Center parcs - Europe

[KSW]

Tell me the low down? Is it the same/better/worse than the UK? Any particularly good ones/ones to avoid? I'd be really interested to hear from anyone who has been...
Katie

Never been to the UK ones so can't compare but they are much cheaper. We've been to de Emhoff and Het Heijerbos in Holland. Both were nice, although they don't see so many English at the latter and we got accused twice of being German

We liked Emhoff better but that might be because we went in August when the Dutch children were back at school and to Heijerbos during World Cup Week...

I've never been to the UK ones either but have been to Eperheide in Belgium. That was very nice.

Never been to CP in the UK either. But have been to two in France, Lac D'Ailette NW of Paris (v. easy to get to from SE UK and in a great location in the Champagne region) and Les Haut du Bruyeres (sp!) in the Loire region about 3 hrs due south of Paris.

The former new, only a couple of years old and v. nice. They are cheaper when the exchange rate is better (not so much at the moment) and if you pick a time when French schools are not on holiday (they have dif. term dates than the UK).

Both were great though and I'd return to either. Have never felt the need to go to a UK CP!

In Holland they come in two flavours, the traditional CP familiar to anybody that has travelled to one in the UK except they have friendly staff who are happy to help in Holland, also restaurants and activities don't need to be booked a couple of years in advance; and their beach ones that they bought (rather than built) a few years ago, not quite as high spec but still nice.

We were at Het Heijderbos last year and off to Kempervennen this year.

I second Erperheide, it's very good.

So is Het Meerdal in Holland, set next to a beautiful lake.

We've also been to one in the Eiffel area of Germany called Heilbachsee. The facilities were far more basic but it was very cheap and set in woodland with scenic volcanic lakes nearby. We went there in January and it was lovely.

Never been to a UK one, but have been to Kempervennen and Lac d'Ailette. Both were good, but I thought that Kempervennen had the edge on the activities available. It really depends on the age of your children - Lac d'Ailette looked fantastic for families with little children, and Kempervennen for older ones.