24 January 2024 , 17:22
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A theme park that plunges thrill seekers into a weird world of optimistic futurism is just two hours from the UK.
In Britain the biggest attractions tend to be sold on the enormity of their rollercoasters - see Thorpe Park and Alton Towers - or are themed in line with cheerful children's characters, such as Legoland, Peppa Pig World and Flamingoland.
The same cannot be said for France, where one of the country's largest attractions attempts to capture not just a concept but a whole tense - the future. Futuroscope, formerly known as Planète Futuroscope, is an unusual coming together of multimedia, audio-visual techniques and atypical rides that all have a distinctly 80s feel of scientific futurism.
The park has been open for 40 years (AFP via Getty Images)Head to the park and you will find yourself equipped with a virtual reality headset racing alongside Sébastien Loeb, given a POV of space through French astronaut Thomas Pesquet's Eyes in the IMAX Laser 4K movie theatre and transported into space to the Cosmic Collisions planetarium.
Futuroscope is home to a number of one-off rides that are based less on taking riders as fast and high as other theme parks might, but by attempting to shift their perspective and employ multiple forms of media in innovative ways.
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One ride which does this is L'Extraordinaire Voyage where a video screen and moving row of seats gives thrill seekers the impression that they are soaring through the air across the world to Sahara, Dubai, the Himalayas and the Ganges.
Objectif Mars is a rollercoaster that lets children as young as six simulate a mission to the Red Planet. The educational ride used to have a spinning element built in, but this was removed after one of the carts burst into flames last year.
Danse avec les Robots has remained happily flame free and sees riders strapped into a seat at the end of a robot's arm. They are then spun and swirled and flung around in time to very French sounding electronic music.
New this year will be the park's first waterpark, as part of the resort's huge investment plan designed to increase the park's 650,000 annual visitors to 2.5million. It comes after hotel Station Cosmos opened in 2022, which lets guests sleep in a space station".
Thrillseekers are plunged into the future (NurPhoto via Getty Images)The park has a solid 4.3/5 on Google reviews, having been visited more than 50 million times since it opened in the early 80s. Reviews tend to be positive, although some people have complained of the fact Futuroscope only has one classic rollercoaster.
"One of the best 4D experiences my family and I have ever tried. Very futuristic and full of curiosity. You will never expect what's coming. Do not miss out on the Tornado Chaser ride and the robot dance. It's awesome!" one person wrote.
Another added: "Great place for family most of attractions are for kids at least 120cm, so pay attention for heights of your little ones. We went in February. Unfortunately the weather was a bit cold but the great advantage - we entered directly to attractions, no waiting lines.
"It was a bit annoying that most of the attractions are virtual so at some point I felt dizzy. Their final fountain show is just amazing. I have never seen something similar!"
From the UK, probably the quickest way to get to Futuroscope is to fly with Ryanair from London Luton to Poitiers, which is just a few miles from the theme park. A one way ticket is currently available for just £15. It is also possible to get the Eurostar to Paris and then change to a regional train. Buying tickets on the door costs €54 (£47) per adult and €44 (£37) per child.