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

[PutAPlasterOn]

It's not too bad if you can book very far in advance or can be flexible. We tend to go at least one a year and we really enjoy it but i wouldn't pay more than £350 as I don't think it's worth anymore than that. There is no way I could justify spending thousands!

We've been twice this year for £275 for 3 bed lodge for 4 nights which Is very reasonable. Took our own bikes and swam. Had the odd meal out etc.

We've been in December too for the Xmas stuff but shared a 4 bed lodge with family so only paid £300 for us plus activities.

[Pheebs77]

CP in Europe are brilliant and much cheaper. We went to le Bois in Normandy for one week for €400 (last minute booking) in the summer holidays

[QuitMoaning]

I really like going and have gone as a big group of adults and teens. The freedom was excellent and the teens could do whatever they pleased. The activities are expensive but you don't have to do them. We enjoyed cycling around and we all love the swimming pool which is included. We enjoyed the social side and not seen another UK based park where the swimming pool is anywhere as near as good as CP.

I have been before and not done a single extra activity before. Just cycling and swimming.

[rookiemere]

Shurely - feel I have to be fair to CP here. You aren't staying in a caravan. Even the most basic accommodation is a lodge, with decent sized bedrooms and a good living space. Also the prices rise according to demand, so if you book as soon as it comes out then it's going to be a bit less expensive - the week after Christmas when everyone's mind turns to their next break, not so cheap.

And to be fair you're clearly good at grabbing a bargain as skiing in Feb half term is generally a pricey affair although I too am doing it on the cheap next year for Feb half term, coming in at around £1200 for 3 of us.

[TheNaze73]

YABVU, it's good value for money

[Violetcharlotte]

It's ridiculously expensive in school
holidays. We went in the summer. It was nice, kids loved the pool, but def not worth what we paid.

[Nquartz]

We went when DD was 2, termtime in January so was cheap but too cold to spend much time outside & indoor activities are extortionate. We prefer Butlins now, less than half the price of Centre Parcs in school holidays & all entertainment is included.

[tittysprinkles]

It's pricey but worth it, especially if you are going outside of school holidays with preschoolers.

Plenty of free activities - swimming, walks, bike rides without worrying about traffic etc.

Kids have loved it every time as have we. Wouldn't bother if I didn't have kids though, and would look abroad once they were a little older, but for young families it's great.

[Frazzled2207]

It's good value in term time.
Monday-friday break in march costing £400 between two families. Would never pay school hols prices though or for the fancy lodges.

[Spikeyball]

It can be cheap if you go during the week in term time. We went several times a year before my son started school, usually paid around £250 and didn't pay for activities as the pool and outside space gives enough to do for little ones.

[Crumbs1]

We always used to go at Easter with another family and found it good value as there was so much to do for all ages. We didn't eat out every night as a table for 14 wasn't always easy to book so saved money on that. We did European centres which added new level if interest as they all got older. We limited the add on activities to about one a day.

[dowhatnow]

We've had some lovely times there but you won't be able to do any activities if you are that preganant so you might as well go to any old log cabin in woods type place.

[Verbena37]

You either love it or hate it.
We love it and have spent the last four Christmas's there......for the actual Christmas period which is a four night stay at about £1300 for Woburn.
However, your friends going this week, because it wasn't a normal Friday to Monday stay, will have got a good deal I suspect for going from Tuesday to Friday this week. The cit takes the Parc into sync of Fri-Mon and Mon-Fri breaks.

Yes it's expensive depending on what you book to do but ilike any self catering lodge type holiday, they provide one tray but other than that you can either pay for extras or just take your own/buy from their supermarket.

We have a few meals out (five this time) because we are lucky we can but you don't have to. When we went as kids, my parents always took easy to cook meals from home.

We love to go away at Xmas and only had a few days away in the summer to balance the expenditure but it depends what you like.
Midweek is the cheapest in term time so great with preschool children.

[Spikeyball]

Actually we still go once a year at a quiet time as my son has learning difficulties. CP is great for him at non busy times and the staff are very friendly and helpful.

[Verbena37]

Normal holiday cottages without any pool facilities or any activities are often well over £500 for a week so I see CP as much better value for money if you're staying in the UK.

[rookiemere]

Just an aside on the toilet paper.

Do not book with Villa Plus if you'd like the luxury of actually having toilet roll in all the bathrooms when you arrive. Massively disappointed to find this summer that after shelling out a substantial amount for a group holiday, when we got there late evening there was one toilet roll between 11 of us .

Never had this problem at CP though.

[MVF1]

CP has one of the highest occupancy rates of any holiday park so it has its pricing right regardless of whether people like it or not.

[Hellmouth]

We had a work conference there once. 5000 employees, I hate to think of how much it cost. I looked up prices and nearly went into shock lol. YADNBU :)

[agnesf]

Not my cup of tea at all. I hated the fact that we were fenced in - we went for a cycle ride for about 5 mins and hit the perimiter fence. Only went once - never again.

[bibbitybobbityyhat]

Yadnbu!

I love a Center Parcs thread! I love to get all up in arms about the ludicrous expense of a hideous package holiday in the UK for people with no imagination.

[MerylPeril]

I also hated being fenced in and was offended by ridiculous overpriced activities. I thought it was for people without imagination

The thing I really hated was all the bloody middle aged people on bikes who couldn't control themselves - it wasn't ideal for toddling child who I thought would be able to run free

BIL regularly goes and spends a small fortune in a weekend - much more than a week away in Europe (which he says he can't afford!) - to be in the rain paying for endless activities and food

[SpookyPotato]

It's shockingly expensive.. we were treated to 3 days there once and I couldn't believe the price. It was the one in Cumbria and was so run down, the lodge looked unchanged since the 70s, pool old.. and then everything else was extra on top. Had a lovely time but the quality didn't match the price.

[BusyBeez99]

We love it. We've always had loo roll provided. It's clean and great for kids. Food outlets reasonably priced.

Have been to CP in holland and France too. They were okay but the French one was damp and really the whole place needed an overhaul.

Term time we've found it to be £630 for 5 days and non term time £1200. It's not bad value

[Shurelyshomemistake]

Fair enough, not a caravan, point taken :)

Also fair enough if you go outside of holiday periods. But why anyone would pay that amount in school holidays ... it would greatly pain me knowing I could get full board in Eg a kinderhotel for the same price. Even with the shitty € to £ rate. You can take the working class girl out of the North....