Center Parcs are ‘hundreds of pounds’ cheaper at European holiday parks
Center Parcs has been a popular choice for families wanting an action-packed staycation in the UK for decades. The ability to park up and enjoy a quiet forest lodge with swimming, golf, archery and crafts for kids is a winning combo.
However, in recent years as pockets grow tighter the squeeze on finances has left Brits shocked at the price of a UK Center Paris break. Particularly in the school holidays the prices can be prohibitive.
Now, consumer champion Which? Has revealed that families can save a fortune on the holidays if they book a trip to Center Paris Europe instead. It compared the cost of a four-night stay for a family of four at 16 Center Parcs sites to find the figures.
READ MORE: Family save £600 on holiday by going to Center Parcs abroad instead of UK
The study scoped out the prices at sites in England, France and Belgium during four peak periods; August and October half term this year, and February half term and the first week of the Easter holidays next year.
On average it was found that the UK stays outstripped their European counterparts by hundreds of pounds. The English stay came in at £1,274 on average, compared to £833 in France, and £701 in Belgium – that's a £573 saving between most and least expensive.
Despite the high costs, Center Parcs is still the number one most-visited holiday park in the UK. However, it ranked low for value-fro-money and was described as "second-mortgage expensive".
Of course, the best way to keep costs down is to book outside of school holiday times – however this is impossible for those with children. But, what you can do is opt to travel to the European parks outside of French or Belgian school holiday periods – when UK children are out of school.
Before travel costs, a family of four staying for four nights in a French Center Parcs could make huge savings of over two-thirds (69%) of the cost of a UK break, the report states.
While a four-night stay over Easter 2024 would set a family back £1,259 on average in the UK, the same break could be had for just £392 in France. While still much cheaper than in the UK, staying in Belgium was pricier than France, costing £800 for four nights.
On average, a family could save 55% opting for a Center Parcs resort in Belgium rather than the UK over October half term, with a four night break costing just £613, compared to £1,369 in the UK. The savings in France were almost as substantial, with the same stay costing £868 on average.
Even if you factor in the added cost of travel to get to Europe the UK Center Parcs is still more expensive. Dunkirk is less than an hour’s drive from Center Parcs’ Park de Haan, in Belgium. At the time of the study, a return ferry trip for a family of four from Dover to Dunkirk could be booked for approximately £170 during the October half-term.
Meanwhile, a return car ferry for a family of four from Dover to Calais could be booked for £125 return during October half term, and over Easter weekend a return journey via Le Shuttle can be booked for £179.
On top of this, if you book using the French website (centerparcs.fr) instead of the English-language site (centerparcs.eu) you’ll save even more money. The handy trick spotted that prices for Center Parcs in France and Belgium were £68 cheaper on average on the French website.
As an added money-saving bonus, the activities at the European parks were also cheaper overall. For example, archery costs between £19 and £26.50 at the UK’s Whinfell Forest park, while it costs just £14 at Belgium’s Park de Haan.
Similarly, Laser Battle games range in price from £24.50 to £34.50 at Whinfell Forest, and cost just £15 at Park de Haan. Looking at De Vossemeren in Belgium Daily Star found that there are 49 activities available at the park including an aqua park (£12 per person), paddle boarding (£12.90), paintball (£15.48), archery (£13.75), laser battle (£14.62) and badminton (£13.76).
Also there is extra versatility in Europe. While Center Parcs UK adds additional charges for changing your reservation, the European parks allow a single fee-free change to your reservation up to 21 days before your arrival.
Jo Rhodes, Deputy Editor of Which? Travel said: "While a holiday park may feel like a quintessentially British holiday, our research found that it’s well-worth casting your eye beyond the Channel to snap up some significant savings.
"A family of four could save hundreds of pounds by choosing a Center Parcs resort in France or Belgium rather than in the UK, with the biggest savings over the October and Easter half terms. Just do your research before you go, to make sure your chosen park has the facilities and activities you’re looking for."
Families have actually gone ahead and tried the trick too. Rebecca Kellett, 36, travelled with her family from Huddersfield in Yorkshire to De Vossemeren in Belgium and still saved an eye-watering £635 including travel costs.
A spokesperson for Center Parcs UK said: "Center Parcs UK and Center Parcs Europe are entirely separate companies that share the same brand but operate under very different market conditions, this makes comparisons between the two difficult. There is huge demand for our short breaks in the UK which means we are almost full all year round. 60% of guests will go on to make another booking with us which reflects the quality of the experience we offer."
Source: Read Full Article
