Tell me about Centre Parcs...

[Hulababy]

...looking at a comfort, 3 bed villa at either Sherwood Forest or Whinfell Forest at Easter, mid week.

4 adults, 2 5 year olds.

But, how much are the extras: cycling, horseriding, the activity walks for children, other children's activities, adult spa stuff, etc?

Is it worth the money? It is about £200 more than getting a cottage somewhere in the UK for a week.

Beamish is fab!! Sorry just had to add that..

We hired a cottage a cottage near Durham, it was a 3 bed and was fantasic, great if you want to go loads of places then come home and cosy up after a nice dinner, nice and romey with a big lounge and dinning room, really well equiped and very very very quite, well it is the middle of a feild of cows, so you can open the kitchen door and the kids can say hello to them over the fence .

Deccided against CP for definite this time. Have now booked a cottage.

We have booked this 200 year old farm house: here

Costing £406 inc booking fee and insurance for the week. Great location for exploring the coast, North Yorkshire and up to Beamish for day, etc.

I'd rather chew my own arm off I think. It's Butlins isn't it?

I agree with Misspinkcat - it is Butlins but on a a grander scale.

Butlins with Volos.

Brother said he was pleased when worked called him back. Said the "chalets" are like prefabs wiht 70s floral sheets you have to put on yourselves!

I've visited Butlins and I've been to CP. No comparison.

We only eat at the Grand Cafe at Longleat and fend for ourselves at all other meals. Always tons of free stuff to do for the kids. We have been once a year for the last 7 years during all the seasons and it is amazing fun for the children.

We are going the week before the usual school Easter holidays to a 2bed exec right near the pool, £380 for 5 days. We have done 7 nights before but I find that 5 days is enough exertion. We are all fit so the hills are actually just exciting and we know the shortcuts everywhere. The best thing as far as our family is concerned is that there is always something to do whatever the weather and there are always new friends to be made.

If weve ever had a problem with anything, the CP staff have always raced to sort us out. I do recommend going at least once.

'Said the "chalets" are like prefabs wiht 70s floral sheets you have to put on yourselves!'

How bizarre. I'd describe the ones that we have stayed in as mini Ikeas with maid service.

Shudder at that too.
Are there lots of people being hearty in lee- sure suits?

my ds still talks about our trip to CP in hushed tones as his best ever holiday .
We were at sherwood, twas ok, though agree with all the negative points listed here by others. DS also got an ear infection the day after we'd been swimming - I never thought it might be from the pool...
We'll never go back as it is ridiculously priced during the holidays and we have 2 school-aged kids. We'll just stick to our nice cottge ein cornwall (still cheaper )

I agree about the pricing. Thankfully our school holidays fall at slightly different times and I always check www.moneysavingexpert.com before booking to get the latest discount code. We managed to save £75 this time which I thought was fab. Makes it do-able for us.

We love Cornwall too, Porthleven for us though.

Of course, going to a "family-friendly" location means you have to put up with the hordes of other people's kids, but on the whole it wasn't bad and there were plenty of things to do. DD had her first go at mini-golf (at Sherwood, each hole has a dubious Robin Hood connection).

If you are not a water-baby, it's perhaps not the ideal place to go. The "sub-tropical" swimming dome with its Fun For All The Family slides, rapids, waves, etc., was perhaps not the place I'd have chosen to spend the bulk of the time if I'd had more choice in the matter.

Was rather shocked by the way EVERYTHING except the pool was an additional expense. Once you've paid a huge whack just to get in the door you rather expect a lot more to be included.

However, I loved the car-free nature of the whole place and I spent a lot of the time taking the children on rides in the specially-adapted trailer. Came away as a born-again bike enthusiast. We need more rural cycle paths and fewer roaring psychopaths...

It's a weird place, though - like a cross between an East German labour camp and the village which Patrick McGoohan was always trying to escape from in "The Prisoner". I kept imagining it, spooky and derelict in 500 years' time, being discovered by a team of archaeologists who are convinced that it's a typical 21st-century village. You can just see the Tony Robinson of 2504 proclaiming with authority, "And this is the communal sub-tropical swimming area, where vital decisions were made... all the families lived in these small, open plan one-storey villas, their style influenced by the design-obsessed television broadcasts of the time.. anyone wishing to leave the Village had to gain a special permit from the council building, known as the Information Centre..."

We adore CP and I would happily go several times a year. We only ever eat out on our last night and always take food with us for the rest of the time.

The prices have definitely risen and whilst Longleat has expanded on a grand scale, the facilities haven't. Therefore the dining areas can be exceptionally busy.

We adore the natural environment, no cars, wildlife etc.

Have been to Sherwood and Longleat many times, went to the Lake district once and vowed to never return.

We're off to Longleat for May Bank Holiday - can't wait!

Personally I love CP and have just come back from a week at Elveden Forest - yes it is a holiday park but that is where the comparison with Butlins ends!