UK Center Parcs Alternatives: Best Places Like Center Parcs In 2024

In this article we look at 20 places like Center Parcs in the UK to help you find something similar to Center Parcs but without the price tag of Center Parcs.

Center Parcs has been around in the UK since 1987 and there’s no doubt it’s a big favourite amongst people seeking action-packed, fun-filled UK family holidays.

The all-year-round, sub-tropical pool areas have been a huge hit in particular.

But this all-singing, all-dancing family holiday can come at a cost, especially if you’re tied to going during the school holidays.

If Center Parcs is out of your budget, the great news is that there are many cheaper alternatives to Center Parcs offering a similar experience that won’t break the bank.

These places like Center Parks are located in some of the most beautiful parts of the United Kingdom, making them the perfect place to base yourself to explore the local area.

Some are near the best beaches in the UK. Others will have fabulous family friendly walks nearby.

The really great thing about them, however, is that they’re CHEAPER THAN CENTER PARCS! And interestingly, in 2023, we’re seeing lower prices than 2022.

If you’d like to see more of our UK and Worldwide family adventures, remember to follow us on Instagram.

This post contains affiliate links. If you book something using one, we may earn a small commission but this will be at no extra cost to you.

To give you an example of the potential savings you’ll make by choosing an alternative to Centre Parcs, we’ve taken the price of a 2 bedroom woodland lodge at Centre Parcs Woburn for one week from 28th July 2023 for 2 adults and 2 kids (5 years +).

The cost of this without any extras is £2278. **All price data was checked on 11th January 2023. Note, these costs will fluctuate the closer you get to the holiday date**.

For each Centre Parcs alternative accommodation suggestion below, we have listed the comparative price as a guide. Some activities will be an additional cost.

We’ve done a lot of research over the last few years on good Center Parcs alternatives because we just can’t justify the cost of a Center Parcs holiday during the school holidays.

We have just visited Sandy Balls this year – see what we thought of it in our review of Sandy Balls. You can get 15% OFF AwayResorts holidays with code HOLIDAYS15 UNTIL 31st May 2023. Book here.

We also tried our first PGL Holidays adventure in 2022 because the kids were just old enough to get the most out of them (8+). They are a really great alternative to Center Parcs!  If there are no other sales on, try code SOCIAL25 for 25% off.

These recommendations of the best places like Centre Parcs all have so much to offer families and, like Center Parcs, are open year-round – with all but one of them having indoor pools.

There is more information on this at the end but if you are willling to travel, then the BEST Center Parcs alternatve is Center Parcs France. You get an almost identical holiday for much much less!

By the way – this isn’t related to Center Parcs alternatives but in case you have any footie mad kids like us, I have just written this huge research post on hotels in Europe with football academies that might be of interest!

Best places like Center Parcs

We’ve been travelling with the kids since they were very small and if there’s one thing we’ve learned, it’s that kids just want to have fun!

They don’t care whether there’s the latest flatscreen in every bedroom (whilst they’re still little at least!), or whether the curtains match the carpet. This detail is over their heads. They want to get outdoors and be active and swim and learn new things.

Some of our best family holidays have been in places like Center Parcs. If you’re looking for somewhere similar to Center Parcs without the price tag, these are the best Centre Parcs alternatives.

These are the best cheaper alternatives to Center Parcs..

1. Bluestone Wales

In our opinion, the Bluestone resort in Wales is a great alternative to CenterParcs. It’s located in Pembrokeshire in Wales in a truly beautiful part of the country.

Set within a huge 500-acre park, the whole site is more spread out than Center Parcs.

You would benefit from having some form of transport like bikes, although there is an on-site ‘train’ to ferry you between your lodge and the Blue Lagoon or the Village.

There are a variety of lodges to choose from that sleep between 2 and 14 people. Bluestone has one of the largest lodges we’ve come across in our searches if you’re thinking of visiting with a group.

There are over 100 indoor and outdoor activities at Bluestone to keep the whole family entertained and they compare pretty well to the Center Parcs activities.

The main difference is the price. Bluestone activities are a bit cheaper than the Centre Parcs activities. One thing to note is that Bluestone is great for young children based on the type of activities on offer.

The Bluestone swimming pool is really great for little ones and offers flumes and rapids rides. It’s maybe not quite on a par with the Centre Parcs swimming pools, but it’s not far off.

If you’re thinking of visiting Bluestone at Christmas, they have a really lovely Santa Sleepover experience.

If you are specifically looking for ideas for Christmas holidays, take a look at our Christmas breaks for families post.

Can’t wait until Christmas? Bluestone also have some fun things going on over October half term if you’re looking for UK Halloween breaks.

So, if you’re wondering what is as good as Centre Parcs? This is probably the closest you will get.

If you can tear yourself away from your Bluestone holiday, there is so much to do in Wales, including some beautiful beaches. We loved our weekend in North Wales.

Comparative holiday cost

Prices start from £1980. Check here for prices on the Bluestone website.

Bluestone deals

You can occasionally find Bluestone deals by searching for voucher codes on Wowcher and Groupon , for example. There are also sometimes last minute Bluestone deals and special offers on their own website.

2. Landal GreenParks

Landal is another great Center Parcs equivalent. They aim to provide holidays like Center Parcs but on a smaller scale.

It started in the Netherlands and made its way over to the UK in 2017 with its winning Center Parcs formula of lodges in forests and green areas.

There are now 15 locations across the UK including the 5-star luxury lodge resort Gwel an Mor on the beautiful Cornish coast. We have a separate section (15) at the end of the post on Gwel an Mor.

The parks are much smaller than Center Parcs and they don’t offer as many activities. This means that you don’t feel the need to stay on-site the entire time (unless you want to).

The lodges are nicely spaced and being smaller sites, you can easily walk to the pool and other facilities.

You can also park your car outside your lodge which is a big benefit over Center Parcs where you park in a distant car park, making it harder to leave the site for the entire stay.

We spent a long weekend in the Peak District at Landal Sandybrook in June 2019 (see here for our review on Landal Sandybrook).

Although the park looked full, there was hardly anyone using the facilities.

This is because they were all out hiking and enjoying the beautiful countryside of the Peak District. Getting out and about is encouraged by Landal and they offer discounts to local attractions.

The activities at Landal Sandybrook include mini-golf, zorbing, archery, fencing, snorkelling and woodland walks. There’s also a playground on-site and a large grassed area with football goals which is actually all our boys need!

They offer 1,2,3 and 4 bedroom lodges with hot tubs or without. There’s an on-site restaurant and there are a number of lovely, cosy country pubs nearby.

Sandybrook is only 15 minutes from the famous Dovedale Stepping Stones which is a really easy walk with kids.

It’s also right next door to the Tissington Trail which is a 13-mile traffic-free trail for cyclists and walkers.

Nearby Landal Darwin Forest is very similar if you can’t find accommodation at Sandybrook and you can also expect more on-site facilities there.

We also spent a long weekend at the Landal Kenwick Woods park. It’s set in a forest on the grounds of Kenwick Park Hotel in Lincolnshire, on the fringes of an area of outstanding natural beauty. The range of lodges is much the same.

Depending on where your lodge is located, you may have a long walk to the pool and spa area, but you can drive your car from your lodge to the leisure complex car park.

The pool area is available to cabin guests between 11 am and 7 pm. Kids are not allowed to use the spa facilities or hot tubs in the pool area. Luckily we had our own hot tub for the kids to use.

Comparative holiday cost

Prices start from £1615 for Gwel an Mor (but go as low as £889 for Whitbarrow in the Lake District).

Landal deals

You can check the Landal site for last-minute deals.

3. Ribby Hall Village

Set in 100 acres of Lancashire countryside between Blackpool and Preston, Ribby Hall Village offers a 5-star holiday village experience.

There are loads of indoor and outdoor activities available for families and there’s a Wild Discovery centre on-site with animal encounters but we can’t vouch for how ethical this is.

You can check the Ribby Hall Village activities here.

They also have a new entertainment centre – The Hive – which has plenty of things to do for families.

There are lots of dining options available and accommodation ranges from cottages to pine lodges and even a farmhouse sleeping up to 12 people.

Comparative holiday cost

Prices start from £1542 (on their own website).

Ribby Hall Village deals

You can check on their special offers page to see if they are running any deals.

4. Sandyballs Holiday Village

Surrounded by the beautiful New Forest National Park, Sandyballs Holiday Village is a low key CentreParcs.

We stayed there in the summer of 2022 and absolutely loved our stay. You can read our full review of Sandy Balls here.

Sandyballs Holiday Village is part of the Away Resorts group which has 23 locations throughout the UK.

We would say that Sandyballs is their best resort and the closest they have to a Center Parcs alternative.

It has indoor and outdoor pools and a variety of activities, and although there are not quite as many activities as Center Parcs, they are cheaper on the whole.

They have archery, fishing, Alpaca Walking, Laser Combat, arts and crafts and so much more.

During the summer months, they have outdoor movie nights.

Accommodation is a mix of caravans and lodges, some with hot tubs. There’s always lots going on during peak season for families.

They’ve also got a lovely on-site restaurant and a well-stocked shop. For us, the only thing that let it down was the indoor pool which was a little dated. It was perfectly adequate though and in good weather you have the lovely outdoor pool.

Check out the nearby Fordingbridge Sunflower Picking & Maize maze, one of the best Maize Mazes in the UK which runs from late July through the summer holidays.

If you’re visiting in the autumn, have a look at these pumpkin patches in Hampshire.

Comparative holiday cost

Prices start from £1355 for a luxury caravan (click here to view luxury caravan) or £1728 for the Esme Lodge (click here to view the Esme Lodge) on AwayResorts. Currently GETAWAY15 gets you 15% off.

Sandyballs Village deals

See AwayResorts latest offers here.

5. Forest Holidays

We hadn’t come across Forest Holidays before but they offer a more natural holiday alternative to Center Parcs.

They offer some of the best family tree house holidays in the UK in their Golden Oak cabins.

There are 12 sites around the UK based mostly in forests. Forest Holidays works in partnership with the Forestry Commission.

Accommodation is sympathetic to the local surroundings with a mix of lodges and log cabins. Some look like treehouses which are sure to be a huge hit with the kids.

The sites don’t have pools, but the beauty of these resorts is that there are so many opportunities to get the kids out into nature.

We still think they’re a great alternative to Center Parcs, especially if you like to get away from crowds.

Activities on offer at all of them are roughly the same and mostly revolve around outdoor adventures.

They offer forest ranger adventures (see details here) and nocturnal adventures (for 10 yrs+) and playgrounds for kids.

If you’re looking for family cycling holidays, Forest Holidays could be ideal for you. See details here on the Forest Holidays Cycling Holidays.

Visiting Snowdonia in Wales? Check out the Forest Holidays cabins in Beddgelert. We also have a great itinerary for a family weekend in North Wales with lots of activities in and around Beddgelert.

Comparative holiday cost

Prices start from £1980 (for Cropton in North Yorkshire).

Forest Holidays deals

Check Forest Holidays Last-minute availability on their website.

Also take a look on their site for deals on Forest Holidays weekend breaks. You can cram a surprising amount into a long weekend!

Other places like Center Parcs in the UK

6. Tattershall Lakes Country Park

I’m putting Tattershall Lakes by AwayResorts in Lincolnshire in here just to give you an idea in case you can’t find anything else you like.

We have been contacted by several readers saying that it is a very similar experience to Center Parcs.

You can also take a look on Booking.com for more Tattershall Lakes deals as private owners advertise their caravans and lodges there.

Lots of the caravans and lodges at Tattershall Lakes are listed on here and they vary in price from around £800 up to £2800.

This is a good option if you’re looking for alternatives to Center Parcs in Lincolnshire.

7. Crieff Hydro

As you will know, there isn’t a Center Parcs in Scotland. If you’re wondering what is like Center Parcs in Scotland, you could take a look at Crieff Hydro.

It is located in the heart of Perthshire and has a huge range of indoor and outdoor activities on offer.

You can book Crieff Hydro here.

8. PGL Family Adventure Holidays

When you hear PGL Holidays, you may think of school residential trips but PGL also offer family breaks in the school holidays.

Whilst a PGL break is not quite like a Center Parcs holiday (you stay in a family dorm room), it is similar in many ways. And as well as being cheaper than Center Parcs, it is also all-inclusive.

All you have to do is turn up for your activities. Everything is taken care of for you.

They only offer short breaks but trust us, your schedule is jam-packed (although you can opt out of activities) that 3 or 4 days is enough.

We were invited to stay at Bawdsey Manor on the Suffolk Coast last summer (see here for family days out in Suffolk) so that we could pass on our thoughts.

We honestly loved it!

It is not luxurious by any means but it is fun and helps connect the whole family. And I loved the fact that I didn’t have to think about cooking for the family!

The activities on offer are like teambuilding exercises but for families. We loved the raft building challenge, Taskmaster, the assault course and climbing wall.

Currently, family holidays are only being offered at Barton Hall in Devon and Caythorpe Court in Lincolnshire.

For 2023, the prices are being dropped by 25% and you can book from as little as £159 pp for a short break. See here for more info on PGL Family Holidays.

Best UK Holiday Park Resorts

There’s no doubt that the park resort type of holiday is very popular in the UK.

Known formerly as holiday camps (images of the Hi-de-Hi yellow coats spring to mind), holiday park resorts have been around in one form or another since the beginning of the 20th century.

They were very popular in the 50s and 60s until the arrival of cheap package holidays when they suffered a huge decline in popularity.

If you haven’t considered this type of holiday before due to the impression of outdated caravans and facilities, think again.

Many of the Park Dean resorts and Haven resorts have undergone huge upgrades and offer new facilities and lodges that rival Center Parcs.

Not a fan of the traditional holiday park entertainment? Just use the accommodation as a base and head out to explore the local area.

If you choose the right park with updated facilities, these extras will be a bonus that the kids will love and make for much cheaper holidays like Centre Parcs.

Location is everything when choosing the right place for you. If you like a good beach holiday, there are plenty of holiday parks near the coast to choose from.

Wherever you’re planning to visit in the UK, from a Centre Parcs Scotland alternative down to the places like Centre Parcs on the south coast of England, there will be a holiday park nearby.

We’ve rounded up the best holiday park resorts for families to save you a whole lot of searching.

9. Parkdean Nodes Point

Parkdean resorts are at the cheaper end of the UK holiday park scale, but they do have some gems in amongst their 66 sites in the UK.

Based on countless good reviews, we’ve highlighted the best Parkdean holidays for families.

Nodes Point is located on the Isle of Wight with direct access to the beautiful soft sandy beach of St Helens. It offers traditional holiday caravans with some lodges and also some luxury safari tents for the summer months with their own kitchen and toilet.

There’s an on-site restaurant, kids’ club, indoor pool with water slide and toddler pool and a multi-weather sports facility.

Comparative holiday cost

Prices start from £889 for a basic chalet but you probably want to look at a superior caravan for something that is more comparable to Center Parcs. You can book on the Parkdean Resorts website here.

Dimbola Lodge is £1529.

You could consider taking part in the annual Sun holidays scheme where you collect vouchers in the paper and use them to book holidays at Nodes Point starting from £9.50.

You need to remember, however, that you will have to pay for the ferry across to the Isle of Wight. It is best to book this in advance to try to keep the cost down.

10. Parkdean White Cross Bay

White Cross Bay – located in the beautiful Lake District on the eastern shores of Lake Windermere. They offer a mixture of lodges and caravans, some with hot tubs and some newer than others.

There’s an on-site restaurant and an indoor pool with sauna and jacuzzi, an adventure playground for the kids and boating activities. This is such a great location to base yourself for exploring the Lake District.

Comparative holiday cost

Prices start from £1139 for one of the lodges but you can get cheaper caravans. You can book on the Parkdean Resorts website here.

11. Parkdean Warmwell

Warmwell is located in a woodland park near Weymouth in Dorset. It’s a 25-minute drive to the nearest beach. You can read all about the beautiful Durdle Door here.

The big appeal of this Centre Parcs alternative is their all-weather ski slope!

They also have an indoor roller-skating rink, archery and ten pin bowling. The indoor pool has a wave machine and flumes. It is a lodge only park with an on-site restaurant.

Comparative holiday cost

Prices start from £1219 for a basic lodge (on Parkdean Resorts). You can book on the Parkdean Resorts website here.

Parkdean offers

Check out the Parkdean offers on their website. Before booking, it’s also worth checking out Wowcher and Groupon to see if they’re running any offers.

12. Haven Primrose Valley

Haven Holidays are very similar to Parkdean holidays, offering 40 parks across the UK. They’re geared towards families and many of them are pet-friendly.

Primrose Valley is located in Yorkshire on a beautiful stretch of coast from the Flamborough Headland Heritage coast near Scarborough and close to Filey Beach, one of the best beaches in the UK.

There are loads of on-site food and drink options, 2 indoor pools with waterslides and splash park, an outdoor heated pool, go-karting, high ropes and boating lake.

It offers a range of caravans to suit every budget. It’s great for families with kids under 5 and is pet-friendly.

They have two options for booking now. You can book a ‘Stay’ which is just the accommodation or a ‘Stay + Play’ which includes swimming and activities.

Comparative holiday cost

Prices start from £855 for a basic caravan for stay & play but you probably want to look at a Gold Caravan for a comparable at £1433 for stay & play.

Find the most up to date prices and book here on the Haven website.

13. Haven Hafan y Mor

Hafan y Mor is located in North Wales on a beautiful beach close to Snowdonia National Park. It’s one of the largest of the Haven sites, with so many activities on offer.

There’s an indoor sports zone, indoor pool with wave machine, slides and flumes.

The list goes on with mini-golf, high ropes, pedal karts, den building, 4×4 mini-adventures, entertainment venues and a mini-market.

The Dragon Lakes Adventure Village is a big draw  Lots of great dining options available and great for families with kids under 5. It is a pet-friendly holiday park.

Make sure to read our things to do in North Wales with kids post.

Comparative holiday cost

Prices start from £1097 (stay & play) for a basic caravan. A more comparable option would be the Gold Caravan at £1556 (stay & play).

Find the most up to date prices and book here on the Haven website.

14. Haven Lydstep Beach

Lydstep Beach is  located in South Wales very close to the lovely coastal town of Tenby. Set on a beautiful bay in south Wales with incredible sea views, it’s one of the smaller, more intimate Haven parks.

The main emphasis is on the watersports in the bay but there are plenty of other activities at Lydstep Beach including a climbing wall and aqua gliders in the pool for young kids.

Nature Rockz offers a range of outdoor activities such as pirate treasure hunts, den building and nature trails. Some activities are at an extra cost. There’s an on-site restaurant with mini-market.

Comparative holiday cost

Prices start from £1358 (stay & play) for a basic caravan. A more comparable option would be the Gold Caravan at £1844 (stay & play).

Find the most up to date prices and book here on the Haven website.

15. Haven Thornwick Bay

Thornwick Bay – located in Yorkshire just south of the famous UK holiday town of Scarborough. The park is situated on the beautiful and dramatic Flamborough Headland Heritage coast.

Accommodation is a range of caravans to suit all budgets but the big draw here is that it’s the newest of the Haven parks. They have a lot more activities on offer, such as an indoor activity barn with archery, table tennis and football coaching.

The indoor pool has slides and kayaking. There’s also a great family entertainment area and an on-site restaurant and mini-market. Pet-friendly.

Comparative holiday cost

Prices start from £746 (stay & play) for a basic caravan. A more comparable option would be the Gold Caravan at £1304 (stay & play).

Find the most up to date prices and book here on the Haven website.

Haven offers

You can find Haven last-minute deals on the Haven website.

16. Butlins

Butlins is as close as you’ll get to Centre Parcs in terms of the variety of activities on offer, but it’s a completely different setup.

They’re not set in lovely green forests. The sites are the original seaside sites from decades ago, just with some updated accommodation and facilities.

We stayed at the Minehead Butlins and opted for a 2-bedroom Lakeview Chalet with a balcony overlooking the lake.

The accommodation was brand new and spotless with great soundproofing so we didn’t hear our neighbours (and they didn’t hear us at 5.30 am when the boys used to wake up).

The kids were very young when we visited so we didn’t see much of the evening entertainment.

We took them to the dedicated toddler fairground ride area which they loved and our eldest was able to go on the go-karts (minimum height 1 m with an adult).

They also loved the pool area, although we found it a little dated and it did get quite busy, although nothing like Center Parcs.

Their American diner was a great alternative on the nights we didn’t want to cook, but there are other meal plans you can arrange.

Butlins Minehead is perfectly located for exploring the beautiful scenery of Exmoor National Park or sightseeing in North Devon with kids. We used it as a base, dipping in and out of the facilities in between sightseeing and it served our needs perfectly.

Comparative holiday cost

Prices at Minehead start from £1327 for the basic Comfort Apartments (no towels) and £1932 for the Comfort Plus Apartments. Bayside Apartments are from £2313.

Butlins deals

There are various Butlins deals available and also last-minute Butlins breaks, although if you are booking last-minute, they’re usually sold out over the bank holidays, Christmas and New Year.

You can currently turn £5 of Tesco vouchers into £15 to spend on Butlins bookings.

17. Center Parcs Europe

We’re including Center Parcs Europe in here because it is not actually related to Center Parks UK. It’s now owned by a French company Pierre & Vacances and has had nothing to do with Center Parcs UK since 2001.

Centre Parcs Europe is Centre Parcs as we know it, with all the bells and whistles, but at a fraction of the cost, especially during the school holidays.

It’s amazing to think that a stay at Centre Parcs France or Centre Parcs Belgium can work out cheaper than a stay at one of the UK Centre Parcs, even with the cost of travel included, but it does.

We have stayed at Center Parcs Eperheide in Belgium and Center Parcs Lac d’Aillette in France and would highly recommend both of them.

One thing to note is that the basic accommodation at Eperheide was quite dated and not on a par with the newer Center Parcs Elveden Forest or Woburn. The swimming pool and activities were excellent though.

The new Center Parcs Villages Nature in France is very popular because you can easily pop into Paris to see all the top Paris attractions and Disneyland Paris is just 15 minutes away. It is one of the newer sites with fantastic accommodation.

For even greater savings, check out the sites in the destination language. For example, Center Parcs France is the site in French. Centre Parcs France is their site in English. The offers on the French site seem to be better than the English site.

If you’re searching in Google, you should get an option to translate the page which makes browsing easier. Booking this way will mean you will pay in Euro, so make sure you have a credit card which offers good foreign transaction rates.

Asides from the cost-saving, one of the great benefits of choosing a French CentreParcs, German, Dutch or Belgian Center Parcs is that you get to experience another country.

There are quite a few locations around Europe, so you could have a look at what’s in the local area and base your decision on that.

You could use Center Parcs as a base from which to explore the region and come back and enjoy all the activities you’d expect from a UK Center Parcs.

One top money saving tip about booking a Center Parcs in Europe is to go at the end of the British school summers holidays. Schools go back earlier in continental Europe and the prices drop significantly.

Comparative holiday cost

Prices start from €1439 (about £1275) for a comfort cottage at the Lac d’Ailette and €1399 (about £1240) at Eperheide.

Center Parcs Europe deals

You can check for last minute deals on the Center Parcs Europe website. Check for deals on the ferry companies websites too. You can sometimes book through them and save on your channel crossing or on your holiday.

Check Stena Line

Check DFDS

Check P&O

Remember you can also turn your Tesco ClubCard Vouchers into ferry tickets or Eurotunnel tickets.

18. Gwel an Mor

This post is all about places like Center Parcs but cheaper, but Gwel an Mor makes it on here as some of their 2023 prices are cheaper than Center Parcs.

Gwel an Mor is billed as a luxury alternative to Centre Parcs UK.

It is located close to Portreath on Cornwall’s north coast with some of the best beaches in Cornwall nearby. It offers a range of beautiful Scandinavian and eco lodges with hot tubs (or without).

There is an onsite spa and restaurant as well as indoor adventure centre and swimming pool, gym and nine hole golf course.

Little ones will love the wildlife centre and older kids may like to try out some surfing. All holidays include free tennis and free soft play.

Pet-friendly lodges available.

Comparative holiday cost

Prices start from £1503 for their Lowena Lodge. Prices are cheaper on the Landal website than the Gwel an Mor website.

Gwel an Mor offers

You can find Gwel an Mor last-minute deals on the their website.

Booking with Hoseasons

The majority of the alternative Center Parcs accommodations listed can be booked through Hoseasons. When we booked, we got an extra 5% off through Mumsnet. You need to sign up to Mumsnet to get the code.

You can also use your Tesco Clubcard vouchers on Hoseasons bookings. Every £0.50 in Tesco vouchers turns into £1.50 to spend with Hoseasons.

Tips for getting the best Center Parcs deals

If after all this you still want to book a Center Parcs UK stay, here are some helpful Center Parcs UK money saving tips to try to help you get the best Center Parc deals.

Tesco Clubcard vouchers

The newest member of the Center Parcs group is Center Parcs Longford Forest in Ireland.

They are allowing you to use your Tesco vouchers to pay for accommodation (not activities). You can exchange a maximum of €40 of vouchers for a maximum of €160 off your booking.

Last minute deals

Although there are no official Center Parcs discounts as such, they do have a webpage with Centre Parcs last minute deals.  You generally won’t find last-minute availability for peak periods such as bank holiday weekends or Christmas and New Year.

Book Center Parcs in advance

If you know well ahead of time when you want to go, then your best bet is to book as early as possible. You can book your Center Parks stay up to 18 months in advance. If anything, they will most likely be sold out over peak periods if you leave it too late.

Buy a visitor pass for Center Parcs

If you know someone staying there, you can buy a Center Parcs Day Pass which will give you access to all the activities. It’s valid from 10 am – midnight, so you can fit a lot in.

You cannot currently buy visitor passes at Center Parcs.

Take your own bikes

One thing that really surprised us was the cost of bike hire. With the complexes being so large, particularly at Centre Parcs Whinfell which is the largest of the five Centre Parcs locations.

We found biking everywhere was the only way to get around, other than hiring expensive golf carts, especially if your lodge is one of the furthest from the swimming pool.

The cost of Centre Parcs bike hire can really add up though, so try to bring your own bikes if you can. Hiring bikes for a family of 4 for 3 days cost £116.

Go with a large group

The larger your group, the cheaper your stay will be if you’re sharing a lodge.

Make the most of school inset days or different school holidays

Check to see whether your school holidays are out of sync with the rest of the country. We’ve had a couple of half-term holidays that were out of sync and we’ve been able to get much cheaper holidays, not just to Center Parcs

Stay mid-week

If you live nearby one, you could even stay during the week during term time and commute to school or work.

Visit Aqua Sana – the Centre Parcs Spa

As a last resort, you could buy a Center Parcs day spa package and treat yourself without the kids!

These are just a handful of the best Center Parcs alternatives. If nothing takes your fancy, make sure to read this post on the best glamping sites in the UK if you prefer a glamping experience.

A final thought on places like Center Parcs

If you have made it this far, I guess you are still looking for ideas. If you are open to the idea of France (when travel opens up), you might want to look at La Croix du Vieux Pont.

It is only 2 hours and 30 minutes drive from Calais and offers great accommodation options with a huge range of activities. It is also a fraction of the cost of Center Parcs and is one of the best campsites in France for families.

Many of the French campsites offer a fantastic all-round experience with lots of activities. Thinking about camping but have small kids and wonder if it is doable? Make sure to check out this guide with top tips for camping with toddlers.

We hope you like our suggestions for the best places like Center Parcs.

Do you have any cheaper alternatives to Center Parcs that you would like to recommend?

Please get in touch. We’d love to hear from you.

Map of Places like Center Parcs

Click here to add your own text