Visiting Puy du Fou with family: my tips for making the most of it

Puy du Fou needs no introduction, and we’re always happy to go back with the kids! This multi-award-winning international show park has blown us away once again. This time we went as an extended family, with my mother-in-law and one of my husband’s aunts. Three generations marvelling together over a weekend. In this article, I share our experience and all our tips for visiting Puy du Fou with family.

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What is Puy du Fou?

Puy du Fou is what I’d call a park of “big shows“. It isn’t an amusement park: you go there to marvel at live performances. Every show tells a story tied to the great sweep of history.

Whether it’s the story of the Vendée Wars, the Roman games, the First World War or the Knights of the Round Table, each show plunges us into a period of history. But don’t expect a life-size history lesson, far from it. Puy du Fou is, in fact, regularly criticised for its interpretations of French history.

You come to admire artistic performances, and you’ll certainly get an eyeful. In recent years Puy du Fou has developed a fascinating capacity for artistic and technical innovation. It is also home to a large number of animals and has specialised in horsemanship and falconry, thanks to two internationally renowned schools.

The Puy du Fou adventure began with the Cinéscénie. This night-time show has been performed with the help of 4,000 volunteers since 1978. It has evolved a great deal since, particularly technically, but it still tells the story of the Maupillier family through the centuries. Again, I’d advise you not to dwell on historical accuracy but to let yourself be carried along by the different scenes, each as stunning as the last.

What you’ll see

Big shows! Beautifully crafted sets and costumes, breathtaking staging, technical feats, talented actors and acrobats. The music, very present in every show, sweeps visitors into another world and conveys a thousand and one emotions.

20 different shows are put on every day. The number of performances of each show changes through the season depending on visitor numbers. During our two days at the Puy du Fou park as a family in early September, we managed to see every show.

Some shows are really more like immersive experiences. These are Le Mystère de la Pérouse (one of our favourites!), Le Premier Royaume, Les Amoureux de Verdun and La Renaissance du Château. For each of them you wander through a set while the story is told room by room, sometimes by real actors, sometimes through speakers. Each in its own way is stunning.

I’m deliberately not revealing too much about the shows. I wouldn’t want to spoil the pleasure of discovering them. Here are just a few photos.

Our favourite shows

I have a soft spot for Puy du Fou because a few people in my family are “Puyfolais” (Cinéscénie volunteers) and former actors in the park. I’ve been several times since childhood, helped by the geographical proximity. And it’s a real pleasure every time!

Today, you spend more time in the shows. But if you can, also spend a little time in the villages, step into the workshops and discover the traditional crafts on display. We spent time with the glassblower and the woodturner, for example, and that was fascinating too!

As for our favourite shows, it’s honestly hard to answer…

I’d say: Mousquetaire de Richelieu (Richelieu’s Musketeer), with a grand finale that gives me goosebumps just thinking about it, Le Mime et l’Étoile (The Mime and the Star; new in 2023), full of poetry, and Le Mystère de la Pérouse, which I love as much as ever.

My husband answered fairly quickly for his top 2: Mousquetaire de Richelieu and Le Dernier Panache (The Last Panache). For the third, he gave me four! Le Bal des Oiseaux Fantômes, Le Mime et l’Étoile, Les Vikings and Le Secret de la Lance.

My elder son answered almost without hesitation: Le Signe du Triomphe (it was already his favourite in 2020), Mousquetaire de Richelieu (again!) and Le Bal des Oiseaux Fantômes (of course, a Puy du Fou classic, timeless and as astonishing as ever).

My younger son found it very hard to pick just three! He loved everything! But above all, what he loved most was the Cinéscénie!

Visiting Puy du Fou with kids: everything you need to know

Here I try to answer all the questions you might have (and even the ones you haven’t thought of) before visiting Puy du Fou with kids.

What age is best for visiting Puy du Fou?

The park

I’ve often heard “we’re waiting for the kids to grow up before visiting Puy du Fou as a family.” On the one hand, yes, don’t necessarily rush there with very young children. But on the other, don’t wait too long either. I’d say your child will enjoy the park from age 5 or 6.

If you have a baby or a child who isn’t walking yet, don’t hesitate. You might want to bring noise-cancelling headphones and a baby carrier so you can enjoy the immersive experiences I mentioned above. For everything else, you can enjoy the park with a pushchair.

And after that, there’s no age limit. You can go with a 5-year-old, a 14-year-old and your parents! All generations will enjoy all the shows together. It’s quite beautiful to see, in fact. It’s not for the little ones, nor for adults, nor for older people: Puy du Fou is for everyone!

In early September, we brought 3 generations together for a weekend and it was fun to share our feelings at the end of each show. We were all blown away every time!

The Cinéscénie

As for the Cinéscénie, we went for the first time with our children aged 5 and 7. They slept all the way through! Well yes, the Cinéscénie starts at nightfall, so at 10.30pm in June and July and 10pm in August and September. And you often see the Cinéscénie after a day spent in the park (that was our case), so as you can imagine the kids were exhausted!

This year, our children were 8 and 10 and both held out despite the tiredness. And above all, they loved it! It has to be said, this show is magnificent! So, from my experience, I’d say from age 8 for the Cinéscénie.

How long should you allow for visiting Puy du Fou?

There was a time when you could spend a day in the park, see all the shows, walk through all the villages and go back to see your favourites. I was only a child… Today, that’s impossible!! I recommend allowing two days on site. Two days, arriving at the park’s opening time on both!

This year, we discovered the Puy du Fou app with great interest. It’s perfect and, I think, essential for making the most of your time on site without it turning into a headache. Several times over the weekend I told myself they must have written a really good brief before commissioning a developer, because this app meets visitors’ needs perfectly! (Having once worked as a go-between for users and developers, I know it isn’t always easy!)

In the app, you first say whether you have all the time in the world or want to see as many shows as possible. You also say whether you have a pushchair or a wheelchair. The app will suggest routes accordingly. You can enter the hours you’ll be in the park. The computer mixes it all together and suggests a ready-made itinerary! Then all you have to do is follow the programme. It’s disarmingly easy! If needed, wifi is free throughout the park.

Little tip: download the app the day before your visit and you can ask it to put together a programme for your two days. No time wasted, and you’re sure to see everything you want to see!

Practical tips for visiting Puy du Fou with kids

During our weekend, I noted a few little things here and there that may help you plan your visit to Puy du Fou with kids.

My tips and other information for visiting the park

Allow time before the shows

• In season, especially on Cinéscénie days, it’s very busy. You need to arrive at the shows at least 45 minutes, even an hour, ahead. Plan accordingly! We were surprised by the crowds on Saturday 2 September, naively thinking visitors would be on their way home to get ready for the new school year. Not at all!! By Sunday it was already quieter.
• To get round this problem, Pass Émotion tickets exist. For €32 per person per day (€38 on Cinéscénie days), you get reserved seats ( and good ones!) for the biggest shows up to 10 minutes before the performance starts. Let’s not pretend: it adds up to a hefty budget, but if that’s not a problem for you, treat yourself!
• If, like us, you queue for the shows, bring little games to play with the kids while they wait. You don’t necessarily need any equipment: you can play rock-paper-scissors, I spy, thumb wars and so on. A Playmobil figure and a little car work too. A small book or some stickers, why not. As long as it all doesn’t weigh too much in the backpack, it’s perfect! Do note, though, that the queue moves fairly quickly. If you arrive 45 minutes before showtime, after 15 minutes you’re let into the auditorium. By the time you’ve got in and settled, there are only 15 minutes left to wait!

Come prepared

• I strongly recommend bringing a picnic so you don’t waste time in the restaurants, which are stormed at mealtimes. While you wait for a show, you eat, and the queue passes faster! If you’d rather take a break and split the day, know that it’s best to book your table in advance. You do this at the park entrance, at the dedicated desk.
• You can get back to your car during the day if you need to. But be careful, distances can be quite long!
• On that note, bring good shoes, because the park is big and you’ll walk a few kilometres over the day!
• Despite the park’s many trees, plenty of places stay in the sun, especially in the queues. Cap, sun cream and water bottles are a must!
• Conversely, if it rains, bring umbrellas and ponchos, because many shows are outdoors. Performances go ahead in the rain.
• For children who are sensitive to noise, bring noise-cancelling headphones.

A few little extras

• At the entrance, don’t hesitate to pick up the map and the day’s programme. Even though everything is generally well signposted in the park, it’s useful to get a sense of the distances between the performance venues.
• Your children can let off steam in a playground. Mine love the mazes right next door.
• Note that the night-time show Les Noces de Feu isn’t performed on Cinéscénie evenings, meaning Friday and Saturday evenings from June to September.
• The park is open from the Easter holidays to the All Saints’ holidays. Bookings for the following season open in October.

My tips for the Cinéscénie

• For the Cinéscénie, bring warm clothes and/or small blankets. If it rains, bring something to protect yourself, because the stands are open-air!
• If you can, for the Cinéscénie, go for seats as central as possible (the stand is very, very big) and not right at the bottom. Spectators in the front rows miss the overall view by being at the same level as the actors. I’d say from row 10 onwards it’s good.
• Book your tickets well in advance so you have a choice!

Getting to Puy du Fou and where to stay

Getting to Puy du Fou

Puy du Fou is located in the Vendée, in the commune of Les Épesses. If that doesn’t ring a bell, that’s normal! Puy du Fou sits in the middle of a square formed by Nantes, Angers, Poitiers and La Rochelle. It’s 1 hour by road from Nantes or Angers, 1 hour 30 from La Rochelle and almost 2 hours from Poitiers (small roads!).

The easiest way to get there is therefore by road! Parking is free. There is a car park dedicated to motorhomes. You can spend the night in your vehicle from €11 (the first 12 hours are free of charge).

If you don’t have a vehicle, shuttles run from Angers station and Nantes airport. They must be booked: +33 (0) 820 09 10 10 (€0.12/min from a landline), and cost €33.80 per passenger, return.

Puy du Fou is going global, notably in Toledo, Spain! Information and booking here!

Where to stay at Puy du Fou or nearby

Puy du Fou has hotels on site. We’ve never stayed there, so I can’t really tell you about them. That said, we live too far from Puy du Fou to go home in the evening and come back the next day. So we usually rent a small flat not far from the park.

In September, we stayed in Sèvremont in a very well-equipped holiday cottage, 10 minutes by road from Puy du Fou. There was even a swimming pool, but we didn’t have time to enjoy it.

On Saturday, after a first day of sightseeing, we left the park around 6pm, went back to our gîte (holiday cottage) to rest a little, have dinner and change before heading back for the Cinéscénie. That little break did the whole family a world of good! We always look for a holiday cottage with a kitchen so we can easily make a picnic for the next day.

With a tourist site that draws so many visitors every year, the accommodation on offer has adapted over the years and there’s no shortage of choice! You can easily find accommodation in Les Épesses, the commune where Puy du Fou is located.

I did some research for you and found, for example, this guesthouse 15 minutes from the park. Practical and efficient for one night. For a stay of two nights or more, you can opt for a total change of scene and a back-to-basics feel by staying in a treehouse or a tipi at Naya Lodge (activities on site; 30 minutes from the park).

And here are our answers to your recent questions:

If you’ve read this far, you have all the information you need to plan your visit to Puy du Fou. If you still have questions, don’t hesitate: that’s what the comments are for. Enjoy the discovery!

♥♥♥ Flo & co ♥♥♥

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