Place to stay near Disneyland Paris: The complete guide to choosing the best accommodation

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Every great adventure begins with a bold decision, and choosing where to drop anchor before a voyage to Disneyland Paris is one of the most important ones you'll make. Whether you're setting sail with little pirates in tow or a crew of thrill-seeking explorers, your base camp can make or break the entire expedition. So hoist the sails, grab your compass, and let this guide chart the course to your perfect stay.

Why your choice of accommodation matters

Disneyland Paris is a destination unlike any other, a place where imagination runs wild and the magic never sleeps. But after a full day of rides, shows, and wonder, even the most seasoned explorer needs a place to rest, recharge, and dream of the next day's adventures. The right hotel isn't just a bed for the night; it's part of the journey itself.

Location is king. Staying close to the Disney Parks means less time commuting and more time living the adventure. It also means you can head back for an afternoon nap and return refreshed for the evening fireworks, a luxury that families with young children know is absolutely priceless.

Photo credit Toni Pomar via Unsplash

What to look for in a Hotel near Disneyland Paris

When scouting for the ideal place to stay near Disneyland Paris, there are a few essentials every smart explorer should check off their list:

Proximity to the parks. Every minute saved on transport is a minute gained inside the magic. Look for hotels in Marne-la-Vallée, the town that borders the Disney Parks, for the shortest possible journey between pillow and pixie dust.

Family-friendly facilities. Pools, play areas, themed rooms, and on-site dining are not just nice-to-haves, they transform your hotel into a destination of its own. Kids shouldn't have to wait until they walk through the park gates to feel the excitement.

Value for the whole crew. Paris is one of Europe's most visited destinations, and accommodation costs can quickly spiral. Look for hotels that offer all-inclusive or bundled packages, breakfast options, and spacious rooms that can comfortably accommodate a family without the need for two separate rooms.

An atmosphere with soul. The best hotels near Disneyland Paris don't just offer a place to sleep, they immerse you in a world of their own. A themed hotel turns check-in into the start of the adventure.

Setting sail at the Explorers Hotel

For families who want their entire trip to feel like one continuous expedition, the Explorers Hotel in Marne-la-Vallée is a destination that stands completely on its own. Designed around the spirit of discovery, adventure, and the golden age of exploration, everything here, from the décor to the atmosphere, is built to fire up the imagination.

The hotel's universe is one of ships, maps, and far-flung destinations. The common areas feel like the interior of a grand explorer's vessel, with details that delight children and quietly charm adults. Sir Archibald, the hotel's beloved explorer mascot, embodies the spirit of adventure that runs through every corner of the property.

Families will find multiple pools, a dedicated kids' club, a range of dining options, and spacious rooms designed to welcome the whole crew. And with shuttle connections running directly to the Disney Parks, the magic is never far away.

Tips for booking your stay

Book early, especially for school holidays and summer. Hotels near Disneyland Paris fill up fast, and the best rooms at themed properties go first. Look for packages that bundle hotel nights with park tickets — they often represent significant savings. And don't underestimate the value of staying an extra night: arriving the evening before the parks open means you're rested, ready, and first through the gates.

Ready to embark?

The greatest adventures are the ones you remember forever. Choose your accommodation wisely, pack your sense of wonder, and get ready to explore — because the journey truly begins before you even reach the park.

Sharing some of my Japan junk journal pages, and some travel junk journal tips

I've always enjoyed documenting my travels. Even when I was a child I would fill notebooks with things that I collected on holiday - tickets, postcards, food labels and pictures cut out from tourist leaflets. Over the last few years I've sadly fallen out of the habit, but I was determined to make an effort on our holiday this summer to Japan, and I'm so glad that I did! 

Here is a look at the Japan junk journal that I put together with ephemera and notes from our trip. 

Some people like to make their own journals from scrap materials. But to make things easier I used a really simple sketchbook as the base for my travel junk journal, one from a pack of three from Hobbycraft. I removed the centre two pages so that I had enough room to add some extra bulk, and I glued everything in using a glue stick. In total my junk journal has a title page, back page, and fifteen double page spreads. 

I chose to work on my journal when I returned home rather than try and find time while I was away. I took with me a couple of plastic wallets so that I could collect things as I went along, and I did pack a small pair of scissors so that I could cut up leaflets and magazines while I was away to save on luggage space.

I'm quite a neat person, and so I have quite a tidy junk journal compared to others that I've seen online! Most of the items that I've glued in are completely flat. One exception is this paper crane which I folded as part of my Hiroshima page. Paper cranes are such a huge part of the Hiroshima memorials, and I wanted to reflect that, as well as the experience of folding my own crane for the journal. The crane and background are made from some lovely origami papers which I picked up in one of the stationery shops.

Sometimes I had a larger leaflet that I wanted to include so I added some fold out elements, like on this page from Osaka. I'm so glad that Japan still has printed tickets for many attractions, I really miss having a physical ticket to remind me of somewhere that I've been now that everything is done with QR codes!

One of my Kyoto pages features the wonderful Arashiyama Monkey Park. I also added the packaging from the fan that I bought, which barely left my hand during our visit during a heatwave, and a small folded paper fortune that I bought from a box by the side of the road. I didn't even unfold it because I was worried I wouldn't be able to put it back together, so I hope that it's a lucky one!

We spent two days at Tokyo Disneyland, which was amazing. My Disneyland pages have a little more journalling because I wanted to make some notes about the rides which are exclusive to the Tokyo parks. I found a couple of postcards that I could take from the hotel room, and I had a roll of stickers to decorate with featuring the most popular Japanese Disney characters, which I received once as a gift on a Disney cruise ship.

My page from our visit to Mount Fuji features some of the tourist souvenir stamps which are everywhere in Japan. A regret from our holiday is that I didn't bring a separate notebook to collect these stamps, although I think that I would have become obsessive about collecting them so it's probably a good thing that I didn't - we might have missed some trains while I was hunting for a station stamp!

Finally, I couldn't resist a page dedicated to cats, as they are so popular in Japan. I used the leaflet from the Cat Café that we visited, added some of the many cat stickers that I bought, and stuck in some of the little leaflets from inside the gachapon vending machines, where we spent far too much money and I was specifically hunting for cat themed items. 

I'm so glad that I invested a little bit of time and effort into putting together this travel junk journal. It's a really simple way to remember a trip and to have a home for all the little bits of paper and other ephemera that you collect when travelling.

Here are some (mostly free!) items which are perfect to collect and add to your travel junk journal:

Postcards

Tourist leaflets, maps

Stickers, washi tape, patterned papers, tissue paper

Food packaging, tea bag tags

Train tickets, attraction tickets, receipts (be aware that anything printed on thermal paper may fade)

Business cards from hotels, restaurants etc.

Napkins, straw holders, paper coasters, tray liners from fast food restaurants

Newspaper and magazine cuttings, especially if anything newsworthy happened while you were visiting

Hotel amenity packaging, key card holders, hotel postcards, writing paper and envelopes

And some things in my journal which are specific to Japan - souvenir tourist stamps (carry some sheets of blank paper with you if you don't have a dedicated notebook!), fortune papers from shrines, gachapon toy leaflets (look for machines with items local to the place that you are visiting), origami paper, newspaper cuttings

My 'to be read' pile in August 2026

It's been ages since I last posted my 'to be read' pile, so I thought that I would do a quick update, and share a bit about how each book has ended up there! 

This is what the shelf looked like in February - My February 'to be read' books - and it now looks quite different. 

There is only one book still on the shelf - Into the Silence by Wade Davis. I must admit that this book has been there for a while because it's quite hard going. It's a history of the very earliest Everest expeditions, but also looks at some of the motivation in that era behind the drive to climb and explore. I've read the first part and it's an enjoyable read but there is a lot of information to take in. I think that I need to attack it with some post-its and break it down a bit because I really do want to read it.

Testament of Youth by Vera Brittain is a book which I've read many times. It's actually a trilogy of three books detailing the memoirs of a young woman who was just twenty when World War I was declared. It upended her life completely, and it is an account of how she survived those years, despite devastating losses. Something else that I was reading inspired me to move it from my bookshelf so that I was reminded to read it again when I have the chance.

Powers of Persuasion by Winston Fletcher was an impulse second-hand purchase after I read a news article about expensive and memorable advertising campaigns. It looks really good, and it's a subject that I want to learn more about. London's Lost Rivers by Paul Talling was a similar impulse purchase. I love finding a book that I'm after for a reasonable second-hand price! It's about the hidden rivers of London that have been covered up and relegated to tunnels under the city, I find it fascinating. I've flipped through it but I want to give it a proper read.

Photo credit Daniela Muntyan via Unsplash

The other books are all charity shop purchases that I've picked up over the last few weeks. Three of them I've actually already read, but I spotted them and fancied a re-read - The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins, 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Why Men Don't Listen and Women Can't Read Maps by Allan and Barbara Pease. There are a couple of travel books in there for when I fancy some non-fiction - Himalaya by Michael Palin and The 8.55 to Baghdad by Andrew Eames. 

Then finally a couple of vintage books which I couldn't resist because I loved the covers. I'm not sure that I'll be getting through Paradise Lost by John Milton any time soon, but it's such a beautiful copy. I'll have more luck with Tales of Mystery and Imagination by Edgar Allan Poe, in fact I've already read the first few short stories. 

There's my Kindle too of course, I loaded up with books from the Prime Reading library before we went on holiday this summer and then hardly had time to do any reading so there's plenty to keep me busy there. But I think it's a very manageable pile, and I'm looking forward to working through it!

Would you be interested in reading any of these books?

Arashiyama Monkey Park in Kyoto, Japan

When we were planning our visit to Kyoto this summer I found one place that I knew we had to visit. Arashiyama Monkey Park is located on the outskirts of Kyoto and is easily accessible by train with a short walk from the station, or a lovely air-conditioned taxi if you are visiting on an unbearably hot day like we did!

To visit the Monkey Park, you buy your ticket at the entrance and then you need to climb up the hill to get to the monkeys. It only takes about 30 minutes, but when we visited in July during a heatwave it was a long, hot walk and it was quite tough. There are benches along the way as well as fans, and it's quite shaded, but you definitely need to be careful in the heat. We had cooling towels and fans which really helped, as well as plenty of water. At the top there was a lightly air-conditioned indoor rest area, and there were also vending machines for drinks at the top and bottom.

On the way up there are plenty of signs in English to remind you how to behave around the monkeys. Both warning signs, like not carrying loose articles that they might grab, and reminders not to feed them your own food, not to approach them too closely, and not to stare into their eyes as that may make them aggressive.

When you reach the top there is a wide, open area with some wonderful views over the surrounding area. And of course you are surrounded by monkeys! They walk around you and can be seen in the forested areas nearby, some even with tiny babies. There are staff to make sure that they are kept safe, but all the visitors were being really respectful to them and keeping a good distance.

In the middle there is an enclosed hut with wire windows. You can buy some food (peanuts and fruit) for a very reasonable price, and then feed it to the monkeys through the windows. This was an amazing experience! The monkeys were so polite, they came up and reached through with their sweet little fingers to take the food. 

This was definitely the highlight of the visit. There's no pressure, if you don't want to actually feed the monkeys yourself you can just stand there, watch other visitors, and enjoy being so close to the monkeys. It's fascinating to watch their behaviours, and very strange to be the ones in the cage while the monkeys roam free!

We had a lovely visit here and I'd really recommend it. It felt completely safe and I definitely had the impression that the owners of the attraction really care about the monkeys and making sure that they are in an environment where they feel comfortable. 

After visiting the Monkey Park there are some other great places in the local area to enjoy. We visited the popular Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, and the walk there takes you down a lovely touristy road filled with pretty souvenir shops and lots of fun themed character cafés which my daughter recognised from social media. We also visited the beautiful Tenryuji Temple, where there were some shaded benches with wonderful views across the gardens and pond. You could easily spend a whole day here exploring and seeing some really unique sights.

Cat Café MOFF Yodobashi Akiba in Tokyo, Japan

Last year we had a brilliant visit to a cat café in Seoul, and so on our trip to Japan this summer we knew that we definitely wanted to visit another.

This was our first visit to Japan, and there weren't as many cat cafés around as I was expecting. I think that animal welfare regulations have been tightened over the last few years, and many businesses have closed. We chose to visit the Cat Café MOFF Yodobashi Akiba which is part of a chain of cat cafés. It's situated inside the Yodobashi Camera store in Akiba, which is also a great place to visit as well as being somewhere for people that aren't as interested in the cats to spend some time browsing!

The café has large windows which look out onto the street, so you can have a look inside before visiting to check how busy it is and to get a sense of what it's like inside. To spend time in the cafe cost us 2000 yen each for an hour, with additional 10 minutes charged at 250 yen thereafter. There are a couple of vending machines supplying unlimited hot and cold drinks, and you can pay a little extra to buy treats to feed the cats. No reservation was necessary, and it's easy to reach by public transport.

We visited late afternoon which was the perfect time. We arrived just before feeding time, and then after that the space emptied out quickly, with only a few people remaining when it was time for us to leave. Feeding time was really sweet, all the cats lined up in front of their food bowls and they were introduced in turn.

There was a really friendly lady working there who interacted with both guests and cats, telling people about them by using a speaking translator app which worked really well. She clearly loved all the cats. We bought some cat treats and jelly to feed to the cats which was really fun. Everyone was respectful to the cats, no one was chasing them around or bothering them. If they wanted to keep out of the way there were plenty of places for them to retreat where they could remain undisturbed.

If you just sat down quietly then a cat would often approach which was lovely! It was a really calm and peaceful atmosphere. Each table had a handy identification guide with pictures of the cats and their names, and they were all pretty cats from a range of different breeds. We were given stickers so that we could vote for our favourite cat on a wall chart but I felt that was a bit unfair so I put my sticker by the cat that had the fewest votes!

Many of the cats were happy to just sit in a basket while you sat quietly stroked them. We stayed for an hour and it passed so quickly - we could have stayed all day! If you love cats and have the chance to visit a cat café I would definitely recommend it, just make sure to check out a few recent reviews first.

If you are interested in a visit, you can find more information here - Cat Café MOFF Yodobashi Akiba

And if cats aren't your thing, we also saw advertisements in Tokyo for several capybara cafés, puppy cafés, a hedgehog café and an exotic animal café featuring kangaroos and snakes!

The rise of owning glamping pods in Irish wellness culture

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The tourism landscape is changing in Ireland, moving away from traditional accommodation and towards nature-focused experiences. There has been growing demand for nature-based approaches to mental wellbeing in the post-pandemic era, which has accelerated this evolution. 

At the core of this are glamping pods, which combine luxury with the restorative power of nature and have become an increasingly popular part of Ireland’s wellness tourism sector, while also offering an opportunity for those considering glamping pod ownership. 

What Makes Glamping Pods Perfect for Wellness Retreats?

Owning a glamping pod can be an effective way to create a dedicated wellness retreat, combining a private space with direct access to the natural environment. Their compact design and connection to the outdoors allow owners to create a comfortable setting for relaxation, wellness activities, and guest accommodation.

● Biophilic Design Principles: Many pods feature floor-to-ceiling windows, natural materials like wood, and strategic placement to maximise views, linking guests with the surrounding landscape. These features can help create a relaxing atmosphere within a private wellness space. 

● Privacy and Solitude: Unlike a hotel, a privately owned pod can provide a secluded place to relax or comfortable accommodation for guests. With a dedicated space for digital detox and meditation, owners can create a private environment for relaxation and stress reduction. 

● Integration with Outdoor Wellness Activities: Their outdoor orientation facilitates easy access to activities such as forest bathing, cold water therapy, and open-air meditation. Owners can incorporate these experiences into their own wellness retreat or offer them as part of a guest stay.

Design Elements That Maximise Wellness Benefits

Thoughtful design is paramount to enhancing the wellness benefits of a privately owned glamping pod. Specific features can be strategically incorporated to create a restorative environment and increase the appeal of the pod as a personal wellness space or guest accommodation.

● Essential Features: Wood-burning stoves, outdoor baths, and stargazing domes can strengthen the connection with nature while creating a relaxing atmosphere. Owners may select these features based on the intended use of their pod. 

● Sound Insulation and Acoustic Design: To ensure a restful night's sleep and support mental wellbeing, sound insulation is an important consideration. It also helps create a peaceful and comfortable environment for paying guests. 

● Sustainable Materials and Eco-Certifications: Incorporating sustainable materials and pursuing relevant eco-certifications can appeal to eco-conscious travellers who value nature-focused experiences. 

For owners, these features can help differentiate a privately owned glamping pod from conventional accommodation while creating a stronger wellness proposition.

Conclusion: The Future of Owning Glamping Pods in Ireland

Ireland's wellness tourism sector has seen significant growth in glamping pods, and this trend is expected to continue. For those looking to own a glamping pod, this growing market provides an opportunity to create a wellness space that can also function as a unique guest accommodation. 

By combining luxury with genuine immersion in nature, owning your own glamping pod could enable you to create a wellness retreat while generating income from guests. This is consistent with Ireland's sustainable tourism approach, which favours low-impact, regionally distributed and seasonally balanced tourism. 

All images supplied by customer and used with permission

Why more travellers are switching to eSIMs and virtual numbers

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Photo credit Holiday Extras via Unsplash

International travel has become easier in some ways and more complicated in others. Booking flights takes minutes. Hotel reservations happen instantly. Translation apps can help somebody order dinner in a country where they do not speak a single word of the language.

But staying connected after landing in another country still causes problems for many travellers.

A delayed flight, a missing hotel confirmation, or an app refusing to load at the airport can quickly turn into a stressful situation. Most travellers now depend heavily on phones for directions, transport, bookings, banking alerts, and communication. Losing access to mobile data abroad is no longer a small inconvenience.

That is one reason digital travel tools have become far more common over the last few years. Many international travellers now use services such as eSIM Plus to keep mobile access working across different countries without repeatedly buying physical SIM cards after every flight. For people moving between destinations within short periods, the convenience matters.

The same applies to virtual phone numbers. Travellers regularly sign up for transport apps, restaurant bookings, local ticketing systems, apartment rentals, and temporary travel platforms that require SMS verification. A growing number prefer using secondary or temporary numbers instead of attaching personal contact details to every app downloaded during a trip.

Airports No Longer Feel Designed for Offline Travellers

There was a time when travellers could arrive in another country and figure things out slowly. That is becoming harder.

Many airports now expect passengers to use ride-hailing apps, digital boarding passes, QR codes, online check-ins, and mobile payment systems almost immediately after arrival. Some hotels no longer even operate traditional reception desks for late-night check-ins.

In many cities, transport systems themselves are built around mobile access. Train tickets are stored digitally. Taxi bookings happen through apps. Even restaurant waiting lists are sometimes managed online.

A traveller standing outside an airport without working data can run into problems surprisingly fast.

This is partly why eSIM adoption has grown so quickly. Instead of searching for local SIM vendors after landing, travellers can activate mobile plans before departure and switch networks digitally between destinations.

For people visiting several countries during one trip, that saves time and removes a lot of unnecessary hassle.

Virtual Numbers Became Useful for Reasons People Did Not Expect

Most travellers are familiar with spam messages after signing up for unfamiliar apps abroad. What surprises many people is how often travel now requires phone verification.

Restaurant bookings, event tickets, transport platforms, short-term apartment rentals, and public Wi-Fi systems increasingly request active mobile numbers. Some services continue sending promotional messages long after the trip ends.

Virtual phone numbers solve a fairly simple problem. Travellers can register for temporary services without using personal numbers everywhere they go.

For business travellers, the appeal is often practical rather than technical. Some prefer separating travel-related communication from personal contacts entirely. Others simply want a cleaner way to manage short-term bookings and registrations during frequent trips.

There is also a privacy issue involved. Travellers today carry banking apps, personal documents, work emails, and payment systems on the same devices used to connect with unfamiliar public networks abroad. Many have become more cautious about where their information ends up.

Travel Planning Has Become More Flexible

People no longer organise trips the same way they did years ago.

Instead of printing schedules weeks ahead, many travellers now make decisions while already moving between cities. Hotels get booked on the train. Restaurant reservations happen an hour before dinner. Flights change midway through a trip because somebody recommends another destination.

That flexibility depends heavily on mobile access.

A traveller changing plans in another country may suddenly need digital train tickets, updated hotel information, transport apps, or emergency booking confirmations within minutes. Missing a verification code while standing outside a crowded station in an unfamiliar city can quickly become more than a minor inconvenience.

Reliable connectivity has become part of basic travel preparation for many frequent travellers, especially those crossing multiple borders within short periods.

Remote Work Has Also Changed Travel Habits

The line between business travel and personal travel is no longer as clear as it once was.

Many people now travel while continuing to work remotely. Some stay abroad for weeks or months while managing meetings, online accounts, and daily communication through phones and laptops.

This shift increased demand for more flexible mobile services. Traditional roaming plans are often expensive for long-term travel, while repeatedly buying local SIM cards becomes impractical for people moving regularly between countries.

eSIM-compatible devices have become more attractive partly because they simplify that process. Travellers can switch between networks without carrying multiple physical cards or visiting local mobile stores every time they arrive somewhere new.

Virtual numbers are also becoming useful for remote workers who need separate contact lines for clients, temporary projects, or regional business communication while abroad.

Social Media Has Changed How People Move Around

Travel decisions are now heavily influenced by online recommendations.

People discover restaurants through short videos, book hotels after seeing social media posts, and change itineraries because somebody online recommended a different city. A single viral video can suddenly send tourists into neighbourhoods they would never have visited otherwise.

This constant movement creates even greater dependence on mobile access. Travellers often search for directions, reviews, transport, and bookings while already outside rather than planning everything in advance.

It also explains why many travellers prepare connectivity arrangements before leaving home instead of waiting until arrival.

Nobody wants to land in another country and spend the first hour searching for airport Wi-Fi just to book transport into the city centre.

Travellers Want Simpler Options

Most people are not interested in mobile technology itself. They simply want travel to feel less complicated.

Nobody enjoys swapping SIM cards inside airports, struggling with roaming fees, or trying to register for local services using numbers that apps refuse to recognise properly.

That is largely why eSIMs and virtual numbers have gained attention. They remove small but increasingly common frustrations linked to modern travel.

For frequent international travellers, convenience now matters as much as price. Staying connected across several countries without rebuilding mobile access after every flight has become part of how many people travel today.

And as more travel services move online, that dependence on reliable mobile access will probably continue growing.