AIBU or is Center Parcs SUPER expensive?!

[Crisscrosscranky]

This week it appears all of my friends on FB have gone to center parcs- it looks lovely.

DH and I usually use our Xmas money to book a European city break in the late spring but I will be 7 months pregnant this year so we're looking a little closer to home... just priced up a weekend at our nearest center parcs and OMG - 3 days in the cheapest lodge Suffolk would cost us the same as 3 night staying in a 5 star hotel in most of the European cities... and have I got it right that you have to pay extra for teabags and toilet paper (they are coming up on recommended extras!?)

Am I missing a trick or do I have some secretly wealthy mates?! off to google the latest dates I can fly

[holidaysaregreat]

YANBU our main holiday is usually camping in France or Holland and we can get a whole week for about £450 all in. So less than half the price of CP. Looked at a week in May Half Term out of interest, as well as things like Forest Holidays and they are almost 2k for a week in May.
My only thoughts are that as they get fully booked there must be plenty of people who can afford those prices and don't mind paying it. Otherwise they would have gone bust. It just isn't in our price range and we just accept we can't afford it. I know for most people it is just a quick break and they have other main holidays on top. For us it would have to be our only holiday. I think the kids get more out of travelling to Europe.
Looked at CP Holland and wasn't too sure how nice it would be.

[KathArtic]

We went 10 years ago and had a good time. Went back 5 years later and the decor was the same, old and shabby. Buttons missing from the TV, coat books missing from the hall, scuff marks on the walls, kitchenette in need of a good clean. Paid a fortune. Never went back.

[CaptainMarvelDanvers]

Aargh my first sentence is wrong, I meant:-

I think sometimes people who spend more think they are getting more for their money, even if they're not. It's a bit like sunk cost fallacy.

[grumpysquash3]

If you live only an hour away from Elveden Forest, then you are not too far from the coast.....you could have a lovely weekend in Brancaster, Wells, Southwold, Aldeburgh etc etc staying in a boutique hotel with great restaurant for the same price as CP. Or how about a city break in Cambridge or Norwich?
(misses point of thread)

[foxessocks]

I love centre parcs personally but each to their own. We go with the kids though. Wouldn't bother if it was just the two of us. We go with a group of friends every few years. Can't afford it every year but we enjoy it. We do go off peak times though as kids aren't at school yet.

[brasty]

I don't live anywhere near Elvedon Forest. There are plenty of nice self catering cottages close to us that cost less. But the point of Center Parcs was all the activities. And Boutique Hotels are rarely suitable if you have young children.

I think it depends what stage of life you are at. We needed something easy, close by, with easy entertainment, and okay accommodation. And if you have children that are a range of ages, it is much easier to entertain them at CP, especially if they are sporty. It is basically a slightly upmarket Butlins. I never understood though people driving a long way to get there.

But yes, it is over priced. And so now we would always travel further afield for something better.

[Megatherium]

When I looked into it what put me off was the prospect of having to queue up to book separately for most activities, and not necessarily being able to get in. As PP say, obviously some people don't mind but I really can't see why you would pay out that sort of money.

[youarenotkiddingme]

Ive just come back from a pre Xmas break from Elveden forest! We stayed at the brand new Breckland apartments.

Loo rolls were replaced free daily, plus we had a coffee machine and were given 2 complementary sachets daily for it including top uos of other tea/coffee stuff.

I even left plates draining on worktop (haven't a scooby how to use dishwasher!) and came back from activity to find them all packed away. They will do your washing up for you if you leave it - but I couldn't bring myself to do this!

Yes it's expensive - but my god it's very relaxing and you can do as little or as much as you want. And yes, city breaks are same price but at 7 months pg will you want to be flying/travelling long distance?
If what you want is walking around nice places with coffee shops and nice places to eat you get that at CP.

[grumpysquash3]

And Boutique Hotels are rarely suitable if you have young children.

The OP said it is just the two of them on this trip. She is pregnant, so unlikely to do CP activities, I would have thought.

[LittleMoonbuggy]

Yes, very expensive especially in school holidays.

Agree with a PP about Haven holiday parks- they don't seem to have a good reputation but we've always had a great time there with our young DCs, as there are a lot of activities included in the price aimed at young children, with the characters, also free sports sessions for age 3-5, as well as a pool and evening kids disco.

I've only stayed at a Dutch CP as the price is extortionate in the UK.

[Philoslothy]

It is outrageous, I would never pay for a centerparcs holiday

[RichardBucket]

YANBU. I wanted to take my neices a few years ago, an idea that quickly died when I realised I could get TWO fortnight holidays abroad for the price of a long weekend at Center Parcs. And that was taking into account airport parking and all those extra costs.

[brasty]

Ah okay grumpyswuash the OP is not the target market then I think.
Self catering appeals to parents with small children, who do not want to sit in a hotel room from early in the evening, while their children sleep. But who would enjoy sitting in front of the fire in the living room, drinking wine or watching a DVD. Much more sensible.
But if there is just the two of you, you have lots and lots of choices of suitable places to go.

[ChristmasCwtches]

Book a trip to Europe instead - go by train if flying is out.

[HostaFireAndIce]

In the school holidays it's outrageous. We break up early for Christmas and went for 4 nights for £300, which I thought was pretty good, but I wouldn't pay the prices for the main school holidays!

[museumum]

We used to go with friends. I think with 4-6 adults per lodge it was pretty much the same as a holiday cottage elsewhere but with the advantage of not all having to pile into multiple cars in convoy to go do any activities (we always went in winter).

[SquidgeyMidgey]

Each year we do a low/mid season weekend in a fairly basic accommodation but the DCs do loads of activities. Usually comes in around £1k and we leave on the Sunday night for school (me and the DCs).

[notyourmummy]

Go to Butlins instead. Lovely pool, tonnes of stuff included (funfair, softplay, swimming, entertainment, arcades, sports activities). Don't have to take loo roll, bedding, towels etc in gold or seaside and can eat out or self cater.

[RichardBucket]

notyourmummy Butlins is just as expensive though, or at least it was when I looked.

[rookiemere]

We used to go with friends as well museumum.

There was a particular weekend that our area's schools got so it wasn't that dear, and whilst we didn't share lodges, we did all stay in the same area. It was great for the DCs as they got to run around in the forest and have a great time.

Fell out with it after going for the Feb half term. Paid a fortune for a posh lodge - lodge was good but absolutely no view of the forest, and it was so busy that it was impossible to get booked into restaurants.

Definitely would not go without DS. He'd go there every holiday though if he could.

[KnitsBakesAndReads]

We've been once and although we enjoyed it, I do think it's expensive for what it is. We ended up spending a lot on meals out too as although we'd planned to eat in restaurants I don't think we'd expected them to be quite so expensive for what they were.

We visited with friends and I think we found it was more cost effective as a larger group than it would have been for just one family as a four bed lodge isn't 4 x the price of a one bed etc.

[lanbro]

We went midweek in March a couple of years ago with a 2 and 1 yo. Only paid about £300 but easily spent the same again just on food, but I refuse to cook on holiday so budget for it. Looked to go in November this year for a weekend and it was over £1k!

[Shurelyshomemistake]

I looked at this and I couldn't believe how much it costs, for what basically amounts to a not-always-very-new caravan on a site with a nice looking pool. Unless I am missing something sgnificant, which is possible.

At feb half term they want £1500 for the week in their very cheapest accomodation on one site. The posho treehouse comes in at something like £7000. 4 bedrooms but.... still, What???

We'll do a week's skiing holiday in europe at feb half term, self catering but including everything else, for the same price as a damp week in centerparcs' cheapest accommodation. It always makes me raise my eyebrows when people go on about ooo aren't we posh going skiing but but then say they're off to centerparcs :) I have to bite my tongue.

[SaveYourTearsForYourPillow]

It cost us a grand for nine of us (six adults, 2 kids) the Monday to Friday before Xmas. I don't actually think that was too expensive only just over a hundred per person.