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

Some of these overseas holidays sound the the MN chicken of trips by the way

Indeed, I was especially about the claim that a weekend in Center Parcs cost the same as TWO fortnight holidays abroad. We all know that CP can be hellishly expensive, but that isn't a like with like comparison in terms of time of year/number of beds/rooms and accomodation standard, it just isn't.

Similarly the week in Goa for £1800 for 4? I know that Goa can be very cheap once you get there, but wouldn't the flights cost that? Even things like airport travel/parking in the UK can be close to £100.

People's holidays always seem to be 'a fortnight camping in France for about £400' - how? Or ' it simply isn't possible to get 2 weeks 5 star AI in the posh end of Mallorca for less than about £8k'.

I can see the attraction of the pool, but not the woods. People always talk about the woods in hushed, revered tones 'but you can go cycling in the woods'. Are the CP woods extra special naice woods, worth paying so much to access?

Merylperyl I think with an 18 month old in the rain it would be a complete nightmare tbh. I hated it the first time I went but with slightly older DC and knowing what to expect I've had a good/ok time when I've been since.

I never understand those who say they 'love' it though. Ridiculously expensive activities, false woodland, practically impossible to get out, riotous restaurants, people just everywhere. What is there to love? I don't get it at all.

Perhaps best to compare prices like for like. And not term time vs holiday time.

I was sceptical before we went for the first time with DS at 7 months, but for an incredibly easy holiday with small children it's hard to beat.

We have been in May and September and paid between £400 and £479 for an executive lodge for a 4 night midweek break. Yes, we paid less than that for a week in a caravan park in Italy in June but the ease of a 1.5 hour car journey compared to flights and car hire needs to be factored in.

Re. The comments about it being for people with "no imagination". We've been on loads of interesting holidays where we've travelled round - CP came after a hard work holiday in a gorgeous gite in Brittany. We had to drive everywhere, plan a trip to the supermarché, didn't have much outdoor space... my husband works in a demanding job involving lots of problem solving / thinking and he just wants to switch off when we are away. Everything on your doorstep suits him really well, loads of toddler entertaining options (play areas, pool, bike rides plus we tend to book one or two activities such as soccer tots). Don't tend to eat out as the parcs market sells Cook frozen food!

Having said all that.... Not sure what we will do when we are in the position of term time being a no go... the price hikes are crazy.

Busybee I see; we get drawn to the restaurant options and it adds up to quite a bit.
We've always had a great time there, the kids love it and yes the woods are lovely. We all love cycling; prob wouldn't be as much fun on foot or waiting for train.

Butlins is not as expensive as centre parks.
We go to butlins Feb half term, gold dining half board and a silver room £210 pounds for me and ds.
Will probably spend £100 there as funfair pool and entertainment is included. We love it and would never pay centre park prices

I think it is obvious what center parcs is going to be like so I don't understand it when people go on holiday there and complain that it isn't what they expected. You are not going to get wild woods with a spa, Starbucks and several thousand people.

I'm going to do an MN Chicken on this one.

We did get a foreign holiday for the same price as centerparcs. It's not exactly 2 weeks in Goa however. We got cheapo ryanair flights to Berlin in Feb half-term for £150 for 4, and have spent another £400 on a family room in a 4* hotel for the 4 of us for three nights. Total spend so far is £550. The most basic accommodation at centerparcs is £599 for the same date.

Been once. Not going again. Prison camp is about right!

I don't understand people who go to our local CP and eat at the restaurants there. It was literally a 4 minute drive to a much nicer and cheaper place on the main road. And there were lots of other very nearby places which you could easily find on google. You don't have to actually stay in CP the whole time.

I have a very demanding job and like to do nothing on holiday. So this is why all inclusive and Center Parcs holidays appeal to me. It's not always about sight seeing. I like to do no cooking or washing up. I like to flop out in the sun or just chill on the bikes and the pool at CP without having to plan days out ahead. A trip to Berlin for half term just wouldn't be relaxing for me personally

Some people would hate my sort of holidays. I hate visiting lots of things and being too busy on holiday

We are all different.

HandsomeDevil - i would want two rooms not a family room.

A family room with young children is only good for an over night. For a family holiday it is anything but relaxing. You really have to compare like with like. I would always prefer to rent a cottage or villa.
Hotel rooms are I think, for adults away without kids, unless the kids are old enough to have their own separate room.

Indeed, I was especially hmm about the claim that a weekend in Center Parcs cost the same as TWO fortnight holidays abroad.

That was my "claim" and it's not an MN chicken (). When I gave up on the CP idea I booked our usual two weeks abroad and it was almost exactly 50% of the price of CP with everything taken into account.

We're currently In centre parks scummier brother sun parks in Belgium. 7 nights for 8 (1 lodge) was 800 euros for the week. It's not as nice as UK ones a little dated on places but the pool is awesome, we're a 10min walk from a beach and the soft play area is brilliant. At 45 mins from calais it was such an easy drive.

Weve been to centre parks in Germany and that was outstanding. Out of term time it was ridiculously cheap.

We wouldn't do cp in the UK again.

We love it but we go low season and it costs less than 400 for a long weekend.

Richard - where was your holiday abroad?

PutAPlasterOn One of the Greek islands... I think it was Zante.

Another one here who can't stand CP- my DDs aged 11&10 have been twice and neither liked it

Not been to centre parcs but I think around £1,000+ is pretty adverage for a week in the U.K. In the summer holidays for more than basic accomendation.

We have booked haven wales for next august for a week for 5 of us in a prestige caravan with decking and that's £1,366

We tend to do some other activity around our visit to centreparcs. This year we did Disneyland paris then drove down to the CP in the Loire Valley - it was heaven. It had an aviary and we could be a zookeeper and feed the birds.

Next year we are visiting Amsterdam for a few days and then going to a dutch centreparcs for a week.

For summer thinking of doing the same with Berlin and then finishing off with a German centreparcs.

After a hectic sightseeing few days, CP is relaxing even though we go full out on the activities.

My children have participated in activities they never would have been allowed to in the Uk. Going on a fire engine and putting out fires, playing pirate on a speedboat, ziplining across a lake, skiing, being an indian and lighting fires, my 5 year old quadbiking and loving it - on bikes he would not be allowed in this country, Segway, scuba diving. We went to a dutch centre parcs at Port Zelande over summer and they did kite surfing and paddle boarding.

Love it

A trip to Zante with young children, is nowhere near as relaxing as a 45 minute drive to CP. I would not be interested in travelling abroad to CP. The whole point is that it is easy to get to. So when you want a break, you can do it relatively stress free. Very different from dealing with the airport and flying.

Also some CP's in Belgium and Holland have activity centres - jungle dome and pirate dome. Like an advanced soft play but on a grander scale.

Chatty if say that's dear tho maybe cause you booked early? We went to quay west last year -6 of us in 3 bed prestige with decking for £280! Keep monitoring prices, with haven if price changes after booking they promise to refund you the difference - not many people know that!!

brasty We had a great time with minimal stress.

Anyway, the fact remains that it was half the price of CP for twice as long. Everyone has to decide what they're willing to pay for, but my "claim" isn't a lie or even an exaggeration.