Top 10 Best Roller Coasters In Europe

I love a good Top 10 favourites list, and was shocked when I realised I've never actually worked out a Top 10 best roller coasters in Europe list! I think once you hit that magical 1000 coasters ridden threshold it helps to break them down into smaller, bite-sized favourite lists to help you digest the coasters you've ridden and still appreciate all the great things about coasters you love that might not necessarily cut it for the all time favourites list. In Europe we're really lucky to have not only some truly world-class, excellent rollercoasters but our historic love and ties to fairytales and folklore mean that more often than not these amazing rides come themed to the hilt, narrative and all, too!

So I wanted to take some time today to talk through the top ten European roller coasters. As always with these lists, this is based solely on my opinion and it's not the end of the world if your favourite coaster doesn't appear on this list. It doesn't mean I'm wrong, nor does it mean I'm saying you're wrong, it just means we have different tastes in coasters, and that is absolutely fine and allowed and by all means feel free to drop your list of top ten best coasters in Europe in the comments below, I'd love to see how they differ from mine! Also worth noting that these are in no particular order - I can never be bothered with truly ranking favourites as some of them aren't comparable, they're all just great. 


1. Hyperion, Energylandia

Kicking it off with a fairly fresh entry to my hall of favourites with Hyperion at Energylandia in Poland. This Intamin behemoth is an interesting one to me as I first rode it in April last year and had an absolute ball. Despite the freezing weather conditions, we ran around time and time again for a nostril-hair-freezing front row ride just to take in that world-beating first drop and insane sense of speed and airtime. It's a kickass coaster for sure. But then I went home and kind of forgot about it until September when I revisited the park to try Zadra, and of course re-ride Hyperion. Those dramatic September dusk rides on this coaster made me shake my head in disappointment at myself for doubting how utterly fantastic a coaster it is. 


2. Troy, Toverland

I first rode Troy and Toverland in the Netherlands back in 2009 when it was still a new kid on the block. The only woodies I'd ridden were brutal beasts like Gwazi, Stampida and the Blackpool retro death machines, so Troy was my first taste of just how glorious a wooden coaster could be. It's an absolutely ferocious coaster, but manages to pack in tons of relentless speed and airtime roaring round a glorious layout packed with oodles of excellent transitions, twists and turns. It's only that's occasionally slipped from my mind over the years, especially with the advent of the golden child that is RMC, but upon reriding it back in 2018 in the dark with fire and fog and spooky lighting as DesTroy for the park's Halloween event, it shot back up in my estimations. I don't think I've ever had a bad ride on this coaster over the ten years I've been riding it and it's never once failed to leave me feeling exhilarated and like I want to run straight back round for another turn. 




3. Stealth, Thorpe Park

Probably a controversial coaster to add to a list of Europe's best but I stand by it. I adore launch coasters and my love of a good old-fashioned heart-in-throat hydraulic launch stems from riding Stealth at Thorpe Park for the first time way back in 2006 and feeling like my brain was going to explode from adrenaline. It just does was it does and does it excellently. The launch is still as gut-punching as it was 14 years ago and still holds up as one of my favourite coaster launches of all time, and it delivers airtime by the bucketload. I rode it a whole bunch this season, particularly during Oktoberfest and FRIGHT NIGHTS this year when I was lucky enough to be assigned front row multiple times during night-riding sessions and honestly it's renewed my passion for an old favourite coaster that I've always loved, but have managed to gain a whole new appreciation for this season. 




4. Schwur des Karnan

Karnan, or Schwur Des Karnan to give it its proper, full German name, at Hansa Park in Germany is, quite simply, the most terrifying coaster in Europe and maybe the world. And that's pretty much all in the theming. That hideous, looming, terrifying tower from which one only emerges screaming and clinging on for dear life is too good at doing its job, quite frankly. I won't spoil what happens inside the tower of doom, but it is one of the reasons this coaster is on this list purely for doing something truly unique and innovative that doesn't come off as gimmicky but instead enhances the experience of an already excellent coaster. The coaster proper that follows the...unpleasantness, is spectacular. It takes full advantage of the sheer height and size of the thing and sends riders through huge, swooping inversions and glorious airtime hills and transitions. It's as close to perfect a coaster as you'll find in Europe. 




5. Helix, Liseberg

Of course Helix at Liseberg in Sweden is on this list, which is always strange to me considering my usual distaste for Mack launch coasters. Usually I find them lacklustre, but not Helix. Despite not having the butt-clenching oomph of an Intamin launch coaster, Helix makes up for this with a dramatic, landscape hugging layout that feels impossibly huge, taking riders sweeping through several glorious inversions that deliver just the right balance or airtime and hangtime without once relenting on speed. There's not one section of the coaster that feels dead or like it should be doing something else but simultaneously paces itself perfectly to allow the rider to really absorb every force our bodies go through on this fantastic ride. For me, there's very little that can beat hurtling uphill towards one of my favourite inversions in Europe against a starlit sky illuminated with the lights of Gothia Towers. 




6. Oz'Iris, Parc Asterix

I always feel that Oz'Iris at Parc Asterix in France is a very underrated coaster in Europe, and indeed the world. It's not one we hear much about yet every time I ride it I'm absolutely blown away by how perfect it is. It's a masterclass in balancing speed and inversions with force, ensuring just the right amount of respite between each element to stave away the nausea whilst still delivering a whirlwind of a layout. I've banged on many times about my adoration for the zero-g rolls on this coaster, in particular the secret sneaky second one if you're riding backrow and essentially float like an astronaut through the entire element - you literally do not touch your seat the entire time and the sensation is glorious. Add to that the somehow gorgeous but still retaining Parc Asterix's uniquely cartoonish sense of humour theming - complete with underwater dive elements and fountains, and it's easy to see why I love this coaster so damn much. 




7. Taron, Phantasialand

Well of course Taron at Phantasialand in Germany is on this list. It's by far my favourite coaster in Europe and my second favourite coaster in the world. This Intamin Blitz coaster practically spits venom as it hurtles through the ridiculously detailed themed landscape of the mythical Klugheim. Weaving its way through jagged rocks and smouldering ravines, this beast does its damnedest to send us riders flying into the abyss as it violently snaps through insane ejector airtime filled transition after insane ejector airtime filled transition. The first launch into the gnarled rockface is exquisite but there is nothing quite like the euphoria of flying at high speed through all that theatrical fire and brimstone into the glorious second launch up into a majestic waterfall. I'm practically salivating writing this, it's just fucking great and I can't believe I'm so hashtag blessed as to live on the same Earth upon which such a piece of engineering and thematic perfection exists. 




8. Fluch von Novgorod, Hansa Park

OK so I was debating with myself about putting Fluch von Novgorod at Hansa Park in Germany on this list, but thinking about it it really is an excellent coaster. Like most things at Hansa Park, it's impeccably themed from the creepy scarecrow dudes beckoning you into the queue line to the slide as you exit. Nothing about Fluch von Novgorod does what you might expect it to do and that is why I love it quite so much. Oh, and it also happens to be one of the fastest accelerating coasters in the world (?!) and we all know how I feel about launch coasters by now. Because it's so highly themed it feels more like a dark ride with coaster elements which is something I adore for both its excellent execution and its ambition - you don't often see stuff like this being done outside of Disney, Universal and of course Efteling, and even rarer still do you see it done so well outside of those aforementioned parks. Alongside a gut-wrenching launch out of nowhere and fabulous spooky theming, the coaster is also pack full of fun, nippy elements and elegant airtime filled moments that perfectly compliment the more hardcore and intense stuff going on inside. 



9. Nemesis, Alton Towers

No top European coasters list would be completely without the iconic, legendary rollercoaster that is Nemesis at Alton Towers in the UK. When it opened over 25 years ago this coaster was literally ground-breaking, and to this day I still don't think we've seen anything quite like Nemesis. With its elaborately themed Cronenbergian alien-creature station that looks like something straight out of a graphic 80s video nasty, the setting for this incredible B&M invert coaster feels alive in itself, all waterfalls and twisted metal. I adore how unique the theme of Nemesis and indeed Forbidden Valley is it perfectly compliments the untamed and feral nature of the beast itself. This coaster picks up speed out of nowhere, sending riders plummeting into a festering alien-invaded quarry with an unrivalled intensity that does not let up until we slam, breathless, into the brake run. Nemesis is a feast for both the eyes and the senses - it's the kind of coaster you wish you could stand and take photos of all day were it not for the fact that you just want to keep riding it over and over. A true queen. 



10. Zadra, Energylandia

You didn't think I'd leave all of the European RMCs off of this list did you? In at number ten but by no means least, Zadra at Energylandia in Poland. This freshest of the Rocky Mountain Construction machines is like no other RMC I've ridden and it is for that reason it makes the list over the likes of Untamed and Wildfire, who while both excellent coasters do share similar qualities with other RMCs I've ridden. The zero-g stall on Zadra is one of the all time favourite coaster elements - it goes on just too long to make you really appreciate what a bizarre yet brilliant sensation it is, before plummeting you back into the rest of the layout. The various zero-gs where you're just surrounded by a kaleidoscope of wood are just sensational and the big airtime hill is probably my favourite airtime moment in Europe - nothing but bums off seats the entire way through the element but taken with enough speed that you're dragged through the thing like a ragdoll. I guess in a way it is a bit like a mini-Steel Vengeance even though I said it isn't like any of the RMCs I've ridden previously - but I do stand by the fact that Zadra is incredibly unique in how it rides and it delivers a solidly excellent run through on every go. 


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Writing this list has made me appreciate all over again just how lucky we are here in Europe to have such a wide variety of highly themed, excellent coasters across the entire continent. I had a really hard time whittling it down to just ten which is a testament to how many incredible coasters there are here and honestly I can't wait to see what the future brings for the European coaster landscape. 

Do you agree with my list? What are your top ten European coasters? Let me know in the comments, I'd love to have a chat!

Talk later xoxo,

6 comments

  1. Hyperion as your number 1.. I don't agree on that one. I have been twice to Energylandia and I dislike the ride because it is rought in my humble opinion to be good. I like Lech Coaster so much more.

    But without further ado my top 10 steel and wooden coasters in Europe:

    Top 10 European Woodies:
    1. Wildfire
    2. Zadra
    2. Megafobia
    3. Balder
    4. Untamed
    5. Stampida (Red)
    6. Troy
    7. Wodan Timbur Coaster
    8. Vuoristorato
    9. Wickerman
    10. Wood Express

    Top 10 European Steel Coasters:
    1. Fluch von Novgorod
    2. !Speed
    3. Helix
    4. Lech Coaster
    5. Stuntfall
    6. Taron
    7. Eurosat Can Cancoaster
    8. F.L.Y
    9. Piraten
    10. Shambhala

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    1. Sorry, this reply above is from Phil Jong from the Netherlands.

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    2. I did say in the intro that they're in no particular order, so Hyperion isn't my number one :)

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    3. Oops.. *going to get new glasses next thing tomorrow-morning.

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  2. I was slightly disappointed by Helix after hearing so much hype. I didn't come off speechless as I'd expected. And I can't explain why.

    I find it really hard to rank coasters as I don't do loads of re-rides so I have to go off my first impressions which can't always be trusted 😂

    Some of my favourites are

    Taron (one of few coasters that I do look for re-rides on)

    Wodan

    Balder

    Troy

    Wildfire

    Megafobia

    Icon

    FÄ“nix

    Swarm

    Smiler

    Baron 1898

    Karacho

    Expedition GeForce.

    Overall I would have to say Taron is definitely up There as one of my all time favourites I always come off out of breath and stunned. I'm not known for being speechless so this is clearly a special kind of coaster 😂

    I can't wait to be experience some of the coasters you've chosen in particular Zadra and Karnan.

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    1. That's a really good list - I was excited to reride Karacho last month and was surprised how much I loved it!

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