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Center Parcs Europe or Center Parcs UK - Which Is Best Value? (2026 Guide)
Author: Robbie Lane | Last updated: 3 March 2026
Center Parcs Europe is often cheaper than Center Parcs UK, sometimes by £700 - £1500 for a week-long family holiday during school holidays.
That’s because Center Parcs Europe and Center Parcs UK are separate companies, and the European resorts tend to offer more frequent discounts and lower base prices.
However, the calculation isn’t quite that simple.
Travelling to a Center Parcs in France, Germany, Belgium or the Netherlands/Holland means paying for the Eurotunnel or a ferry, plus extra fuel and travel stress. It's also important to realise that Center Parcs Europe is much less consistent than Center Parcs UK and that the savings are much smaller during off-peak weeks.
Some European Center Parcs villages compete well on reviews and activities - such as Erperheide and De Vossemeren - but others are very different to Center Parcs resorts you may have visited, such as Elveden, Sherwood and Longleat.
You also need to know the best tricks - such as booking through CenterParcs.fr to get the lowest price.
In this guide we compare Center Parcs Europe vs Center Parcs UK based on accommodation prices, customer reviews, activities, swimming pools and travel time from the UK to see which offers the best value overall.
We’ve also stayed at Center Parcs Erperheide in Belgium and Sherwood Forest in the UK, so this guide combines first-hand experience with price comparisons and review data.
That’s because Center Parcs Europe and Center Parcs UK are separate companies, and the European resorts tend to offer more frequent discounts and lower base prices.
However, the calculation isn’t quite that simple.
Travelling to a Center Parcs in France, Germany, Belgium or the Netherlands/Holland means paying for the Eurotunnel or a ferry, plus extra fuel and travel stress. It's also important to realise that Center Parcs Europe is much less consistent than Center Parcs UK and that the savings are much smaller during off-peak weeks.
Some European Center Parcs villages compete well on reviews and activities - such as Erperheide and De Vossemeren - but others are very different to Center Parcs resorts you may have visited, such as Elveden, Sherwood and Longleat.
You also need to know the best tricks - such as booking through CenterParcs.fr to get the lowest price.
In this guide we compare Center Parcs Europe vs Center Parcs UK based on accommodation prices, customer reviews, activities, swimming pools and travel time from the UK to see which offers the best value overall.
We’ve also stayed at Center Parcs Erperheide in Belgium and Sherwood Forest in the UK, so this guide combines first-hand experience with price comparisons and review data.
There are five Center Parcs in the UK...
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...and 28 Center Parcs in Europe, including highly-rated Erperheide resort in Belgium
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Quick verdict – Center Parcs Europe vs Center Parcs UK
- Best value for a week in school holidays: Center Parcs Europe
- Best value for weekends/midweek breaks: Center Parcs UK
- Best swimming pools: Center Parcs UK
- Best activities: Center Parcs UK for range, Center Parcs Europe for value
- Most convenient/most environmentally friendly: Center Parcs UK
Quick comparison table - Center Parcs UK v Center Parcs Europe
Factor |
Center Parcs UK |
Center Parcs Europe |
Number of parcs |
5 |
28 |
Typical review score |
About 85% |
Ranges from 66% to 86% |
Cheapest week in August |
About £2200 |
About £1400 |
Activities |
About 170 - 180 |
About 50 - 130 |
Typical travel time from UK |
1 - 3 hours |
6 - 8+ hours |
Typical travel cost from UK |
£40 |
£400 |
Best for |
Short breaks, consistency |
Cheaper week-long breaks, foreign adventures |
A few notes about our comparison table before we move on:
- The travel time from the UK will obviously vary depending on where you live, but the five resorts are well spread out so that there is a resort within a couple of hours for much of the UK. The closest European resort is about 90 minutes from Calais (Center Parcs Park de Haan), whilst several of our favourite resorts are about 3 1/2 hours from Calais in the car.
- Our travel cost estimate is a very rough estimate. We've allowed for £40 of fuel, which is the approximate cost of visiting somewhere that is two hours away and then driving home again. For travelling to Europe, we've allowed for the approximate cost of the Eurotunnel/Le Shuttle, plus a longer drive and European breakdown cover.
The Best Value Center Parcs Europe Resorts
If you're considering Center Parcs Europe, I would start with these five villages, which are our picks for value for money:
Resort |
Country |
Review score |
Why we recommend it |
Netherlands |
80% |
Short drive, good prices, great facilities |
|
Belgium |
82% |
Big range of free activities, short drive |
|
Belgium |
82% |
Outstanding reviews, great pool, short drive |
|
Germany |
81% |
Lower prices, longer drive |
|
France |
77% |
All round best in France, great pool, lots of activities |
Center Parcs Top Tip: Booking Center Parcs Europe holidays through CenterParcs.fr is nearly always cheaper than CenterParcs.eu for the same holiday. Your browser will translate CenterParcs.fr to English if you don't speak French! You can't book Center Parcs UK holidays through CenterParcs.fr unfortunately. Read more.
Which gets the best reviews? Center Parcs UK or Center Parcs Europe
Center Parcs UK is remarkably consistent when it comes to customer reviews. All five parks in England score about 4/5 on TripAdvisor and about 4.5/5 on Google reviews.
That works out as about 85% as a percentage. Center Parcs Whinfell Forest scores slightly higher than the other four on 88%, but there's not much in it.
Center Parcs Europe is much more inconsistent, with average reviews ranging from 66% to 85%.
Six Center Parcs Europe sites receive comparable reviews to Center Parcs UK:
Sure, there are many more Center Parcs in Europe but for the purposes of comparison I think it’s more useful to just look at these six.
We will also look at Les Villages Nature Paris, which is a Center Parcs very near to Disneyland Paris (3/5 on TripAdvisor, 3.6/5 on Google Reviews = 66%). As you can see, it lags behind on reviews but it's a popular resort thanks to its location.
It’s worth noting that some of the Center Parcs Europe sites were once Sunparks or Landal Greenparks and have been rebranded as Center Parcs. Some of the UK Center Parcs also had previous lives under different names, but they seem to have done so whilst maintaining consistency.
We will also include the Center Parcs resort in Ireland, which is called Center Parcs Longford Forest. It gets positive reviews of 88% overall, but is about the same price as Center Parcs UK.
That works out as about 85% as a percentage. Center Parcs Whinfell Forest scores slightly higher than the other four on 88%, but there's not much in it.
Center Parcs Europe is much more inconsistent, with average reviews ranging from 66% to 85%.
Six Center Parcs Europe sites receive comparable reviews to Center Parcs UK:
- Center Parcs Terhills Resort, Belgium = 86%
- Center Parcs De Vossemeren, Belgium = 82%
- Center Parcs Erperheide, Belgium = 82%
- Center Parcs Park Bostalsee, Germany = 81%
- Center Parcs Het Meerdal, Netherlands = 80%
- Center Parcs Le Bois Aux Daims, France = 77%
Sure, there are many more Center Parcs in Europe but for the purposes of comparison I think it’s more useful to just look at these six.
We will also look at Les Villages Nature Paris, which is a Center Parcs very near to Disneyland Paris (3/5 on TripAdvisor, 3.6/5 on Google Reviews = 66%). As you can see, it lags behind on reviews but it's a popular resort thanks to its location.
It’s worth noting that some of the Center Parcs Europe sites were once Sunparks or Landal Greenparks and have been rebranded as Center Parcs. Some of the UK Center Parcs also had previous lives under different names, but they seem to have done so whilst maintaining consistency.
We will also include the Center Parcs resort in Ireland, which is called Center Parcs Longford Forest. It gets positive reviews of 88% overall, but is about the same price as Center Parcs UK.
Highly rated Center Parcs resorts in Europe include Het Meerdal in the Netherlands...
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...and a smaller, newer Center Parcs called Terhills Resort in Belgium
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Is Center Parcs Europe cheaper than Center Parcs UK?
Center Parcs Europe and Center Parcs UK are actually separate companies, so they have different approaches to pricing. You will rarely see significant discounts at Center Parcs UK (discount codes for Center Parcs UK are rarer than hen’s teeth). However, Center Parcs Europe frequently have special offers, discounts and last minute bargains.
As we all know though, some companies use discounts to lure you in to feel you’re getting a deal so you need to look at what you’re actually getting rather than what you’re supposedly saving.
It’s worth noting that we looked for the cheapest accommodation available. We initially started trying to compare different types of accommodation but the whole thing turned into a great big confusing mess…
Anyway, we looked for the cheapest price for a family of four in early August 2026 (without any extras) and found the following prices:
As we all know though, some companies use discounts to lure you in to feel you’re getting a deal so you need to look at what you’re actually getting rather than what you’re supposedly saving.
It’s worth noting that we looked for the cheapest accommodation available. We initially started trying to compare different types of accommodation but the whole thing turned into a great big confusing mess…
Anyway, we looked for the cheapest price for a family of four in early August 2026 (without any extras) and found the following prices:
Resort |
Country |
August 2026 |
Center Parcs Park Bostalsee |
Germany |
£1480 |
Center Parcs De Vossemeren |
Belgium |
£1579 |
Center Parcs Het Meerdal |
Netherlands |
£1619 |
Center Parcs Erperheide |
Belgium |
£1744 |
Center Parcs Le Bois Aux Daims |
France |
£1795 |
Center Parcs Terhills Resort |
Belgium |
£2011 |
Center Parcs Whinfell Forest |
England |
£2148 |
Center Parcs Villages Nature Paris |
France |
£2173 |
Center Parcs Elveden Forest |
England |
£2348 |
Center Parcs Sherwood Forest |
England |
£2398 |
Center Parcs Woburn Forest |
England |
£2498 |
Center Parcs Longford Forest |
Ireland |
£2598 |
Center Parcs Longleat Forest |
England |
£2648 |
So, nearly all of the cheapest Center Parcs on the list were all in Europe. The cheapest European Center Parcs was about £700 cheaper than the cheapest Center Parcs UK. The most expensive of all was Center Parcs Longleat Forest, with the resort next to Disneyland Paris as the most expensive European resort.
Park Bostalsee is our pick of German Center Parcs - and it is cheap in August 2026
Next, we looked for the cost of a week over Easter 2026 and found the following prices for a family of four:
Resort |
Country |
Easter 2026 |
Center Parcs Park Bostalsee |
Germany |
£1094 |
Center Parcs Erperheide |
Belgium |
£1320 |
Center Parcs Vossemeren |
Belgium |
£1489 |
Center Parcs Le Bois Aux Daims |
France |
£1519 |
Center Parcs Het Meerdal |
Netherlands |
£1618 |
Center Parcs Terhills Resort |
Belgium |
£1642 |
Center Parcs Villages Nature Paris |
France |
£1928 |
Center Parcs Whinfell Forest |
England |
£2348 |
Center Parcs Sherwood Forest |
England |
£2398 |
Center Parcs Longleat Forest |
England |
£2648 |
Center Parcs Longford Forest |
Ireland |
£2666 |
Center Parcs Elveden Forest |
England |
£2668 |
Center Parcs Woburn Forest |
England |
£2848 |
At Easter, the seven cheapest options were all Center Parcs Europe resorts. The cheapest European Center Parcs (Center Parcs Park Bostalsee) was less than half of the price of the cheapest Center Parcs UK (Whinfell Forest on this occasion) - or about £1700 cheaper.
Center Parcs Erperheide in Belgium is £1500 cheaper than Center Parcs UK at Easter 2026
We then looked for an off peak break - a week in early October 2026 during term time. We found the following results:
Resort |
Country |
October 2026 |
Center Parcs Le Bois Aux Daims |
France |
£767 |
Center Parcs Het Meerdal |
Netherlands |
£955 |
Center Parcs Park Bostalsee |
Germany |
£963 |
Center Parcs Villages Nature Paris |
France |
£972 |
Center Parcs Terhills Resort |
Belgium |
£1013 |
Center Parcs Erperheide |
Belgium |
£1041 |
Center Parcs De Vossemeren |
Belgium |
£1052 |
Center Parcs Elveden Forest |
England |
£1128 |
Center Parcs Woburn Forest |
England |
£1198 |
Center Parcs Sherwood Forest |
England |
£1278 |
Center Parcs Longleat Forest |
England |
£1328 |
Center Parcs Whinfell Forest |
England |
£1398 |
Center Parcs Longford Forest |
Ireland |
£1406 |
Again, the seven cheapest Center Parcs were all in Europe. One of the European Center Parcs was about half the price of the most expensive Center Parcs UK. In some cases, you could save yourself about £400 by travelling to a Center Parcs in Europe. However, the differences were generally less significant - you would only save about £150 by travelling to the Netherlands rather than Center Parcs Elveden Forest. Overall, you'd lose out once you'd paid for the Eurotunnel or a ferry.
Het Meerdal is a good choice for a cheap Center Parcs in the Netherlands
But wait! You can save more money off the cost of a Center Parcs Europe holiday!
Sorry for the excessive exclamation marks but we were pretty excited when we found out about this cunning (and simple) way to get another 5-12% discount (ish) on Center Parcs Europe holidays.
For some reason, you will find different prices for the same holiday on CenterParcs.eu (the English language site for Center Parcs Europe) when compared to CenterParcs.fr (the French one), CenterParcs.nl (the Dutch one) and CenterParcs.de (the German one).
For the purposes of research, we spent a happy couple of hours looking at prices for Center Parcs holidays across Europe on all four websites at various times of year (August, Easter and October 2024).
After looking at 81 different holidays and 324 different prices, we found that CenterParcs.fr was the cheapest or joint cheapest option 74% of the time. That's regardless of whether you are visiting a Center Parcs in Germany, France, Netherlands or Belgium. CenterParcs.eu was cheapest or joint cheapest about 12% of the time whilst the Dutch site was cheapest or joint cheapest about 7% of the time. The German site was cheapest or joint cheapest about 22% of the time. You might assume that - for example - booking a German Center Parcs would be cheapest from the German version of the Center Parcs website, but that wasn't the case in our comparison.
The savings varied but there was often a saving of about 5-10% (or about €100) between the cheapest and most expensive price. On one occasion you could save about €300 which was about 15% of the total holiday cost. CenterParcs.eu was usually the most expensive, with occasional exceptions where it was the cheapest.
If you don't speak French, you can just ask your browser to translate it for you (right click if you're on a desktop and click 'translate to English'). Mobile browsers should offer it automatically. When you get to the booking form, if you can't find the United Kingdom, search for 'Royaume Uni' (Google Translate sometimes struggles with translating drop-down boxes).
So, my advice is to check prices on CenterParcs.fr and CenterParcs.de. You could also check CenterParcs.eu and CenterParcs.nl but we didn't find them to be cheapest very often.
Read the full guide if you want to see our 324 numbers (warning: this guide may cause drowsiness).
For some reason, you will find different prices for the same holiday on CenterParcs.eu (the English language site for Center Parcs Europe) when compared to CenterParcs.fr (the French one), CenterParcs.nl (the Dutch one) and CenterParcs.de (the German one).
For the purposes of research, we spent a happy couple of hours looking at prices for Center Parcs holidays across Europe on all four websites at various times of year (August, Easter and October 2024).
After looking at 81 different holidays and 324 different prices, we found that CenterParcs.fr was the cheapest or joint cheapest option 74% of the time. That's regardless of whether you are visiting a Center Parcs in Germany, France, Netherlands or Belgium. CenterParcs.eu was cheapest or joint cheapest about 12% of the time whilst the Dutch site was cheapest or joint cheapest about 7% of the time. The German site was cheapest or joint cheapest about 22% of the time. You might assume that - for example - booking a German Center Parcs would be cheapest from the German version of the Center Parcs website, but that wasn't the case in our comparison.
The savings varied but there was often a saving of about 5-10% (or about €100) between the cheapest and most expensive price. On one occasion you could save about €300 which was about 15% of the total holiday cost. CenterParcs.eu was usually the most expensive, with occasional exceptions where it was the cheapest.
If you don't speak French, you can just ask your browser to translate it for you (right click if you're on a desktop and click 'translate to English'). Mobile browsers should offer it automatically. When you get to the booking form, if you can't find the United Kingdom, search for 'Royaume Uni' (Google Translate sometimes struggles with translating drop-down boxes).
So, my advice is to check prices on CenterParcs.fr and CenterParcs.de. You could also check CenterParcs.eu and CenterParcs.nl but we didn't find them to be cheapest very often.
Read the full guide if you want to see our 324 numbers (warning: this guide may cause drowsiness).
Which has the most activities? Center Parcs UK or Center Parcs Europe?
There is some variation in how many activities are on offer at each site in the UK, but it’s not major. According to the official blurb on the Center Parcs UK website there are between 172 and 180 different activities at the 5 parks.
If we just look at the seven Center Parcs Europe sites with the best reviews, there are between about 50 and 130 activities on offer, so a little lower than the UK parks:
However, these numbers might not tell the whole story. Some similar activities at the UK Center Parcs are counted several times. For example, when we looked at Elveden Forest activities, squash was listed three times in different formats whilst bowling was listed as two different activities depending on how long you play for.
Honestly, I think Center Parcs UK or Center Parcs Europe will offer plenty of activities for a week's holiday. The exception is Center Parcs Terhills Resort in Belgium, which is sold as being 'perfectly proportioned resort'. That's a polite way of saying that it is smaller than most other Center Parcs. The idea is that you do extra activities in the Haute Campine National Park, which is near to the resort.
Bear in mind that you have to pay extra for most activities at Center Parcs.
If we just look at the seven Center Parcs Europe sites with the best reviews, there are between about 50 and 130 activities on offer, so a little lower than the UK parks:
- Center Parcs Le Bois Aux Daims in France - 131 activities
- Center Parcs De Vossemeren in Belgium - 127
- Center Parcs Het Meerdal in the Netherlands - 112
- Center Parcs Erperheide in Belgium - 98
- Center Parcs Park Bostalsee in Germany - 80
- Center Parcs Villages Nature Paris in France - 71
- Center Parcs Terhills Resort in Belgium - 46
However, these numbers might not tell the whole story. Some similar activities at the UK Center Parcs are counted several times. For example, when we looked at Elveden Forest activities, squash was listed three times in different formats whilst bowling was listed as two different activities depending on how long you play for.
Honestly, I think Center Parcs UK or Center Parcs Europe will offer plenty of activities for a week's holiday. The exception is Center Parcs Terhills Resort in Belgium, which is sold as being 'perfectly proportioned resort'. That's a polite way of saying that it is smaller than most other Center Parcs. The idea is that you do extra activities in the Haute Campine National Park, which is near to the resort.
Bear in mind that you have to pay extra for most activities at Center Parcs.
Center Parcs Erperheide in Belgium offers a good range of activities...
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...as does Center Parcs Vossemeren in Belgium
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Are Center Parcs Europe swimming pools as good as Center Parcs UK's swimming pools?
Anyone who has been to a Center Parcs in the UK will know that the swimming pool/waterpark is one of the main attractions. The best ones have several flumes, a wave machine and rapids which drag you round on your bottom whilst you try to avoid bumping into strangers.
In the UK, these swimming pools/waterparks are called 'Subtropical Paradise'. In Europe, they are usually called 'Aqua Mundo', meaning water world (nothing to do with the Kevin Costner film).
With a big of searching, we found reviews for each waterpark. The Center Parcs UK Subtropical Paradises all score between 4.6/5 and 4.8/5 on Google reviews (which is a pretty impressive level of consistency). Longleat gets the highest score, whilst Whinfell comes second and the other three are in joint third place.
For Center Parcs Europe, it is a bit more varied. About two thirds of the Center Parcs in Europe score 4/5 or higher for their waterparks, whilst about a third score lower then 4/5. Here's how the 'Aqua Mundo' waterparks rate for the seven Center Parcs that we've included in our comparison:
So, whilst the UK Center Parcs have the best scores for their waterparks, there are Center Parcs in Germany, France, Netherlands and Belgium that come very close. Terhills Resors scores a little lower because its pool is notably smaller than most Center Parcs swimming pools.
Center Parcs Park Allgäu in Germany is also worth a mention. Its Aqua Mundo gets a very impressive score of 4.4/5. However, the overall reviews for the park are much lower at 68%, so we are less inclined to recommend it for a holiday. You can do day visits to Center Parcs in Europe, so this might be a good one to visit if you are on holiday in Southern Germany.
If the swimming pool/waterpark is important to you, my advice is to check our pages about Center Parcs in Germany, France, the Netherlands and Belgium to read more about the swimming pool ratings or search for the park you are interested in alongside the words 'Aqua Mundo' to read reviews.
In the UK, these swimming pools/waterparks are called 'Subtropical Paradise'. In Europe, they are usually called 'Aqua Mundo', meaning water world (nothing to do with the Kevin Costner film).
With a big of searching, we found reviews for each waterpark. The Center Parcs UK Subtropical Paradises all score between 4.6/5 and 4.8/5 on Google reviews (which is a pretty impressive level of consistency). Longleat gets the highest score, whilst Whinfell comes second and the other three are in joint third place.
For Center Parcs Europe, it is a bit more varied. About two thirds of the Center Parcs in Europe score 4/5 or higher for their waterparks, whilst about a third score lower then 4/5. Here's how the 'Aqua Mundo' waterparks rate for the seven Center Parcs that we've included in our comparison:
- Center Parcs Le Bois Aux Daims in France - 4.4/5
- Center Parcs Erperheide in Belgium - 4.4/5
- Center Parcs Het Meerdal in the Netherlands - 4.3/5
- Center Parcs Villages Nature Paris in France - 4.3/5
- Center Parcs De Vossemeren in Belgium - 4.2/5
- Center Parcs Park Bostalsee in Germany - 4.1/5
- Center Parcs Terhills Resort in Belgium - 4/5
So, whilst the UK Center Parcs have the best scores for their waterparks, there are Center Parcs in Germany, France, Netherlands and Belgium that come very close. Terhills Resors scores a little lower because its pool is notably smaller than most Center Parcs swimming pools.
Center Parcs Park Allgäu in Germany is also worth a mention. Its Aqua Mundo gets a very impressive score of 4.4/5. However, the overall reviews for the park are much lower at 68%, so we are less inclined to recommend it for a holiday. You can do day visits to Center Parcs in Europe, so this might be a good one to visit if you are on holiday in Southern Germany.
If the swimming pool/waterpark is important to you, my advice is to check our pages about Center Parcs in Germany, France, the Netherlands and Belgium to read more about the swimming pool ratings or search for the park you are interested in alongside the words 'Aqua Mundo' to read reviews.
Center Parcs Les Bois aux Daims has one of the best swimming pools in Europe
How long does it take to travel to Center Parcs Europe?
Here’s an area where Center Parcs UK will come out on top, but by how much? The UK sites are well spaced out around the country so most people should be able to get to one of the five sites within a couple of hours.
- If you live in Scotland or the North of England, Whinfell Forest in Cumbria is closest
- If you live in the West Midlands, East Midlands and Yorkshire then Sherwood Forest in Nottinghamshire is closest
- If you live in the Westcountry, Longleat Forest in Wiltshire is closest
- If you live in East Anglia or London then Elveden Forest in Suffolk or Woburn Forest in Bedfordshire will be closest
Le Bois Aux Daims gets good reviews but it's a bit further away than several other European Center Parcs
Getting to some the Center Parcs in Europe takes a bit longer but it's not actually all that tricky, particularly if you live towards the South of England.
If you’re in the South East of England, I would get the Eurotunnel/Le Shuttle from Folkestone, which takes 35 minutes. When we checked, a return for a car and passengers on Eurotunnel cost from about £250 in August 2026 or from about £200 in October.
You can then drive from Calais to the highest-rated Center Parcs in the following times:
Door to door from London, Center Parcs Erperheide can be reached in about six or seven hours from Central London - as long as you don't end up waiting too long at the Eurotunnel/Le Shuttle.
Obviously, there are many other routes into Europe by ferry that leave from Portsmouth, Plymouth and other UK ports. There are also other Center Parcs which are a bit nearer, but I personally would go for the ones with the better reviews.
The closest Center Parcs Europe for UK visitors is Center Parcs Park de Haan in Belgium. It is only 1 hour 25 minutes from Calais, but its review scores aren't as good as the selection above (it scores 68% on average) and it isn't particularly cheap. Personally, I would travel a little further to one of the resorts we've mentioned above.
If you’re in the South East of England, I would get the Eurotunnel/Le Shuttle from Folkestone, which takes 35 minutes. When we checked, a return for a car and passengers on Eurotunnel cost from about £250 in August 2026 or from about £200 in October.
You can then drive from Calais to the highest-rated Center Parcs in the following times:
- Center Parcs Erperheide, Belgium - 3 hours
- Center Parcs Villages Nature Paris, France - 3 hours
- Center Parcs De Vossemeren, Belgium – 3 hours
- Center Parcs Het Meerdal, Netherlands - 3 hour 30 mins
- Center Parcs Terhills Resort - 3 hours 30 mins
- Center Parcs Park Bostalsee, Germany – 5 hours
- Center Parcs Le Bois Aux Daims, France – 5 hour 30m
Door to door from London, Center Parcs Erperheide can be reached in about six or seven hours from Central London - as long as you don't end up waiting too long at the Eurotunnel/Le Shuttle.
Obviously, there are many other routes into Europe by ferry that leave from Portsmouth, Plymouth and other UK ports. There are also other Center Parcs which are a bit nearer, but I personally would go for the ones with the better reviews.
The closest Center Parcs Europe for UK visitors is Center Parcs Park de Haan in Belgium. It is only 1 hour 25 minutes from Calais, but its review scores aren't as good as the selection above (it scores 68% on average) and it isn't particularly cheap. Personally, I would travel a little further to one of the resorts we've mentioned above.
Center Parcs Vossemeren is about three hours from Calais
Conclusion - is Center Parcs Europe better and cheaper than Center Parcs UK?
Having holidayed at Center Parcs in the UK and Center Parcs in Europe, my view is that the European parks can offer much better value for a week-long holiday - but the UK resorts are usually more convenient for short breaks.
In terms of reviews and activities, Center Parcs Europe competes well with Center Parcs UK as long as you do some research and choose the better parks.
And yes, it would seem to be true that Center Parcs Europe is usually much cheaper than Center Parcs UK for accommodation.
However, it's important to look at the full cost including travel rather than just the cost of accommodation.
During August and Easter, we found that the difference in price was pretty significant. A family of four staying for a week in August could save themselves about £700 - £1000. At Easter, you could could easily pay £1000 - £1500 more for a UK resort than a decent European Center Parcs resort.
Unsurprisingly though, the difference for off peak holidays was less significant (about £300-£700 in our price comparison). We looked at prices for a seven day holiday. The savings will be smaller if you just stay for a weekend.
As a very rough guide you can expect to pay at least £400 in extra travel costs if you go to a Center Parcs in Europe once you've paid to get over the Channel and for fuel.
That gobbles up quite a lot of your savings for an off-peak holiday or for a weekend away. And then of course there's the extra time you'll spend travelling rather than actually at the accommodation. When we stayed at Center Parcs Erperheide, we also had to pay for European breakdown cover (about £50), foreign driving cover (I paid £28) and travel insurance (about £20). If you don't already have passports then that adds about £300 for a family of four.
Personally, I'd consider Center Parcs Europe for a week or two in school holidays but would go for Center Parcs UK for off-peak holidays or for a weekend.
Finally, if you go for Center Parcs Europe make sure you compare prices on CenterParcs.eu with CenterParcs.fr as there can be a significant difference in price for the same holiday.
In terms of reviews and activities, Center Parcs Europe competes well with Center Parcs UK as long as you do some research and choose the better parks.
And yes, it would seem to be true that Center Parcs Europe is usually much cheaper than Center Parcs UK for accommodation.
However, it's important to look at the full cost including travel rather than just the cost of accommodation.
During August and Easter, we found that the difference in price was pretty significant. A family of four staying for a week in August could save themselves about £700 - £1000. At Easter, you could could easily pay £1000 - £1500 more for a UK resort than a decent European Center Parcs resort.
Unsurprisingly though, the difference for off peak holidays was less significant (about £300-£700 in our price comparison). We looked at prices for a seven day holiday. The savings will be smaller if you just stay for a weekend.
As a very rough guide you can expect to pay at least £400 in extra travel costs if you go to a Center Parcs in Europe once you've paid to get over the Channel and for fuel.
That gobbles up quite a lot of your savings for an off-peak holiday or for a weekend away. And then of course there's the extra time you'll spend travelling rather than actually at the accommodation. When we stayed at Center Parcs Erperheide, we also had to pay for European breakdown cover (about £50), foreign driving cover (I paid £28) and travel insurance (about £20). If you don't already have passports then that adds about £300 for a family of four.
Personally, I'd consider Center Parcs Europe for a week or two in school holidays but would go for Center Parcs UK for off-peak holidays or for a weekend.
Finally, if you go for Center Parcs Europe make sure you compare prices on CenterParcs.eu with CenterParcs.fr as there can be a significant difference in price for the same holiday.
FAQ – Center Parcs UK vs Europe
Is Center Parcs Europe cheaper than Center Parcs UK?
Yes, Center Parcs Europe is usually cheaper than Center Parcs UK. In our comparison of summer, Easter and autumn holidays, the cheapest European resorts were up to £1250 cheaper for a week-long stay. However, in some cases there wasn't much difference in price. Travel costs such as Eurotunnel tickets and fuel can wipe out your savings, particularly on shorter breaks.
Which Center Parcs Europe is closest to the UK?
The closest Center Parcs resorts for UK visitors is Park de Haan in Belgium, which is about 90 minutes' drive from Calais. However, we recommend driving about 3 - 4 hours where you've got a choice of several of the best Center Parcs in Europe, including De Vossemeren and Erperheide.
That means a total travel time of roughly six to seven hours from London.
See our blog about which is the closest Center Parcs Europe to the UK?
That means a total travel time of roughly six to seven hours from London.
See our blog about which is the closest Center Parcs Europe to the UK?
Are Center Parcs Europe swimming pools as good as the UK?
Center Parcs Europe waterparks are called Aqua Mundo, whilst in the UK they are called Subtropical Paradise pools. Some of the Aqua Mundo pools are a similar size to the UK equivalents, but others are much smaller and less interesting. Many score between 82% and 88% from reviewers, compared with about 92% - 96% for the UK pools. Two of the highest rated swimming pools in Europe can be found at Center Parcs Le Bois Aux Daims and Center Parcs Erperheide.
Is it cheaper to book Center Parcs Europe through CenterParcs.fr?
Yes, usually. We compared hundreds of prices for the same holidays on the Dutch, French, German and EU-wide versions of the Center Parcs Europe website. We found that the CenterParcs.fr was cheapest or joint cheapest on three out of four searches.
Is Center Parcs UK owned by the same company as Center Parcs Europe?
No, Center Parcs Europe and Center Parcs UK have been running as separate companies since 2001. They share a lot of the same branding, ethos and activities but they aren't run by the same company. You'll also see the two companies referred to as Centre Parcs, Center Parks, Centerparcs and Centreparcs - but they all mean the same thing.
