Is Center Parcs worth the price?

[Vergus]

I am considering taking the family to Longleat Center Parc over the May half-term. I don't really want the hassle of flying abroad this year but the price for a 7 night stay over the half-term week is making my eyes water slightly. I could get an all inclusive package in Majorca for the same fee. I see also they almost double the prices for that week alone, which is standard practice I suppose for the holiday provider market as they know they have you over the barrel. But the cost for essentially a cabin in the woods is somewhat breathtaking.

I have heard very good things about Center Parcs however so am keeping an open mind. I understand the Subtropical pool is included in the price tag and is a real hit. I also like the look of the location - Longleat looks great for cycling and getting out in the forest. Kids are aged 6 and 10. It's also only a two hr drive from us so that's always good.

If anyone is happy to share their experiences/thoughts - both pros and cons I can weigh things up. The price is coming in at £2958 - activities I see are extra as well. And - of course - it's self-catering.

Thanks in advance!

My kids love the familiarity - HOWEVER, the ones in the UK and Ireland are too expensive. We go to the french ones - for example, we're going for a week over easter (which a quick search says would cost at least 3k for the same dates).

Cottage, Ferry and 2 meals a day for under the price of the UK one (which has no meals - and you don't seem to be able to add them) - even with a couple of tanks of petrol, I'm still getting significantly more for my money, and better weather.

The buffet for example is one of my youngest's favourite bits - that and the swimming - whereas I quite enjoy stopping at Carrefour on my way home and stocking up on cheap (but good) wine.

This is what we did too. We’ve booked to go the weekend at the start of the holidays as we have a teacher training day I think it was £890 or something. No way would I pay £3k! We do love CP but no chance.

The price is coming in at £2958 - activities I see are extra as well. And - of course - it's self-catering

HOW MUCH??!!!

I've never considered Center Parcs - just the spelling annoys me - but though I realise it's half term that's hideous. And to yomp around the woods, very likely in the rain, be gouged for "activities", then go back to cook your own food?

Each to their own as ever, but no thanks

Only out of school holidays. Otherwise a total rip off.

We are doing the end of the summer holidays as we have a training day the mon and tues of the first week in sept. Its always like £300-£400 cheaper!

Who an earth pays nearly 3k to go there? I really do wonder how they get enough custom in the school hols. Been once in term time and enjoyed it but not at that price with all the added extras. If my budget was 3k, I'd be off abroad somewhere.

I much prefer Butlins to CP. I know some people think it's tacky but I was pleasantly surprised when we went. Most activities were included (including the fair rides), the entertainment was fab and DD9 (7 at the time) was never bored! We did the premium dining package and found the food good too. We had a beech room which again was really nice.

I went for the first time a few years ago and thought it was dreadful value. And I’m someone who doesn’t mind spending quite a bit on holidays - but not worth it for what you get for your money.

Overpriced Butlins. We went for the first time 3 years ago. Our accommodation wasn't very clean and everything was ridiculously expensive. We won't be returning.

It's not worth the school holiday prices, no.

We've often thought about booking Center Parcs but the price has always put us off.

For the price of a Monday-Friday at Center Parcs a couple of years ago we were able to get flights, car hire and a week in a really nice lodge at Norcenni Girasole near Florence. Then once over there everything was much cheaper so it probably saved us money overall. The kids absolutely loved it so we're going back again as it's still cheaper all in than CP!

I LOVE Centre Parcs but I couldn’t justify it at that price. We’ve booked well ahead/chosen quieter dates so paid a lot less - and yes it was worth it.

Activities are extortionate too.

No it's just not worth that kind of money, the pools are lovely and fun but in school hols they will be so busy that you will have to wait ages for a ride on the slides which will spoil it. Every thing else is an extra charge and on the pricier side of what you would pay at an outside provider.

If center parcs is what you fancy have a look at the European parcs, usually a lot cheaper even with the travel costs and there's a chance that it won't be school holidays so the place will be quiet (although that means that the restaurants aren't all open). We went in Christmas holidays (the week before Christmas not actually there for Christmas day) to one in Germany, had a lovely time at the Christmas markets and virtually had the pools to our selves it was so quiet. And much cheaper than Longleat.
Or look at Bluestone in Pembrokeshire or Haven as people have said.
Or get on a flight and enjoy some sunshine.

We looked and then bought a tent instead 😆

But in all seriousness, when I went a long time ago, I remember enjoying it but as an adult, I can't justify the cost, before even getting to the extras. Bluestone is great for that sort of thing.

butlins is even cheaper and kids love it but its not the same vibe at all. We do that one sometimes with the mindset that it is all about the kids having fun because it's not what we would call a holiday, more like a very busy day out!

We have done a few staycations, where we tidy the house top to bottom, fresh bedding, full tank of fuel, buy a luxury food shop and ignore laundry for a week and then book days out at local attractions, treating the house as a holiday home. We also get a TV trial deal like Now TV and make an effort to spend time together like we would on holiday, like playing games, staying up later etc.

Saving the cost of hiring a space means we can do all the little extras like buying the extra experiences for the kids, saying yes to all the beach extras, buying posh food or getting takeaways, knowing it will all come in under budget and there is no pressure. We do have to put I the effort to make it feel like a holiday though.

I just can't pay 3k for a week in the UK, im too tight! 🙃😅 could probably go to disney paris for that money

There’s not a hope in hell I’d pay that, go to Majorca!

Admittedly I've never been, but I've always been completely baffled by its popularity. Fair enough if you live in a middle of a huge city, have never been to the countryside, and are charmed by the novel idea of living in a wood with bikes etc, but in the vast majority of the UK, no one is that far from the countryside and it would be perfectly possible to replicate a Center Parcs holiday for exponentially less by renting a holiday cottage near a water park.

Even more bafflingly it's recently opened its first resort in Ireland - it makes zero sense to me that you would trek to Longford to stay in insanely expensive cabins by a pool. The ad keeps banging on about seeing wildlife and how two natural watercourses can be strolled along, but those are hardly unique to Center Parcs!

We have been a few times to center parcs. All of them longleat. Never for a week. No, it is not worth that much money.

Monday to Friday is our favourite, during term time nowadays. But if you are 2 hours away, a weekend break in term time can cost a lot less.

@ChanceMet exactly, it's like a holiday for people who can't be bothered to use their own imagination to discover what's on their doorstep IMO!

I 100% refuse to pay the prices at CP. It's ridiculous! Even European CP is cheaper than UK including travel....I personally wouldn't. Me and my DD9 love Haven....it's a bit chavvy but it's what you make of it I guess and we always ham it up and embrace the activities

Depends.
If you have to go in school hols as you’ve got school aged kids and need a holiday where everything is on one site and everything can be booked via one website, and don’t want to consider places like Haven which will be cheaper. ….well that’s the price of that service.

Personally id book a cottage or holiday flat in an area with holiday activities available. I’d look online and book activities like kayaking or bike hire (if can’t take own) or half day at pool and mix in with half days at beach. I would book to go for meals in local restaurants or pubs, have a couple of takeaways or a meal from Cook so I wouldn’t be cooking.

Id think this 2nd holiday would be better and cheaper and more facilities less crowded than on a holiday park which is at peak business during school hols.

Depends on your family and kids. If your kids need lots of organised activities to fill the days and can’t cope with walking more than the distance of a cabin to activity, or the thought of getting in the car to drive to where your day’s activity might be, then Centre Parcs starts to tick the boxes. All one one site can work well for multi generational too - older relative can join in some stuff and people can pop to and fro from accommodation and other stuff easily multiple times per day.

I wouldn’t pay Center Parcs prices for what are often basic activities. I wouldn’t pay the chain restaurant prices. It would have to be board games, cycling (own bikes) and swim sessions -but these are what the kids would enjoy anyway. And we’d eat Cook type meals. If I wanted the activities If book at some other holiday park that offered activities and swimming as available for significantly less. I’d have no more qualms about the crowds or types of people there than at Center Parcs - more similar than people often think. So the other parks are where I’d go if we needed an easy multi-generational place that worked for someone with limited mobility or energy.

Potters Resort does all this with food and drink included in price. If I needed one-site multi generational I might go there. Not cheap either but for similar price you’d get all the activities and also 3 meals a day included too.

Not worth it sorry ....When I went with the fam (a good few years ago): I got a good price/deal (Loads cheaper ) we enjoyed it.... but I don't know if I would have enjoyed it the same if I paid nearly £3000. Plus I think they've actually got a cheek to charge the prices they do for the activities.

I think it is ridiculously expensive but whether it’s worth the money depends on what you want from your holiday.

its a cost I would pay if I wanted an easy to get to holiday, in the U.K., where I have nice accommodation with all the facilities I need, easy access to onsite activities so I don’t have to think about entertainment or day trips, popular food options that my kid and DH will eat and can be delivered to the accommodation or eaten restaurant style, access to spa facilities if I want a massage, to a pool if DD wants to swim, to outdoor space if we want to walk.

Other holiday parks exist that are cheaper and have some of these features but not all. So if you want it all and you have the money then it’s worth it.

If you will spend hours each day in pool it works out good cost since going to a water park could cost 100 for a family per day
Take or hire bicycles
You can walk or cycle outside the fences, too
And no planes airport security

What is appealing about CP is that it's just easy.

You dump the car and then you spend a week not having to really think about anything. You don't have to travel anywhere and you are in a little bubble where if you ignore your phone you basically completely escape the outside world for a few days and just concentrate on having fun with the family.

I wouldn't say it's worth it at super peak times and i wouldn't go without kids, but outside of the holidays it is actually not stupidly expensive for what you get, and there really isn't any other holiday park in the UK that offers as much as the CP sites do.

I think it’s worth it if you have pre school aged children and can go in term time. It’s cheaper, the young children’s activities are cheaper, the pool is quieter/seems quieter without the bigger children, and it’s an easy holiday with small children.