As much or as little activity as you want. (Center Parcs)

Member Name: hypno06

Product:	Center Parcs
Date:	30/07/09 (620 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Something for everyone

Disadvantages: Can get costly

I write this review as I get ready to pack for my week away - where I will sit in the relaxing surroundings of Center Parcs at Elveden Forest. We have been visiting Center Parcs for the last 20 years, both in the UK and abroad. Be warned, it is a long one.......

Center Parcs are a holiday village company with 4 parcs in the UK - Elveden on the Norfolk/Suffolk/Cambridgeshire border, Longleat, Sherwood Forest, and Whinfell Forest in the Lake district. They also have a number of parcs on the Continent.

**booking**

Booking is easy - just go online to www.centerparcs.co.uk and you can look up availability and prices for about a year in advance. Alternatively, you can call their booking line on 08448 266200. If you are already at the parc, or visiting someone there, you can make your booking for your next holiday in person - and may well get a discount for being an existing customer.

**getting about**

The Parcs are a traffic free environment, with the exception of disabled vehicles and Center Parcs' own transport (generally maintenance staff). The parc covers a wide area, so most people use bicycles to get about quickly, easily and safely. You can take your own bikes with you, or you can hire them there. Normally we would take our own, but there has been a spate of cycle thefts recently at this particular parc, so this year we decided to hire bikes from CP to take the element of worry out for us. This is not cheap - an adult bike costs £32 for a full week, so for four of us, that is £128. But the way we think of it is that if we took four bikes from home, and one got pinched, we would have to pay more than £128 to replace it, and the insurance would probably find a way out of paying up.

There is a range of cycles available to hire, from toddler bikes with stabilisers, to bikes that have covered "buggies" on the back of an adult bike, or "pull along" bikes for your child to follow behind on an adult bike, and the cycle staff are very helpful, so if you need to change your bike because it is not comfortable, or if you get a puncture etc, just go back to the cycle centre and they will help you out. In our experience, if you have a puncture on a bike you have brought from home, or the gears need tinkering with, just take it along to the cycle centre and they will soon sort you out for a very small and very reasonable cost.

**Accessibility for all**

Center Parcs are well geared up for people pushing buggies, wheelchairs, and for any number of disabilities. If you have any questions, please ring and ask them - they will be happy to assist in order that this holiday is inclusive for everyone.

**cost**

Center Parcs is open all year round, and offers weekend breaks, which are Friday-Monday, midweek breaks, which are Monday to Friday, or full week breaks which are either Friday to Friday or Monday to Monday.

Prices therefore vary greatly dependant on the size of your villa, and its grade, the length of your stay, and the time of year you visit. Obviously school holidays are more expensive.

You can pick up a break for less than £200 for a family of four at off peak times, to paying a couple of thousand pounds in the summer holidays.

We have paid £1328 for a two bedroom "executive" villa for a full week in August. Some may think this is expensive, but when you factor in the fact that my children are now considered "adults" in the travel industry, wherever else we go, we are therefore looking at prices for 4 adults which immediately puts air tickets etc in another price bracket. Also, because CP are fairly local to us (about an hour away from home), we can do it on a reasonable amount of petrol, and have no costs of airport parking, or spending masses of money in the airport in that awful period between check in and boarding.....

**Accommodation**

Villas are between 2 bedroom to sleep 4 and 4 bedroom to sleep 8. The villas range in standard from "comfort" ie basic, to "executive". The differences include things like dishwashers, maid service, an extra bathroom, Jacuzzi bath, some have a sauna etc. The "comfort" version are perfectly good enough for a short break, and when we have looked for a cheap few days away this is what we opt for as there is nothing wrong with them at all. However, for our main holiday (and the first holiday we have had as a family for several years) we have gone for the extras to make it just that bit more relaxing (for me, mainly, so I don't have to wash up!!).

Each villa has a patio area, and the living area is open plan so has a feeling of space and "family" about it.

There is also a hotel if you don't want the space a villa gives, and just want a bedroom and a bathroom. We have never stayed in this hotel, but my parents did, and said that they would prefer the villas in the future due to the space issue.

**Activities**

The beauty of this place is that you can do as much or as little as you want. The subtropical swimming paradise offers a pool, range of slides, Jacuzzis, plunge pool, and "The rapids" with plenty of space for lounging about and reading a book. This is free, and is where many people spend the majority of their time. You need a refundable £1 for your locker, but apart from that, it is free. There is a snack bar for coffees/soft drinks/ nuggets and chips if you feel so inclined.

You can do many other sports - badminton, 5 a side football, squash, aerobics sessions, go to the gym, etc. These are generally reasonably priced. A badminton court is £8 a session, a game of squash £5. A pass for the gym is £16 for the duration of your stay, giving you unlimited access to a small but excellent gym, which is very good value for money.

Then you can do other activities that tend to cost a bit more. Quad biking, water skiing, obstacle courses on high wires in the forest, falconry, clay pigeon shooting......Expect to pay anything from £20 a session per person to £60 a session per person. This is the sort of thing that can really bump the cost of your holiday up, especially if there are 4 or 5 of you!
There is a sailing centre with a range of boats to hire, and if you need tuition, they will arrange this for you too. Or maybe a pedalo is more your thing! Crazy golf, horse riding...you name it, you can probably do it!

**Kids Clubs**

There are a range of supervised kids clubs giving something for everyone, from movie making to face painting. These book up well in advance in busy periods, so if you are interested in these, please look into them early and have a list of "second choices" in case you are hitting a busy period!

**Spa**

There is a big spa area if you want to while away a few hours in calm. This is quite expensive, and is only available for 14 yr olds or older. A spa session is 3 hours for full use of the facilities, and there are different sessions for "mixed" "ladies only" etc so there is something for everyone! Why not put your children in kids club for a session, and have a few hours of complete chill out time in the spa.

You can also have a spa session that includes a massage or a manicure for an extra cost - a nice treat, especially if it is your birthday or anniversary while you are there!

There are often special offers available - for example, at the moment a 3 hour spa session for two costs £60 per couple during the day, and £40 per couple for an evening session - a saving of £12 on the normal price.

**Beauty treatments**

Want to have your hair done, or a full body chocolate mud wrap therapy massage (or something like that!) while you are away? Well look no further than the Aqua Sana. There is a full range of treatments for men and women, so whether you want a back massage or the full detox works, you can book a session with one of their therapists. Prices are more expensive than a high street salon, but not OTT, especially if you are used to paying London salon prices.

**Food and provisions**

There is a parcmarket on site, which is a decent sized shop offering an excellent range of fresh, frozen and packaged food products. Wine, beer, soft drinks, fresh meats, cakes.....all available at reasonable costs. There is a Sainsbury near to the site so in order to encourage people to buy on site rather than go to Sainsbury, the parc have to keep their prices competitive and I feel that they have got this about right.

For self caterers, there is everything you need. Whether you want pizza and pasta or something a bit more complex, this shop is pretty good.

If you are intending on a barbecue (the Great British Weather permitting) you can buy a barbecue and all your lighter fuel etc from the parc market, and there is of course a good range of sausages, burgers and the like to cook.
Newspapers, magazines, a range of paper-back books are also available, as are toiletries etc.

If you spend more than £40, they will even deliver it to your villa and unpack it and put it away for you - Sainsbury don't do that!!!

**other shopping**

There is a range of shops on site - from sports wear, to sweet shops. There are gifts, toys, pocket money toys, clothes........plenty for you to mooch around if the fancy takes you.

**Eating out**

Of course, you may be self catering for the full duration of your stay, But the chances are you will want to eat out at least once, and you may want to eat out for every meal and leave all the cooking and clearing up to someone else!

Some of the restaurants are High Street favourites - Café Rouge, Bella Italia, and Starbucks for example. There is something for everyone from café type food in the sports centre, to the "Pancake House" which surprisingly offers a range of pancakes!! There is an Indian restaurant now, which offers a takeaway service as well as a sit down option.

Hucks Diner offers ribs, steaks, chilli etc, and is very popular - largely due to the big big play area for the children. While you relax and eat, they go off and play, popping back from time to time to shovel another nugget in their mouth before going off to climb, slide, shriek, again......all in safety so you can enjoy your time there.

Some of the more popular eating out places ask that you reserve a table with a £10 per adult deposit. This is offset against the final bill, so is not something to worry about, and well worth doing to ensure you eat at the time that suits you.

For the ultimate "eating out, lazy I'm on holiday so stuff the diet" experience - try the Sunday brunch. For £14.95 per adult and £5.95 per child you get the following menu (not listing individual items, as we will be there all week!).....Continental table, Traditional English table, Hot Buffet, Salads, Waffle station, Dessert Station.......needless to say, we are booked in for Sunday morning......and I have my elasticated waistbands at the ready......

**Family Friendly**

This is one of the most family friendly places I have ever visited. We have been coming to Center Parcs ever since the children were babies, as they really do provide facilities for everyone. From playpens and changing mats in the swimming pool area, to lego tables in the restaurants, to keep little ones from getting bored while the parents linger over coffee....and of course the range of activities allows everyone to do something, whatever their age.

The traffic free environment means that it is safe for your youngster to be outside, and there are numerous play areas, indoors and out for them to climb and play with sand....whatever the weather.

It is never too much trouble for an extra high chair etc. If you want family friendly - this is the place for you.

**Conclusion**

So there we are - a year round holiday venue for familes, and couples of all ages. Or why not get a group of friends together and book an indulgent spa break?

Whilst not as cheap as camping, or some of the other holiday park chains, I really do feel that Center Parcs offers great value for money. The range of activities is excellent, the facilities and choices of food etc takes some beating. You can do as much or as little as you want. For my teenagers the emphasis is on "as much" and for me the emphasis is very definitely on "as little".

Summary: I'm off to finish my packing now.....