Ok, weekend break with two kids ... centerparcs? Other options?

[NotQuiteCockney]

The weekend of the 25th, it would be very good for me to get away with the two kids, on my own.

I've hassled an out-of-town friend, but I don't think she can take us.

So I'm considering centerparcs. The one in Suffolk is doable, by train (I don't drive). We'll only stay two nights, and then DH can come collect us by car, I think.

Will it be survivable? Is the food ok? Are there kids clubs on the weekend? My two are 3 and 6, the 6-year-old is v sociable, the 3-year-old pretty sociable.

doable by train + cab
yes there are kids clubs all the time
tbh in 3 days you may not have exhausted the attractions of the swimming bit.
Restaurants are a bit average but they've recently brought in chains so there's Cafe Rouge and a Bella Pasta.
remember tis selfcatering though (am thinking of breakfasts) and buying food in the onsite supermarket isn't cheap - may be easier to bring tiny things of tea, coffee, box of cereal etc

you'll get seriously stung on price though as a 'weekend' break is always fri-mon and no discount for not staying all 3 nights.

Yeah, the prices are a bit steep.

I'm still considering, may ring the out-of-town friend, first, as staying at hers is likely to be quite a bit cheaper.

With the travel and all that, we'll only really end up with two days there, which is a bit tiny ... I am discussing the possibility of going on my own with the kids over half term or Easter or something. (Although for Easter I'd be tempted to do Pierre et Vacances in the South of France, better weather, better food ...)

I would probably bring cereal ...

The out-of-town friend hasn't answered my email, so maybe she just hasn't seen it. (We'd be in Reading, btw, if you felt like dropping down to see us!)

ooh, tempting...

randomly we are at centerparcs ourselves till the 18th

Weird! Which one?

I'm off to Zurich on the 18th. Randomly. On my own!

I'll let you know if (when, really) I end up in Reading. We'd be relatively stuck there, visiting a friend and her three kids. But Reading's not that far from where you are, is it?

Suffolk as well - we have family on the Norfolk coast so it kills two birds with one stone.

Reading not far at all - let me know!

We've done centre parcs quite a few times, sometimes leaving it til the day before to book - then you get a real bargain. But not sure if that would work for you if you need to book tain in advance... sorry - probably useless post.

Not useless, I think I will try centreparcs sometime, even if it's not this time, so info about it is always welcome! And if I was going with DH, could drive. (Or if I sorted out my drivers' licence ...)

CP havea lot of early booking offers on at the mo - 20% off

here

if you do ever end up going by car, I'd recommend take the same kitchen-stuff box you'd take if going to a s/c cottage (salt, pepper, oil, vinegar, coffee, tea, ketchup, sugar, wine, good knives etc) and do a supermarket shop for fresh stuff on the way.

Makes sense.

I've rung my Reading friend tonight, hopefully will know if/when we are going to her sometime soon.

Oh, and yes, Iota, I'd seen that - was planning on using one of those codes, part of the motivation of (maybe) going that weekend was the cheaper thing ...

Ok, we're off to Reading, it turns out - MrsB, it's the weekend of the 25th, we'll have free time on the 26th, certainly, or whatever the Saturday is. DH will be coming to collect on the 27th.

I'll talk to my Reading friend for firmer plans. She's quite near the middle - 15 minutes' walk from the train station.