A Centre Parcs holiday gives your family so much. You can explore the vast wilderness in acres of beautiful forest, jump in the pool at the Subtropical Swimming Paradise and let your children laugh and explore in the adventure playgrounds. You will spend time together and make fantastic memories! All of this comes at a cost though.
Typically a family of four will spend around £1200 for a 7-day trip to Center Parcs outside of the school holidays. However, if you have to plan your trip during the school holidays then expect that price to almost double and be a minimum of £2200.
Let’s have a look at the true cost of a Centre Parcs trip and if it is for you.
Center Parcs Accommodation
When you book your holiday to Centre Parcs, you need to know what the price includes. You can choose from different types of accommodation, from standard woodland lodges to exclusive lodges with games rooms and saunas! There is something for everyone’s budget, however, that budget needs to be quite large to begin with.
The price of your accommodation varies depending on how many nights you are staying. You can choose between 3 nights, 4 nights, and 7 nights. However, it does not stop there. The prices go even higher if you are staying during the school holidays. You can often enjoy a week-long vacation during term time for less than the cost of a 4 night stay during the school holidays. These dramatic changes in price can be seen below.
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So what does the price that you pay for your accommodation, actually include?
In your lodge you will have:
- Bedding
- Towels
- Pots, pans & other kitchen utensils
- Crockery and cutlery
- Kitchen including microwave, hob, oven, kettle and toaster
- Fridge & freezer
- Three dishwasher tablets, a sachet of washing-up liquid and a tea towel
- Limited coffee & tea
- Cot (excluding bedding) & high chair
- Bed rails (by request)
- TV
- Safe
- Log burner
- Private patio
These are standard across the lodges however if you opt for an exclusive lodge with a games room, this will obviously be part of your accommodation. These higher-end four-bedroom lodges could set you back over £7000!
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There is also free wi-fi included both in the lodges and across the site. Perfect if you need to check emails or upload something to Facebook.
If you are taking your four-legged friends with you, there are additional charges to consider. These are £79 for one dog or £99 for two.
Activities
A huge part of visiting Centre Parcs is often the activities that you can enjoy. Access to the Subtropical Swimming Paradise is included in the price of your accommodation, however, it is worth noting that access is often limited at busy times. The water is heated to 29.5C and there are water slides, rides and play areas for the family. The miles of pathway through the forests are completely free, as are the adventure playgrounds.
There are plenty of other wonderful activities to enjoy as well. Across the Centre Parcs sites, you will find activities including adventure golf, laser combat, aerial tree trekking, badminton, fencing and roller skating.
Prices vary depending on the site you are staying at but examples of pricing are:
- Outdoor tennis – £11.50 for 1 hour
- Segway experience – £32.50 for 45 minutes
- Boxfit – £8.50 for 55 minutes
- Snooker – £7.25 for 1 hour
- Aqua jetting – £15.50 for 30 minutes
- High ropes challenge – £26 for 2 hours
- Willow workshop – £19 for 1 hour 30 minutes
- Junior pony ride – £18.50 for 15 minutes
- Crossbow archery – £28.50 for 45 minutes
- Yoga – £9.50 for 55 minutes
- Paintball (with unlimited paintballs) – £36.50 for 1 hour 45 minutes
- Squash – £10.00 for 45 minutes
If you want to be pampered and boost your well-being, you can also book spa sessions starting at £44.
Cycling & More
Cycle hire at Centre Parcs is extremely popular and there is a set of wheels for everyone. It is worth pre-booking your bikes so they are ready when you want to collect them. You can choose from adult and junior mountain bikes, tandems and trailers. Adult bike hire is £19.50 and junior bike hire is £14.50. Both for 24 hours. So a family of four are looking at about £68 for a day of pedal fun. It works out much more affordable if you hire for the duration of your stay. There are also accessories to buy or hire such as helmets, protective gear and lights.
There is a wonderful free Leisure Bowl Disco where the whole family can throw some shapes on the dancefloor. Boogie the night away and see if you can win a prize in the dance competition.
Throughout the year you will find seasonal activities to get involved with as well. From colourful Easter fun to spooky Halloween crafts, there is something to help you embrace the season. You can even book to meet Father Christmas at the Winter Wonderland. This costs around £20 per child and accompanying adults are free.
You will also need to budget for playing any of those exciting arcade games if you pop out for tea. As well as any souvenirs you want to take home with you. Children will spot some things they want to spend their pocket money on and there are some great gifts for friends, family, and yourself!
Food & Drink
Eating and drinking are a huge part of a lot of holidays. We dine as families, enjoy great food, and occasionally toast special occasions with our glasses of bubbly. The cost of food and drink at Centre Parcs can set you back a fair bit. You can dine in at a number of restaurants on set, or get delivery to your lodge. However one of the best ways to save money here is by bringing your own food.
Ensure that you have space in your vehicle for bags of shopping. Snacks that you can enjoy throughout the day, food that you can prepare in the evening and drinks that you can enjoy on your private patio at night. Making sure that you have what you need with you will save you cash compared to having to buy things from the Centre Parcs ParcMarket onsite. You will find a range of food and drink there, however, it is priced at a premium compared to what you can bring with you.
Bringing your own food and cooking for yourself will help you save money. You will need to factor this food shopping into your budget, which could be £100+ or more for a week of food and drink. However, this is much better than buying on-site if you are trying to save money on your Centre Parcs holiday.
Conclusion
Once you have paid for your lodge, you do not have to pay anything on top of that whilst at the site. There is plenty to do by walking through the forest or by taking your own bikes to cycle. You can make amazing memories in the swimming pool and cook family meals to enjoy in your rented accommodation.
When you start adding in £10 here and £15 there for activities, or £75+ for a family meal at one of the restaurants, you will soon spend more than you wanted to. Centre Parcs does not have to be expensive, there are ways to keep control of the cost.
Make the most of what is included and figure out ways to enjoy yourself for free.
Guest post from www.insideoursuitcase.com
You can also read about why center parcs make a great winter break in this post. Personally, I love going in May time for a late spring get a away too!
