Center Parcs essentials & tips

[MadamPomfrey]

We're going away to Center Parcs (Longleat) in just over a week with our two DC (2.5 and 4 months). I have been before when I was a child, but never as an adult! I am SO looking forward to it as have such fond memories myself and think my DH will love it too (he's never been). I am in list writing mode trying to think of everything I might need.

Please can you CP veterans please give me any useful tips or a list of things I should bring with me that I may not think of?

Thank you!

@donquixotedelamancha me too 😂

There's always one arsehole

Biking with the baby:

If this is something you'd do regularly outside of CP I highly recommend a Thule trailer with an infant sling.

We used one with dd from when she was about 10 weeks. (Which is less than the recommended age - I can't remember what that is.)

She had good neck strength. We only went on decent trails at that age, nothing too bumpy while we started with it to check we thought she was safe but it was brilliant. Well worth it.

(Now expecting dc 2 and I sold our trailer one week before finding out I was pregnant. Soooo annoying!! Planning to buy another though.)

Longleat is big and very hilly so think very carefully about where you’re booking meals/activities so you’re not zigzagging across the site as you’ll be knackered pushing biggies etc up the hills. Also don’t assume the land train is the answer. We only used it once but it was rammed and there wouldn’t have been space for a buggy on the one we were on. It is a lovely site but I think you have to think about where you’re going and how sensible it is re the map so when we went we didn’t try and do sports park area or pool area on the same day.

Id also say, we found the waits for the family cubicles in the pool much longer than the smaller ones so if you can pack in a way that you can have one child and one parent rather than waiting for the big cubicles you might find it easier.

@Cakeorchocolate did you find it was easier/safer for them to be in a sling/carrier on your front or back? DD has very good head strength for her age, but I've not carried her on my back yet just as haven't needed to. But I'm imagining if I'm leaning forward cycling, she might be hanging off me a bit on my front, whereas on my back she can almost lie on me?

No she wasn't in a carrier she was in a bike trailer. The product is called an "infant sling".

I wouldn't have risked her in a carrier on my front or bike for fear of me falling off with her.

I toppled my bike when she was older in a seat on the back and that was scary enough as I was crossing a road and couldn't hold the weight of the bike and her up. (She was fine fortunately, my elbow wasn't.)

I've added a couple of pics of the infant sling. It's pricey but was worth it for us getting out on our bikes.

@Cakeorchocolate Ah okay thank you! The sling part threw me 😆 I'll look into one of these, I don't have bikes at home so would just be for the holiday. I wish CP had something like this to rent - I can't be the only person going with a young baby who would like to cycle!

Mouse traps apparently

This was the Thetford one though. 😉

Anything you wouldn't usually do that makes your life easier, it's your holiday too

Please don’t even think about riding a bike with a baby in a sling on your front. I saw an arsehole of a man doing that (front carried) on a road near me once and it was utterly terrifying to watch.

You get those sort of framed rucksack things that go on your back for walking, but I’d have thought they might be too dangerous for cycling too. I actually think you might indeed be alone in wanting to cycle with a 4.5 month old. Maybe see if there is anything online about how the Dutch do it, they tend to be pioneers in cycling and baby carrying.

Lovely with longleat I would recommend picking a lodge nearer the centre as we made this mistake when kids were little and poor DH ended up with baby in carrier toddler on shoulders whilst I managed bikes & bags. Little legs post swimming give up!

When the children were under 6 months, we just accepted that cycling wasn't possible for one adult who walked with the buggy and the other one would cycle with toddler. It was just the one trip that fell into that category then they were old enough for the trailer.

It does of course depend on which park you are visiting. We haven't visited Longleat but sounds like its much harder on foot than the others