How To Save Money At Center Parcs
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Center Parcs Holidays can be mega expensive. But between last-minute deals and some savvy planning, you could save some serious cash and still enjoy a wonderful family break. Here’s how to save money at Center Parcs.
How To Save Money At Center Parcs
So you’ve seen Center Parcs advertised on the telly and think it looks like a wonderful place for a holiday. You go to their website to have a look and are utterly horrified at the prices! Trust me, I feel your pain. I love Center Parcs but it’s certainly not a cheap place for a family break. Read on to discover my top tips for saving money on a Center Parcs holiday.
Why Choose Center Parcs For A Holiday?
With five locations throughout the UK, Center Parcs offers a fantastic place for family holidays.
Their range of accommodation is set in acres of woodland and with a vast array of activities to suit all ages they have become a favourite with families and couples alike.
However, Center Parcs breaks are definitely not for the budget-conscious; a Monday to Friday stay in the Summer holidays comes in at a whopping £1295. That’s based on a family of four sharing a two-bed woodland lodge. For comparison, the same break in mid-November would cost just £559, however many parents wouldn’t want to take their children out of school.
A way to get around this would be to go for a long weekend in term time. Arrive on Friday evening after the kiddies finish school and they would only need to miss Monday.
Sometimes it is possible to bag a last-minute break, but if you want to book well ahead of time then be prepared to pay full price.
Center Parcs do operate a ‘lowest price guarantee’ so if you find the holiday you’ve already booked at a lower price they will refund the difference.
Is Center Parcs Worth The Money?
I think this is entirely dependent on your family’s needs and circumstances. I personally have had three fantastic family holidays and a lovely girly weekend away at my nearest Center Parcs (Longleat Forest.) I think the sheer amount of activities on offer is unrivalled.
The Swimming Pool and Spa facilities are the best I have ever encountered. While the price of the accommodation may seem high, the overall feel is of a more upmarket place to say than a typical UK holiday park.
Activities included in the price of the break include the use of the Sub-Tropical Swimming Paradise, the use of the Land Train (Longleat only) and several children’s play parks located around the site. There are also picnic areas and the (man-made) beach. There is a free family disco in the Sports Bar every Saturday night from 9 pm – 12 am.
How To Save Money on a Center Parcs Holiday
While it may not always be possible to save money on the cost of the accommodation for your break there are plenty of ways to save money once you are on site.
Planning ahead will really help you figure out what to do with your budget no matter how big or small. I’ve also put together a post with 20 free activities you can do at Center Parcs.
How To Save Money On Center Parcs Activities
The most popular activity at Center Parcs has to be using the subtropical swimming pool which is completely free to use. While you do still need to book thanks to Covud, you get three three-hour slots for a weekend break and four three-hour slots for a midweek break.
I recently did a Parkdean holiday where we got two 45-minute sessions for a three-night stay so this seems excellent in comparison.
Swimming does not need to be booked in advance and it’s open all day, including for several hours in the evening.
There is so much to do at the pool including rapids, hot tubs, wave machines, toddler-friendly areas and water slides.
If you’re on a budget then plan to spend plenty of your break at the pool!
Some of the paid activities Center Parcs offers are easy to recreate yourself with a little bit of effort beforehand. Last time we went we created our own nature trail and a scavenger hunt to do while walking around the park.
Ideas for these included looking for animal footprints, finding different types of leaves, listening for birds and finding different types of flowers. Or try these 75 scavenger hunt ideas for inspiration on what to do.
You could also plan an I-SPY game with a cheap disposable camera and make a scrapbook with the pictures when you get home.
Why not print off more than one copy of these activities so the kids can do them again later in the holiday if they enjoy them. There are also lots of lakes dotted around so a trip to feed the ducks is a nice way to spend an afternoon.
Some of the cheaper activities at Center Parcs include pedalos and crazy golf.
How To Save Money At Center Parcs: Take Your Own Equipment
Taking your own sports equipment is a must if you want to save money at Center Parcs as it’s quite expensive to buy or hire on-site.
Things like badminton sets and tennis rackets can be picked up very cheaply in stores like Poundland and Wilko’s.
My family love a good game of Ping Pong. DIY sets with a net, bats and balls can be picked up for around a fiver. We usually set this up on the dining table in our cabin so we can play for as long as we like with no table hire charges.
You can also save by taking your own bikes to Center Parcs. If limited on space, you might want to consider just taking children’s bikes and hiring adult bikes when you get there. You could also take scooters and roller skates.
Plan ahead To Save Money At Center Parcs
If you’re planning to treat yourself or your kids to some onsite activities have a look around the Center Parcs website beforehand. This will give an idea of what’s available and what you think they would enjoy. It will also show what is within your budget.
I would advise going ahead and booking to avoid disappointment on the day. Certain activities can get booked up months in advance. You may wish to splash out on one amazing activity or spread out the fun with a few smaller ones.
If you are staying at Longleat Center Parcs, Longleat safari park is right next door. Booking tickets through the Center Parcs website is around 30% cheaper than gate ticket prices. My full post on saving money at Longleat can be found here.
Saving Money On Food & Drink At Center Parcs
Is Food At Center Parcs Expensive?
Yes, the food at Center Parcs can be quite expensive. While Center Parcs does have its own supermarket onsite, the choice is limited and it is very expensive so I would advise bringing as much of your own food with you as possible.
You could try popping into the supermarket during the few hours before closing though, as they do reduce lots of fresh food. In particular, we found the fresh cakes and biscuits were nearly always reduced at the end of the day. Plus other fresh items like milk and salad were also yellow stickered.
Center Parcs will deliver to your accommodation for free if you spend over £40. You don’t need to be in and they will pop perishables in the fridge/freezer for you.
Finding A Local Supermarket
Using google maps, find the nearest supermarket offsite and pop there during your stay instead; the nearest to Longleat is Morrisons Warminster, less than 10 minutes away. You are permitted to come and go from Center Parcs as much as you wish during your break.
However, cars are only allowed to park by the cabins/lodges on the changeover days (Monday and Friday) and must be kept in the car park the rest of the time. This is to make the site as safe as possible for children and families riding bikes and walking, so we usually try and pop out to a big shop shortly after we arrive.
Another option to make meal times easy while away would be to order a Hello Fresh or Pasta Evangelist’s box to take with you. Cheaper than eating out but with the ease of everything pre-prepared.
Offsite Takeaways
If you’re happy to leave site to save money, you could also head to the nearest town to grab a takeaway to bring back to your cabin. Of course the saving would need to be weighed against the cost of fuel and whether you want to spend time away from the complex.
How To Save Money on a Center Parcs Holiday: Other Posts you might enjoy
Is a Center Parcs Spa worth the Money?
20 Free Activities to do at Center Parcs
Saving Money on a Trip To Longleat
How To Get Cheap & Discounted Longleat Tickets (9 Ways!)
When Do Center Parcs Reduce Prices?
Can You Take Dogs To Center Parcs?
5 Alternatives To Center Parcs
Can You Save Money When Eating Out At Center Parcs?
There are lots of restaurants on-site at Center Parcs – most are slightly more expensive than their external counterparts. Again have a look before you go at prices and decide what works best for you and your budget as some may offer cheaper set menus or lunch specials.
There are also various takeaways available to pre-order and have delivered to your cabin door. There are some good meal deals available, coming in at around £20 for a family-sized lasagne or pizza and wedges.
Save Money At Center Parcs: Enjoy Some Family Time
Spending time as a family is one of the main reasons we go on holiday. Planning some activities to do indoors together is a great way to save some pennies rather than being out and about and on the go all the time.
Snuggling up and watching a favourite movie (with popcorn of course!) playing board games or cooking a meal together can be great ways to get everyone feeling the love.
If you love having the cosy fire on, don’t forget to take your own fire logs. These can be picked up very cheaply online before you go rather than paying over £10 for three while you’re at Center Parcs.
How To Save Money on a Center Parcs Holiday: Come back soon Offer
Center Parcs has a ‘come back soon’ offer if you re-book with them within 28 days of your break. They give you free cancellation insurance and vouchers to spend on-site, so worth considering if you plan to return. Also signing up for their newsletter is a good idea for last-minute break offers.
How To Save Money At Center Parcs: FAQs
Do I Have To Pay For Wifi At Center Parcs?
No, you don’t have to pay for Wifi at Center Parcs. There is Wifi in all of the communal areas such as the Jardin Du Sport and Sub-Tropical Swimming Pool.
There is also Wifi included at all Center Parcs accommodation. This is very handy as there is little to no phone signal among all the trees!
Do You Have To Pay In Full For Center Parcs?
Yes, but only if your break is less than ten weeks away. If booking more than ten weeks ahead you are required to pay a 30% non-refundable deposit up front and then pay off the remaining balance ten weeks before your break is due to start.
Are There Free Activities At Center Parcs?
Yes, the use of the sub-tropical swimming pool is free and there are lots of playgrounds dotted around the Center Parcs site. These are both around the main complexes and nestled in the accommodation areas.
Is The Land Train At Center Parcs Free?
Longleat is a particularly hilly site and there is a land train to take guests from A to B (and back again!). These trains run roughly every twenty minutes and are free to use for all Center Parcs guests.
If you are planning a Center Parcs break in the near future I hope these tips help you to save some money!
Looking to save money on travel? Head over to my Budget Travel & Days Out Hub
Great tips here. We’re going to Center Parcs next month, can’t wait! We take lots of food to last us the week and will eat out just once or twice as a treat 🙂
Have fun!
Some awesome money-saving tips here. I just wrote about this too..it really can be done on a budget!