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Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

Original poster

CentreParcs Virgin - what do I need to know ?

37 replies

Whizzz · 20/02/2006 17:49

Thinking of booking our first Centre Parcs holiday. Poss a 3 or 4 day break for me, DH & DS (5). Looked at the website but whats the real info I need to know ??
Whats the best type of accomodation to book ?
Do we need bicycles - how much to hire?
How much are the 'extra' activities ?
etc etc

TIA

OP posts:
grumpyfrumpy · 20/02/2006 17:53

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
Whizzz · 20/02/2006 18:01

Yes I have the codes the MN one is better than the PSB one !
Are they the same price regardless of location ?

OP posts:
k74 · 20/02/2006 18:23

Just been to Elveden.
Park market was really good, you don't need to hassle yourself buying loads of stuff to take like we did. Food in most restaurants was a bit deep fried but excellent facilities for babies eg highchairs etc.

Accomodation fine, take bread for ducks (ooo perhaps not, bird flu) and dvds if you get a villa with a dvd.

If your ds likes swimming and cycling and parks he will be fine, he won't need any extras. But book him into a kids club activity and go off on your own to the spa or whatever you like doing because it is your holiday too!

colette · 20/02/2006 18:35

Did you use the code cpweb on this website \link{http://madaboutbargains.co.uk/coupons/Coupon_Crazy.htm}
I have never done a link before so I hope it works. I used the good housekeeping one from this site which has expired.

colette · 20/02/2006 18:37

I cannot do a link

Original poster
Whizzz · 20/02/2006 19:00

Any more tips anyone ??

OP posts:
lexiemum · 20/02/2006 21:37

we're going to sherwood in four weeks - we'll be taking with us as definately required:

bike padlocks
torch - it gets v.dark at ngt
all our food - v.expensive in onsite supermarket - we won't be eating out.

bikes - i think are £30 / weekend - you get one with a back seat thingy for little ones

pool is quieter late pm and evening

spas/sauna etc are v.exp in relation to local gym

ten pin bowling is exp but one of few evening activities.

childrens disco free, plus indoor and outdoor play areas.

take a few toys for villa

oh, you have to pay to choose your villa, so go with the flow the first time and suss out whether the whole cp thingy is for you then you canrebook safe in the knowledge.

at sherwood we like to be out on the outskirts by a lake but at elevden preferred being a little closer to centre.

if you do longleat - the safari p[ark is next door and well worth a visit - would go there before check in and then on check out day - one ticket price lasts a year!

you get all the booking extra activitites stuff two weeks before you go so can plan ahead and i think prebook - last time I went 10yrs ago - we had to send dad out at 8am to queue in the centre to book that days activity, knowing we might not get it and end up playing some obscure, never heard of sport.

this is all a bit long but hopefully will help. there's a couple of threads in archives I read before we booked this time as it'll be our first trip with the dd's and was looking for tips.

Original poster
Whizzz · 20/02/2006 22:18

thankyou ! Great tips !!

OP posts:
MaloryTowers · 20/02/2006 22:21

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Message withdrawn at poster's request.

mcmum · 20/02/2006 22:51

have done cp nottingham twice and lake district twice took kids bikes hired mine as got one with buggy trailer on back, we stayed in comfort villa on all occasions and took alot of ofod with us, i found there supermarkets quite expensive other than that have loved everytime its great for kids

Imafairy · 21/02/2006 08:31

Whizz, do a search in the archives - there were LOADS of tips posted before Christmas (don't have time to look, otherwise would do the link myself!) Try searching under a 'Longleat', 'Sherwood', and every variation of Centre Parcs spelling you can think of (centerparcs, centreparcs etc)

HTH

Original poster
Whizzz · 21/02/2006 18:26

Thanks all

OP posts:
lexiemum · 21/02/2006 21:51

are you going to book?

Original poster
Whizzz · 23/02/2006 18:30

Yes - think so - we are looking at June as we have 2 weeks off school whereas some areas seem to have only 1 - hence its cheaper !

We haven't got a bike carrier for the car - hence the query about bike hire

Everyone raves about it so much - we've decided to bow to pressure & see what its all about

OP posts:
mcmum · 23/02/2006 19:04

whizzz

which site r u looking at going to

Original poster
Whizzz · 23/02/2006 19:07

Probably Oasis Whinfell or Sherwood - depends whats available & best bargain for the time we want !

OP posts:
mcmum · 23/02/2006 19:11

ive been to both and loved them equally - althoug
weather was much better at sherwood, also more wildlife at sherwood - try and get house near a river or pond - it was like something out of a fairytale in the mornings as squirel rabbits ducks etc were all sitting outside of our window tapping for food take your own bird food ie nets of nuts etc and hang them up outside

collision · 23/02/2006 19:18

We have just been to Oasis in Cumbria and came back KNACKERED! I have never been so tired in all my life.

i disagree about the supermarkets....I wouldnt take my own food next time and thought the restaurants were v reasonably priced.

Swimming was enough of an activity for us but ds1 did the ponytrek which he loved and we went bowling which wasnt necessary. It would have been enough to watch TV and play in the morning, have lunch and then swim around 2pm til 5pm.

Def hire bikes as that is the fun but I thought it was expensive.

Take your own beakers and use your own juice as that can get expensive.

It wasnt really our scene TBH but the boys faces when they saw the pool was fabulous and we would go again for them.

.......I would prefer a hotel with spa and no kids personally............

Have fun

collision · 23/02/2006 19:19

We had wild badgers come and eat bread on our balcony which was worth waking ds1 up for. We were all mesmerised.

mcmudda · 23/02/2006 19:42

Supermarket prices at Whinfell are fine btw (we went in Jan this year just after Collision!)
They price match all the basics like milk/bread/butter etc with the local Morrisons. Agree that restaurants were quite reasonable.
The pizzas from the Italian were good - they do a takeaway and delivery.
Ds was in the kids club for one morning and loved it.
He also had pre-booked face painting and clay hand prints.
His absolute favourite which he is constantly going on about was seeing the owls - a prebooked thing. He's 3 and it was at 7pm - his bedtime - so this was the most exciting thing in his life! He got to hold and feed a barn owl and an eagle owl.
Take packed lunches for when you're by the pool - there are loads of tables and chairs perfect for leaving towels on cos the cafe there is just manky hotdogs and chips.
The sports cafe at Whinfell is huge and has a good soft play.
We booked ahead for breakfasts every morning which was good value for adults, but a limited choice for children - didn't really want ds having a fry up every morning - but it got us out of the lodge early which was nice.
Saw the football coaching for 3-5 yr olds which looked loads of fun wouldve booked that for ds if we hadn't already filled up with other stuff.
But we went in Jan, if you're going in June then you're more likely to do outside stuff in the better weather so lass likely to need the prebooked stuff maybe?

We're v keen to go back. My only gripe was that the baby equipment wasn't very clean and everything needed wipeddown before use

lexiemum · 23/02/2006 22:07

mcmudda - do i need to take lots of anti-bac wipes then? was also wondering when in pool area - do i have to hold my 6mth old all the time or is there somewhere I can let her lay down and sleep? or do i take in her rocking chair?

collision · 23/02/2006 22:09

Take your pushchair although if you are hiring bikes it will be a problem.

There are travelcots in the pool area for sleeping babies so that wont be a problem and as far as I am concerned everyone with or without kids should always have lots of wet wipes!

Flibbertygibbet · 23/02/2006 22:16

Our kids loved it, but we didn't really like it - or at least think it's not worth the money in school holidays. We won't go back.

lexiemum · 23/02/2006 22:18

we're hiring a pushchair as lack of space in car and only hiring one bike with a trailer thingy for dd1 aas she will no doubt ask for one! my sister will be doing the cycling, I'm quite happy with my feet.

are there enough travel cots to go around or should i take my travel cot - have got a sml one that fits into a hand luggage bag and quite easy to assemble?

collision · 23/02/2006 22:21

it is fine if you are only spending £150 for 4 nights which is what we did.

I wouldnt bother with a travel cot as I am sure there will be some. You should be able to take the pushchair into the pool area as well tho check it first.

Ds wants to go back. Am not sure if we ever will as it was so full of people and so full of people who had pulled their kids out of school.