENU : €23.50 if booked in advance (or €26.50 without a reservation)

Drinks not included

CHILDREN’S MENU (1) : €11.50 if booked in advance (or €13.50 without a reservation)

La Mijoterie du Roy Henry

This restaurant is right in the middle of the park, near the playground, the maze and the walk through park. It’s in a great spot.

€15.50 if booked in advance (or €18.50 without a reservation)
Choose one starter, one main dish and one dessert – it’s a buffet with a difference as you collect a wooden tray (or a basket if you’re a child) and pop on (or in) your starter, main and a dessert too.

I had a fab cod and chorizo dish and Matt had Sausages with espelette pepper, bacon and haricot beans. Both were delicious. The girls had sausage and mash for their main.

Le Café de la Madelon

It’s difficult to know whether to put this in the show section or the food section as it’s a full dinner which you eat in front of a show.

The show is full on slapstick and loads of people love it. It wasn’t our favourite show in the park by a long way but that isn’t to say that we didn’t enjoy it. It starts at 8.15pm and finishes by 9.30pm.

Children and adults eat the same menu here which when we went was:

• Salmon medallions with garnish
• Roast chicken, rosti potatoes, provençale tomato
• Wedding centrepiece, Choux with Chantilly cream

ADULT MENU: €26,90 if booked in advance (or €29,90 without a reservation)
Drinks included

Drinks : red wine (25cl per person), coffee, mineral water  

CHILDREN’S MENU (1): €11.90 if booked in advance (or €13.90 without a reservation)

What age is Puy Du Fou suitable for?

This is also a really subjective question.What age Puy du Fou is suitable for is largely dependant on you and your kids.

Is Puy du Fou suitable for Babies?

I wouldn’t say that Puy du Fou is suitable for babies in the sense that they wouldn’t get anything from it, but the paths are easy to push buggies around and although you have to leave the buggies outside of the main shows there are places to leave them.

There is pushchair rental and plenty of changing facilities.

Is Puy Du Fou Suitable for Toddlers?

I wouldn’t suggest that Puy du Fou is suitable for toddlers. There is a lot of sitting and watching and I do know toddlers that have become overwhelmed by the show. That being said Jenny from Travelynn Family loved Puy du Fou with her boys who are 4 and 5 and they had an amazing time, you can read her review here.

Is Puy Du Fou suitable for Primary School Children

Yes absolutely it is, mine who are nearly 8 and 9 absolutely loved it. It’s been described since we’ve been back by then as one of the most epic trips we’ve had – and I think in a year that’s seen New York and Tanzania too, that’s some recommendation!

Is Puy Du Fou Suitable for Teens?

Yes absolutely perfect and you can read more about why Puy Du Fou is suitable for teens in Penny’s review and also Sam’s review.

Puy du Fou in England

Can’t get to France but do fancy the shows? Well why not take a look at Kynren up in the North East of England. We visited Kynren in 2018 and loved it. It will certainly give you a taster of what’s on offer in France but it’s also a great show in its own right!

Read our Kynren review here.

Puy du Fou in Spain

Puy du Fou opens in Toldeo in Spain on 30th August 2019 for an hour long show with the wider park opening in 2021.

Booking Details

www.puydufou.com/en

Discover more Puy du Fou Reviews

Don’t just take my word for it.  You can read other reviews about Puy du Fou in 2018 and 2019 here:

• https://www.northeastfamilyfun.co.uk/2018/08/how-to-plan-trip-to-puy-du-fou-with-kids.html
• https://www.bigsteviecool.co.uk/2018/08/french-odyssey-part-deux.html
• https://tinboxtraveller.co.uk/puy-du-fous-best-shows-for-families/
• https://travelynnfamily.com/essential-tips-for-visiting-puy-du-fou-with-kids/
• https://www.my-travelmonkey.com/weekend-puy-du-fou/
• https://www.parentshaped.co.uk/2019/05/19/top-tips-puy-du-fou-the-french-theme-park-that-brings-history-to-life/
• https://pigeonpairandme.com/puy-du-fou-vendee-france.html
• https://www.flyingwithababy.com/why-you-should-visit-puy-du-fou-with-kids
• https://www.podtravels.com/2018/07/puy-du-fou-an-extraordinary-theme-park/
• https://www.podtravels.com/2018/08/the-authentic-period-villages-at-the-worlds-best-park/
• https://www.podtravels.com/2018/09/le-bal-des-oiseaux-fantomes-puy-du-fou/