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You may have thought about going, you may have booked but not been yet or you may have been to Center Parcs before, however here are 10 Things you may not know about Center Parcs.
- A week for 2 adults and 3 children in August at Woburn will cost you £2248, but it could cost as much as £6298 for a luxury 4 bedroom lodge with outdoor hot tub.
- A weekend in January could be booked for as little as £326.
- Whinfell was previously opened as ‘Oasis Lakeland Holiday Village’ in 1997 before being bought by Center Parcs in 2001 – as Oasis, it included a Burger King and a Hard Rock Café!
- Center Parcs was a concept which began in the Netherlands in the Sixties. It arrived in the UK in 1987 and signalled the beginning of year-round holidays in the UK to a market fed up with sitting, shivering, in a car, hoping to find a leisure centre open
- Center Parcs is currently building its first holiday complex in the Republic of Ireland. The £203 million centre in Newcastle Wood, Co. Longford is due to open in 2019 and is expected to create 1,750 jobs.
6.You can buy a Centre Parcs day pass from Center Parcs if you want people to visit you whilst you’re on site but these at last gasp cost. Costs PER DAY for Centre Parcs day pass are as follows:
3 and under – Free . Under 12 – £31.50 . 12+ – £41.50 Group of 4 (must include 1 Adult) – £136
(Centre Parcs day pass price 2019). You need to call to arrange. Or you could book these people in to your lodge if you have occupancy availability.
7. It’s pretty much always full – they have an annual occupancy rate exceeding 97 percent across its five parks.
8. The Watersports Lake at Elveden Forest is the largest of all Villages. In fact, it’s so big that it can be classed as a reservoir.
9. No personal cars are allowed into the villages except on arrival and departure days. Make sure you can stay all week!
10. You can do Center Parcs on a budget when you get there, and North East Family Fun have a great post showing you how!
Why not check out these family friendly alternatives to Center Parcs!
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That’s an astonishing occupancy rate! I confess we loved visiting Center Parcs when our daughter was younger and I loved the piece by Bryony Gordon in the Telegraph this weekend about how much she loved it. Our don’t-miss on any visit: The competitive scavenger hunts! #MondayEscapes
Haven’t been to Center Parcs yet but i’m sure our grandsons would enjoy all the activities
This is so interesting to read. As a Dutch person, Centre Parks (or ‘Sporthuis’ as it was called in my youth (ha!) is as common to me as tulips in spring! It does seem to me like prices are quite higher in the UK, but maybe Centre Park aims for a higher segment in the market there. Anyway, thanks for sharing (I’ll keep the Ireland one in mind, for sure!)
#MondayEscapes
It’s great to hear the brand is doing so well. We haven’t been to Center Parcs yet, but I’ve heard good things. And I’m SO happy they’ve stopped advertising in the Daily Mail over a homophobic article written by Litlejohn. #MondayEscapes
Interesting! I had never really heard of these before but have been seeing a lot of posts about them. Definitely nice to get some background info! They look like a great way to offer year-round holiday escapes for families. What’s not to love? 🙂 #mondayescapes
Great facts! I didn’t know you could get day passes. I think I’d be more tempted to stay though!
Aw knew all of those, but obs a massive fan. My absolute fave in Whinfell but I cant wait to Ireland to open x
Well I never! Day passes hmmmmm now you’ve got me thinking
I hadn’t heard of this before but the price difference for a different season is remarkable! It sounds like you really need to book early due to the high occupancy rates. #mondayescapes
We’re at Center Parcs right now!!!
As much as it’s not my favourite holiday destination it does tick all the boxes when entertaining the children. Although it seems pricey, we haven’t spent that much since getting here as we bought food with us and use the pool and playgrounds. We did Aerial Adventure and crossbow practice yesterday which was great fun.
Hoping to see more sunshine today and a red squirrel for the kids would be nice!
Wow the occupancy rates are sky high! The price variance is incredible too isn’t it. Definitely worth taking full advantage of visiting in term time when kids are still tots! We’ve visited many times and always had an amazing stay. I don’t think you can beat CP for a convenient, stress free and fun family break.