How much does a holiday to Center Parcs really cost? And ways to save money

Have you already booked your trip to Center Parcs or are you still on the fence? Well, it’s not just the cost of accommodation you need to consider when pricing up your trip. Take a look at how much a holiday to Center Parcs really will set you back and a few tips to help you save money.

The real cost of a Center Parcs holiday

This year saw my first trip to Center Parcs since my kids were aged 5 and under. As they were so little back then, kids’ meals and play parks suited them to the ground. So we found that apart from a few activities, the trip wasn’t too expensive.

When they got a bit older, we took them to Center Parcs in Belgium, which cost about a third of the price for our lodge compared to the UK. And because of that, I was happy to pay for extra activities.

But this year, when we found out our eldest two had 3 teacher training/baker/inset days (whatever they’re called) the week after half term, we thought that it would be an ideal time to go. And rather than paying £1,400 for our lodge during the half term, we would have to pay just over £500 for a lodge in Woburn.

Tip 1: Visit Center Parcs outside of term time!

If you can…

But, a lodge is only some of the cost you’ll have to pay when you’re away. With food and activities too, how much does it all come to?

Of course, every family is different so just because we spent the amount below doesn’t mean you have to. However, I think this will be a useful guide for anybody who wants to look at creating a budget for their trip.

Accommodation

This will probably be your biggest expense. There are different types of accommodation from a hotel room to large double story homes. But a simple lodge should be suitable for most families. This set us back £561 for a Monday to Friday trip. Don’t forget though, the cost of accommodation also gives you access to the swimming pool, probably the biggest attraction for most people.

At the time of writing, you’re able to book a 3-hour swimming slot each day, or just turn up after 6 pm.

But accommodation and swimming aside, let’s take a look to see how much we spent throughout the rest of the week.

Monday

Your lodge isn’t ready until 4 pm, but you can arrive far earlier if you like. We always Iike to stock up on food for the week before we arrive and most Center Parc locations have major supermarkets nearby.

We stopped at the nearest Tesco (around 10 minutes from Woburn) and bought lots for breakfasts and lunches. And somehow, somebody managed to slip in a bottle of gin and a large chocolate cake.

Tesco spend: £83.07

We didn’t really have the foresight to buy main meals, so we visited one of Center Parcs’ restaurants, Cafe Rouge that evening. For one burger and chips, 3 omelette and chips, 1 kid’s meal deal and 4 drinks came to £65.30

Monday spend: £148.37

Tuesday

Tuesday morning saw our first activity, a leisurely boat trip on the lake for the cost of £25.50 for 30 minutes. It was ok, but not the most exciting of activities.

In the afternoon, it was time to shoot each other in laser combat. This was much more fun, apart from the fact that a couple of adults kept covering their sensors. Not that I’m bitter. Cost for all 5 of us for 1 hour: £141

In the evening, instead of going out for dinner, we visited Parc Market. This is Center Parcs’ own supermarket… although it’s really a rebadged Co-op and a bit more expensive. We bought some food and treats for £22.00

Tuesday spend: £285.87

Tip 2: Try to buy as little as you can from Parc Market. Prices are generally far more expensive compared to standard supermarkets. For example, a loaf of bread was £1.50. The same loaf in Tesco cost just 89 pence. There are frozen ready meals but they cost £17 for 4 people.

Wednesday

This was more of a leisurely morning (more for my benefit than the kids) and we started with lunch at the pancake house. For 5 meals and 5 drinks, our healthy meal came to £62.50.

Later that afternoon, we decided to do our first-ever escape room. If you’ve never done one before, it involves your wife solving clues whilst the rest of you stand back looking confused. Although it was actually a lot of fun, it wasn’t cheap at a cost of £140 for 1 hour.

For an evening meal, we cooked some of the food that we had bought from Parc Markets the day before. I can categorically state that I was still hungry after this but cannot confirm or deny whether I bought food from Hucks to be delivered. But I’ll add it to the price anyway. £37.99

Wednesday spend: £240.49

Thursday

I now fancied a bit of peace from my kids, so sent them all aerial tree tracking. But it wasn’t as peaceful as I hoped as 2 of them ended up crying at some point. And before anyone calls me cruel, they all chose to do it. I warned them and as a man who hates heights, it’s not something I would ever do! Still, they all got around the course and enjoyed it. Cost: £73.50

But to help them get over the experience, I took them to Parc Market again to buy them some treats. Cost: £16.55

Carrying on the adventure theme, in the afternoon we decided to paint pottery. You book a table for 90 minutes and then choose the figures you want to paint ranging from around £12 to £25 each. Unfortunately, my wife wanted to get involved too, so that was 4 figures to pay for.
Cost: £87.75

In the evening, we went to Hucks. For 4 meals, 4 puddings, 4 drinks and a kid’s meal deal, the price came to £97.20.

Tip 3: The kid’s brownie was the same size as the adult’s but half the price. And a pitcher is far better value than individual drinks.

Thursday spend:£275

Friday

The final day. You have to be out of your lodge by 10 am and parking outside can be limited, so expect to see lots of middle-aged men striding off to the car park at 8.

The only thing we had booked was tenpin bowling. For an hour, a lane cost us £27. I also spent £12.26 on 4 drinks.

Friday spend: £39.26

Total Centre Parcs holiday cost: £1,549.99.

Please note that this price did not include fuel or food we ate at the service station on the way there and back.

As you can see, a week at Center Parcs eating out and doing activities can be quite expensive, to say the least. But, there are ways that you can reduce your spending, on top of the 3 tips I mentioned above.

Other ways to save money at Center Parcs

4. Make the most of the swimming pool

The subtropical pool is somewhere that many families used to spend their whole day when at Center Parcs. But since 2020, you are now limited to booking one 3 hour slot each day. However, you can also go after 6 pm, even if you have a booking earlier on in the day.

If you want a long day there, then make sure you book your slot from 3 pm onwards. The pool can be very busy during the day but gets much quieter after 4.30 pm.

5. Visit the parks and play centres

If you have smaller children, there are plenty of parks and play areas for your children to visit. The parks are dotted all over, with the play indoor play areas being situated near or in the restaurants. The larger ones can keep your children occupied for well over an hour. They’re great for wasting time in between meals or activities.

6. Take as much of your own food as you can

For best value, you need to buy a lot of your food before you arrive. But bear in mind that you only have a small fridge which contains one freezer shelf. You will struggle to fit enough cold food in the fridge to last a family for a whole week. You can buy pizzas for around £4 each from the Parc Market, but I’m not sure many families would want to live off one type of meal for the week.

7. Walk, don’t ride

Riding around Center Parcs is a great experience, especially as there are so few cars around. But if you want to hire a bike, it will cost around £20 per person per day. For a family, it soon becomes very pricey.

Most people recommend taking your own bikes, but you will need to find a way to transport them. A bike rack for a car usually starts at around £50 and could be worth buying if you plan to make regular use of it. Otherwise, I would strongly consider just walking. Most places are within a 15 or 20-minute walk in Center Parcs, so it’s not the end of the world if you don’t have a bike.

8. Book activities early

You’ll often find that activities will book up quite quickly. The earlier you book, the more choices you will have. That also means you’ll have access to the cheaper activities. You should get an email a month before your trip, letting you know that you can start reserving.

If you have any useful tips to save money, then please leave them in the comments below!

FAQs