Visit Puy du Fou park : information and tips

With its great shows, Le Puy du Fou is one of the most famous parks in the world. You will also fill many attractions that will make you travel to different eras (immersive shows, period villages, nature sites).

Discover in this article useful information to plan your visit of the Grand Parc du Puy du Fou and our advice.

History of the Puy du Fou

Faced with the growing attraction of the famous Cinescénie night show, the Grand Parc du Puy du Fou was created in 1989 to offer new activities during the day.

Over the years, the park has added several period villages (Bourg 1900, Fort de l’An Mil…) and more shows that combine special effects, pyrotechnics and animals to reconstruct a part of French history.

Perfectly combining culture with entertainment, the Puy du Fou is today the fourth most important theme park in France.

What is the address of the Puy du Fou?

The Puy du Fou is located in the Vendée, about 30 minutes’ drive south of Cholet.

The address is : Puy du Fou, 85590 Les Epesses.

No street name is associated. But don’t worry, the GPS will find the park and it is indicated by many signs around.

How much does it cost to visit the Puy du Fou?

To visit the Puy du Fou, you can choose between several options:

• What is included in the ticket: only access to the park or access + Cinescénie show.
• The number of days to access the park: from 1 to 4 days
• Emotion Pass: this is an additional fee to get a ticket with a queue cutter. It allows priority access to the entrance of the main shows and reserved seats in the center of the stands  (and therefore a better view of each show). This supplement is to be multiplied by the number of people and days of your visit.

Here are the rates for 1 and 2 days as well as for the Emotion Pass. The more days you take, the more the rates are reduced (half-price for 4 days compared to 1 day).

The prices indicated here are those offered for online reservations up to 72 hours before the date. Puy du Fou tickets are more expensive if you purchase less than 72 hours before or at the park entrance. Regarding the Puy du Fou + Cinéscénie tickets, it is mandatory to book them because each Cinéscénie show is sold out, and sometimes long before the date.

During your reservation, you will have the choice to take different options:

• Hotel nights,
• Restaurants (prices are reduced if you choose and pay your restaurants in advance)
• Transportation from several major cities,
• Shuttle between Angers train station and the park…

The payment is then made online by credit card or Paypal.

 
Check out the current price on GetyourGuide.
 

Where to sleep near the Puy du Fou ?

If you want to visit the park for more than one day, you will have to look for an accommodation near the park. There are different choices available to you when you make your reservation.

• Puy du Fou hotels: there are six hotels inside the park, created around its themes. If they are quite expensive, the most important thing is their availability. Having booked our tickets 3 months in advance, no room was still available. Of course, the rooms being limited, it is not surprising that they are quickly booked..
• Partner hotel: located at 2 miles from the park, a 5-star hotel is a partner of the Puy du Fou.
• Hotels, campsites, B&Bs near to the park: you will find them from Epesses to Cholet or even La Roche sur Yon.

We chose the B&B Nord hotel in Cholet, which we booked separately from our tickets for the Puy du Fou. There was a huge difference between the price displayed on the Puy du Fou website and Booking. So, I don’t advise you to book on the park website.

What are the opening hours and periods of the Puy du Fou?

The Puy du Fou is open every year from April to the beginning of November.

The park’s opening hours are not the same every day. If it always opens at 9:30 a.m., the closing time depends on the night shows. The Puy du Fou website displays a calendar that indicates the opening days and times:

• No show: open from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• Les Noces de Feu: open from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.
• Cinescénie : open from 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Where to eat at the Puy du Fou ?

Your visit to the Puy du Fou will probably lead you to have lunch, or even dinner, depending on the time of day. There are three ways to eat when you are there.

Restaurants and Takeaways

La Maison du Préfou is a takeaway… certainly my best meal and it was not fabulous!The park has no shortage of places to eat. You find several restaurants and fast food.

We tried one restaurant and two fast food:

• The restaurant L’Echansonnerie greatly disappointed us by its poor quality-price ratio. Badly cooked potatoes, a mediocre knuckle of ham (for a vegetarian menu, vegetables cooked in water and not even seasoned…) and a ridiculous piece of cake for a price close to €30, that’s expensive! The only positive point was the nice and young waiters and waitresses.
• La Maison du Préfou, which sells « préfous »! It is ideal to eat a sandwich on the go.
• Le Rendez Vous des Ventres-Faims sells burgers. The service is fast, the food is defrosted but it remains fine.

If we had done it again, we would certainly have stayed only on fast food because even if the quality is not good, our expectations were satisfied for a lower price. At least, with a sandwich or a burger from the park, you know in advance that you won’t eat great food.

Picnic

It’s allowed to bring a picnic to the Puy du Fou. While some people eat on the go in line for a show, you can also find picnic areas to eat quietly. It’s a good idea to take a break for a few minutes because walking all day in summer can take away all your strength.

Getting out of the park

You can walk out and back into the park. A person will make a stamp on your wrist that you must show to re-enter the park. This way, you can get back in the car and eat outside before returning for the rest of your visit.

How many days to visit the Puy du Fou?

According to our experience, two days is necessary to see all the shows. But we were in June… For a family in the summer, 3 days do not seem too much to see all the shows.

Indeed, the duration of the shows does not exceed 35 minutes, for the longest. On the other hand, it is essential to arrive 30 minutes before the beginning of each popular show. The queue starts at least 1 hour before the start of the show during peak periods. This limits the number of shows you can see in a day.

If you arrive at the back of the line, you will end up in the worst seats, or even not be able to get in because the stands will be full and the staff will not let you sit on the steps or stand behind other visitors.

If you are planning to come on a single day, you should know that you will not be able to attend all the shows of the Puy du Fou whatever the period. In this case, you should concentrate on the biggest (and most impressive) ones.

On the other hand, 4 days seems like a lot to me. But, if you want to see some shows several times or if your physical capacity doesn’t allow you to walk or stand all day, it remains an interesting alternative.

What is the program of Puy du Fou shows?

Just like the schedules, the program of the shows can be different from one day to another.

Just after entering the park, you can get the program of the day. You will find the map and the schedules of all the shows of the day.

But if, like me, you like to plan everything, I strongly advise you to download the Puy du Fou app on your phone. This way, you can easily check the show schedules up to 2 days in advance.

Even better, you can create your own tour schedule, based on your arrival and departure times and restaurant reservations. You can choose between :

• Let the app guide you by selecting only the shows you absolutely want to see,
• Select all the shows and spaces (villages and nature) you want to see and let the application find the best program for you,
• Or establish your itinerary from A to Z.

Throughout your day, you have your schedule and use the application GPS to find your way around easily.

We really appreciated these features that saved us a lot of time and simplified our walks in the park. We never had to worry about missing a show.

What are the 6 main shows of the Puy du Fou?

The Puy du Fou offers many shows during the day. The most popular shows are:

1. The Sign of Triumph (Le Signe du Triomphe in French)
2. The Vikings
3. The Ball of the Ghost Birds (Le Bal des Oiseaux Fantômes)
4. The Last Panache (Le Dernier Panache)
5. The Secret of the Lance (Le Secret de la Lance)
6. Richelieu’s Musketeer (Les Mousquetaires de Richelieu)

Our opinion on the Puy du Fou

We enjoyed our visit to the Puy du Fou. Most of the shows are very well done, exciting and full of emotions.

Some details bothered us, but it doesn’t remain significant compared to the pleasure we had during the visit.

Advantages

• Incredible shows: sets and costumes, actors, special effects… You don’t see amateur shows. These are not the most complex scenarios in the world, but there is always a set piece or a stunt to surprise you and trigger emotions.
• Well laid out green park, well marked inside.
• Large parking lots upon arrival regulated by park staff for entry.
• Program available online to plan your visit.
• The price is still very reasonable for such a park.
• Many restaurants benches, toilets…

Disadvantages

• A lot of time spent in queues (more than in front of shows). As everywhere unfortunately, some people are not civilized and overtake the others
• No protection from the sun. We found ourselves waiting several times in the sun for a long time… The stands of most of the shows are not at all sheltered. Remember to bring sunscreen, hats and water to stay hydrated!
• Many animals are trained for the shows. This can be seen positively when they move freely (The Ball of the Ghost Birds is incredible). Nevertheless, it’s disturbing when horses are indoors with a hell of a noise or when they must execute gestures that are not natural to them.
• Too much proselytizing in the scenarios of the shows. Example: the Christian and merciful Gauls against the naughty Romans. Afterwards, be aware that you are attending shows and there are not history lessons.
• Restoration is not good and if you eat with several people in the Park, your bill climbs quickly.

Amélie
I love travels, photos and food. Through this blog, I like to share my experiences and travel tips.