Center Parcs on a budget - Your top tips please

[NotAnotherNewNappy]

We're off to Elveden next week but are even more skint much less flush than usual (maternity leave & about to move house). I have a 3yo and a 9mo. We're staying in a Comfort Plus villa and I can't remember what this does/does not include (bin bags? dishwasher tabs?). Please can you share your top tips on how to have a great time at CP without spending a fortune? We're taking the train so unfortunately we can't take too much with us. TIA.

can you take your own bikes?

Take your own food

No - unfortunately. I did consider it but we'd have to cross London then take them on two trains and then it's quite a ride at the other end.

Just seen that you are going by train so carrying stuff will be tricky, so buy food in the parcmarket rather than eating out. Take a few bin bags and dishwasher tablets as they weigh very little

Oops. Bit late for my cp tip but I'll post it anyway in case it helps others.

Go to a cp abroad - France is a bit cheaper than the uk but the ones in holland etc are much better. I was comparing a week at the end of august - uk was about £1000 while one of the 5* ones in the Netherlands (het heijdebos) was less than £450 for the same thing (4 person comfort premium). And the het h parc has more in it I think - there was a fantastic dome the size of the swimming dome but full of tropical plants and birds and like a huge great big jungle softplay centre through it big enough for adults (6 year old loved all of it but some bits were too tricky for 3 year old).

Although petrol and ferry needed to be added into the costs they were nowhere near £500. Ferry was about £65 return booking a week or two in advance. Plus there was all the fun of being aboad.

The 3 & 4 star cp abroad were even cheaper.

Would guess it is worth taking a couple of extra bin bags and dishwasher tablets as they don't take up much space plus a couple of bottles that you can use to take drinks round with you to save on buying lots of expensive drinks while out. And a bottle of squash if you like it, again for cheaper drinks.

We had a DVD player in our chalet. Could you take some DVDs with you in a DVD wallet rather than in their boxes and some uncooked popcorn to pop in the microwave for some 'home' cinema evenings.

Have a lovely time away!

The supermarket on site will deliver to your lodge if you spend more than £40. It is expensive but not ludicrously so and the quality of meat etc is good and they seem to use local producers.

The French cafe place ( sorry have forgotten the name) does reasonably priced meals but I would avoid the others and do not order takeaway- it was equivalent to a supermarket curry when we got it.

Avoid most of the activities, we have been to a number of things panto, messy play, football lessons and they all seemed rather overpriced.

Bring a few dishwasher tablets, they don't take up much room and your own bin bags.

You will need towels for the pool, your DCs should love the pool at their age.
Due to the weather you may not want to hire bikes, they are great if the weather is good enough to cycle around, but if not then expensive if you aren't going to use much.

Have a great time.