Get on Your Bike for a Happy Family Break

MORE than 20 years ago, when taking a five-week trip to Europe with my young family, I decided to spend a week in Holland.

Who in their right mind would take a break in Holland, I can almost hear you say.

A good question, but a sojourn in the flat land of the tulip and windmill was necessary because it was partly a working holiday.

Naming things and people synonymous with Holland is almost as difficult as trying to name a famous Belgian, but here’s a few – Johann Cruyff, Heineken, tulips . . . and Center Parcs.

That trip to Holland included a stay in a woodland chalet with a central shops/bar/swimming area as the focal point.

I can’t remember whether the camp was a Center Parc, but one thing is for certain, if it was good then it is spectacular now.

Center Parcs is a kind of upmarket Butlins. It has wall-to-wall entertainment, is run with military-style precision, but offers the attraction of staying in a peaceful woodland setting that all but drowns out any noisy neighbours.

It is expensive – just a few days at one of its four parks dotted around England can set you back more than a two-week foreign holiday – but there’s no doubt that you get a whole lot for your money.

We chose the picturesque Oasis Whinfell (close to the edge of the stunning Lake District and just five minutes from the M6) for a birthday celebration that included the whole family – 11 of us in two chalets.

Chalets cater for nearly every size of party and fortunately we were very close together.

All chalets are clean and roomy, if a shade old-fashioned. They are fully kitted out for self-catering and all feature a barbecue area in their individual little back gardens.

The focal point of the parc is an enormous lake that features the huge glass-domed village on one side and the sporting activity centre on the other.

The village houses a swimming and leisure area the size of Blackpool, plus a host of shops, bars takeaways and a fully stocked but reasonable supermarket.

For the energetic, just a short walk away is the sporting equivalent of the village centre which houses just about every sporting activity known – badminton, table tennis, snooker, pool crown green bowling or tennis, it caters for everyone.

Added to that are Astro-turf pitches for football or hockey – most of which are under cover.

For the even more adventurous, there’s climbing, quad biking and horse- riding.

It’s a fantastic selection of activities but beware, they cost extra and you could end up paying a fortune if you get too carried away.

For a quieter life the park offers woodland nature trails for walking or stretching your legs on the obligatory bikes. There is a red squirrel conservation area and full attention is paid to keeping in harmony with the local environment.

Center Parcs prides itself on its eco-friendly credentials with a huge amount of waste material being recycled every year.

Evening entertainment is also wall-to-wall with a number of places to eat, including Chinese, French, Italian and curry restaurants. There is also Rock Legends if burgers are more to your taste. For night owlers a late bar and disco is also available.

Disabled and child facilities are first-class all round and staff are generally courteous and helpful.

Because of the size of the place, it is all but impossible to get around without a bike. There are plenty available, including ones with child trailers – but again this could set you back a considerable amount, so consider investing in a bike rack andtaking your own. Remember a lock as well, because a couple of bikes were stolen while we were on site.

I must admit I did have reservations about going to Center Parcs, but wouldn’t hesitate to return – especially with young grandchildren. Just keep an eye on the budget.

Factfile

A THREE-BED comfort Woodland Lodge at Oasis Whinfell for a weekend in June would be about pounds 444 per villa. A midweek break would be pounds 501.

A THREE-BED comfort plus Forest Lodge would be pounds 565 (weekend) and pounds 637 (midweek).

OTHER prices are available from the Center Parcs brochure or the website at www.centerparcs.co.uk