We are trying to figure out a holiday for the family (me, mrs geetee and two kids, four and 18 months). It has to be either at May half term or the first week of the summer holidays and I am quite keen on going to one of the Centre Parcs, either Longleat or Elvden.

We have actually been to Elveden for a long weekend before we had kids and it was fabulous but then someone else was paying for the top of the range apartment, the weather was lovely and we didn’t have children.

I really like the idea because it has the perfect plan B for the kids if the weather is bad (they both love playing in swimming pools). The wife is not so keen, not least because a week in July will cost £2k+! I don’t want to push the idea and hang the cost without some back up.

So, those of you with kids who have stayed, what did you think and those that haven’t been, what are the better alternatives?

Lake Geneva has a big pool and some big hills.. win win

Lock your bikes for what a friend tells me

http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/mumsnet_classics/a1385104-Center-Parcs-Anal-sex

£2k!!!!!! That’s serious overseas hols money! My experience of centre parcs in sherwood forest, it was fun for a weekend but the place was seriously rammed queues for everything and no real feeling of escapism i look for on a holiday, nice idea staying in a cabin in the woods and to be fair the waterpark was ace and the nieces loved it but prob wouldn’t go again.

Went as a kid and loved it but.. 2k!!
Not worth it at all. I have never had a holiday that cost that and I have had some amazing holidays.

Centre Parcs is great, kids love it, weather doesn’t matter, easy and safe holiday. Okay it is not the cheapest but still great. A whole week could be overkill though, perhaps a cheaper long weekend then use the money for another mini break later on.

And no, the bum love thing isn’t true (at least not in my case)

We’ve been to Whinfell for a few weekends and it’s fine.
£2k is a lot and a week is too long IMHO.
Mates that we go with refer to going swimming there as bathing in warm toddler wee.

Of course if you get some centerparcs action as well, then £2k isn’t too bad bad a price.

£2k for a week out of term time. Half that the week later.

Twas ever thus.

Butlins with trees! That’s tickled old ernie

Should also say that I’ve only been to whinfell and never during peak Summer time

May break for the 26th, 4 nights, is £1299 for the executive lodge, which is all they have left. That seems a little more reasonable (not).

It is £579 the following week.

A week in a static in Pembrokeshire + spending money would be preferable.
Or have you priced bluestone?

That is serious money. Here is an option we’ve used as an example

Compared to this cottage

http://c0221922.myzen.co.uk/wheelwrights/docs/v1/index.html?p_content=cottage_page_rates.html&p_document_id=109&p_version=all&p_cottage_id=

Which isn’t that big but very nice for I think £743

Throw in Country club membership

http://www.langdale.co.uk/relax/membership/shortterm.htm

for £100 and you’ve saved enough for a new bike

(the country club is nice and only a short walk through the timeshare from the cottage)

Or rent a lodge at the time share for about a grand

Any way £2000 self catering seems OTT

The thing is CP can attract some serious Jeremy kyle wannabe guests with tattoos and kids called Blade or Kimberly-Preston. The higher price discourages them and keeps it nice for everyone else.

We really liked it, but stopped going when the prices got utterly stupid.

May break for the 26th, 4 nights, is £1299 for the executive lodge, which is all they have left. That seems a little more reasonable (not).
It is £579 the following week.

We’ll fancy that !

A place that’s designed for kids, being cheaper when people with kids can’t go and the place will be half empty.

franksinatra – Member
The thing is CP can attract some serious Jeremy kyle wannabe guests with tattoos and kids called Blade or Kimberly-Preston. The higher price discourages them and keeps it nice for everyone else.

The price doesn’t seem to be a barrier at Whinfell. Then again, it’s catchment includes Glasgow AND Liverpool 😕

A place that’s designed for kids, being cheaper when people with kids can’t go and the place will be half empty.

I know it’s outrageous. There should be an additional tax on couples without children to subsidise the holiday costs for those with.

We’ve been a few times with toddlers, during term time. It’s great.

I wouldn’t pay the holiday rates, or put up with the holiday levels of overcrowding.

I really like the lodge plus spa weekly pass idea, but would miss the flumes!

used to go to Longleat years ago when a mate worked there and got deals but so bloody expensive now, would much rather go to France with kids, somewhere like Domaines des Ormes in Brittany, has everything centre parcs has but more options on accomodation, ability to escape to nearby beaches/towns, better food/climate of course

Have done Elveden and Longleat and preferred Longleat – more to see and do in the vicinity too (Longleat Safari park is excellent) Prices are ridiculous but CP are an easy option with a young family compared to going abroad, and you can go self catering to cut down costs.

Mate took his family to Bluestone in Pembrokeshire, which is similar but was cheaper than Centre Parcs and in their opinion, better.

Off to Elvedon in a few weeks. Our last holiday before the tyranny of school holidays enforces itself upon us. Going with friends and their kids. 4th such trip in the last few years. Easy peasy holiday option with f all travel.

So 2k for a holiday in this country when history suggests that our weather is a little iffy to say the least.Myself and Mrs B are going to Portugal for a week in August in a very nice hotel for much less than that. Granted there’s only the two of us, but I’d have thought that for 2k you should be able to get a week four star half board in any number of nice European resorts with good weather guaranteed and two massive meals a day to boot!

I’ve heard Spain is nice this time of year 😀

It’s insanely expensive. A decent cottage for 500£ a week, plus £1,500 spending money would be more fun! I’ve been to longleat a few times (it was great) but only off season and before prices went mental.

Went to Sherwood with friends and our 2 year old and absolutely hated it. When our boys are older we’ll consider going back because there’ll be so much more to do when they are 7 and 10ish onwards.

4 and 18 months? I think your options there are limited.

It’s the exact opposite of escapism…

We’ve been a few times to longleat out of term time when my kids were 2 and 1, then 3 and 2.

It’s ok but I think it is limited for the younger kids. Also I think it can attract the Jeremy Kyle wannabes as mentioned above.

We now book a villa in Spain through ownersdirect.com and with flights two weeks for four of us in summer hols in Spain is £1,500 give or take each year.

(We do vet the ownersdirect to avoid the scams).

Thanks for the insights.

A friend of ours commented and we agreed that holidays with young children aren’t really holidays they are just child care with a change of scenery.

Reckon we will do the usual of heading over to Guernsey for cheap crab and free accommodation with the MIL. At least I’m allowed to take my (road) bike with me!

Been to Centre Parcs 7 times in total but not once in the UK given the prices…even with cost of ferry/eurotunnel, it still worked out cheaper and had all the facilities that a UK park would have.

Every park we’ve been to has been different: if you love the Aquamondo/pool, Lac d’Ailette was the best (and very easy to get to from Calais), De Eemhof is very nice park and close to Amsterdam for a day trip (8 euros for 4 of us to do the park and ride into Amsterdam) plus we stayed in Bruges on the way back. If the language barrier concerns you, I really wouldn’t be worried either…the quality of English was superb everywhere we went

Price centre parks seems crazy
We have been to France last few years for cheaper and that’s travelling from Ireland
Going to bluestone in July for a change, our holidays are earlier so going week before English hols works out about half price of the following week

4 and 18 months? I think your options there are limited.

Perfect age I would say. We went in march with a 4yr old and 8 month old. At 4 the big pool is all the entertainment needed. Plus pony rides, ballet class, roller skates…

No need to spend a fortune, but no way would I pay school holiday prices. We went for the cheapest house, was about £250.

Went to Whinfell last year. Paid top whack for a executive apartment, it had mice… Used the pool and you could barely move due to lardy white bodies everywhere

A grim experience I am in no rush to repeat. The kids loved it though.

Call me a snob but I have booked to go to the cabins at langdale resort this half term instead!

We love it but would never go in peak season and pay top whack prices. Luckily for us there is a weekend in June where our kids school has inset days on the Friday and Monday, so we do a weekend then so we’re not being stung with peak prices. We go for an upgraded lodge (2nd from the bottom) but it’s perfectly fine. Costs £400-and odd or something like that, which we don’t think is too bad considering the kids love the pool. We’ll bring our own food so we’re not eating out all the time and spend on the activities. I just wish the bars served a decent ale or two.

Geetee the idea that couples without children paying more to go on holiday to subsidise parents with children is outrageous! You chose to have children, you get child benefit, then pay for your holidays yourself! Those of us who are without school age children try to go on holiday when it is quieter and not during school holidays! If we didn’t then your holidays would cost considerably more. Surely you remember the time before you had children?? As for £2k for a week then its up to you mate not the couples to pay for it.

^ 😆

Struck a nerve there 😉

I’ll just leave this here:

http://www.campingduletty-benodet.com/english/accueil.html

They’ve got big posh tents you can hire, not really very much like camping at all 😉

Duinrell on the Dutch coast is a bit cheaper for a similar experience. It’s a short drive from the ferry too.

Have you looked at Bluestone? If you like that sort of thing, it has most of the centre parc type things, but is a lot cheaper and has a sense of space, that sitting in a forest with no views had me going mad.

Also Haven in Tenby is great for kids, next to the beach and walk into Tenby…

Quote from friends that went on the cheap before their kids got to school age. “It was really nice and everything, but everyone there was dead posh, we felt well out of place.”