Help! Centerparcs virgins...please bring me your tips?

[Bella11]

We're going to CP for the first time over Easter (almost fainting at the cost) and wanted to ask if anyone had some good tips for beginners. We're going to the Suffolk one and are a family of four, with two boys aged 10 and 6. They are daredevils, I'm most definitely not, and we don;t want to spend a fortune on top of the extortionate fee.

How many things do you think we need to book? How does the bike thing work?

They both adore swimming so hoping to spend some time in the pool, but not sure what else to do and whether things get all booked up quickly.
Would be so grateful for help!

things do get booked quickly

aim to get to the pool as soon as it opens

hire the bikes as soon as you arrive and have unpacked. They have a variety of sizes, they also hire you locks and helmets if you don't have them. You then keep them for the duration and take them back on the last day.

the supermarket has improved greatly, but if you have any favourites take them with you.

make sure you find time to escape to the spa on your own, it's lovely!

My boys are 13 and 9, so when they were your age, they used to love the swimming/slides, the crazy golf, boat/pedaloe on the lake, short tennis inside the sports hall. We didn't spend a huge amount.

Last year we spent a bit more as booked the high ropes and death slide which they loved!

General pedalling is great fun, there are so many pathways.

Do a search on centerparcs, there is SO much advice on centerparcs from mumsnetters.

Oh thanks so much, Bluesky. I didn;t think about searching, like a numpty..
thanks!

We're also virgins, but, on the advice of an experienced friend, have already booked our bikes and a few activities on-line so that we won't have to queue or rush to do it when we arrive. We've also booked the Horse and Carriage ride for the morning after we arrive - it seems like a nice way to get a guided tour of the village, and the dcs will love it.

Oh good idea about booking those beforehand. I had to have a lie down after realising virtually nothing was included (ahem, after booking ) so didn't notice that. Didn;t find the activities pages THAT user friendly on the website, I must say. Which one are you going to, PC?

You'll have a great time - I love CP

My main advice would be don't book too much - there's plenty to do that's free, swimming, feeding the animals that come to your patio doors, going for walks in the woods etc...

Also, look at the times of the things you are booking - try not to book anything too early in the morning as it is a holiday after all!

The high ropes/ zip wire/ tree trecking type things are great if your boys are dare devils!

I think I keep forgetting that the settings are really nice actually, so good idea about having lots of walks and looking at the animals. I think I might have a mental image of it all being a bit regimented and characterless, but I'm sure it's not like that at all!

No it's not My fave thing to do is have breakfast and watch the ducks coming to knock on the window because they want some bread!

We're going to Elvedon. My choice, because it's the flatest!

Yes, the website is dire.

I'd been warned about the hilly thing, PC! I think the New Forest is a bit nearer to us, but as I haven't been on a bike for about 450 years I'm thinking I'd better take it gently

We've been to Whinfell twice and loved it. Our children are 7 & 10 and the first time we went we booked 2 activities per day and it was too much, we felt rushed as they both love the pool so on second trip just one activity per day was enough. If you like birds, take a BIG bag of wild bird feed (quite cheap from wilkinsons or poundstretcher) and a bird book> the variety of birds we had on the 'patio' of our lodge was incredible and so nice to be able to look them up and see what they were

Elveden is our favourite. We are Center Parcs whores and have been to all the UK ones many times. PIL have forced us to go to Longleat next week which is a pile of poo as it's bastard hilly, the village square is under a manky dome and the jardin des sports is miles away.

If you're a real cheapskate with slightly criminal tendencies, have a scoot round the parc when you arrive as some people can't be bothered to queue up and take their bikes back so they dump them. I have never done this as we generally take our own but friends do it on a regular basis!

Do a Sainsbos shop and get minimum from the Parc Market as it's overpriced for general groceries and not much choice. Good bakery though and their tear and share garlic bread is divine though so make an exception for that.

Don't buy cakes/cookies in the coffee shops. We have a latte every morning and always buy cookies in the Parc Market.

Swimming/cyling are the key activities so there's a limit to what else you need to book. The odd game of tennis/badminton is fun and the nature walks and tree trails are really good but not suitable for buggies so we can't go at the moment!

Canoeing is good fun too, not expensive and you seem to get quite a decent go at it.

And if you don't eat anywhere else, go to the pancake house. It's utterly scrummy but avoid lunchtimes as people are like a pack of wild dogs in there!

I didnt rate it
too crowded - to noisy.
too £££

Noisy is the one thing I would never say about it. T'is expensive though which is why we always have to go with family. Don't know what we'd do with ourselves if we went on our own though.

the longleat one?
pool and " plaza" heaving
changing rooms DIRE and dirty( ditto showers at acqua sauna)

Yeah I'm not looking forward to Longleat...

Four days with entire family of in laws, brothers, sisters, sprogs, PIL the lot. And me the only sane one. All hills, I'll be knackered and won't be able to sit in the villa in my pants like I usually do when we go with my family

Do like Elveden/Sherwood though.

Eyeballs, LOL at 'CP whores! Brilliant tips, thank you.

Clare, you're scaring me! Glad I'm not going to Longleat...

I LOVE longleat (though agree about the lack of cleanliness at the pool and one of the hand dryers has not worked for the last 5 years we have been going!!)

I love the fact that everyting is so spread out, nice walks/jogs with the buggy.

Must do aqua sauna. Swim every day and brill at night, one time it snowed whilst going on the rapids outside. Take your own food and buy logs at the shop for lovely fire with glass of wine when kids in bed.

Enjoy!!

the logs emit NO heat, very odd.

We went to Longleat last Feb, wasn't dirty at all !

I agree about not booking too many activities, also make sure you visit the pool in the evening, its lovely swimming outside and going down the rapids in the dark ! The water is heated.

Came back from Longleat yesterday... no complaints regarding state of changing rooms/showers at either Swimming pool or AquaSana.

Self Catering: Take your favourite kitchen utensils with you - particularly a sharp knife if you plan to cut vegetables. If you like Risotto, take your favourite brand of Risotto rice... I could not find any in the ParcMarc, so had to use Long Grain rice instead.

Have some kind of plan for the days... for example: Breakfast then morning swim. Lunch followed by exploring (boys will often love making fishing lines from branches and some string then pretend fishing in the pond nearest your villa, paddling in waterfalls, that sort of thing). With luck your villa may overlook a pond, so you could chill out on the patio while the boys play within earshot. Teatime... then off to the pool for evening session (say 6pm until they get tired... or the pool closes, whichever the soonest).

Free Things To Do
Go on the land-train - ride the full loop and it will take around an hour I expect (not been to Elveden for a long time).
Visit all the playgrounds - found a picture taken at the Adventure Playground at Elveden
Go for bike rides, walks.
Longleat has a Treasure Trail - a set of clues mounted on lampposts - first clue is on the Information Board near AquaSana. Elveden has something similar... first clue appears to be by Rangers' Lodge. You don't need to pay to do it... just follow the clues yourself - no prize at the end of course but you could reward the family with something suitable from the ParcMarc or toystore.
Visit the Bird Hide, see what wildlife you can see from there (not that you won't be seeing quite a bit near your villa - ducks, deer, squirrels etc.)
At Longleat the Sports Cafe has an indoor soft play area. Not sure if Elveden has similar... expect it might. So while not totally free (as you will probably want a drink) it's low cost.

Oh thanks so much, NN. That's all really helpful stuff.
Cute picture!

We have just got back from a four-day break at Elveden with our 2yo. Have to say we found it very overrated (and overpriced) but I think it would be better with older children that you can pack off to activities all day -- there's not actually much for toddlers to do. Accommodation was pretty grubby but it was nice feeding the ducks that wandered up to our patio every morning.

The zip wire/climbing stuff all looked very exciting, would definitely send your boys on that. None of the watersports stuff was open this week but I'm sure it will be for Easter. The pool was a definite high spot although the changing room was an absolute nightmare -- try to go outside peak times to avoid the total madness.

It was very busy this week so goodness knows what it will be like at Easter! I have to say that people who spend thousands to go there in the holidays must be completely bonkers (sorry). We had just as good a time at Park Resorts Camber Sands last year for much less £££.

PS, If you want to book a takeaway from Dining In don't bother phoning, they don't pick up. (We spent two hours trying to get through on the first night. When DH went in person to order on the second night he saw the phone ringing and ringing being completely ignored.) But would recommend the Indian, very tasty we had it on two nights!

Megbusset, we ordered by phone and they picked up straight away (longleat). Indian very good but chinese and pizzas were pretty dreadful.

We had planned most of our meals beforehand but dh left it in the freezer!! We took all our other food with us so to avoided the crowds and to save money.

We booked all our activities and our bikes before we went and I bought a gym pass when I got there but to be honest nobody was checking I could have saved myself £15.

Treat yourself to some treatments. I had the Elemis Spa Ritual which was fab.