Center Parcs & Butlins

[Pinkballoon20]

Ive been looking at Center Parcs & Butlins for a weekend.

CP coming in at 780

Butlins 600

Which is better? Also cheaper when you get there?

Does anyone know how to do it cheaper xx

We have been toButlins lots over the yeas and Centre Parcs once.

Butlins is undeniably cheaper, especially if you buy 'activity vouchers' before you go. this means it is about £5 a pop for archery, high ropes, bowling,fencing, rifels,cinema, crazy golf, the boating activities etc. The fair is free, the discos and shows are free (although sometimes you have to get there early for a seat!). The waterpark is amazing (easily as good as centreparcs) and the dining plan is really good for food (loads of choice) . we have mainly been to skegness which has access to a most beautiful beach if you get fed up of the activities. there are also tennis courts and bikes to hire. If you do go consider taking kids scooters or rollerblades so they can zip around everywhere. We normally stay in the gold appartments - we stayed in budget once, they were clean (and close to the centre) but rather tired and a lot of people sat on their doorsteps smoking (unlike in the gold appartments apparantly).My kids adore it - I like the activities but i never know who the singers are. The pantomime is always a laugh though.Also if you are offended by other people having tattoos you will be offended a lot!

At centre parcs it was a lot more expensive to book activities (ABOUT 4 TIMES THE PRICE),but they were fun (crossbows, orienteering and crazy golf), and we didn't go to any 'entertainment'. There were a lot of trees and the squirrels were tame enough to be fed. Nobody smoked and everyone was middle class. The 'supplies shop' was extorionate. I did not eat in a restaurant. Lodge was nice.

So in summary: If you don't want to mix with the working class, don't mind paying through the nose for activities and want to cycle around through lots of trees, pick centre parcs.
If money is an issue, you have children that would spend all day in the water or running around given half a chance, children who love to watch singing and dancing acts and you actually don't mind that some people will be there with tattoos and some smoking (i say this because my friends husband loved the holiday at butlins but felt it 'wasn't his type of person' more fool him I thought - these people clearly love their kids as much as i do) then go to Butlins and book the money you have saved on a dining plan.

apologise for typos, typing too fast!

centre parcs is much calmer i think, the treehouses look lovely, but you definately pay for it and the kids won't care (so it's down to you).
skegness butlins has a caravan park you can stay in and then enter butlins campus - might be cheaper still?

Butlins but hotel. My kids' favourite holidays have been Butlins. CP is over priced imo and having to pay for all the activities annoys me.

Butlins Bognor has every extreme of stereotype, he people watching is fascinating.

We did butlins at Minehead for a weekend last year. Stayed in a private caravan so it was a bit further to walk to things but quiet and MUCH cheaper- think it was £275 for Friday to Monday with the passes. It was great! We would like to go back but have moved house since so will look at Skegness. People are right it's not as 'middle class' as centre parks and it was definitely a weekend for the kids rather than us, but it was a good family experience.

Ribby Hall was £470 for the weekend last time I looked ( a week or so ago). They've recently done their swimming pool out and now have a mini- zoo too (llamas and birds and that).

CP is much more expensive when you're there. Not much to do in the evenings at all.

The activities will be much more reasonable at Butlins too. I like both but wouldn't pay CP prices again. The lodges are lovely but the nicer ones are crazy expensive. We went over New Years and had a gorgeous one with sauna hot tub and games room. I've also got Butlin's booked in a gold apartment and I'm really looking forward to it

Not much more to add - been to both and liked them equally but differently! Different horses for different courses. Go to Minehead if you choose Butlins. We've been to all three. Nicer area generally. You can walk into the town (or get the Butlins train). Bognor is the least nice!

We did haven when the kids were small, they loved it. Tacky but it was very reasonable once we were there for activities and we had a meal plan too. CP is great if you only want to mix with the "right kind of people "

I’ve done both and they were both grim except CP was grim and ridiculously expensive. CP was more middle class than Butlins. I also did Pontins and that was absolutely dire.

Independent companies (a pp mentioned Ribby Hall) are often cleaner, more luxurious and better value for money. Quite often they are situated near towns or tourist spots with plenty of options for things to do. I’ve never visited but I have friends that rated Haven above the others.