PortAventura, Spain

[poptartpoptart]

Hi, has anyone been? What's it like and any tips welcome please.
We are thinking of going next summer with 4 kids - all boys (ages 15, 13, 9 and 7). I am thinking of actually staying on the complex as it has a theme park and water park on site so plenty to keep them occupied as after a couple of days by the pool they tend to get bored. Also does anyone know if any of the on-site hotels do self catering accomodation to sleep 6 people? The website is not very informative regarding the accomodation. Thanks!

This may be too late for you, but we went in 2010 and stayed with Thomson Alfresco at their Sanguli campsite up the road which was great. You could walk to the beach, had a choice of 3 pools and all onsite stuff, and drive to Portaventura well within 15mins - as we had a multi-day pass and went a few times. The van had air-con and a veranda and was lovely. Other companies also go there of course.

We didn't do the water park as it was hot and we would have fried being outside all day, in fact we found it best to go to the park from 4pm when it was cool and there were minimal queues. DS was 14 then and LOVED it - as did DH &I.

We drove, did Dover/Calais and stopped overnight at a very cheap & cheerful ACE hotel - but it was the furthest we have ever driven and about my limit for 2 full days in the car. Worth it to have the car for trips out though - we went to Montserrat and other places, but took the train to Barcelona as the station was a few mins walk from the campsite and parking in Barcelona would have been a nightmare.

went this summer. none of the hotels onsite have self catering you would have to book 2 rooms. We stayed at the Hotel Caribe absolutely fantastic in every way included 14 day passes to theme park and 1 day to waterpark(which is all you need imo ) Fantastic holiday theme park excellent would definitely recommend

We stayed in the El Paso a few years ago (it has since gone all inclusive, you can use the park restaurants as well as far as I know) and the Hotel Portaventura. Brilliant theme park. Can highly recommend it. When we stayed there, your room key acted as a fast pass which was much needed at busier times.

No self catering options that I can think of on site though.

no there were no Fastpasses this summer you could buy them they were 8 euros which gave you 1 entry to each of the popular rides(furious bacco dragon khan hurican condor temple fuego and some more cant remember) or you could buy an unlimited wrist band at 49 euros which lasted the whole holiday bit expensive for a family of five!

49 euros each that is!