Center Parcs - money off vouchers

Pennylane

Am off to Center Parcs tomorrow for a midweek break.

Am looking to see whether there are vouchers/discount coupons for meals, reduced activity fees out there or reductions in bike hire maybe???

I have got a 3 bed Villa Mon-Fri for about £200, which I'm very happy with. I just looked at their site on Fri and there were some offers on and I phoned and got it. I think I saved £150 ish!! Hope this helps someone else - but you need to be able to go straight away.

Thanks in advance.

Arcana

I'm going tomorrow too, to Elveden.
Paid about the same as you just to find out later that all the activities are at extortionate prices

I've done quite a bit of searching the last few days and unfortunately haven't seen any money off vouchers. I don't think they even exist, but I'd be happy to be proven wrong.

Kez100

Some restaurants take tesco clubcard deals, we used Cafe Rouge when at Longleat, but you are a bit late to order those now. Other than that, I can't think of any offers apart from the night time spa offers they do.

Honestly, you lot would moan at anything! You have a break for £200 which many people will have to pay 4x+ in school holidays (we paid £600 over Easter). Stop moaning about the prices of the other activities - which you don't have to do, self cater and enjoy cycling, walking and the wonderful swimming.

Pennylane

Kez - bit of a sweeping statement that!!:rolleyes: I'm NOT moaning .....I said I'm very happy actually. I was just ASKING if there were any discounts on other bits & pieces because usually I go somewhere and when I get back people say "you should have ..." or "didn't you realise ..."

I know the activities (apart from swimming) can be expensive. I went once years ago. We will mainly self cater but would like maybe a couple of meals out. We are now taking our own bikes, DH went and bought me a bike rack!!

You take it easy Kez!!;)

Kez100

Apologies, my reaction was aimed at Arcana. I tend to get a little short tempered at the 'I booked a cheap break somewhere where I am a captive audience and didn't stop to consider that they may charge top price for things once I am inside' .

For the meals out there you can't do any better than the tesco deals but I fear it's a bit late to get them now. I was very surprised they took them but they did. You'll need to know which outlets are at your CP though as we went to Longleat where they had Cafe Rouge and, I think, Ortega (something like that).

We have been going to CP since Longleat opened and I have never seen any activity discounts other than those offered in their own brochure (like twilight spa, morning ten pin bowling and family evening Jardin Des Sports leisure pass). The twilight spa (about £25 for 3 hours) was a brilliant price for the facilities at Longleat which I doubt could be surpassed at any spa in the UK.

Arcana

Kez100:
You know, I wouldn't have minded if they made the prices available on the site so you know what you're in for, but it just seems a bit conceiving if you ask me, to charge rather high rates for everything without the slightest mention on the site.
I know Butlins is not as nice but at least you can do things without spending £100s of pounds each day. I mean, Quad biking is £60, scuba diving £30, abseiling, climbing etc. £20 each.
I'll probably end up playing table tennis, swimming and bowling which is ok, but not quite what I had in mind.

Kez100

TBH we rarely have time to do anything other than swimming at Longleat (apart from eat and cycle to and fro our accommodation that is!). It really is a lovely, lovely pool and open until 10 at night -swimming outside at night is a real experience!

We had some free vouchers (from Tesco again) to go into Longleat safari park as, I thought, as we were going in school holidays everything would be so chock a block we would get fed up. We never went! (Can use the vouchers other places than goodness). All we did this time was the twilight spa whilemy parents took the children swimming - again! -and we met them after in the pool.

The only CP I have experience of is LLand I hope your site is just as good for walking, cycling and swimming as honestly - the midweek break will fly!

Pennylane

Back from my mid week break - lucky with the weather and feel really healthy from all the cycling, walking & swimming.

Didn't take part in any other activites because a) we were quite happy doing our own thing and b) they WERE expensive. Even the horse riding was silly money and was for 45 mins which included travelling time - how MEAN is that?

Staff were friendly & helpful but I was quite surprised that the shops closed so early in the evenings and the main square was just about deserted.

No money saving suggestions for you guys I'm afraid - although I did keep an eye open! Oh, if you fancy a nice free range egg for breakfast - take your own - the shop wanted nearly £2 for SIX!!

bank_of_slate

Center Parcs is as expensive as you want to make it!

We go twice a year, just come back from Sherwood and booked again this morning for Whinfell in October (we tend to alternate)

Our rules are
1, take groceries and plan meals, the kitchens are brilliant and it's easy to make really nice meals in them
2, save our £2 coins for spending money - the last few times we've ended up with £140 ish to spend
3, Have 1 nice booked meal out as a family - this is a real treat and we find 1 restaurant meal is enough for the 3 day weekend
4, book 1 carefully chosen activity per child - In June hubby & son did field archery for 1 1/2 hours while me and our little girl enjoyed messy time.
Sometimes we will book one session of bowling too!

To be honest the kids want to be in the swimming paradise most of the time, we tend not to hire bikes, we really enjoy the walking, and creature/nature spotting. If we were on bikes we'd whizz past things and not see them.
...Linda xx