To wonder why on earth anyone goes to Center Parcs?!

[CakePigeon4]

I’ve had several friends who have been to various sites and raved about it, but to me it just looks like a slightly more upmarket Butlins?! It’s extortionately expensive, the chalets look like they’re furnished by Premier Inn, you have to pay for activities, you’re stuck on site eating at their overpriced restaurants... Am I missing something?!

I’m confused. When are the lower price times? I’ve just looked at the whole month of October and November and none of them are cheaper than £750 for two people in the cheapest accommodation.
We went in January before and that cost £1600 for four adults. It wasn’t the cheapest accommodation, was was only one up from it. That’s really not cheap to me!

4.9k for 7 nights??! 😳

notso - we are staying for a long weekend in a 3 bed woodland lodge first weekend of Oct £429, booked it last year.

It's the weekends that bump up the prices, Mon-Fri is much better value. We live a 4 hours drive from our nearest one (north - so eurotunnel and lots of the alternatives mentioned are completely out for us). We tend to stay in the lake district or nearby for a couple of nights beforehand in an AirBnB (or Premier Inn, shocker), and get the best of both worlds. However, a couple of nights self catering in the lake district always feels like the bit we need to get through before we can get to CP and relax.

CPs are a ridiculous price now, they used to be good value 20 years ago and a lot of fun. I wouldn’t pay those prices.

We used to go when our sons were younger and we all LOVED it. We hired bikes and they had the freedom to go off and do their own thing and we did some booked activities but mainly just relaxed. We used to have breakfast and lunch at the lodge and eat out at nights. Remember that even shopping at the little supermarket used to feel like being on holiday. Spa surprisingly good. We never had any problems with our accommodation. Always lovely and we went, perhaps, half a dozen times. The boys - now 20 somethings - often talk about us all going again now.

I recently paid £216 for a Haven holiday near a lovely beach with some free activities (midweek break). I know term time holidays are expensive but 4.9k!!!! Fucking hell. I wouldn't be paying that. I went to France for 1.3k last year.

I also went to Wales an had a lovely remote cottage to stay in that was near lots of outdoor activities that people got to Centre Parks for. So much cheaper than there. We never do the evening entertainment anyway, so we wouldn't be missing that.

I'm glad this post has come up. I now know not to bother even looking at centre parks holidays. Even if I was a millionaire, I still would allow myself to get fleeced by CP.

@aintnomountainhighenough1 Not sure why you don't understand that booking a cottage and going out by car to lots of activities with children is a very different holiday to CP?

@fishfeedingfrenzy where in wales did you stay?

I understand the convenience but there are lots of other options.

We rent a self catering cottage that's part of a group of about a dozen. They share a nice pool, gym and spa and offer horse riding, tennis courts and other activities. It's also near lots of NT properties.

It's about the same price as Centre Parcs but the accommodation is bloody lovely. I don't understand the desire to stay in a god awful chalet with about a thousand other people.

We went when DS was a few months old and lived it. It’s quiet (the chalets are well spaced out) and there are rules about noise. There are no cars and everything is geared for family so it was an easy, peaceful, stress free holiday. We forgot to take a bottle opener and the park staff bought one to our chalet for us. Things like that make it so much easier with small children. When he’s older he’ll be able to cycle round with no fear of cars. I also used to go with friends in my early twenties and it was great for that too. Even in the rain it’s gorgeous to walk around. I love a cottage in Cornwall or a week in Spain too but this is a very different type of break. Also did Butlins once. Never again. It was tacky and dirty.

Came across this article and tbh, not sure I would go there. Sounds like a sterilised version of reality:

www.independent.ie/opinion/comment/sinead-ryan-center-parcs-can-leave-you-pining-for-imagined-past-38361558.html

@cohle I doubt it offers anywhere like the same number of activities that CP does.

No probably not, but I only need enough activities to keep my kids entertained for a week.

It was in Wales in Powys near Hereford, but easy to get to the Brecon's and nice places to visit, such as Hay on Wye. Its was about £350 for the week in a 3 bed cottage with an open fire. I think it was first week of Sept, but I dont think it was more than £600 for a school holiday week. Booked with Sykes Cottages.

Its not about the kids, it is about being able to do some activities the adults enjoy as well.

When friends tell me they go their have to say they go down in my estimation.

Please make sure you share this with them. If one of my friends was this massive a twat, I'd rather just know.

Sorry, jennymanara forgot to mark that post for you.

Not sure if you ever venture south, but I also reccomend Stock Gaylard Yurts in Dorset if you dont mind glamping. If you go as two families out of season it's quite cheap:

@fishfeedingfrenzy I suspect I know where you stayed. Looks nice but very different offering from CP. The kind of place to go to without kids or with teenagers.
CP caters best either for families with younger kids, or for families with a wide age range of kids where finding something to please them all can be a nightmare. Individual parts of it lots of other places do better, it is the overall package that people go for.

@fishfreedingfrenzy Yurts have never appealed to me. They have no windows, just a door so dark inside. Even our tent has windows.

jennymanara I realise- a much nicer one. But still on the whole similar experience/ We recently booked a stunning cottage in the Cotswolds. Tiny village- detached and away from annoying other people. Individual, beautifully styled antique cottage with bags of character and style.

The huge garden overlooking fields and horses in next field had a huge sunken trampoline, mini playground. Inside were boxes of toys/games and we bought DVDs. A quick stroll through the village was a playground, fields with picnic tables and any amazing local pub. How is this so different- other than so much nicer, individual and cheaper?!

I do self catering cottages all round the country as we like spending time on the beach with the dogs. I love these holidays but yes they are very different to CP. it's a different type of holiday

YANBU!

A few months ago, I was looking for a holiday for my DC and family and looked up Center Parcs. I was absolutely horrified by the prices. The price of a chalet for a family of 4 for a week in Wiltshire was more than the entire cost of a typical holiday abroad for me and DH (including accommodation, flights, food, spending money and a week's car rental)!

Its not about the kids, it is about being able to do some activities the adults enjoy as well.

I'm not much for activities (beyond the pool and the spa) but there are plenty of options for adults too. You seem pretty wedded to defending CP though, and if it works for you and your family then great. Some us just don't feel the same way

We've had loads of holidays there a d loved it. Loads of activities and not all of them ££. We started going when dc were toddlers and kept going all the way through to adulthood and got something different everytime. Great freedom from about age 10 when they can roam independently and go to park/pool/activities. We do a mixture of eat in and eat out. All bar one visit has been to winfell in the lake district so have time out to go and do other things knowing we have brilliant pool and facilities to come back to.

Different strokes really. I wouldn't be seen dead in butlins /haven but it clearly suits other people. Not really into dressed up characters and evening entertainment but that is the making of a holiday to other people. It's just as well we don't all like the same things.