Bye kids! See ya later?... (Center Parcs)

Member Name: one47

Product:	Center Parcs
Date:	06/07/01 (493 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Child friendly, Excellent Scenery

Disadvantages: On-site costs

Mmmmmm... Center Parcs - Why did it take me so long to discover this most excellent of adventures?

A family of friends, and my own family decided recently to share a holiday. Having experienced this before in a less-than-successful light (Caravaning in France) I was quite reluctant. None the less, I was persuaded by the reasonable prices (Only off-peak is reasonable!) and the suggestion of separate a Villa for each family.

We visited their UK Longleat Forest park, and I think the items below cover the opinions of all four adults.

The place is wonderful. PLUSSES:
--------------------------------
The really DO cater for kids, and from what I could see, for disabled and elderly visitors too. Every restaurant and building has access for buggies and wheelchairs, and almost all of them have a small play-area for kids aged about 2+.

The swimming pool is big, fun, child friendly, FREE, centrally located. Fun, fun, big... I loved it. I visited at least 6 times in 8 days. The layout is well planned, there are 5 slides for adults and 4 for children. There is a hot-tub, a cold tub, two wild water rapids (one for adults and strong swimmers, and one... yup, for the kids...)
The park is designed to be bicycled around. This might not suit everyone, but the exercise is good for you. It means a minimum of cars, walking is safe for kids/buggies etc. and the bike-hire rates are reasonable (About £20-£30 for the week, depending on extras such as helmets)

They have an excellent choice of restaurants, cafes, bars and facilities. French food, Italian, Dutch pancakes, American, Sports-bar... Not a lot is missing in fact, and if you can't find it... Do it yourself...
... the villas are very well made, comfortable, not un-attractive (if somewhat plain) and are set in the most stunning woodland scenery, with REAL WILDLIFE literally on your doorstep. Do read the booklet provided to find what is NOT provided.

For sporty ty
pes they have squash, badminton courts etc, a lake for small and simple water sports, archery range, "hawking" lessons (With a hawk of the flapping variety). And for the indoor types they have snooker/pool tables.

They also have parks and play areas galore dotted about to keep the kids out from under your feet.

Nothing is perfect. MINUSES:
----------------------------
Regardless of the season, the extras soon add up. I think I added 50% to the cost of the holiday in the 8 days we were there (This is for a family of 3) - A more frugal holiday os certainly possible if you take the self-catering theme a bit more seriously; We ate out quite a bit.

This place is hilly. Shallow pathways are provided, but try to aim for the Northern-most villas if hills are a problem; Its much flatter there, but further from the sprting areas.

OVERALL:
--------
We paid about £650 for 8 days in a 2 bedroom villa. This could be equivalent to a family flight to the USA of course, but for the UK and for the location, it is excellent value.

Summary: