Center Parcs Erperheide *****

My wife, my 2 children (6 and 2) visited Center Parcs Erperheide during the October half term last year having booked it for something a little different than what we usually do (beaches). After looking at the CP website and choosing Erperheide and paying our deposit I started to worry. Well I need not have. Our midweek break at the end of October when we expected rain and got sunshine for the most part was great. Lots of activities for the kids to do, if they like swimming you could spend hours and hours in the Aqua Mundo and not know where the time had gone. Lifejackets for the little ones who cannot swim are provided so no issues there. Our toddler loved the small flume for younger children which arrives in a shallow pool at the bottom with a sand pit where most of the parents wait. Outside there are all the usual activities you get at CP, cycling, archery, pedal boats on the lake etc. There was an added surprise for us in that their huge warehouse like indoor soft play area (slides, ball ponds etc etc), Baluba, is completely free with a cafe inside (alright a little over priced) so you can enjoy a coffee or beer and watch over the kids. Accommodation We had a Premium Villa in area 3 which is not much different to a standard but you get a TV in the larger bedroom and towels thrown in. Villa was clean, newly renovated and well heated for if you go in winter. Dishwasher in the kitchen so don't forget the tablets. No oven though just a microwave grill affair which we didn't really use as you'll read below. Food We took their Breakfast Arrangement whereby a delivery of fresh bread and pastries is made to your door each morning around 8 am which along with the cold meats, eggs and milk they leave you with this when you arrive was well worth it..we don't each much first thing so ended up making up rolls for lunch with it and taking them around the part with us including into the swimming pool area. Dinner was their buffet which there was plenty of but drinks are expensive. Each night had a different theme which was a nice touch and they have standard kiddie type foods for the younger ones. Overall Not much bad to say about the place really except the drinks were pretty expensive by Belgian standards. We all enjoyed it so much we've booked the same again for this summer.

We stayed one week during July 2011. It was absolutely wonderful vacation. We stayed there with 3 children, age 1/5/8 years, and they all had absolutely wonderful time. All that is written at Internet site is true! Best place to travel with small children. Super nice Service.

After reading some of the reviews on here i was a little worried about this trip, but we have stayed at various Centre Parcs around Europe and never been disappointed so far...i am pleased to say this time was no exception, however this parc is definately smaller than all the other parcs we have visited previously. The booking in system was very quick and easy, staff were very polite and friendly. Our Villa ( 8 person) was very spacious,clean, comfortable and well equipt although it did not have a dishwasher but instead had 2 fridges which for us was great, as we only ate out 1 night on site so lots of food to store and we are more than capable of washing up. The parc is a definate visit if you have small children, there are fantastic play areas and activities both indoor and out for them and the Aqua Mundo swimming pool has an amazing range of pools and beach area just for small children. We visited with teenagers and had a wonderful time, as the parc is geared more for the younger visitors, the large slides and rapids in the pools were never too busy. They had a great time on the 'Big Swing', 'High Adventure' pedalos. bowling playing tennis, badminton, table tennis and crazy golf. We booked a horse and carriage trip to the local dairy farm, which was wonderful. We always take our own bikes with us and really enjoyed the many cycle routes in and around the parc. We had great fun at the family games night and casino evening, the entertainers very good and although we were the only English party there on both evenings they made us feel very welcome. On our last evening we ate at the Market Buffet restaurant and at 24.95 euros per adult, it was very good value. A wonderful holiday was had by all.

We have just returned from a week in Erperheide. The chalet (we had one which sleeps 5) is best described as compact even though there were only 3 adults and a young child in our party. The kitchenette has a dishwasher, gas hob and very small microwave - no ovens are provided. The bathroom has an over the bath shower, sink and toilet. We did feel quite secluded, and although there are obviously other chalets very close by, the height of the trees and the fact that we were on the end of a block meant we didn't feel overlooked at all. We had paid the extra 30 Euros or so for a specific cottage after my husband spent a long time poring over the map, and we think it was worthwhile. We had the linen package, so the beds were made up on arrival and we were provided with towels. The towels were a bit thin, but we used them at the pool (none provided there) and used our own in the cottage. There were a couple of issues with cleanliness and repairs, but once reported these were dealt with promptly and efficiently. I would recommend the buffet breakfast in the Market Place, which we had every day. There is plenty of food to choose from, a small play area for young children and more than enough to make up sandwiches for lunch, so the cost (about 13 Euros per adult, 7 for children) covered two meals. We did try the "Fun cooking" BBQ package which contained so much food, it provided nearly three lots of meals for us. And we don't skimp on our food! Our two experiences of eating in the Market Cafe - one lunch and one tea, were not good. Poor service, limited food choice, poor quality food. Much better to stick to DIY. Once we had settled all of this, we spent very little else in a weeks worth of holiday. Our 3 year old was in the pool for a couple of hours every day, the soft play was also well used but can get a bit boisterous for small ones. The childrens farm and playground were big hits as were simple pleasures like feeding the ducks (thankyou breakfast buffet for supplying rolls) and playing on the bikes chained up outside the bike hut. We didn't bother to hire a bike as this park is quite small and easily walkable. The advertised "wannabe" activities are parent-free zones and our little one is a bit shy so these were not suitable for us. There are tennis courts (untried) and probably the most confusing trim trail of all time, but we tried every morning anyway. We had a morning out in Peer (only 2km away) which was nice. Wonderful interactive tourist centre, Breugel museum (tourist office give you the key and you show yourself round). We had a great lunch in Marktzicht, Drossaardplein 8 in Peer - the most magnificent salads ever. There are supermarkets in Peer but if you have little ones please note the only place to get fresh full milk is in the shop in Centerparcs itself. We got a few things there and to be fair found the prices pretty comparable with the outside supermarkets. Overall great for families, esp those with young children. We live not far away and would consider returning for a weekend. Oh, and our dog loved it too!

We went here for the Easter long weekend. This is a great place for kids (we have kids aged 4 and 6). Lots of activities both inside and out and the entertainment for kids is great! Our boys would gladly return. The bike rental is def. a must as there are some lovely areas to bike outside the park. The price/quality of the restaurant is below average. We went to the food market and the pizza/pasta buffet. The food market was edible however the pizza/pasta buffet was not. We are not picky eaters but this was the worst meal we have ever had out. If you go here really recommend cooking. The grocery store is well stocked and has everything for a short stay. The cottages are comfortable but could use updating however it was clean and had what you needed.