Shake out the picnic blanket, prep the car playlist and forget that Spanish language app, because we’re all going on a summer holiday… right here.
UK tourism is on the brink of a staycation boom – the biggest since the pandemic, as the ongoing Middle Eastern conflict keeps fuel costs, at the pumps and in the skies, spiralling in the wrong direction.
Add in a layer of anxiety over the new and turbulent EU Entry/Exit System (EES) and a close-to-home getaway is proving a no-brainer for many – there’s no easier way to dial down costs, and potential stress, than by keeping a journey short.
The British holiday that can ace the travel time brief and handle the hungry-for-fun energy levels of the nation’s unleashed schoolchildren? For hundreds of thousands, this will be a summer marked ‘Center Parcs’.
Next year marks 40 years since the Dutch import, now Canadian owned, first pitched up in Nottinghamshire’s Sherwood Forest and bewitched middle-class families with its blueprint of an all-weather swimming dome (a summer deluge? Who cares!), activities galore and woodland-nestled accommodation.
Four more villages, amongst the trees of Elveden, Longleat, Whinfell and Woburn forests, have been added since, with a Scottish Borders Center Parcs coming in 2029.
A spokesman for the holiday brand, which says it’s invested £10.5million into activities over the last year and is currently busy upgrading accommodation, told the Daily Mail business is brisk, with a sold-out summer on the cards.
The one big – and well-documented – catch, of course, is that it can be an eye-wateringly expensive week away, with visitors negotiating a raft of potential ‘add-ons’ – particularly when it comes to activities.
Center Parcs has fallen out of favour with some holidaymakers over perceived expensive prices for activities, dining and lodge location – but it is possible to budget if you’re savvy
A family-of-five can easily part with £300 before even sitting down for lunch if they sign up for the more expensive pursuits, such as the high-speed Treetop Glider or a Quad Bike Safari.
The introduction of tiered pricing on lodge location can also bring additional charges. If you fancy staying right next to the ‘village’ complex, you’ll need to pay up to an extra £86 for the privilege.
Travelling overseas to one of the 28 European Center Parcs – owned by an entirely different company but offering a very similar proposition – has traditionally been the way to counter the often painful high prices, but the sums may not be quite as enticing this year with the headache of inflated fuel prices.
The good news though is that, with a little foresight, families can swerve some of the costs at the quintet of UK sites, simply by being a little cannier.
Here’s our top tips and tricks on how to get a Center Parcs holiday, if not quite on the cheap, then certainly without feeling like you’re haemorrhaging hard-earned money at every turn…
Pick the cheapest Center Parcs – if it makes sense on fuel
Surprisingly, prices do vary across the parks, with the two more northerly locations, Sherwood Forest and Whinfell in Cumbria, generally regarded as slightly cheaper than Elveden, in Suffolk, Longleat in Wiltshire and Woburn in Bedfordshire.
A week for a family of four on July 27, for example, currently costs £2,248 at Whinfell, £2,328 at Sherwood, Longleat and Elveden, and £2,378 at Woburn, so there’s savings of up to £130 per family if you’re centrally based and the miles add up to switch location.
Book off peak if you can – and look out for ‘secret’ school holiday deals
Reality star Dani Dyer, pictured at Woburn Center Parcs this year, and footballer husband Jarred Bowen are fans of the British holiday park, of which there are five across England
If you don’t have children of school age, then a term-time break at Center Parcs is competitively priced. Four people staying at Sherwood Forest next week, for example, can book a two-bedroom woodland lodge for four nights for £579 (£144.75pp). The same stay in the middle of August rockets to £1,399 (£349.75pp).
The cheapest peak-time deal we found was three nights for four people on July 17 at Whinfell Forest in Cumbria, which costs £799 (£199.75pp) per family.
It’s also worth checking out whether your child’s school’s term dates might fall in your favour.
Scottish schools generally break up weeks earlier than English schools so if you’re north of the border there may be cheaper deals available. Likewise, check your school’s inset days to see if you can take advantage of a three-night off-peak price.
Does it make financial sense to book far in advance? You can currently secure breaks up until December 2027 but the discounts – up to around £100 – may not be enough to sway you into committing early.
Ignore the lodge location add-on – and red card ‘little extras’
Recently updated lodges at Center Parcs offer all mod cons – but beware the location pricing tier which can add up to £86 to a break
Just as many airlines now do with seats, Center Parcs has introduced tiered pricing based on how close accommodation is to the Village Centre.
Costs vary slightly across the parks but at Longleat, the closest lodges command an additional £86 fee on the quoted price. Accommodation on the west side of the park, (a 45-minute walk away) cost £41, while middle locations (a 12 to 14-minute walk) add £62 to the cost. Click ‘no preference’ and Center Parcs will allocate you a lodge at no extra charge.
‘Little extras’ such as grocery packs, early arrival and fire logs may be tempting for convenience but they’ll swell your bill so hit ‘continue’ without selecting anything – you can always add later if you need to.
Book activities in advance – and take your own bikes
Booking activities in advance is advisable, with discounts often offered at the point of sale if you’re booking more than one too
This is where your holiday budget can really take a hit. Four people wanting to try the popular Aerial Adventure experience, for example, can expect to pay around £175 for an hour of fun.
Booking in advance is wise, with discounts offered on some activities, particularly if you book two or more. Bike hire is cheaper by around 34 per cent for two adults and two children in advance, costing £108 for four days this summer, rising to around £144 on site.
Remember, it’s free to take your own two wheels though. If you have a tow bar on your car, then investing in a four-bike rack, from around £75 on Amazon, can save you plenty, particularly if you’re a return visitor.
Use the kitchen – and don’t shop on site
Every Center Parcs accommodation type comes with kitchen facilities, including a BBQ (BYO charcoal).
ParcMarket, the brand’s on-site supermarket, is surprisingly competitive thanks to a partnership with Co-op but you’ll still pay significantly more if you’re ringing anything other than basics through the till.
A variety pack of Quaker Oats so Simple porridge, for example, costs around £4.50 at the Woburn site. A similar packet of Tesco’s own-brand porridge costs £1.55 – almost £3 cheaper.
All five of the English Center Parcs have a major supermarket within a five-mile radius of them, so stock up before and during your stay to keep costs down.
A night off cooking: Can you dine out cheaply?
This is a holiday, and cooking every day can feel like drudgery, so how wallet-friendly are the dining options if you eat in the village?
Across all the parks, there are five chain restaurants: The Pancake House, Indian restaurant brand, Rajinda Pradesh, Sports Cafe, Huck’s American Bar and Grill – plus there’s a Bella Italia everywhere but the Woburn village.
A meal for two adults and two children at Bella Italia costs around £60 – or £15pp, based on two margherita pizzas, two large children’s meals with starters, mains, drinks and dessert, and two bottles of beer.
Bear in mind any offers, including vouchers and discounts, available at the high street version of the pizza/pasta chain are unlikely to apply here.
Delivery food services such as Uber Eats and Deliveroo are not allowed on sites (ditto supermarket deliveries) but there’s nothing to stop you driving out to meet them or picking up a takeaway from a local restaurant and bringing it back to your lodge.
