To think there is no equivalent alternative to Center Parcs?

[Onelifeliveitright]

We go every year and this year have booked an exclusive lodge with hot tub, games room, sauna and steam room. Looks amazing! My love of CP is growing the older I get. The teenagers still love it and are now old enough to do what they like. We only do a couple of activities to keep costs down. I love the environment, the lodges and the pool. And the fact there's enough restaurants to eat out every night. We like lazy days and going out. So looking at next year. My daughter works in a private school so breaks up early in summer. We can therefore go at the beginning of the week but it's SO expensive even though term time. I've looked at loads of alternatives but cannot find anywhere else that compares like for like. Aibu to think it doesn't exist?!

Thought it very over priced indeed and not that clean . If I had young kids still and was going for the pools etc I would rather pay for the absolute best accom I could find at a good Haven or Butlins or even some of the Hoseasons lodges and far more to do for free. Certainly not paying vast sums just for a hot tub - I think people like the idea it is 'a bit posh' - but when you strip it back - whilst it's fine for a cheap out of season mid week break shared with another family- it's absolutely extortionate in the UK for school holiday weeks -- European ones better and cheaper.

I've been to Bluestones....we stayed in a big massive cabin in the woods which is right next to a little path that takes you into one of the nicest forest walks I've been on, which has smokey Jo's cabin for food and drinks.
We went in January for the winter lights ....and they also have some good stuff that centre parcs dont have ....paid 140.00 for a week. Was worth it just for a twist.
Why not try forest holidays? Again, they've got great cabins, hot tub, in the forest (sherwood is good) and they have bike hire, go ape is nearby and other activities.
Or you could try centre parcs in Europe. Apparently cheaper.

It would be less money tho if you didn't book such an extravagant cabin. I'm sure those are the ones which are around 3,000 to 5,000....when I book centre parcs I pay between 300 and 600.

We also go every year but for Christmas week. So nice to get away from the ‘normal’ and expected version everyone else tends to have for Christmas, so we love not having that pressure.

Have you thought about booking for Christmas week instead?
Otherwise, check out the European CP’s. Generally cheaper - although depends which you go to.
We used to live 30 mins from Bispinger Heide and it’s most like Elveden before the fire I’d say but the Dutch ones are so much closer.

It depends which aspects you want to replicate really. If it's the forest and a nice lodge with a hot tub, then Forest Holidays is a reasonable shout. Bluestone is probably the closest overall experience. Both of these are hugely expensive in the school holidays though - often more expensive than the equivalent CP break when I have looked.

We've stayed at Ribby Hall, which is usually cheaper, but it's absolutely nothing like CP really. The pool is tiny in comparison and in a little leisure centre. There's lots of traffic onsite and the accommodation we stayed in had next to no soundproofing. It feels quite busy and suburban and the range and availability of activities is not great. We used it as a base for a visit to the area and it was fine for that.

I first went to CP a few years ago when they’d just opened as my half sister loved it. Went twice and though it was nice I wasn’t overly impressed by it, the outdoorsy bike riding etc lifestyle was something I’d have preferred as a child/teenager, not someone in my early 20s as I then was. It was a great place for meeting up with my half siblings with their boy/girlfriends and mine and DB’s. I’d heard the European ones were nicer and cheaper too. No way would I pay their prices now!

Just looked at landal and Ribby hall. They barely scratch the surface of centreparcs - looking at the website I would say the pool is 1/8 of the size, more like a regular holiday cabin type or a small Leisure centre. They are still £1800 for a basic 3 bed lodge in august too so not cheap.
OP there is nothing like centre parcs in the UK. That is why they charge so much and why people pay.
The only thing that comes close is centreparcs France / Holland. And they are 1/2 the price normally. If you live in the SE then it’s only 1-2 hour extra drive to the Holland one.

We go once a year in Feb half term for about £800 for a basic lodge midweek.

It gets us through the January blues and we know what we're getting. It's a stress-free holiday.

For those that say we lack imagination, we go on lots of other hols/ destinations too...

I’ve been to Bainland and loved it. However, there is no way it can be considered as an alternative to Centre Parcs!

The lodges are fine and so are the hot tubs, but the swimming pool is ridiculously small in comparison to CP and is just a basic swimming pool. I’m pretty sure that the maximum number allowed in at once is only 24! The swimming times are sometimes limited as well, because it can be booked for private sessions in the late afternoon/early evening.

It's a nice place, but don’t book to go there, if you think you’re getting something remotely similar to CP!

Any of the other cabin in the wood type things here, I personally can’t see the appeal. DPs and DB’s inlaws it’s not their scene either and DB and his family would probably love it but for short bursts as they prefer culture.

Years ago near where I lived as a child (Purley) they had a huge swimming pool
complex (80s) with rapids (or a lazy river anyway) and quite well behaved patrons too! We all missed it when it closed down, DM would happily take us kids abc friends there and we’d stay there hours! Often wondered if they made use of the pools or if it was just bulldozered over.

I agree CP is fantastic.

Ds and I mainly SC and swim. Odd activities.

We stay in twin apartment. I can only go school holidays.

I was pleasantly surprised to find for a week this year it was £1030.

I was looking at that for a caravan without the fantastic pools and equal accommodation standard just to be somewhere with a pool and some activities.

Only been to CP once and did enjoy it but we were able to go outside normal holidays, wouldn’t bother otherwise. Accommodation was very reasonable but activities were ridiculous - there are 5 of us and £10 EACH for a game of crazy golf?! Forest Holidays is even more expensive from what I’ve seen. Depends on the age of your kids perhaps, I imagine CP is great with little ones who will just go in the pool all the time.

My only beef currently with CP is that they haven't returned to a 3pm check in since covid u less you pay £60.

Have a look at https://little-clogs-holidays.co.uk Lots of Center Parcs alternatives in Holland and Belgium and a fraction of the price even factoring in travel. The Dutch don’t have all the same holidays as us so certain times of the year such as Easter, May half term and late August can be very reasonable priced!

I found holidaying in the Dutch Center parts better vfm even factoring in the travel!

If you like Center Parcs but are priced out in school holidays then it’s definitely worth looking at the European sites. The week before Christmas is just over £500 for a whole week at De Vossemeren in Belgium (a fantastic park which is around a 3 hour drive from Calais) compared to over £2000 for the same week at Elveden! The pool is almost identical to the pool at Elveden and has the exact same rapids. Activities are a lot cheaper when you are there too, plus you get to choose your lodge for no extra charge and they give you 3 free activity vouchers when you arrive.
The Easter holidays are also very cheap next year (French parks cheap the first week and Dutch parks cheap the second week), as is May half term. I would definitely look into it if it’s doable.

I think a lot depends on whether you're doing it for a weekend or a week.

For us, it's a weekend - usually about £500 - which I don't think is terrible value. I am not going to go to the Netherlands with young children for a weekend so that comparison isn't sensible.

We usually do Airbnb in a European city for our longer holiday

Suntago in Europe. Just watch the promo video. A huge dome with everything you need inside it. There’s accommodation, cafes, spa and about 30 water slides.

A whole thread on Centre Parcs without anyone mentioning this MN classic. Times change
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/mumsnet_classics/1385104-Center-Parcs-Anal-sex

Every year I consider CP since the idea of the pool less than an hour from home is appealing. The every year I read shit review after shit review and remember we can stay in self catering apartments in peaceful, family friendly villages in Ibiza and Mallorca with beautiful pools right next to the beach with return flights for less than the price of CP and have a word with myself.

I find it far too full of other people for my liking. Feels false like the Trueman show. I've just had a lovely (and cheaper) weekend in Wales in a beautiful airbnb with a hot tub on a farm. Amazing hill walking, no one else around, magnificent scenery. Great restaurants nearby and a much better equiped kitchen to self cater in.

Home | Therme Manchester

This opens next year I think, or year after - be good to combine with a lodge holiday maybe

What about blue stone in wales?

Europe does it waaaaaaaaay cheaper, way better, and far better quality.

We stayed in a 5 bed Airbnb a couple of miles from one of the centre parcs sites in the Easter holidays. It was 1/5 the price of a week at the cheapest 4 bed lodge at centre parcs. The kids just had to put up with the local town's swimming pool and its lack of rapids!