What is centre parcs like?

[Josiefuzz]

We usually just hire a cottage and do our own thing but thinking of hiring a lodge during March. Got a 3yo and a baby who is 6m.
Would be Sherwood or Whinfell - which is best?
Where is good to stay?
Any activities you would recommend?
Thanks so much.

We went self catering too... but then it's not a great holiday if you're still having to cook meals... plus the fridge and freezer are really really small so it's difficult to manage.

The plates, mugs, pots and pans and utensils are also poor.

It really was easier to cook when I went camping!

If you're happy with what is basically one step up from camping, but 1000 times the price, with little to do without having to put your hand in your pocket, you'll love it.

Yes, the pool is nice, yes you can go for walks and bike rides. But the pool is PACKED and there just aren't enough different walks and bike rides to keep everyone happy for a week.

I went twice when the dcs were younger but wouldn’t go back now after experiencing much nicer places! Can I recommend parc resorts - they have caravans and lodges and the one which is called I think “white cross bay” is right on lake Windermere. It’s so much cheaper too and there is a swimming pool and other things to do.
Centre Paris IMo is pretty crap for the price. Crowded, dirty pool, overpriced bad food, activities cost a fortune. The thing I Actually dislike the most though is that it’s within a forest and everything feels so dark and suffocating. So on a sunny day it’s still feels dark. Just something to consider. I think myself and my family are more “getting out and exploring” types - if you like just being in one place (and the cost dictates you stay there really) then you may like it.

My mind is blown by the idea people would go to centre Parcs with NO kids?!?! I actually cannot fathom why this would be...

Also found it expensive and not very nice. If you're used to hiring a cottage and doing your own thing, I suspect you won't like it.

It's refreshing to find so many non-lovers on here! So many people (inexplicably imo) seem to rave about it!

RedSky

I agree - I posted without RTWT but know I’ve gone back and looked I’m like “oh, others feel the same!” - I thought I would get flamed!

Center Parcs is for people who don’t know any better IMO

An acquired taste..can take some getting used to...not for everyone but worth trying once....snigger ...

If you can go now before your children are at school then the price will not be extortionate. We've had hit and miss cleanliness in the lodges. The swimming is great, that and the soft play/parks is the only free thing. It is set up for families. We have always had a great time but have had to complain recently.

It's great for kids. Everything is geared up for them, restaurants have play areas and food kids menus, pools are fab, loads of playgrounds etc.

Yes it's overpriced and you're not going to have fine dining but it's the only time we tend to go for dinner as the kids love it.

I wouldn't go without kids though!

I tried for so long to find an nice holiday cottage that matched the price and couldn't.. pp have said that they have found far superior cottages much cheaper but honestly I tried and anything I could find for 5 days was at least 6-700 quid.
My dc are pre school so we go out of term tike and it costs about £500 for an executive lodge with a sauna and enough room for our family of 4 and a grandparent for a week. Plus on top of that there's the free swimming centre with slides and whirlpools. We do a few toddler activities and a couple of grown up ones. All in it costs less than these holiday cottages.
Never had an issue with cleanliness.
Cafe rouge and the burger place are awful though, we go to the pancake house and cook our own fancy ready meals at the lodge.

If you go in term time I think it's reasonably priced for what it is. Anything out of that and it becomes a joke. Even if I was loaded I certainly wouldn't be paying £2k to go to centre Parcs, I'd be off to Spain or something!

We've been a few times when our children were pre-school age and quite enjoyed it, but it's so expensive now in school holidays that I don't think we'll go again.

For us, the good parts were:

• There's one close by, so a weekend break without spending half the time in the car
• You are essentially forced to stay on-site and leave the car, which was a plus for us as we are usually tempted to visit everywhere in the area we're staying in and again end up spending half the time in the car
• Kids loved the swimming area, nature centre etc
• Restaurants all have a small kids play area so if you can get a seat close to that it's easier to finish your meal after the children have got sick of sitting still

The not-so good bits:

• We found that a lot of the activities for small children were decidedly under-whelming for the price you pay. Can't remember the name of the activity but for our 2 we paid about £25 for the 4 of us to sit in what looked like an empty classroom singing nursery rhymes and walking round in circles for 20 minutes with a few other families and a very un-enthusiastic member of staff.
• You need to book days in advance for all the restaurants (so no spontaneous dropping in as you pass) and get there very early or very late to have a chance of being near a play area
• Everything is significantly more expensive than 'on the outside'
• The swimming pool and changing area get very busy. Be prepared to play 'hunt the changing room' with a baby in tow!

My mind is blown by the idea people would go to centre Parcs with NO kids?!?! I actually cannot fathom why this would be...

Because we like it, and you can have a great adults only trip there?

It isn't too far away for us so we can make the most of it (I've done day trips there), the spa is fabulous so we always have a few hours and a meal there, we have a laugh with activities like segways, archery in the forest (rather than just plain targets), golf, quad biking, and even the pool (because you're never too old for a water slide), then nip back for lunch followed by playing badminton/squash/tennis or cycling. People can dip in and out as they like with ease, or do a different activity like a class instead.

We go outside of the school holidays so it isn't packed, there aren't many children other than younger ones who aren't in school, is much cheaper, and is a nice way to get friends together. We take it in turns to cook so no one is overburdened and try to make sure we get either one of the higher end lodges with a hot tub/pool table, or at minimum one with a little sauna room to relax.

It's a completely different type of break to getting a cottage, going for a city break, or a pool holiday, or a festival, or skiing all of which we also do. Yes we can probably do all the same activities nearer to home for cheaper and use the money for one of those instead, but that means travelling between the activities and you don't get the fun of staying together as a group, plus it ends up being harder to get everyone together rather than having a dedicated weekend away.

I have no doubt we'll continue to go when we have DCs, but again, it would be a completely different type of trip. Each to their own.

We love it. We’ve got 3 really young kids, and quite frankly Center Parcs is about the most holiday we can manage right now.

Go during term time and you can get it pretty cheap.

We’ve only done Whinfell. Great pool and play areas. Nice food. Went for a pretty basic house but it was lovey. Activities are pretty pricey, but little kids don’t need activities.

For me the nicest thing was just cycling around the park (no cars) with my kids in a trailer behind me. Blissful calm.

Definitely recommended.

We've been loads of times and never had an issue with the villas. We had a poor meal once which was swiftly sorted with a discount and some drinks.

It's ideal for kids, plenty to do without costing money - swimming (look for baby dolphins session), parks, 'beach', little soft plays and lots of wildlife too. We often leave driving to the villa until around 5pm in order to miss the traffic.

@Clymene

Us bloody dads, doing parenting.

Overpriced and over hyped.
Ive only been with work so (other than bringing back a souvenir for the DC) didn't cost me a penny.

Pressed post too soon...

Which is just as well. If I could afford it I'd rather pay a bit extra and do an all inclusive package holiday (probably not very 'mumsnet' )

Us bloody dads, doing parenting.

I think the point Clymene was making was that CP has embraced self ID, including in the spa/sports hall which has open communal changing rooms with very few individual cubicles. Therefore any man that wishes to would be able to enter the female changing rooms and women couldn't protest without being labelled as bigoted or told to use alternative facilities. Not that men shouldn't be able to use a large family changing room in a unisex changing village.

Theres a thread about it in FWR.

(Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong Clymene, I don't mean to put words in your mouth)

My mind is blown by the idea people would go to centre Parcs with NO kids?!?!

What? You know it's not a children's camp, right?

I think it's a love it or hate it kind of place really. I wouldn't go in school holidays personally as it gets so horrendously busy, but we love it in term time.

Potter about in woods beach by lake playgrounds pool. No cars on site. Pool has areas for kids slides Rapids etc. No need to drive to pool.
Plenty squirrels and ducks. No need to drive around anywhere. On site shop is no more expensive than waitrose or a park resorts spar.
It is what it is. Trees. Chain restaurants.
If you booked then go and decide for yourself.
Take your own craft packs no need to pay 25 to paint a mug.
Book yourself into the spa for 3 hours leave dc with the other parent.

There were no men /women changing
..you go into family cubicle. No need to be naked in public or see naked people.

You're absolutely right Breasted. And there are indeed communal ladies (and I presume men's) changing areas at the sides of the central cubicles. I know this because they are what I've used when I have been to CP in the past

I like it but would oy go at a time when you are getting the chalets for a good price. I wouldn't pay over 500 for a standard one for 5 days, they are not even worth that. Definitely wouldn't go during the school holidays, it's so over priced it's laughable. The best but is the swimming pool. Everything else costs money, the restaurants are over priced.
Have been twice and considering going back this year. We have only been in winter for winter wonderland.

OP have you looked at Forest Holidays at Sherwood? Lovely surroundings but no organised "fun" except for nature activities and the pub quiz at the Retreat (this place closes at 10pm - it's serious "respect your neighbours " stuff!).

Not cheap but I'm not sure how prices compare with CP. Cabins are beautiful and very cosy. We have squirrels on our deck every day and if you request one on the perimeter you'll often spot a deer or too. I had the absolute joy one morning when up early with DD of drinking my coffee in the kitchen and a magnificent stag wandered by only a few metres from the cabin. We eyeballed for a moment then he ran off. It was hairs on the back of your neck stuff.

No fences either and once checked in there's room for up to x 2 cars to stay next to your cabin. The one way road with stopping places keeps traffic moving well.

We've never done CPs and now they've embraced self id I never, ever will.

Btw when I said cosy I didn't mean small. They're a good size with an open plan lounge and kitchen. Cosy as in under floor heating toasty