Paris is a wonderful place to visit but having been there many times, especially my step kids, we had to dig deep to find something new to see other then the usual sights.
This past summer, I came across an article about this park about 20 miles outside of Paris in ĆlancourtĀ called France Miniature Theme Park.Ā We were looking for an off beat experience and this place really fit the bill.
A park featuring regional landscapes and the exact replicas models of major French landmarks on a 1/30 scale of 116 historical monumentsĀ in an outdoor park with rides.
What seemed to be a easy train ride to the park became a nightmare. Ā Why didn’t I listen to my husband and rent a car?Ā I figured we could take the train Ā and not have to worry about driving. Ā That was mistake number one. Ā After taking around four trains and a bus, we were left in what we thought was the middle of nowhere. Ā Ā Once we figured out where we were, we walked 1/2 mile from the bus stop to the park entrance.
The park is organized by regions and there are clear signs throughout the park so that one can follow the map and stay on track.
They provide you with a booklet to follow the numbers around the park. Ā The booklet also gives you information on each model, which was very interesting and informative. The models are set out into individual sections like North, West, Mid-France etc. The models are very well made and are extremely detailed. There is a lake with moving boats, trains darting in and out of bridges and something to see around every corner!
The entire walk is step-free making it easily accessible for people with mobility issues and strollers. Ā They have plenty of trees with a good amount of shade as one walks through the park. Ā It was a very hot day when we went and we didn’t think of bringing any drinks or food with us. Ā The main restaurant was closed. Ā They did however have a little food stand which sold drinks and some fast food. Ā (Not a very big selection, and not the best quality either).
There are a couple of rides/attractions in the park but from an age perspective, they are tailored to kids age 5 and over. Some of the kids we saw were on a school trip. The park wasn’t very busy on the day of our visited, and we were able to go through undisturbed at a fairly leisurely pace. Ā The visit itself lasted about two hours but since we used public transportation to get there it took us most of the day.
Most of us thatĀ visit France are unable to travel to every famous monument or historical place because of time contrains. France Miniature enables you to see all of France from a different perspective.Ā For those that only have time to explore Paris, this is a great way to find out what else France has to offer, and maybe find out which areas of France would be of interest for a future visit.
It was a very interesting way of exploring France. Ā My advice is skip the public transportation and rent yourself a car for the day. Ā It’s cheaper and much more practical. Ā We ended up having an employee at the park call us a taxi and spent $90 euros to drive us back into Paris.
What’s your favorite part of France?
FRANCE MINIATURE THEME PARK
AccĆØs Boulevard AndrĆ© Malraux
Courrier au 25 route du Mesnil – 78 990 Elancourt
Nina
February 3, 2014 at 6:58 amToo bad about the public transport, but is does seem like a nice place to visit with kids.
Carmen
February 3, 2014 at 12:59 pmOur teenage kids enjoyed it. They got to see other places around France that we didn’t even know existed. They wished they were younger to go on the rides. š
A Southern Gypsy
February 3, 2014 at 7:38 pmWhat a unique place! Great for kids, I’m sure! Thanks for linking up to the #SundayTraveler Carmen š
Carmen
February 3, 2014 at 9:34 pmThanks Ashley. It is a unique place which makes it a lot of fun for the kids.
Mrs. Chasing the Donkey
February 3, 2014 at 8:51 pmSheeeesh, thats one expensive taxi. Lucky that exhibition looks so good, and such a fabulous way to introduce kids to architecture. Thanks for linking up with us again for #SundayTraveler.
Carmen
February 4, 2014 at 1:01 amIt was expensive but considering where it’s located (the outskirts of Paris), we didn’t want to travel back the way we came. Thank you for helping me link up. š
Emma
February 3, 2014 at 9:10 pmHave never heard of it, what a great place though! š
Carmen
February 6, 2014 at 12:50 amThanks for stopping by Emma. I was lucky to come across it on our last visit to Paris. It’s a unique place for sure.
Barbara
February 5, 2014 at 8:35 pmVery cool place to visit, the details on all the different buildings is amazing. Sorry about your experience with the expensive and inconvenient transportation but thanks for passing along the tip to rent a car for the day, very helpful!
Carmen
February 6, 2014 at 12:47 amThanks Barbara, I wouldn’t want anyone to go through what we did. The models are very thorough and precise. I felt like the 50 foot woman walking around.
Jess
February 6, 2014 at 7:53 pmWhat a cool idea! You’d think it wouldn’t be that much trouble to take public transportation there, though.
Carmen
February 10, 2014 at 3:40 pmI don’t think they thought it through very well about having the bus stop in front of the park. It’s still a pretty cool place to go check out. Thanks for stopping by.
frankaboutcroatia
February 8, 2014 at 9:23 amI haven’t heard of this park before. It looks like buildings are really detailed. Looks like a fun day out. Good tip on transport. So at least we can avoid that mess :). Thanks for linking up to the #SundayTraveler.
Carmen
February 10, 2014 at 3:46 pmYou can only really appreciate all the details they went into these models by seeing them yourself. As long as you drive there of course. š
Michelle Grabuski
February 15, 2014 at 11:10 pmThis will have to go on my list for my next visit, it looks amazing! Some people have so much talent, and patience. I like renting cars, it’s a lot less hassle. My aunt and I tried to get back to the train station after visiting Versailles and had some issues. It does add a lot of extra walking.
Carmen
February 16, 2014 at 12:00 amThe park is only a few miles from Versailles. I can still hear by husband say “I told you so” about the car. I learned my lesson. š
john
May 17, 2015 at 4:46 pmWhere’s the picture of me towering over Notre Dame?
Carmen
May 18, 2015 at 2:48 pmJohn,
I can’t seem to find that picture of you. If you find it place share it :-).
Travel Croatia
November 12, 2016 at 5:01 pmHey Carmen,
This place is so cool. I believe worth visiting. Building looks so real.
Thank you for sharing.
Carmen Edelson
November 13, 2016 at 12:33 pmThey really did an incredible job with all the miniature buildings. You feel like a giant walking around some of the cities, and admiring all the details on the buildings.
Guia de Paris
February 13, 2018 at 12:03 pmGreat review about the park we totally forget it but thanks for sharing. This year will re open during March.
Carmen Edelson
February 13, 2018 at 7:32 pmYou’re welcome! š
Shaun
August 4, 2022 at 11:21 amI must have looked at 3 or for pictures before I realized it was a miniature I was looking at. It’s great that they have a nice replica of Notre Dame since it was damaged in the fire. Going to put this on my list
Carmen Edelson
August 8, 2022 at 4:28 pmHope you get to go, Shaun!