Are escape rooms abroad any different from the escape rooms in the Netherlands?
Escape rooms have been a massive craze in the Netherlands for years, but what about escape rooms abroad? That varies enormously per country and, in some cases, even per city. In many places around the world you won't find a single escape room, not even where you'd expect one. Just recently I was on the Greek island of Rhodes with my family and searched in vain for an escape room that was still open (every escape room I could find online had since closed its doors). That stands in stark contrast to the number of escape rooms you'll find in Athens, the capital of Greece.
And with Athens you've hit a gold mine right away, because there are a few places in Europe that are known for their sheer number of high-quality escape rooms, and Athens is one of them. On top of that, an escape room trip to Athens is still very affordable, which is a nice bonus of course.
There are more places like that in Europe where you can have the time of your life as an escape room fan. As lead designer at DarkPark it's my job to know what's happening in our industry, so I visit these kinds of destinations regularly. What struck me along the way is that every country has its own very distinct style. Here are all the escape room hotspots, lined up for you.
These are the best places for escape rooms in Europe
The Netherlands
Yes, really! Our little country below sea level is known across the globe as home to the very best escape rooms in the world. It's no coincidence that countless fans travel to the Netherlands every year purely to play escape rooms. Sometimes as many as 30 in a week! The best escape room in the world at the annual escape room Oscars (the TERPECAs) has been an escape room in the Netherlands several times now. At the time of writing, DarkPark has 15 TERPECA Awards on the mantelpiece, which makes us the most decorated escape room in the Netherlands!
Athens
In Athens the focus is on horror escape rooms, and you have to be into that, but if that's what makes your escape room heart beat faster, then Athens is an absolute must for an escape room trip. Not only is Athens bursting with scary horror escape rooms, countless new ones open every year too. What's good to keep in mind is that not every owner takes player safety equally seriously, and something else I noticed on my trips to Athens is that they do little to no maintenance. They build with passion and then let it go a bit shabby, but if you can see past that, you're in for a great time!
Of all the escape rooms abroad I've played, by far the most were in Athens. What stands out after playing more than 40 escape rooms in Athens is that they all copy each other. After a while you start to recognize the patterns and you see the same tricks again and again. It makes you appreciate the creativity and quality of the escape rooms in the Netherlands even more!
Barcelona
Barcelona in Spain also has a very high escape room density, so if your interest in escape rooms abroad has been piqued by now, this destination can't be missing from your wish list. The vibe is somewhat comparable to Athens (in Spain they're crazy about horror too), but the quality is generally a good deal higher. Some of the sets are stunning, and with some builders the passion leaps off the walls. On the flip side, prices are a lot higher than in Greece. So make sure you put your schedule together carefully in advance so you run into as little junk as possible, because Barcelona has plenty of that too. If you pick this destination for your next trip, be sure to squeeze in a visit to the Sagrada Familia, because that's an experience in itself!
Paris
The capital of the land of love and cheese is another place where an escape room fan can go all out, because Paris hasn't been sitting still these past few years. What stands out in Paris is that the sets are gorgeous and you often go on a proper journey. On the flip side, the French rarely give you the time to work things out for yourself. You usually get a walkie-talkie, and the moment you set foot in a room the game host is already telling you which corner to search. In some cases they literally tell you what to do, and after a while that gets tiresome. For me, that hand-holding made the experience fairly passive, but it is funny to notice how differently the concept of escape rooms is approached in different countries.
Belgium
The escape room craze landed in Belgium a few years ago too, and the quality is no joke, but unlike the Netherlands the escape room density is still a bit lower. That means you often have to travel a bit further to play all the good escape rooms, which makes Belgium just slightly less suited to a full escape room trip, though that's certainly not down to the quality of the escape rooms. Make it a weekend trip instead, in a different part of Belgium each time, and before long you'll have added some great new escape rooms to your tally.
Germany
My experience in Germany isn't extensive, but what I've gathered from other escapers is that the industry in Germany is a bit more commercial. Escape rooms are often bought from other parties, which means that in Germany you feel a little less of the passion that builders in other countries have in spades. There are exceptions, of course, and you'll find real gems in Germany too, though you often have to cover long distances to play all those standouts back to back.
My advice if you're planning an escape room trip abroad
Do your homework and make a schedule that isn't too tight. Escape rooms abroad are often spread further apart, and you can't always park right outside the door. When we go on an escape room trip abroad, we use Ubers as much as possible. No hassle with parking, and at the end of the day you spend roughly the same amount of money. There are a number of websites where you can find tips about escape rooms abroad. Think of the podcast Beyond the Game. I also recommend consulting websites like EscapeRoomers.de and TERPECA when putting your schedule together. That way you increase the odds of booking the good escape rooms and not accidentally ending up in a rundown shed full of puzzles, because those are definitely out there too.
Conclusion
If you're a true escape room fan, an escape room trip abroad is well worth it. What's striking is that abroad they're already leaning much further into horror. In the Netherlands, DarkPark was of course for a long time the only place where a horror fan could get their fix, but you can tell that trend is slowly making its way over here from abroad too. You'll see great things abroad, and you'll also get to know the other extreme. Got nerves of steel and a healthy curiosity about how they do things in other countries? Then I can definitely recommend the escape rooms abroad!
