Places in the U.K. like Centreparcs but cheaper?

[Afternooninthepark]

We’ve been to Centreparcs a couple of times and the kids loved it. They keep asking when we can go again. I’ve just checked on their website for a weekend at the beginning of October half term, it’s £800 for a basic villa for the four of us and bloody £65 for the dog!!
Is there anywhere lovely like Centreparcs in the U.K. but less of a rip off!!?

Get yourself a Hoseasons brochure. All over the UK, static caravans or lodges, range from minimal facilities to kids clubs, fancy swimming pools and all the bells and whistles.

Thanks king

what is it about CenterParcs that you really enjoy? IME it's difficult to find somewhere that delivers everything at a lesser cost but there will be places that deliver lots of the same things in various proportions.

i.e. Hoseasons as mentioned above, they also link in with various lodge providers at places that might have less on site in terms of activities but will give you the forest type experience or holiday camp type places which will have activities but maybe no the same foresty atmosphere.

There are Forest lodges which are beautiful but less activities and usually no pool. We stay in nice lodges (booked through hoseasons) in the lake district and do outdoor activities at various providers and use the pool at Keswick.

It's the range of things that you are paying for at Centerparcs. They have great pools as well as sports facilities, outdoor experience, outdoor activities, play parks, restaurants, shops, takeaways etc all in the one place. That's their USP and I don't think anyone else does exactly the same thing. But if you take out a few of those offerings that you aren't that fussed about, iyt makes it easier to find an alternative. What area of the country are you looking in?

Centre Parcs but not in the UK is cheaper.we go to Holland.

Forest Holidays have a similar cabin space but not the activities or places to eat.

They have some though, and are much cheaper and worth a look.

If you're not too far away from one, would it be cheaper if you went in term time and went straight after school on the Friday?

Surprised that people are mentioning the places to eat as a bonus.

People usually seem to think they are pretty crappy, and very expensive for the quality. I'd take treaty easy food like nice ready made pizza, M&S meal deal, that sort of thing and eat in the lodge.

Slightly different but wonderful for kids is the Manor House Hotel just outside Oakhampton in Devon. Sports, arts, crafts, swimming, bowling, shooting etc with a lot in doors so all weather. Accommodation in family rooms is basic but clean and comfortable. All inclusive packages include 3 meals a day and a bottle of wine with dinner. Extras are bar costs and price of materials for crafts etc. We loved it when the children were smaller.

Interested in this. Are any of these places convenient for public transport? I'd love to go to an activity holiday like this but they are always situated miles from the nearest train station, and I can't drive (for medical reasons). Some of the Centerparcs are close enough, but they are £££ so I would need somewhere cheaper.

Landal also has now some parks in the UK (we always think the landal houses are much better than CP - although they may have less activities)

I know this isn't what you asked but we have done a fortnight in Duinrell in Holland which, including travel, was cheaper than one week in a UK centerparcs would have been at the same time. Might be worth looking into?!

Sandy Balls (😂) in the New Forest is similar but smaller, so not as many activities on site but is cheaper & close to other attractions. We've been twice & love the area.
It's owned by Away Resorts who have some other sites across the UK.

Looom at park resorts. You can get some really nice caravans and lodges (some with private Jacuzzi) they have kids entertainment and evening entertainment. Some parks do optional extra pay things like horse riding etc but you can always go offsite to an adventure place to pay for it. We normally go to the Isle of Wight nodes point then go to tapnell farm during the day

Ribby Hall is another one. I was going to say their pool was a bit small but looks like they've improved that since we went a few years back. We're also non-drivers and it's accessible by public transport.

Thanks for the suggestions.

We went to CP many, many times when DC were younger, right up to them being 16 or so. I often looked for an alternative but as wax says you can get some of it but not all.

The number one attraction for my DC was the pool and specifically the rapids. There is nowhere else that has a similar free entry white knuckle water park.
It's true the European CP can be cheaper but not that much when you factor in a North Sea ferry (for us up north).
I looked at Duinrell, much promoted on MN but the water park just wasn't in the same league.

If you price up daily entrance to a pool with slides at £50 or £60 plus per family then the daily price for c p is not so bad...think of a hotel room nightly price like holiday inn to compare. Two rooms in holiday inn would be circa 200 per night...plus your slide poolentry that is almost ypur £800 For your family for three nights ....

if You don't need pool with slides and rapids then other hoseasons lodge parks , forest holidays etc...but some.can.be equally expensive in holidays.

I've been to CP and Duinrell @Graziass. We've mainly been to Whinfell forest but had one trip to Sherwood forest.

They are very different. The pool at Duinrell is good but was spoiled by CF and dutch school trips. We ended up paying to go outwith the free times and it was better then.

It's not the same as CP but it is a decent enough holiday, we cycled out to the beach a couple of times and also had a day in Amsterdam and the local town has an amazing ice-cream shop.

I love the Lake District though and since DS2 wont go swimming anymore, we've done our own less intense version by staying outside CP and doing various activities with other providers. A couple of times we've managed to have a cheeky day in CP when we've had friends/neighbours staying there and we've bought day passes on the back of their booking and stayed in a nearby Travelodge.

My postman swears by Bluestone in Wales. Has anyone been there?

Warmwell in Dorset it has lodges and deer and a dry ski slope and a roller rink . Pool is standard but my kids liked it.
Would highly recommend.

Bluestone is no cheaper than centre parcs.

MyDcAreMarvel ahh that’s interesting, thanks

Bluestone is lovely though and you can go on day trip to the beach, Tenby etc

I love center parcs go couple times per year but not at half term, that's where you are going wrong! Bluestone I'm not a fan of. Duinrell is brilliant.