Center Parcs

review of Center Parcs Les Bois Francs

Reasons to Visit:

domed tropical pool/village
fine cuisine & kids meals too
many activities for kids
large outdoors setting
location near Paris

Center Parcs: Les Bois-Franc

Bottom Line: affordable getaways for families, popular in Europe, with a great concept: huge tropical domes area with indoor water park, spa, restaurants.

	Center Parcs: general
•	Center Parcs is a chain of "holiday villages" in northern Europe that offer getaways for families
•	Les Bois-Francs, near Paris, has 310 hectares, a lake, horseback riding, nine holes of golf, and a chateau.
•	The centerpiece is a beautifully landscaped tropical dome, with indoor waterpark (with slide, kiddie pool, waves), attractive restaurants, grocery store, etc.
•	Activities, free or at modest cost: horseback riding, trampolines, archery, wall climbing, kids programs during holidays, minigolf, golf, theme bowling...

Review: Center Parcs Les Bois Francs

Note to North American: sure, what draws us to Europe are Great Sights and Cities. But there's much to be said for also visiting a place with kid-fun-- where European families head for their own holidays.

Center Parcs has "holiday villages" in France, Germany, England, Belgium, and the Netherlands. My three boys and I visited Les Bois Francs, 120 km west of Paris, and found that every aspect surpassed our expectations.

Center Parcs: overview

Though it's possible to arrive by train from Paris and be met by a special shuttle, we rented a car and arrived late in the evening. Hungrily seeking a restaurant, we hurried to the dome that's the center-piece of every Center Parcs. There we found the lush bamboo of a jungle-themed restaurant; my boys played in a pirate-boat while we waited for dinner. Voila: they had kids' meals with plastic parrots in their ice cream; I dined on moules a la creme.

Center Parcs: cottages

Our cottage had three large bedrooms, a good-sized kitchen (-the resort had a well-stocked grocery store), dining area, large living room with fireplace, and split bathrooms. Many of Center Parcs' visitors are three-generation families: grandmama and grandpapa come along too.

Center Parcs: prices

All this fun and comfort came with a good price-tag for a weekend that included three nights, from Friday afternoon until Monday morning, and that included a cottage for four plus access to the pool and kids' play areas. Check Center Parcs for current rates.

A note about price: "Kids Stay Free" pricing, common in North America, is rare in Europe; often you'll pay for a bed for each person, even a six-year-old. So Center Parcs has bargain-pricing built into its cottage rates.

Center Parcs: meals

The Buffet meal plan at the family-friendly Market Restaurant offered salads, grills, pasta, rice, fruit, and desserts for a reasonable price for a three-night weekend. Kids can eat from the kids' menus at the restaurants; or you can buy delicious snacks at the bakery. Some Center Parcs locations have a Fine Dining plan.

My three-word summary, about Les Bois-Francs: Vive Center Parcs: great concept, executed with style.

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