Center Parcs Holland

[Dec66]

Anybody ever been to Center Parcs in Holland? We are looking at possibly going to Port Zeeland, Zandvoort or De Eemhof for next year, as we are sick of having our kecks pulled down in Britain for the cost of a stay. Even with the post-Brexit devaulation, the petrol and the ferry, it's still much cheaper to go over there.

So, any experiences?

 

[threebikesmcginty]

I'll let you know in three weeks.

 

[Crackle]

Do they speak English? I said.......DO..........THEY...........SPEAK..........ENGLISH?

 

[Crackle]

Better than most people from the Wirral....

At least its comprehensible.

Pah.

 

[pplpilot]

Do they speak English? I said.......DO..........THEY...........SPEAK..........ENGLISH?

Yep and you can get a full English breakfast, fish and chips, there's football and Chubby Brown on the TV in all the bars..

 

[Piemaster]

Stayed at both of them a few years ago when kids were younger. Full of Germans, but having stayed in another place in Holland at the end of UK school holidays it was quiet - the schools across there seem to go back earlier, dunno if they are more in line with the Scottish school holidays.
Food was cheap at first, then got more expensive to eat at the restaurant, but that was down to the prices for the kids increasing as they got older.
Beach is a few minutes cycle from Port Zeland - huge and empty. Wish I'd taken the chance to try a blokart (land yacht). They did hire nice keelboats out at CP - we took one out for a couple of hours. At no point did anyone as us if we could actually sail! Lot more laid back than the UK.

Port Zeland was also the shortest distance I've ever driven for a holiday. Couple of miles to ferry terminal and 20+ on the other side . By the time the ferry was included it wasn't any cheaper than the UK. But it wasn't the UK

 

[lazybloke]

I've been going over the channel to Centerparcs for years. It's the cheapest option during school hols, even with ferry coats and the weak pound.
they don't have quite the gloss of the UK sites- the European ones have home grown restaurants rather than high street chains, but that gives them some charm of their own. It's definitely more of an escape than any UK site.

I took my family to eemhof earlier this year. The site might feel small if not for the lake and the sports activities it offers. There's also a Naturist resort next door.

enjoy the motorway there. The forks and junctions through Ghent and Antwerp are troublesome even with satnav.

Belgian parks esp vossemeren are good. French ones feel slightly erm, French, but Lac d'Ailetten is a very easy drive from Calais

 

[Dec66]

French ones feel slightly erm, French, but Lac d'Ailetten is a very easy drive from Calais

What do you mean by this?

Language? Food? Ambience? Comfort? Hygiene standards?

 

[lazybloke]

What do you mean by this?
Language? Food? Ambience? Comfort? Hygiene standards?

Ambiance and friendliness. The Center Parcs staff in Belgium and the Netherlands are incredibly friendly and sincere. The French are good but don't quite hit the same standard in my opinion. And the French villas feel a bit tired/unloved; not so well maintained maybe.

It's minor - I've been back to the French sites several times and I'm sure I'll continue to do so. Have been to 8 sites in 4 countries so far.