centreparcs - tell me about it, good or not?

[Newhere2]

Hello,

I have never been to a centreparcs, however am considering one fro a short break.

They look like they fit all the criteria a child would want. Though I have heard lots of good and bad comments in the past.

Does any one have an opinion on:

• which are good ones?
• where to spend money or not (better accommodation etc)
• what are the additional costs?
• would you go again?

thank you!

thanks creamy.

red, I understand the idea of a cheaper self catering holiday. However with 7/10 years old and all the activities in one place it seems like the way to go. Even if they're mainly in the pool.

is it worth paying up for the new executive over the woodland? Will the living space be that much bigger to make the difference?

Also does anyone cook their own bbq's there?

Sorry I cant remember about seating as we tend to spend about 90 minutes swimming and then leave the pool.

Another vote for the dutch ones - we went to Het Heijderbos and had a great time. Was significantly cheaper than the UK ones plus it had an amazing extra dome with a huge jungle climbing thing in, tropical plants, birds, caves, streams, think of the deep jungle set from The Crystal Maze, with a giant (not very) soft play type system big enough for adults, including rope bridges, even a zip wire, tree houses and loads more (very popular with everyone there).

I looked again for a week in the summer holidays this year - if I booked early I would have paid approx 450 euros for a midweek break, compared to over £1000 for an equivalent break in the same level of accommodation in a UK CP. The early booking discount was about 10-20% so depending on how far ahead you were booking depends on the discount you'd get.

Even better, the Dutch seem to go back to school about a week before we do at the end of the summer so you might be able to get a cheaper week then if you want a holiday at the end of the summer...

Just out of interest how much do you think travelling there cost and how long roughly from the South East? My boys would enjoy all those activities.

We went to Holland at May half term last year (not to CP though). It was roughly about 100 in the chunnel but I think the ferry would be cheaper (say 60) and then it was about a 4-5 hour drive to Holland from Calais (maybe 250 miles - so depending on how thirsty your car is, a couple of tanks of petrol for the journey there & back). You also need to factor in tolls - I think we spent about 40 on tolls but there is a website you can work it out on.

When we factored all of that in for this year, even though the actual accommodation at CP in Holland was cheaper (when I looked for this half term - albeit our half term is different to the rest of the UK so its not the expensive week in the UK, the figures were roughly the same so 500 or 500euros) it was still cheaper to go in the UK. I think that might be different if you're comparing school holiday weeks here to school holiday weeks there - I think thats when you'll see bigger savings going to CP Europe.

Half term at Elevedon Forest UK: £1450
Half term at de Kempervennen Holland: 379 euros

It's not a small difference at all!

You can get a ferry for £30 and it's a 3 hour drive from Calais (or 1 hour from Hoek van Holland)

Yes, I agree for the summer it looks like holland is the place to go on value, with the added bonus of seeing a bit of a different country.

Heard it (Centreparcs) described yesterday as: 'What Butlins would be like if it were run by the Daily Mail'

Had to laugh because it's true

There are much better offerings out there once you take account of the fact that you can spend a small fortune once there

hi contratian, where would you recommend? I've never been and we holiday mainly in europe.

*Bitoutofpractice" Our half term is Monday 2nd June so Mon-Fri at Elveden that week is 439 pounds. The same week at de Kempervennen is exactly the same, but in euros, 439 euros.

I've just looked at the week before (doing a mid-week break starting on Monday 26th May) and that is (like you say) a big difference - 1149 pounds at Elveden and 479 euros in Holland.

As I said in my previous post, it depends on which week you are going because it seems to me that CP in Europe don't hike their prices up for school hols as much as CP in the UK does.

We holiday in the South of France, and it's better (for us), and we certainly don't spend anymore money. I just felt it was much better value. We also really enjoy Jersey.

Too expensive. Just that.

I think Center Parcs is great for families. If you book knowing you will need quite a bit of spending money and you are willing to pay for activities then you will have a good time. I think if you don't know this and get there and realise pretty much nothing but swimming, play areas, walks and bike rides are included and are not willing or able to pay for extras because you have already paid a lot to stay there than it's not the right mini break for you.

well said Creamy. I think the money you spend on extras is only what you would spend on admissions if you had a self catering cottage somewhere. You pay it all upfront though to make sure you get in. We do one activity a day and then swimming and bike riding. My kids love it and it is their first choice of holiday each year. Cheaper activities include group things like geocaching where you set off as a family. There are some cheaper things there. We also do more treat days like segway or aquajetting. Take as much food as you need for breakfast and lunch then eat out. I try to get a central lodge or on the edge of central and the next zone so that we can pop back to the lodge for lunch. There is seating round the pool. Take 2 sets of swimming so that one can dry while one is being used. Pay for the cheapest lodge with wifi/maid if you want maid otherwise I wouldn't go dearer as you are not in the lodge much and we'd rather do activities. Another tip i noticed this time that the ten pin bowling is cheaper on arrival and departure days than others so we are going the first evening. Longleat has a massive hill situation and the others are flat.