It's one of Britain's most popular holiday destinations and plenty will be heading to a Center Parcs village this half-term for some much-needed R&R.
Center Parcs is a firm family favourite for many holidaymakers in the country and the Nottinghamshire-based company has plenty of villages to get away to.
With its popularity and rave reviews, plenty are looking to book getaways there and it's not always easy on the wallet depending on when you go.
With the cost of living on the rise, we've broken down examples of what is provided as part of your holiday package with the company and where the hidden costs come in.
There’s plenty that comes included in a Center Parcs break, leaving space in your car when you travel and lots to do when you are there.
You’ll be able to roam the 400 acres of forest, visit the sandy beach and enjoy the outdoor children’s play areas. The company has free wifi across the village and there are hundreds of acres of forest and miles of woodland paths to explore in your own time.
All accommodation features the essentials you’ll need too, such as pots and plates, glasses and cutlery, as well as bed linen and towels. All lodges are thoroughly cleaned before you arrive.
Included in your accommodation
- Hairdryer
- Bedding
- Towels (accommodation use only, please bring your own pool towels or you can hire these out daily)
- Foot stool for children in the bathroom
- Three dishwasher tablets, tea towel and washing up liquid sachet
- Pots, pans, utensils, cutlery, plates and bowls
- Microwave, induction hob, kettle, toaster, oven (excluding some apartments)
- Small fridge and freezer
- Cot (linen not included) and high chair
- Bed rails (available on request from Guest Services, subject to availability)
- Furnished private patio with brick-built barbeque stand (excluding Hotels and Apartments)
- Iron and ironing board
- Safe
- TV
- Log burner (a few exceptions, please check the accommodation details on the booking page)
- Free Friendly wifi
What's included on the village
If you're looking to keep costs to just what you've paid for the package, this is what you can get included in a holiday village.
- Adventure playgrounds
- Pre-bookable time entry slots at the Subtropical Swimming Paradise
- Up to 400 acres of woodland to explore
- Watersports lake
- Sandy beach
- Free Ella’s Kitchen baby food in selected restaurants
- Miles of paths to walk or cycle
- Villages are easy to get around with ramped entrances and walkways in most areas
Hidden costs at Center Parcs
Here Center Parcs has outlined a list of example prices for each of the activities. This is a guide for the Sherwood Forest village and is subject to change based on peak and off peak periods.
Activity |
Age |
Information |
Duration |
Example Price |
Chocolate Chefs Academy |
3 – 7 years |
Non-parent accompanied |
3 hours |
£30.00 |
Wizard Academy |
3 – 7 years |
Non-parent accompanied |
3 hours |
£30.00 |
Archery – Little Outlaws |
3-5 years |
Parent accompanied |
30 minutes |
£10.50 |
Archery – Mini Crossbows |
3-7 years |
Parent accompanied |
30 minutes |
£10.50 |
Baby Balance Bike Buddy |
10 months – 2 years |
Parent accompanied |
30 minutes |
£8.75 |
Crazy Science |
3 -7 years |
Parent accompanied |
1 hour |
£17.00 |
Cupcake Little Ones |
3 – 7 years |
Parent accompanied |
45 minutes |
£12.50 |
Fencing for Juniors |
6 -9 years & 18 years + |
Parent accompanied and paying |
1 hour |
£22.00 per pair |
Forest Fortress Den Build |
3 years + |
Parent accompanied |
1 hour 30 minutes |
£48.00 per plot up to 6 people |
Fun Pots with Tots |
1 month – 5 years |
Parent accompanied |
1 hour |
£15.00 |
Hair Braiding |
3 years + |
Parent accompanied |
10 minutes |
£7.75 |
Mucky Pups |
18 – 36 months |
Parent accompanied |
1 hour |
£11.50 |
Mini Ballerinas |
3 – 5 years |
Parent accompanied |
45 minutes |
£8.00 |
Roller Skating |
6 years + Minimum skate size junior 8 |
Parent accompanied |
1 hour |
£8.00 |
Roller Tots |
2 – 5 years Junior skate size 6-13 |
Parent accompanied |
30 minutes |
£6.50 |
Soccer Coaching |
3 – 5 years |
Parent accompanied |
45 minutes |
£10.00 |
Soccer Coaching |
6 – 11 years |
Parent accompanied |
1 hour 30 minutes |
£13.50 |
Spy School |
3 – 7 years |
Parent accompanied |
1 hour |
£16.50 |
Street Karts |
4 years + |
Parent accompanied |
20 minutes |
£8.50 |
Family Street Karts (Group of 6) |
4 years + |
Parent accompanied |
20 minutes |
£34.00 |
Teach me Balance Bike |
2 – 5 years |
Parent accompanied |
45 minutes |
£10.50 |
Teddy Bear Making |
3 years + |
Parent accompanied |
10 minutes |
£25.50 |
Junior Segways |
8 – 11 years |
Parent accompanied |
30 minutes |
£12.50 |
Here is a selection of the popular indoor activities
American Pool |
All ages |
1 hour |
£9.00 - £9.50 |
|
Badminton |
All ages |
From 45 minutes |
£8.75 - £12.50 |
|
Caving Adventure |
6 years + |
Parent accompanied and paying |
55 minutes |
£18.00 - £25.00 |
English Pool |
All ages |
Parent accompanied |
£5.50 |
|
Cupcake Decorating |
8 years + |
Parent accompanied |
1 hour 30 minutes |
£27.00 |
Fencing |
10 years + |
Parent accompanied and paying |
55 minutes |
£18.00 per person |
Football Pool |
All ages |
Parent accompanied |
45 minutes |
£11.50 |
Indoor Climbing Adventure |
4 years + Min height 1.10 metres |
Parent accompanied |
55 minutes |
£22.00 - £23.50 |
Racket Ball |
All ages |
Non-parent accompanied |
45 minutes |
£9.50 |
Short Tennis |
All ages |
Non-parent accompanied |
45 minutes |
£8.75 - £12.50 |
Snooker |
All ages |
Parent accompanied |
1 hour |
£7.25 - £9.00 |
Squash |
All ages |
Non-parent accompanied |
45 minutes |
£10.00 |
Table Tennis |
All ages |
Non-parent accompanied |
30 minutes |
£6.25 - £8.75 |
Ten Pin Bowling |
All ages |
Non-parent accompanied |
45 minutes |
£22.50 - £36.50 (4 people) |
Ten Pin Bowling |
All ages |
Non-parent accompanied |
1 hour |
£25.00 - £41.50 (6 people) |
Pottery Painting Table |
All ages |
Parent accompanied |
1 hour 30 minutes |
£5.75 per person |
Virtual Reality Experience – Alien Invasion |
Minimum height 1.22 metres |
Parent accompanied |
5 minutes |
£6.50 |
Virtual Reality Experience – Mayan Temple |
Minimum height 1.22 metres |
Parent accompanied |
5 minutes |
£6.50 |
Here is a selection of activities in the fitness studio
Bollywood Dancing |
14 years + |
Non-parent accompanied |
55 minutes |
£9.50 |
Boogie Bounce |
14 years + |
Non-parent accompanied |
45 minutes |
£8.50 |
Boxfit |
14 years + |
Non-parent accompanied |
55 minutes |
£8.50 |
Hula Party |
12 years + |
Parent accompanied and paying |
55 minutes |
£9.50 |
Lavender Relaxation |
14 years + |
Non-parent accompanied |
55 minutes |
£8.50 |
Line Dancing |
10 years + |
Parent accompanied and paying |
55 minutes |
£8.50 |
Pilates |
14 years + |
Non-parent accompanied |
55 minutes |
£12.50 |
Gym Pass |
16 years + |
Non-parent accompanied |
90 minutes |
£5.50 |
Yoga |
14 years + |
Non-parent accompanied |
55 minutes |
£9.50 |
Zumba |
14 years + |
Non-parent accompanied |
55 minutes |
£9.50 |
Here is a selection of popular indoor and outdoor watersports activities
Aqua Jetting |
8 years + |
Parent accompanied |
30 minutes |
£15.50 - £17.00 |
Family Cabana |
All ages |
Parent accompanied and paying |
2 hours |
£32.00 - £72.00 (size depending) |
Mini Jet Skis |
3 – 7 years |
Parent accompanied |
10 minutes |
£9.00 - £10.00 |
Mermaids and Sharks* |
6 – 12 years |
Parent accompanied |
45 minutes |
£21.50 - £23.00 |
*Participants must be able to swim 25 metres confidently and tread water for 30 seconds unaccompanied.
Craft Hire |
All ages |
Parent accompanied |
30 minutes |
£9.25 - £18.00 |
Electric Boat Hire |
All ages |
Parent accompanied |
30 minutes |
£22.50 - £24.50 (size dependent) |
Mini Captains’ Adventure |
3 years + |
Parent accompanied |
40 minutes |
£23.00 |
Watersport Tuition |
10 years + |
Parent accompanied |
1 hour |
£29.00 - £32.00 |
Here is a selection of popular outdoor activities
Adventure Golf – 9 holes |
All ages |
Parent accompanied and paying |
1 round |
12 years + £7.75 Under 12 £6.75 |
Adventure Golf – 18 holes |
All ages |
Parent accompanied and paying |
1 round |
12 years + £9.75 Under 12 £8.25 |
Aerial Adventure |
Minimum height 1.22 metres |
Parent accompanied and paying |
1 circuit and decent |
£29.00 - £35.00 |
Aerial Tree Trekking |
Minimum height 1.10 metres |
Parent accompanied and paying |
1 circuit |
£23.00 - £28.00 |
Archery – Crossbows |
12 years + |
Non-parent accompanied |
45 minutes |
£28.50 |
Archery – Field Archery |
10 years + |
Non-parent accompanied |
45 minutes |
12 years + £29.50 - £35.50 Under 12 £24.50 - £29.50 |
Archery – Robin Hood & Little Johns |
Pair 6 – 9 years 18 years + |
Parent accompanied and paying |
45 minutes |
£23.50 per pair |
Archery – Target Archery |
10 years + |
Non-parent accompanied |
55 minutes |
12 years + £22.50 - £26.50 Under 12 £19.00 - £22.50 |
Field & Target Archery Package |
10 years + |
Parent accompanied and paying |
1 hour 30 minutes |
12 years + £39.50 - £49.50 Under 12s £33.50 - £39.50 |
Family Putting |
All ages |
Parent accompanied and paying |
30 minutes |
12 years + £7.75 Under 12 years £6.75 |
Geocache |
All ages |
Parent accompanied and paying |
2 hours |
£19.00 (group of 4) |
High Ropes Challenge |
Minimum height 1.22 metres |
Parent accompanied and paying |
2 hours |
12 years + £26.00 - £29.00 Under 12 £22.00 - £26.00 |
Junior Quads |
6 – 11 years (Maximum weight 41kgs) |
Parent accompanied |
45 minutes (15 minutes’ drive time) |
£30.00 - £37.00 |
Junior Pony Ride |
2 – 7 years |
Parent accompanied |
15 minutes |
£18.50 |
Laser Clay Shoot Out |
10 years + |
Non-parent accompanied |
45 minutes |
12 years + £24.00 - £29.50 Under 12 £20.00 - £24.00 |
Laser Combat |
6 years + |
Parent accompanied and paying |
1 hour 15 minutes |
12 years + £28.50 - £34.50 Under 12 £24.50 - £28.50 |
Mini Trek |
2 years + (maximum height 1.2 metres) |
Parent accompanied |
30 minutes |
£15.00 |
Off-Road Explorers |
3 – 7 years |
Parent accompanied |
30 minutes |
£19.00 |
Paintball (with unlimited paintballs) |
12 years + |
Parent accompanied and paying |
1 hour 45 minutes |
£36.50 – £42.50 |
Quad Bike Safari |
12 – 15 years (Maximum weight 82kgs) |
Non-parent accompanied |
1 hour |
£38.50 - £47.50 |
Quad Bike Safari |
16 years + (Maximum weight 138kgs) |
Non-parent accompanied |
1 hour |
£38.50 - £47.50 |
Segway Experience |
12 years + (Minimum weight 44kgs, Maximum weight 117kgs) |
Parent accompanied |
45 minutes |
£32.50 - £36.00 |
Tennis Court – Outdoor |
All ages |
Non-parent accompanied |
1 hour |
£11.50 |
Treasure Trail |
All ages |
Parent accompanied and paying |
1 hour 30 minutes |
12 years + £5.50 Under 12s £5.00 |
Here is a selection of nature based activities
Build a Nature House |
5 years + |
Parent accompanied |
1 hour |
£19.00 |
Nature Walk Daytime |
4 years + |
Parent accompanied and paying |
1 hour 30 minutes |
£8.00 |
Falconers Club |
6 – 11 years |
Parent accompanied |
1 hour |
£14.50 |
Family Nature Journal |
3 – 7 years |
Parent accompanied |
1 hour 30 minutes |
£18.50 |
Make a Bird Feeder |
2 years + |
Parent accompanied |
1 hour |
£7.75 |
Nature Detectives |
3 – 7 years |
Parent accompanied |
1 hour |
£11.00 |
Willow Workshop |
Minimum age 8 years |
Parent accompanied |
1 hour 30 minutes |
£19.00 |
Here is a selection of Aqua Sana Spa sessions and treatments
Spa session |
14 years + |
Parent accompanied and paying |
3 hours |
From £49.00 |
Spa Treatments |
18 years + |
Non-parent accompanied |
Varies |
From £44.00 |
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