How to spend your Weekend in Centerparcs

Whether you’re a child, a teenager or a full-grown adult, CenterParcs is the absolute best short break location in the UK.  There are 6 unique locations across the UK, all with plenty of activities, lodge options and miles of cycling opportunities for you and your friends or family to have a fun filled weekend.  My best girlfriends and I spent a weekend in the Longleat village this January and managed to squeeze plenty in so that I can pass all of my top tips on to you!

Starting off with the accommodation, we stayed in a pine lodge which slept up to 4 people and was located just a 5 minute walk from the Subtropical paradise rapids.  We paid extra when booking to choose the location of our lodge as the Pine area spans over a large area of the forest, no matter how many times I visit I will never get over to sheer size of the Centerparcs plot!  In our lodge we had a kitchen, dining area, lounge, 2 bathrooms and a small outside decking area, perfect for a bbq (also provided) on a summer evening.  There are so many lodge options to accommodate different group sizes and budgets, there are apartments, 2 storey treehouses and the brand new luxury treehouse lodges.

We arrived on the Friday for the 3 night stay option (Arrival/departure days are Monday’s or Fridays) so as soon as we got there we parked up and went straight to explore before our lodge was ready.  The lodges are ready from 4pm but you can arrive from 10am to make the most of your first day.  We had a wander, picked up our hired bikes (Essential!), got to know the map, checked out the restaurants and made all our bookings for the weekend ahead. 

TOP TIP:  Book all meals and activities in advance before they get filled up to avoiding missing out!  The Pancake House books up super fast so get your booking in ASAP.

Once you’ve found your feet and grabbed some lunch on day one, it’ll be time to unload the car and move into your short term home.  The car park barrier is lifted between 4pm and 10pm on Arrival days for you to drive to your lodge, unload and then re park, but the queue to get out of the car park can get long at 4pm so I recommend getting there as soon as you can and make sure you know which area of the village your lodge is in as there are lots of signs to follow!  Our first activity once unpacked had to be the famous outdoor rapids in the Subtropical Paradise.  You don’t need to book for the pool and it is open until 9pm so I definitely recommend a night swim.  They’ve recently added new slides to the pool too, both are rubber ring slides that fit 2-4 people, one for the adrenaline junkies that’s for sure!

Unpacking out of the way, activities can begin… We started off with a nice long cycle to the Sports plaza where we had booked a Badminton court for 45 minutes.  The Sports plaza is a great place to go for an activity packed day, with pottery painting, interactive squash, badminton, tennis, roller skating, snooker, rock climbing, bowling and even mini football pitches.  There’s also dance studios for gym classes, Bollywood dancing and morning stretches to start the day right.  As well as activities there is a sport bar and restaurant as well as their own Starbucks so you really could spend a whole day there!  

Right outside the Sports Plaza is the lake, which is surrounded by more outdoor activities such as the Aerial adventure high ropes.  We did this on Day 2 which lucky for us was a beautiful sunny day, perfect for zip lining 100 feet over a lake after working your way through a 20 feet high obstacle course!  This is a great activity for adult groups or families with older children to bond in the air and face your fears with friends.  There are loads of booking slots for this during the day but make sure to book in advance to fit your whole group in together. There’s also a kids version of the high ropes which is slightly lower for any littlier people on your trip or they can enjoy the various mini parks beneath the high ropes, firmly on the ground!  Or if water is more your thing, there are paddle boats (or electric versions) on the lake that you can hire for up to an hour and chill on the water.

In the evenings there are plenty of restaurants, mostly within the Subtropical paradise, such as Las Iguanas, Bella Italia and Centerparcs’ own ‘Huck’s American Bar and Grill’.  Or you can spend the evening in your lodge making your own meal and snacks, there is a supermarket on site if you run out of ingredients don’t worry, it’s just a little pricey so pack all the essentials before you arrive!

The next day you may want a bit more of a chilled out day, this could be spent cycling around the site, trying the delicious Pancake House, (Remember to book) or possibly walking around their Winter forest light walks if you’re visiting in the Winter time.  To keep the kids busy, there’s pony rides/visits (Reindeers over the Christmas period), pottery painting, diving experiences, quad biking, Segway tours, build a bear making and even cooking lessons.  Every activity is an additional cost so budgeting is super important if you’re planning on a busy weekend.  Check out my Budgeting in Centerparcs blog (coming soon) for more info on prices!

Last but not least, for a super chilled out day… the Aqua Sana Spa.  Located right by the lake it is completely zen from the moment you arrive, with loads of treatments and offers available it’s a perfect opportunity to escape the crazy weekend you’ve had.  Since the treatments book out fast I wasn’t able to try one for myself however I booked in for a 3 hour spa experience which gave me full access to the pool and the huge selection of relaxing rooms surrounding it.  There’s a wide variety of massages and facials that need to be booked in advance, as well as a nail and hair salon too!

On departure day the car park barrier is open from 5am to get your car packed back up, but you don’t have to leave straight away…  Although you may have to be out of your lodge and return your bikes by 10am you have use of all of the facilities all day!  Make the most of your last go of the rapids or even book in one last activity before you go.  We decided to try our luck at The Pancake house and experience the BEST pancakes and waffles to finish the trip off right!  

TOP TIP: If you don’t manage to book at the Pancake House, your best bet is to go one hour before it closes, right after last booking is going in.  This is your best opportunity of grabbing a possible free table!

To summarise, there are endless opportunities to keep you busy for your Centerparcs trip which makes it not only a great family trip but the perfect girls (and boys) trip away!  We honestly had the best weekend and only had to drive 2 hours to get there, it’s an absolute must do. Find your nearest Centerparcs and book your trip NOW, I promise you won’t regret it.