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Which Center Parcs Is Best In The Netherlands And Holland? (2024 guide)
There are nine Center Parcs across the Netherlands and Holland – that’s more than any other European country. But which is best?
We’ve attempted to narrow it down by comparing price, location, customer reviews, facilities and travel time from the UK to come up with some suggestions.
If you don’t fancy reading all this waffle, the headline is that we think Center Parcs Het Meerdal should be the first you look at. It's close to the UK, it gets the best reviews and it's one of the cheaper option. Other good options include De Kempervennen and De Huttenheugte.
We’ve attempted to narrow it down by comparing price, location, customer reviews, facilities and travel time from the UK to come up with some suggestions.
If you don’t fancy reading all this waffle, the headline is that we think Center Parcs Het Meerdal should be the first you look at. It's close to the UK, it gets the best reviews and it's one of the cheaper option. Other good options include De Kempervennen and De Huttenheugte.
Center Parcs Het Meerdal gets the best review scores...
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...and it was one of the cheaper resorts in our price comparisons
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If you want to see our working (and you've got time on your hands), read on...
Which Center Parcs in the Netherlands and Holland is nearest to the UK?
The Netherlands is about half the size of Scotland, so it’s not a huge country and the differences in driving distances are not as significant as it would be in Germany or France.
However, some parks are more convenient for travelling from the UK. There are various ferries and flights to the Netherlands available, but for simplicity we’ve just looked at the travel time from Calais. You can take the car on the Eurotunnel at Folkestone which takes 35 minutes to get to Calais.
We’ve ranked the parks in order, based on approximate driving times from Calais:
It’s interesting to note that several of the Center Parcs in the Netherlands are actually closer to the UK than many of the French Center Parcs. In my head, France is nearer than the Netherlands to the UK, but it turns out that it isn’t that simple…
However, some parks are more convenient for travelling from the UK. There are various ferries and flights to the Netherlands available, but for simplicity we’ve just looked at the travel time from Calais. You can take the car on the Eurotunnel at Folkestone which takes 35 minutes to get to Calais.
We’ve ranked the parks in order, based on approximate driving times from Calais:
- Center Parcs De Kempervennen - 3 hour drive from Calais
- Center Parcs Het Meerdal - 3 hours 15 minutes
- Center Parcs Port Zelande - 3 hours 15 minutes
- Center Parcs Limburgse Peel – 3 hours 15 minutes
- Center Parcs Het Heijderbos – 3 hours 30 minutes
- Center Parcs De Eemhof – 3 hours 30 minutes
- Center Parcs Park Zandvoort – 4 hours
- Center Parcs De Huttenheugte - 4 hours 30 minutes
- Center Parcs Parc Sandur - 4 hours 30 minutes
It’s interesting to note that several of the Center Parcs in the Netherlands are actually closer to the UK than many of the French Center Parcs. In my head, France is nearer than the Netherlands to the UK, but it turns out that it isn’t that simple…
Which Center Parcs in the Netherlands and Holland gets the best reviews?
There’s quite a big variation in customer reviews of the nine Center Parcs in Netherlands - unlike in the UK where they all get pretty much identical average scores from customers.
Just one Center Parcs in the Netherlands scores 4/5 on TripAdvisor - Center Parcs Het Meerdal. Park Zandvoort scores 3/5 on TripAdvisor, whilst the remaining seven parks score 3.5/5. So, based on TripAdvisor we have a clear winner - Center Parcs Het Meerdal.
However, reviews on Google (which also include thousands of customer opinions) are much closer. Park Zandvoort remained in last place with 3.7/5 but most of the remaining parks were all bunched together, with these holiday parks on either 4/5 or 4.1/5:
So, I think it’s worth looking at all the other factors before coming to a conclusion on which is the best CenterParcs in the Netherlands/Holland.
Here's the full rundown of review scores, calculated by adding together TripAdvisor, Google Review and Booking.com scores. We then turned it into a percentage.
You may have noticed that the Dutch CenterParc with the best reviews on TripAdvisor is also one of the closest to the UK. This may be because a shorter drive is putting parents in a better mood - or it might just be a coincidence.
Just one Center Parcs in the Netherlands scores 4/5 on TripAdvisor - Center Parcs Het Meerdal. Park Zandvoort scores 3/5 on TripAdvisor, whilst the remaining seven parks score 3.5/5. So, based on TripAdvisor we have a clear winner - Center Parcs Het Meerdal.
However, reviews on Google (which also include thousands of customer opinions) are much closer. Park Zandvoort remained in last place with 3.7/5 but most of the remaining parks were all bunched together, with these holiday parks on either 4/5 or 4.1/5:
- Center Parcs De Huttenheugte
- Center Parcs Het Meerdal
- Center Parcs Port Zelande
- Center Parcs Parc Sandur
- Center Parcs De Kempervennen
So, I think it’s worth looking at all the other factors before coming to a conclusion on which is the best CenterParcs in the Netherlands/Holland.
Here's the full rundown of review scores, calculated by adding together TripAdvisor, Google Review and Booking.com scores. We then turned it into a percentage.
- Het Meerdal - 4/5 on Google Reviews + 4/5 on TripAdvisor + 7.9/10 on Booking.com = 80% average score from customers.
- Parc Sandur - 4.1/5 + 3.5/5 + 7.6/10 = 76%
- De Kempervennen - 4/5 + 3.5/5 +7.5/10 = 75%
- De Eemhof – 3.9/5 + 3.5/5 + 7.6/10 = 75%
- Het Heijderbos – 3.9/5 + 3.5/5 + 7.8/10 = 75%
- Port Zelande - 4/5 + 3.5/5 + 7.2/10 = 74%
- De Huttenheugte – 4/5 + 3.5/5 + 6.8/10 = 73%
- Limburgse Peel – 3.8/5 + 3.5/5 + 7.3/10 = 73%
- Park Zandvoort – 3.7/5 + 3/5 + 7.1/10 = 68%
You may have noticed that the Dutch CenterParc with the best reviews on TripAdvisor is also one of the closest to the UK. This may be because a shorter drive is putting parents in a better mood - or it might just be a coincidence.
Which CenterParcs in the Netherlands and Holland is cheapest?
To get an idea of which Dutch Center Parcs offers the best value, we looked at three sets of dates for a family holiday at all nine parks. We looked at the cheapest available holiday (excluding activities and upgrades) for two adults and two children for:
Prices for a week in August 2024 for four people from cheapest to most expensive:
Prices for a week in early October 2024 for four people from cheapest to most expensive:
- a week in August 2024
- a week in early October 2024
- a week over Easter 2024
Prices for a week in August 2024 for four people from cheapest to most expensive:
- De Huttenheugte – £1096
- Limburgse Peel – £1141
- Parc Sandur - £1141
- Het Meerdal - £1141
- De Kempervennen - £1206
- De Eemhof – £1461
- Port Zelande - £1533
- Het Heijderbos – £1553
- Park Zandvoort – £1950
- Parc Sandur – £709
- Limburgse Peel – £856
- De Huttenheugte - £939
- De Kempervennen - £1065
- Port Zelande - £1106
- Het Meerdal - £1106
- De Eemhof – £1127
- Het Heijderbos – £1190
- Park Zandvoort – £1294
Prices for a week in early October 2024 for four people from cheapest to most expensive:
- Limburgse Peel – £658
- Het Meerdal - £704
- De Kempervennen - £763
- Port Zelande – £763
- De Huttenheugte - £776
- Parc Sandur – £804
- Het Heijderbos – £952
- Park Zandvoort – £997
- De Eemhof – £1004
Center Parcs De Kempervennen is another resort with good reviews...
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...and it's the closest to the UK via the Eurotunnel/Le Shuttle
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Which Center Parcs in the Netherlands and Holland has the most facilities?
There’s a pretty big variation in the number of activities on offer at the nine Center Parcs in the Netherlands/Holland.
Of course, this doesn’t give you much idea as to the quality of the activities but it gives an idea of whether you’ll have plenty to do. Bear in mind that you pay extra for most things at Center Parcs.
Here they are, ranked from the park with the highest number of activities to the least:
So, six of the parks have about 80-100 activities whilst three of the CenterParcs are a bit behind (Park Zandvoort, Parc Sandur and Limburgse Peel).
We also calculated how many of the activities at each Dutch Center Parcs are included for free as part of your holiday. From most to least.
This time, there is less of a difference between the nine parks. Center Parcs Het Meerdal and Port Zelande have the most free activities but several others are around the same figure. Also, keep in mind that several of the free activities are similar to each other. For example, swimming at Het Meerdal is listed as seven different free activities including 'wave pool' 'lazy river' and 'outdoor pool'.
Of course, this doesn’t give you much idea as to the quality of the activities but it gives an idea of whether you’ll have plenty to do. Bear in mind that you pay extra for most things at Center Parcs.
Here they are, ranked from the park with the highest number of activities to the least:
- Port Zelande - 104 activities
- Het Meerdal - 97
- Het Heijderbos – 92
- De Huttenheugte - 91
- De Kempervennen - 88
- De Eemhof – 78
- Park Zandvoort – 68
- Parc Sandur - 62
- Limburgse Peel – 56
So, six of the parks have about 80-100 activities whilst three of the CenterParcs are a bit behind (Park Zandvoort, Parc Sandur and Limburgse Peel).
We also calculated how many of the activities at each Dutch Center Parcs are included for free as part of your holiday. From most to least.
- Het Meerdal - 31 free activities
- Port Zelande - 31 free activities
- Het Heijderbos – 30 free activities
- De Kempervennen - 30 free activities
- De Huttenheugte - 29 free activities
- De Eemhof – 28 free activities
- Park Zandvoort – 27 free activities
- Limburgse Peel – 24 free activities
- Parc Sandur - 20 free activities
This time, there is less of a difference between the nine parks. Center Parcs Het Meerdal and Port Zelande have the most free activities but several others are around the same figure. Also, keep in mind that several of the free activities are similar to each other. For example, swimming at Het Meerdal is listed as seven different free activities including 'wave pool' 'lazy river' and 'outdoor pool'.
Port Zelande has a bigger range of activities than some other Center Parcs in the Netherlands
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Center Parcs Het Heijderbos also has a good range of activities, including climbing walls
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Which Center Parcs in the Netherlands and Holland has the best swimming pool?
At Center Parcs Europe, the waterparks/swimming pools are usually called 'Aqua Mundo' (meaning water world) rather than ‘Subtropical Paradise’, which is the name used in the UK.
If the waterpark/swimming pool is one of the main reasons you want to visit Center Parcs you’ll be interested to see that customer reviews for each Aqua Mundo are also available.
According to customers on Google reviews, the best Center Parcs waterparks/swimming pools in the Netherlands/Holland are: Center Parcs Het Meerdal, Center Parcs Het Heijderbos, Center Parcs De Eemhof and Center Parcs De Kempervennen. All four score 4.2/5.
Center Parcs De Huttenheugte isn't far behind on 4.1/5.
Finally, there are four Dutch Center Parcs swimming pools which score 4/5 or less – Center Parcs Limburgse Peel (4/5), Center Parcs Park Zelande (3.7/5), Center Parcs Parc Sandur (3.6/5) and Center Parcs Park Zandvoort (3.5/5).
Here are the Dutch Center Parcs swimming pools/Aqua Mundo, ranked in order:
If the waterpark/swimming pool is one of the main reasons you want to visit Center Parcs you’ll be interested to see that customer reviews for each Aqua Mundo are also available.
According to customers on Google reviews, the best Center Parcs waterparks/swimming pools in the Netherlands/Holland are: Center Parcs Het Meerdal, Center Parcs Het Heijderbos, Center Parcs De Eemhof and Center Parcs De Kempervennen. All four score 4.2/5.
Center Parcs De Huttenheugte isn't far behind on 4.1/5.
Finally, there are four Dutch Center Parcs swimming pools which score 4/5 or less – Center Parcs Limburgse Peel (4/5), Center Parcs Park Zelande (3.7/5), Center Parcs Parc Sandur (3.6/5) and Center Parcs Park Zandvoort (3.5/5).
Here are the Dutch Center Parcs swimming pools/Aqua Mundo, ranked in order:
- Het Meerdal - 4.2/5
- Het Heijderbos – 4.2/5
- De Kempervennen - 4.2/5
- De Eemhof – 4.2/5
- De Huttenheugte - 4.1/5
- Limburgse Peel – 4/5
- Port Zelande - 3.7/5
- Parc Sandur - 3.6/5
- Park Zandvoort – 3.5/5
Other notable differences between the nine Center Parcs in the Netherlands and Holland
- Three of the Dutch Center Parcs were previously known as Sunparks, but were rebranded (Limburgse Peel, Parc Sandur and Park Zandvoort)
- Het Meerdal and De Huttenheugte were built in the early 1970s and are the oldest Center Parcs in the Netherlands.
- The newest park was built in 1999, although that is Parc Sandur which was previously a Sunpark.
- Five of the Center Parcs in the Netherlands have recently been renovated. These include Het Heijderbos where 800 cottages have been renovated and upgrades have been made to a 'tropical indoor play world' called the Jungle Dome. They've also added a new lane slide to the swimming pool. Other Dutch parks which have been renovated include De Eemhof, Het Meerdal, De Huttenheugte and De Kempervennen.
- Het Meerdal has a selection of dog-friendly and baby-friendly properties.
Conclusion – which is the best Center Parcs in the Netherlands and Holland?
Center Parcs Het Meerdal ticks a lot of boxes for me.
It came top in our ranking based on customer reviews and was good value in all our price comparisons. It also has one of the highest number of activities and is one of the closest Center Parcs to the UK, assuming you are coming from Calais via Folkestone in the South East of England. It was also joint first in our comparison of the waterparks/swimming pools at the nine Center Parcs.
In second place, I’d choose either Center Parcs De Huttenheugte or Center Parcs De Kempervennen, which aren't too far behind on review scores and often have low prices. De Kempervennen is the closest if you’re driving from Calais but there wasn't much between them on pricing, activities and waterpark reviews.
Parc Sandur gets good reviews and prices are reasonable but it's a smaller resort, so the range of activities and swimming pool lags behind a little.
Limburgse Peel is one of the cheapest Center Parcs in the Netherlands, but it is marginally behind on customer reviews.
It came top in our ranking based on customer reviews and was good value in all our price comparisons. It also has one of the highest number of activities and is one of the closest Center Parcs to the UK, assuming you are coming from Calais via Folkestone in the South East of England. It was also joint first in our comparison of the waterparks/swimming pools at the nine Center Parcs.
In second place, I’d choose either Center Parcs De Huttenheugte or Center Parcs De Kempervennen, which aren't too far behind on review scores and often have low prices. De Kempervennen is the closest if you’re driving from Calais but there wasn't much between them on pricing, activities and waterpark reviews.
Parc Sandur gets good reviews and prices are reasonable but it's a smaller resort, so the range of activities and swimming pool lags behind a little.
Limburgse Peel is one of the cheapest Center Parcs in the Netherlands, but it is marginally behind on customer reviews.
Center Parcs De Huttenheugte is a good value Dutch resort...
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...which was one of the cheaper options in our price comparisons
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