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Center Parcs Top Tip: Booking via CenterParcs.fr is nearly always cheaper than CenterParcs.eu for exactly the same holiday (often more than €100 cheaper for a week in summer). Your browser will translate CenterParcs.fr to English if you don't speak French! Read more.
Which Center Parcs is best in Germany? (2024 Guide)
There are six Center Parcs in Germany - but which is best?
The German Center Parcs offer an alternative to Center Parcs UK (sometimes incorrectly called Centre Parcs) and can be considerably cheaper as they run as separate companies. The downside is that the German Center Parcs are much less consistent than UK Center Parcs with big variations in customer reviews and pricing.
If you just want the summary, we think that Center Parcs Park Bostalsee offers the best value for money. Center Parcs Park Eifel is usually the cheapest, but customer reviews aren't as good. Center Parcs Park Allgau is the newest park in Germany and is usually the most expensive.
The German Center Parcs offer an alternative to Center Parcs UK (sometimes incorrectly called Centre Parcs) and can be considerably cheaper as they run as separate companies. The downside is that the German Center Parcs are much less consistent than UK Center Parcs with big variations in customer reviews and pricing.
If you just want the summary, we think that Center Parcs Park Bostalsee offers the best value for money. Center Parcs Park Eifel is usually the cheapest, but customer reviews aren't as good. Center Parcs Park Allgau is the newest park in Germany and is usually the most expensive.
Park Bostalsee is the German Center Parcs resort that we think offers the best value
If you want the full details and can be bothered to read it all, have a look at our comparison which looks at reviews, price, location and facilities:
Which Center Parcs in Germany is in the best location?
The six Center Parcs in Germany are quite well spread out throughout the country.
- Center Parcs Park Eifel and Center Parcs Park Bostalsee are the nearest to the UK if you are coming by car. They are both in the middle of Germany, towards the West and are about 5 hours drive from Calais (via the 35 minute Eurotunnel from Folkestone).
- Center Parcs Park Hochsauerland is also towards the west of Germany and is about 6 hours drive from Calais.
- Center Parcs Park Nordseeküste and Center Parcs Bispinger Heide are in Northern Germany near to Hamburg, Hanover and Bremen. You can fly to Hamburg in about 90 minutes or drive from the Eurotunnel at Calais in 7 hours.
- Center Parcs Park Allgäu is in Southern Germany, about two hours drive from Munich. It’s nearly 9 hours from Calais, so you might prefer to fly unless you have a higher tolerance for travelling with children than I do.
Which Center Parcs in Germany gets the best reviews?
Center Parcs Park Bostalsee leads the way, in terms of customer reviews. On average, it scores 4/5 on TripAdvisor or 4.1/5 on Google.
CenterParcs Park Nordseeküste and CenterParcs Bispinger Heide aren't too far behind, scoring 3.5/5 on TripAdvisor and slightly better on on Google rviews. .
Center Parcs Park Hochsauerland, Center Parcs Park Allgäu and Center Parcs Park Eifel get lower reviews, averaging 3/5 on TripAdvisor and a little higher on Google Reviews.
However, Center Parcs Park Eifel has recently undergone a huge renovation at a cost 64 million Euros, with lots of new or renovated accommodation. The Aqua Mundo swimming pool has been upgraded with a 90m long water slide and a ‘Water Factory’, which is a water playground for younger children. A new adventure trail has been added, the bowling alley has been replaced and the Market Dome has been redesigned.
Here's the overall review scores, ranked by adding together TripAdvisor and Google review scores and converting it to a percentage:
(Reviews checked in November 2023)
CenterParcs Park Nordseeküste and CenterParcs Bispinger Heide aren't too far behind, scoring 3.5/5 on TripAdvisor and slightly better on on Google rviews. .
Center Parcs Park Hochsauerland, Center Parcs Park Allgäu and Center Parcs Park Eifel get lower reviews, averaging 3/5 on TripAdvisor and a little higher on Google Reviews.
However, Center Parcs Park Eifel has recently undergone a huge renovation at a cost 64 million Euros, with lots of new or renovated accommodation. The Aqua Mundo swimming pool has been upgraded with a 90m long water slide and a ‘Water Factory’, which is a water playground for younger children. A new adventure trail has been added, the bowling alley has been replaced and the Market Dome has been redesigned.
Here's the overall review scores, ranked by adding together TripAdvisor and Google review scores and converting it to a percentage:
- Center Parcs Park Bostalsee – 4.1/5 on Google Reviews + 4/5 on TripAdvisor = 81%
- Center Parcs Park Hochsauerland – 4.1/5 + 3.5/5 = 76%
- Center Parcs Bispinger Heide – 3.8/5 + 3.5/5 = 73%
- Center Parcs Park Nordseeküste – 3.7/5 + 3/5 = 67%
- Center Parcs Park Allgäu –3.6/5 + 3/5 = 66%
- Center Parcs Park Eifel – 3.4/5 + 3/5 = 64%
(Reviews checked in November 2023)
Which CenterParcs in Germany is cheapest?
We carried out a price comparison by looking at the cheapest price available for a family of four, excluding travel or activities. We searched for a week in August 2024, a week at Easter 2024 and a week in October 2024.
In previous years, Center Parcs Park Eifel has been the cheapest but for 2024, Center Parcs Park Hochsauerland and Center Parcs Park Nordseeküste were also amongst the cheapest resorts. Center Parcs Park Allgäu was the most expensive on most occasions.
Center Parcs Park Bostalsee was a mid-priced option, whilst Center Parcs Bispinger Heide was one of the more expensive resorts.
In previous years, Center Parcs Park Eifel has been the cheapest but for 2024, Center Parcs Park Hochsauerland and Center Parcs Park Nordseeküste were also amongst the cheapest resorts. Center Parcs Park Allgäu was the most expensive on most occasions.
Center Parcs Park Bostalsee was a mid-priced option, whilst Center Parcs Bispinger Heide was one of the more expensive resorts.
Here are the full results:
Prices for a week in August 2024 for four people from cheapest to most expensive
Searches carried out in November 2023.
Prices for a week in August 2024 for four people from cheapest to most expensive
- Center Parcs Park Hochsauerland - £1358
- Center Parcs Park Eifel - £1404
- Center Parcs Park Nordseeküste - £1475
- Center Parcs Park Bostalsee - £1495
- Center Parcs Bispinger Heide - £1716
- Center Parcs Park Allgäu - £1969
- Center Parcs Park Nordseeküste - £894
- Center Parcs Park Eifel - £964
- Center Parcs Park Bostalsee - £1033
- Center Parcs Park Hochsauerland - £1186
- Center Parcs Bispinger Heide - £1186
- Center Parcs Park Allgäu - £1539
- Center Parcs Park Eifel - £695
- Center Parcs Park Nordseeküste - £695
- Center Parcs Park Bostalsee - £734
- Center Parcs Park Hochsauerland - £929
- Center Parcs Park Allgäu - £1053
- Center Parcs Bispinger Heide - £1157
Searches carried out in November 2023.
Center Parcs Park Nordseeküste is usually one of the cheaper resorts
Which Center Parcs in Germany has the most activities?
Center Parcs is known for its range of onsite activities, but is there much variation in how many activities are on offer? According to the official website, Center Parcs Park Allgäu and Center Parcs Bispinger Heide have the best choice of activities. From most to least:
The two former Sunparks - Center Parcs Park Eifel and Center Parcs Park Nordseeküste – are a long way behind with about half the number of activities of Center Parcs Bispinger Heide and Center Parcs Park Allgäu.
We also figured out how many of the activities at each Center Parcs in Germany are included in the cost of your holiday:
I should point out that these numbers are a little bit misleading, as similar activities are listed multiple times by Center Parcs. For example, various features in the swimming pool count as different free attractions.
- Center Parcs Park Allgäu –144 activities
- Center Parcs Bispinger Heide – 111 activities
- Center Parcs Park Hochsauerland – 84 activities
- Center Parcs Park Bostalsee – 84 activities
- Center Parcs Park Nordseeküste – 54 activities
- Center Parcs Park Eifel – 45 activities
The two former Sunparks - Center Parcs Park Eifel and Center Parcs Park Nordseeküste – are a long way behind with about half the number of activities of Center Parcs Bispinger Heide and Center Parcs Park Allgäu.
We also figured out how many of the activities at each Center Parcs in Germany are included in the cost of your holiday:
- Center Parcs Park Allgäu –35 free activities
- Center Parcs Bispinger Heide – 34 free activities
- Center Parcs Park Hochsauerland – 28 free activities
- Center Parcs Park Bostalsee – 25 free activities
- Center Parcs Park Nordseeküste – 18 free activities
- Center Parcs Park Eifel – 14 free activities
I should point out that these numbers are a little bit misleading, as similar activities are listed multiple times by Center Parcs. For example, various features in the swimming pool count as different free attractions.
The swimming pool at Center Parcs Bispinger Heide
Which Center Parcs in Germany has the best swimming pool or waterpark?
Besides reviews of the whole resorts, you can also find reviews of the waterparks/swimming pools at the Center Parcs in Germany. Most of the waterparks have things like flumes, wave machines and rapids so they are one of the highlights of a Center Parcs holiday. In the UK they are called the ‘Subtropical Paradise’ whilst in Europe they are mostly called ‘Aqua Mundo’ waterparks (or occasionally Aqualagon).
According to reviewers on Google reviews, the waterpark at Center Parcs Park Allgäu is the best with a very impressive score of 4.4/5. In fact, that makes it the best Center Parcs Aqua Mundo in the whole of Europe (excluding Center Parcs UK). The waterpark at Allgau opened in 2018 with five slides and offers ‘Center Parcs longest wild water rapids’ according to the official website.
The waterparks at three other German Center Parcs score between 4.1/5 and 4.3/5 (Center Parcs Bostalsee, Center Parcs Bispinger Heide and Center Parcs Park Hochsauerland).
Two swimming pools score lower than the others – Center Parcs Park Nordseeküste (3.1/5) and Center Parcs Park Eifel (3.5/5).
As mentioned earlier, the swimming pool at Center Parcs Park Eifel was upgraded in 2023 so review scores may improve over time.
Here's the full ranking of the swimming pools/Aqua Mundo at the six Center Parcs in Germany:
According to reviewers on Google reviews, the waterpark at Center Parcs Park Allgäu is the best with a very impressive score of 4.4/5. In fact, that makes it the best Center Parcs Aqua Mundo in the whole of Europe (excluding Center Parcs UK). The waterpark at Allgau opened in 2018 with five slides and offers ‘Center Parcs longest wild water rapids’ according to the official website.
The waterparks at three other German Center Parcs score between 4.1/5 and 4.3/5 (Center Parcs Bostalsee, Center Parcs Bispinger Heide and Center Parcs Park Hochsauerland).
Two swimming pools score lower than the others – Center Parcs Park Nordseeküste (3.1/5) and Center Parcs Park Eifel (3.5/5).
As mentioned earlier, the swimming pool at Center Parcs Park Eifel was upgraded in 2023 so review scores may improve over time.
Here's the full ranking of the swimming pools/Aqua Mundo at the six Center Parcs in Germany:
- Center Parcs Park Allgäu – 4.4/5
- Center Parcs Park Hochsauerland – 4.3/5
- Center Parcs Bispinger Heide – 4.2/5
- Center Parcs Park Bostalsee – 4.1/5
- Center Parcs Park Eifel – 3.5/5
- Center Parcs Park Nordseeküste – 3.1/5
The swimming pool at Center Parcs Park Allgäu gets outstanding reviews
Other notable differences between the six Center Parcs in Germany
- Center Parcs Park Allgäu is the newest, having opened in 2018. Center Parcs Park Bostalsee is also quite new, having opened in 2013.
- Center Parcs Park Eifel and Center Parcs Park Nordseeküste are the oldest parks. They used to be ‘Sunparks’ but were rebranded. Center Parcs Bispinger Heide and Center Parcs Park Eifel have both undergone renovations in the last few years.
- Center Parcs Park Nordseeküste and Center Parcs Park Bostalsee are near to beaches.
Center Parcs Park Hochsauerland is towards the West of Germany
How can I save money on Center Parcs Germany holidays?
You can book a Center Parcs Europe holiday through a number of different official websites, including CenterParcs.eu (for English speakers), CenterParcs.de (for German speakers) and CenterParcs.fr (for French speakers).
Curiously, each site offers a different price for the same holiday. Whichever official website you choose, you'll pay in Euros.
We compared about 300 prices and concluded that CenterParcs.fr is the cheapest option in about 7/10 searches, regardless of which country you are visiting. If you want to be thorough, you could also check CenterParcs.eu, CenterParcs.de and CenterParcs.nl
The difference in price can be more than 100 Euros for a week's holiday. If you don't speak fluent French, you can ask your browser to translate it for you.
Curiously, each site offers a different price for the same holiday. Whichever official website you choose, you'll pay in Euros.
We compared about 300 prices and concluded that CenterParcs.fr is the cheapest option in about 7/10 searches, regardless of which country you are visiting. If you want to be thorough, you could also check CenterParcs.eu, CenterParcs.de and CenterParcs.nl
The difference in price can be more than 100 Euros for a week's holiday. If you don't speak fluent French, you can ask your browser to translate it for you.
Conclusion - which is the best Center Parcs in Germany?
I would start by looking at Center Parcs Bostalsee as it gets the best reviews and it is still quite new and modern (it opened in 2013). Plus, it is one of the easiest to get to from the UK (8 hours from central London by car) and it is much cheaper than Center Parcs Park Allgäu, which is the other recently opened park. Center Parcs Park Allgäu main plus point is that it gets a great review score for its waterpark but overall review scores are disappointing.
Center Parcs Bispinger Heide has a few more activities and solid reviews for its waterpark, but overall reviews aren’t quite as strong.
Center Parcs Park Eifel is the cheapest, but it is some way behind on customer reviews and the range of activities on offer. However, the €64 million investment of 2022 may well result in review scores improving.
Center Parcs Bispinger Heide has a few more activities and solid reviews for its waterpark, but overall reviews aren’t quite as strong.
Center Parcs Park Eifel is the cheapest, but it is some way behind on customer reviews and the range of activities on offer. However, the €64 million investment of 2022 may well result in review scores improving.
