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Which Center Parcs Is Best In The Netherlands And Holland? (2025 guide)

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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.

Center Parcs Het Meerdal gets the best review scores...

...and it was one of the cheaper resorts in our price comparisons

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.

Driving times to Center Parcs in the Netherlands

There are various ferries to the Netherlands but for simplicity we’ve just looked at the travel time from Calais. You can take the car on the Eurotunnel/Le Shuttle 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…

Center Parcs De Kempervennen swimming pool

Center Parcs De Kempervennen is another resort with good reviews...

Climbing wall at Center Parcs De Kempervennen

...and it's the closest to the UK via the Eurotunnel/Le Shuttle

Flying times to Center Parcs in the Netherlands

There are various flights to the Netherlands, which you may find simpler (personally, I find taking children on flights to be a bit of an ordeal).

We calculated the travel time if you flew from a London Airport to a Center Parcs in the Netherlands. We looked for a direct flight and added together the flight time and the transfer time. We didn’t include the time spent checking in, wasting money in Duty Free etc.

Center Parcs De Kempervennen – 1 hour 5 minute flight to Eindhoven Airport + 22 minute drive = 1 hour 27 minute
Center Parcs Park Zandvoort – 1hr 5m flight to Amsterdam Schiphol Airport + 35m drive = 1hr 40m
Center Parcs Port Zelande – 55m flight to Rotterdam Airport + 49m drive = 1hr 44m
Center Parcs Het Heijderbos – 1hr 20m flight to Weeze Airport + 24m drive = 1hr 44m
Center Parcs De Eemhof – 1hr 5m flight to Amsterdam Schiphol Airport + 50m drive = 1hr 55m
Center Parcs Het Meerdal - 1 hour 20 minute flight to Eindhoven Airport + 46m drive = 2hr 6m
Center Parcs Limburgse Peel – 1hr 20m flight to Weeze Airport + 47m drive = 2hr 7m
Center Parcs De Huttenheugte – 1hr 10m flight to Amsterdam Schiphol Airport + 2hr drive = 3hr 10m
Center Parcs Parc Sandur – 1hr 10m flight to Amsterdam Schiphol Airport + 2hr drive = 3hr 10m

So, if you decide to fly instead of drive then Center Parcs De Kempervennen is still the most convenient. However, there isn't a lot between seven of the Dutch Center Parcs resorts - all of them are about 90 minutes to two hours from the UK.

Center Parcs Zandvoort is one of the closer resort if you are flying - but there's not much in it

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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 remains 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.

Het Meerdal - 4.1/5 on Google Reviews + 4/5 on TripAdvisor = 81% average score from customers.
Parc Sandur - 4/5 + 3.5/5 = 75%
Het Heijderbos – 4/5 + 3.5/5 = 75%
De Kempervennen - 4/5 + 3.5/5 = 75%
De Huttenheugte – 4/5 + 3.5/5 = 75%
De Eemhof – 3.9/5 + 3.5/5 = 74%
Port Zelande - 3.9/5 + 3.5/5 = 74%
Limburgse Peel – 3.7/5 + 3.5/5 = 72%
Park Zandvoort – 3.8/5 + 3/5 = 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.

The best review scores belong to Center Parcs Het Meerdal

The joint second best resort - according to reviewers - is Parc Sandur

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:

a week in August 2025
a week in early October 2025
a week over Easter 2025

Prices for a week in August 2025 for four people from cheapest to most expensive:

Parc Sandur - £1208
Limburgse Peel – £1236
De Huttenheugte – £1399
De Kempervennen - £1430
Het Meerdal - £1512
De Eemhof – £1550
Het Heijderbos – £1634
Port Zelande - £1653
Park Zandvoort – £2402

Prices for a week over Easter 2025 for four people from cheapest to most expensive:

Limburgse Peel – £954
Parc Sandur – £1021
Het Meerdal - £1048
De Huttenheugte - £1062
Port Zelande - £1068
De Eemhof – £1147
Het Heijderbos – £1312
Park Zandvoort – £1436
De Kempervennen - £1475

Prices for a week in early October 2025 for four people from cheapest to most expensive:

Het Meerdal - £578
Limburgse Peel – £605
Parc Sandur – £620
Port Zelande – £631
De Huttenheugte - £726
De Kempervennen - £810
Het Heijderbos – £948
De Eemhof – £1022
Park Zandvoort – £1142

Searches carried out in October 2024. We looked at prices on CenterParcs.fr, which is usually cheaper than CenterParcs.eu. You get the same holiday either way and your browser will translate the French language site for you. We converted the price from Euros to Pounds using the exchange rate of the day.

Dining table at Center Parcs Kempervennen in Netherlands

Center Parcs Kempervennen was mostly mid-priced our price comparisons

Parc Sandur is one of the cheapest Center Parcs in the Netherlands for 2025 holidays

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:

Port Zelande - 127 activities
Het Meerdal - 112
Het Heijderbos – 107
De Huttenheugte - 101
De Eemhof – 98
De Kempervennen - 97
Park Zandvoort – 72
Limburgse Peel – 72
Parc Sandur - 61

So, six of the parks have about 100-130 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.

Port Zelande - 43 free activities
Het Meerdal - 39 free activities
De Huttenheugte - 39 free activities
De Eemhof – 38 free activities
Het Heijderbos – 36 free activities
De Kempervennen - 34 free activities
Park Zandvoort – 29 free activities
Limburgse Peel –29 free activities
Parc Sandur - 24 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'.

Paddleboarding at Center Parcs Port Zelande

Port Zelande has a bigger range of activities than some other Center Parcs in the Netherlands

Center Parcs Het Heijderbos also has a good range of activities, including climbing walls

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 is at Center Parcs Het Meerdal.

There are then three resorts that are hot on its heels with a score of 4.2/5. These are Center Parcs Het Heijderbos, Center Parcs De Eemhof and Center Parcs De Kempervennen.

Center Parcs De Huttenheugte isn't far behind on 4.1/5.

Finally, there are four Dutch Center Parcs swimming pools which score less than 4/5 – Center Parcs Limburgse Peel (3.9/5), Center Parcs Park Zelande (3.6/5), 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 - 4.3/5
Het Heijderbos – 4.2/5
De Kempervennen - 4.2/5
De Eemhof – 4.2/5
De Huttenheugte - 4.1/5
Limburgse Peel – 3.9/5
Port Zelande - 3.6/5
Parc Sandur - 3.6/5
Park Zandvoort – 3.5/5

Center Parcs Het Meerdal has the best swimming pool according to customers

The 'Aqua Mundo' at Center Parcs De Eemhof is also highly rated

Which Center Parcs resort in the Netherlands has the best accommodation?

Most people who stay at Center Parcs in the Netherlands plump for one of the 'cottages'. These are the closest thing to Center Parcs UK's woodland lodges.

You can pick from three different grades including Comfort Cottages (£), Premium Cottages (££) and VIP Cottages (£££). For some reason, Center Parcs Limburgse Peel only has two of those grades but every other Center Parcs resort in the Netherlands has the full choice.

See our guide to what you get for upgrading.

There are also some other alternatives that can be found at some but not all of the Dutch resorts:

If you've recently sold your Tesla shares then you might like a Wellness Cottage. These are the most expensive properties at Center Parcs Europe and come with a hot tub, a sauna and every bedroom has an ensuite. They are available at Center Parcs De Kempervennen or Center Parcs De Eemhof.
Accessible properties for people in wheelchairs can be found at Center Parcs De Eemhof, Center Parcs Port Zelande and Center Parcs Park Zandvoort. You get things like a wet room with these properties.
'Kids cottages' are available at three Dutch resorts - Center Parcs Port Zelande, Center Parcs Het Meerdal and Center Parcs Parc Sandur. Of course, all Center Parcs properties are suitable for kids, but these have their own playground in the garden. Your children can whoosh up and down their own private slide whilst passers by look on enviously. Het Meerdal also has Baby Cottages, which include a changing table, highchair and so on.

Het Meerdal has 'kids cottages' that come with their own playground in the garden

If you are more interested in dogs than children (I don't blame you) then - Center Parcs Het Meerdal has 'Dog cottages'. These have a room with a doggy cage and so on. You can bring dogs to other Center Parcs in the Netherlands, but this one just gives you a bit more space.
Three of the Dutch resorts have recently added new cottages. This is particularly appealing to me, as I like shiny new holiday homes. You can find these at De Eemhof, De Huttenheugte and De Kempervennen.
Boathouses are available at Center Parcs De Kempervennen. Mrs Guru couldn't cope with the various perils that come from living on a boat, but I would enjoy the novelty.
Themed cottages are available at a few different Dutch resorts. You can pick from Adventure Cottages themed around the jungle and the sea at Center Parcs Het Heijderbos, Center Parcs De Eemhof and Center Parcs De Kempervennen. There are also 'Wonders of Nature' cottages at Center Parcs De Huttenheugte.
Horsey fans can have their own pony for a week in a Pony Cottage at Center Parcs Het Meerdal. We did something similar at a Belgian Center Parcs. You spend a couple of hours each morning looking after a pony and it lives in stables that you can see from your lounge.
'Lodge tents' are available at Center Parcs Port Zelande. These are basically glamping safari tents, which are more appealing in summer than winter.
Several Dutch resorts have hotel rooms and suites, including Center Parcs Port Zelande, Center Parcs Park Zandvoort, Center Parcs Het Heijderbos and Center Parcs De Eemhof. Personally, I prefer having my own space so my children don't wake up everyone else at the resort...

Does a houseboat at Center Parcs Kempervennen float your boat?

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 Dutch 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.
Park Zandvoort has an 'aqua cinema' where you can bob around and watch a film in the swimming pool. Hopefully it isn't an epic, or I would be very wrinkly.

Park Zandvoort has an 'aqua cinema', although I'm not sure if they show Jaws

Conclusion – which is the best Center Parcs in the Netherlands and Holland?

Center Parcs Het Meerdal ticks a lot of boxes for me.

It comes top in our ranking based on customer reviews and is good value in 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 is 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.

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