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Which Center Parcs Is Best?

There are five Center Parcs ‘villages’ in England (often incorrectly listed as Centre Parcs). They’re all at the posh end of the holiday park market, but which is best? We’ve done a comparison of the five Center Parcs in England by looking at reviews, price, facilities and location.

If you can't be bothered with reading all this guff and just want the headlines, we reckon that Whinfell Forest in Cumbria is the Center Parcs villages which offers the best value for money. It has the lowest prices, the joint best reviews, the second-best range of activities and the second-best swimming pool.
​​If you want cheaper or alternative options, try our full Center Parcs Europe guide and book your holiday through CenterParcs.fr, ​which is nearly always cheaper than CenterParcs.eu for exactly the same holiday. ​Your browser will translate CenterParcs.fr to English if you don't speak French!

Our Center Parcs Europe top picks are:
**Center Parcs Europe 2024 Offer: 25% off your first stay + free activities**
If you'd rather stay in the UK and want alternatives to Center Parcs, try: ​
Hafan y Môr Holiday Park Aerial ropes course
Haven Hafan y Môr Holiday Park is a popular alternative to Center Parcs
Anyway, here's the more detailed comparison of Center Parcs in the UK:

Which Center Parcs is in the best location?

The Center Parcs in England are strategically spread out:
  • Whinfell Forest in Cumbria will be closest for people in Scotland and for most of the North of England
  • Sherwood Forest in Nottinghamshire is closest for people in most of the West Midlands, East Midlands and Yorkshire
  • Longleat Forest in Wiltshire is closest for the Westcountry
  • Elveden Forest in Suffolk is closest for parts of East Anglia
  • Woburn Forest in Bedfordshire is closest for people in London and some of the home counties and East Anglia.​​
Trees in Sherwood Forest at Center Parcs
Center Parcs in Sherwood Forest is well located for most of the Midlands

Which Center Parcs village gets the best reviews?

In terms of customer reviews, there is very (very) little between the five Center Parcs sites in England. 

When we checked TripAdvisor, all five sites in England were scoring 4/5 based on many thousands of reviews. On Google’s reviews, they were all scoring 4.5/5 apart from Whinfell Forest and Longleat Forest, which both scored 4.6/5 (hardly enough of a difference to change your plans). I’ve no idea why Google reviews are consistently higher than TripAdvisor’s, but let’s try not to lose any sleep over it.

I'm not sure if this is particularly relevant, but Woburn Forest opened in 2014 and is the newest of the five Center Parcs villages in England. The other four parks opened in the 1980s and 1990s, although there have been various refurbishments over the years.

Here's the full rundown of Center Parcs review scores, as of November 2023:

= 1st. Center Parcs Whinfell Forest - 4/5 on TripAdvisor, 4.6/5 on Google Reviews = 8.6/10
= 1st. Center Parcs Longleat Forest - 4/5 on TripAdvisor, 4.6/6 on Google Reviews = 8.6/10
= 2nd Center Parcs Elveden Forest - 4/5 on TripAdvisor, 4.5/5 on Google Reviews = 8.5/10
= 2nd Center Parcs Sherwood Forest - 4/5 on TripAdvisor, 4.5/5 on Google Reviews = 8.5/10
= 2nd Center Parcs Woburn Forest - 4/5 on TripAdvisor, 4.5/5 on Google Reviews = 8.5/10

Which Center Parcs is cheapest?

We looked at prices for three different types of holiday at all five Center Parcs in England. 

Whinfell in Cumbria was the UK's cheapest Center Parcs resort in our price comparison. Elveden Forest in Suffolk was second cheapest at about £80-£100 extra per holiday. Sherwood Forest was usually the mid-priced option.

Woburn Forest in Bedfordshire was the second most expensive. The most expensive Center Parcs in the UK in our price comparison was usually Longleat Forest in Wiltshire. A week's holiday during peak season cost £370 more at Longleat Forest than Whinfell in Cumbria.

If you’re interested, here are the full results:

We searched for a family of four without pets, including two adults and two children (one aged 5, one aged 8). Our searches were carried out in November 2023. We didn’t include any optional extras, and just looked for the cheapest accommodation available, which was always a two-bedroom woodland lodge. (See our guide to Center Parcs accommodation upgrades for a bit of bedtime reading). Bringing a dog to Center Parcs will cost you £79. Two dogs is £99.

One week in August 2024, from cheapest to most expensive:
  • Whinfell Forest - £2098
  • Sherwood Forest - £2128
  • Elveden Forest - £2228
  • Woburn Forest - £2328
  • Longleat Forest - £2428

A Friday to Monday break over the early May Bank Holiday in 2024, from cheapest to most expensive:
  • Whinfell Forest - £779
  • Elveden Forest - £829
  • Longleat Forest - £829
  • Sherwood Forest - £829
  • Woburn Forest - £929

A midweek break in October Half Term 2025, staying from Monday to Friday, from cheapest to most expensive:
  • Whinfell Forest - £1199
  • Sherwood Forest - £1299
  • Elveden Forest - £1399
  • Woburn Forest - £1399
  • Longleat Forest - £1499

Based on these numbers, Whinfell Forest is consistently the cheapest Center Parcs. Longleat Forest and Woburn Forest are generally the more expensive Center Parcs resorts.

Out of curiosity, we also looked up prices for Center Parcs Longford Forest in Ireland, which is owned by the same company but runs through a separate website. A week in August 2024 was from £2308 whilst a weekend over the early Bank Holiday in May was £1001. Four nights in October Half Term was £1045.

None of those are a big enough saving to cover the extra travel costs from Great Britain. Prices were in Euros, so we converted to Pounds based on the exchange rate at the time.

Which Center Parcs has the best facilities?

All the Center Parcs sites have loads of things to do but there are slight differences in the number of activities on offer.

As you are probably aware, many activities at Center Parcs cost extra and some are only available at certain sites. If there’s something you are particularly keen to do, it’s worth checking the website first, but you can get a general idea of which village has the greatest number of activities with a bit of filtering on the website.

Number of activities on offer, from most to least:
So, Woburn Forest has fewer activities than most Center Parcs whilst also being one of the most expensive villages in our (limited) price comparison.

It’s worth noting that this is only a very rough way of looking at the number of activities due to the way the website is set up. For example, adventure golf is listed twice – once with 9 holes and once with 18 holes. At three of the villages, you can do either 9 or 18 holes, whilst two of them you can only do 9 holes.

Also, bear in mind that this only tells you how many activities are available. It doesn't tell you how well run they are or which has the most modern equipment. Honestly though, I think if there was a big difference then it would show up in the average customer reviews, which are very (very) similar across all five Center Parcs in England.

Also worth mentioning is that this data is from November 2023 and that it changes regularly.
Archery at Center Parcs
There are well over 100 activities at Center Parcs including archery, minigolf, pottery painting and den building

Which Center Parcs has the best swimming pool?

For a lot of people, the Subtropical Swimming Paradise is the main attraction of Center Parcs. It's also one of the free things to do onsite, whereas most other activities are charged extra. They all offer wave pools, flumes, rapids for stronger swimmers and jacuzzis/hot tubs. They do get rather busy at peak times - we've found they are much quieter and pleasant in the evening than during the day.

With a bit of digging, you'll find that the swimming pools are reviewed separately by Google reviews. So, which is the best Center Parcs swimming pool?

Again, there isn't a huge range in the reviews but the Subtropical Swimming Paradise at Longleat is the best, according to reviewers as it scores 4.8/5. Whinfell Forest and Elveden Forest are in second place at 4.7/5. The swimming pool at Sherwood Forest scores 4.6/5 whilst Woburn Forest scores 4.5/5.

It is possible to visit Center Parcs' swimming pool without staying onsite, but you need to be a guest of someone who has booked accommodation. Last time I checked, a day pass for visitors was about £135 for a family of four.
Swimming at Center Parcs
Swimming at Center Parcs is one of the biggest attractions (and it's free)

Other differences between the Center Parcs locations

According to Wikipedia (Ed: hmm...great research, you're fired) there are a number of other differences between the five Center Parcs in the UK:
  • Longleat Forest has 'fewer lodges than Elveden Forest and Sherwood Forest due to the steep topography of the site'
  • 'Whinfell is slightly different in that the style of accommodation is more akin to two-storey Scandinavian-style lodges, the main centre of the village is under cover, and there is no country club like at Elveden Forest and Sherwood Forest.'
  • Woburn Forest is 'the smallest UK Center Parcs village' (although there's not all that much difference). Whinfell Forest is the largest.

Conclusion

Based on our (limited) comparisons, Whinfell Forest appears to offer slightly better value than the other Center Parcs villages. It compares well on reviews, offers a similar range of activities to the others and was a little bit cheaper in our price comparisons.

Elveden Forest in Suffolk is also good value and is more convenient for people living in South East England than Whinfell Forest. It was second cheapest in our price comparisons and has the most activities.

Longleat Forest has the best Subtropical Swimming Paradise according to reviewers, but the difference is marginal. All the swimming pools are highly rated.

I would say you would be best to weigh up the cost and convenience of travel with the money you could save. You might consider several hours extra in the car for a week’s holiday where you could save hundreds of pounds, but probably not for an off-peak weekend where you might save £100.

Which are the best cheap alternatives to Center Parcs?

There are various alternatives to Center Parcs in the UK, some of which are considerably cheaper:

Center Parcs Europe

There are more than 25 Center Parcs around Europe, in France, Germany, Belgium and Netherlands. Curiously, it is usually cheaper to book Center Parks Europe through the French version of the Center Parcs website rather than the EU version. The saving is often £100 for a week's holiday in summer (read more on this).

We did a (rather time consuming) comparison based on customers reviews, price, activities and location and concluded that the four to consider first are:

One other thing to consider is that there's a Center Parcs which is a joint thing with Disneyland Paris called Center Parcs Les Villages Nature Paris so you can spend a couple of days watching Princess parades whilst on holiday. We've got a Disneyland Paris guide, if you're considering that.
Center Parcs Het Meerdal in the Netherlands
Center Parcs Het Meerdal gets positive reviews and is good value

Haven

**Haven's Offers: Autumn 2024 from £69 + Summer 2025 from £195**
​Haven has about 40 holiday parks in the UK, some of which get reviews of 4.5/5 on TripAdvisor (slightly higher than Center Parcs on average). There's a top 10 guide on our Haven page, but some very large Haven resorts which have a big range of activities include:
  • Hafan y Môr in Wales is a former Butlins with an excellent swimming pool.
  • Devon Cliffs in the Westcountry is described by Haven as its biggest park.
  • Craig Tara in Scotland is another former Butlins resort with a large swimming pool complex.

Accommodation is mostly caravans and lodges. Expect to pay about £600-£1200 for a week in August 2024 for a family of four, compared to about £2100-£2400 for a similar time of year at Center Parcs (based on our price comparisons). To give you a rough idea, Hopton Holiday Village is about 100 acres, whilst Center Parcs sites are about 400 acres.​​​
Swimming pool and slides at Haven Hafan Y Mor
Haven's Hafan y Môr is a large holiday park with an action-packed swimming pool

Parkdean Resorts

​**Parkdean Resorts Spring Sale: 1000s of holidays from £79**
Parkdean Resorts are more akin to Haven than Center Parcs in terms of what they offer. The accommodation at their 66 holiday parks around the UK is mostly caravans with a few chalets and glamping safari tents. They have a few lodges but not on the same scale as Center Parcs.

A couple of Parkdean Resorts holiday parks stand out for offering a range of activities which rival Center Parcs.

If you're in South Wales or Bristol, take a look at Parkdean Resorts Trecco Bay Holiday Park, which is their largest resort. 

The swimming pool is good, though not quite on the same scale as Center Parcs. Parkdean Resorts has invested a lot of money in other activities in the last few years including plenty for more adventurous children (high ropes, bungee trampolines, laser quest, climbing walls) and somewhat less intense activities (pottery painting, minigolf, nature trails and bike hire). 

You won't get the leafy surroundings of Center Parcs and there certainly isn't as much green space. However, you get access to a long stretch of beach, which isn't something offered by Center Parcs.

If you live in the South East then I would look at Parkdean Resorts Camber Sands.  It's got four different swimming pools plus a similar range of activities as you will get at Trecco Bay. The swimming pool is not in the same league as Center Parcs, but the impressive beach and activities will keep you busy. Reviews average 3.5/5 on TripAdvisor or 3.9/5 on Google Reviews.

Prices vary, but a week in August 2024 for a family of four costs from about £900 at Parkdean Resorts Camber Sands Holiday Park or from about £950 at Parkdean Resorts Trecco Bay Holiday Park. That's less than half price, compared to Center Parcs.
Splashland swimming pool at Trecco Bay Holiday Park
Parkdean Resorts Trecco Bay in Wales has this 'Splashland' swimming pool and it's much cheaper than Center Parcs
Beach at Camber Sands Holiday Park
Parkdean Resorts Camber Sands is another large holiday park with high ropes, sports and beach access

Bluestone National Park Resort

Bluestone National Park Resort in Wales is a large holiday resort, which is often compared to Center Parcs in reviews. Bluestone has got 300 lodges in 500 acres of Pembrokeshire park, compared to about 800 lodges in 400 acres at Center Parcs. So, it's more spread out and less self contained than Center Parcs but it has a fairly similar choice of activities.

In total, Bluestone has 'over 100 indoor and outdoor activities', compared to around 130 at Center Parcs. Highlights at Bluestone include:
  • live music and dinner shows
  • a 'well spa'
  • a high ropes course called 'Steep Ravine'
  • activities like archery, rock climbing and raft building
  • an indoor adventure park
  • a water park called the Blue Lagoon 
  • bike hire
  • a woodland diner called 'Camp Smokey'​
Reviews for Bluestone averaged 4/5 on Trip Advisor or 4.6/5 on Google when we checked. That's almost identical to Center Parcs.

In our price comparison, a week in a two bedroom lodge at Bluestone in August 2024 was £2035 for a family of four (about £150-£400 cheaper than Center Parcs for that week).

You do pay extra for most activities at Bluestone, much like Center Parcs (when I checked, 45 minutes of archery for a teenager was £15 at Bluestone or at Center Parcs). 
Blue Lagoon at Bluestone Wales
Blue Lagoon at Bluestone National Park Resort gives Center Parcs a good run for its money

Darwin Escapes

Darwin Escapes has more than 20 'holiday resorts', which mostly offer lodge accommodation with hot tubs. Many are in seaside locations and get very strong reviews. Some are bigger than others and facilities vary. 

Several Darwin Escapes resorts offer a range of family activities include:​
Hot tub at Norfolk Woods Resort and Spa
Resorts like Norfolk Woods are much smaller than Center Parcs but they offer lodges with hot tubs...
Swimming pool at Norfolk Woods Resort and Spa
...as well as swimming pools and some family activities

Butlins

You may not immediately think of Butlins as an alternative to Center Parcs, but a lot of money has been invested into their three coastal resorts in Sussex, Somerset and Lincolnshire.

For example, the swimming pool and splash park at Butlins in Sussex cost £40m in 2019. The resorts have similar aerial adventures and high ropes to Center Parcs, as well as some sports, craft activities and several places to eat. 

You don't get a woodland setting but you get easy seaside access, a funfair and big names performing in the arenas and big tops. 

The basic accommodation isn't as posh as Center Parcs but you can upgrade to things like themed hotels in Bognor Regis or waterside lodges in Minehead.

Butlins has another advantage over Center Parcs - you can pay extra for a fully catered option. There are different levels available, depending on your budget.

A week in the school summer holidays at Butlins will cost a family of four about £1000-£1500 for the cheapest accommodation with kitchen facilities. Expect to pay more for apartments with seaviews, lodges and hotel accommodation.
High ropes aerial adventure at Butlins
Butlins has similarly adventurous activities to Center Parcs...
West Lakes Chalets at Butlins Minehead
...and the upgraded accommodation is decent

Landal GreenParks

Landal GreenParks is a Dutch company with several lodge parks across the UK and some of them get better overall reviews than Center Parcs.

There are plenty of activities on offer at their locations which include Gwel an Mor in Cornwall and Piperdam in Scotland.

​When we checked, Landal Gwel an Mor in Cornwall had the best customer reviews (4.5/5 on TripAdvisor). A week for four people in August 2024 at Gwel an Mor was about £2234 (a similar price to Center Parcs). We searched in November 2023.

They're much smaller than Center Parcs. Gwel an Mor has about 130 lodges, whilst Center Parcs have about 800 lodges.

If you fancy an adventure, there are also dozens of Landal parks in the Netherlands.
Landal Gwel an Mor swimming pool
Landal Gwel an Mor in Cornwall offers good quality facilities...
Landal Gwel an Mor lodge
...as well as large lodges
*Our 'half price' claim is based on our price comparisons for August 2024. We found a week's holiday at Center Parcs UK for a family of four in early 2024 was £2128 for the cheapest accommodation available. A similar search at CenterParcs.fr found a week at Center Parcs Les Ardennes in Belgium from £1072. There are a few caveats to this. Firstly, you need to add on travel costs - don't drive across Europe if it will only save you a tenner. Secondly, take a look at our comparison of Center Parcs Europe, as some resorts are better than others. Thirdly, you need to book through CenterParcs.fr for this price - it usually costs more to book through CenterParcs.eu. Fourthly, exchange rates mean that the price of Center Parcs in Europe vary throughout the year. We searched in November 2023.
Images are from Haven, Center Parcs, Butlins, Landal and Bluestone. 

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Other guides from the Holiday Park Guru

Holiday-Park-Guru-Don't-Blame-Us-Disclaimer: All the information on this page is accurate, as far as we know. However, facilities at holiday parks change so please check with the park before booking.