French Center Parcs: The Perfect Family Holiday Near Paris & Disney

We booked a French Center Parcs {Les Villages Nature Paris} mostly because it was a lot cheaper - and chicer - than the UK version, and because it conveniently put Paris and Disney within easy reach. What we didn’t expect was just how incredible it would be. It felt less like a budget compromise and more like a hidden gem — somewhere between a scaled-down Kinderhotel and a kind of family version of Soho Farmhouse, with bikes, Land of Legends adventure playgrounds, a farm and more activities than we could have ever fitted in! Our children didn’t actually want to leave here to go to Disney and we wished we’d booked longer. Here’s our full review and everything you need to know…

Getting there //

• We travelled in October half term and booked a night at the Premier Inn Folkestone {just £60 and a great comfy base} before an early crossing on Le Shuttle over to Calais {which made us marvel at how quick and easy it was!}

• We then drove down to Center Parcs which was around a 3.5 hour drive. We arrived just after lunch {stopping at a big hypermarket nearby to stock up on groceries - French supermarkets are heaven, if you know you know! and at a Feuilette - our favourite French patisserie}.

• You could also take the Eurostar to Paris though then connect via train to Disney or fly to Paris CDG and then either take the Magic Shuttle bus, pick up a car or use public transport or use a ride share app.

• On arrival you drive up to the check in cabins to receive your bracelets for your stay - make sure you get the right entrance, we didn’t originally and had to drive back around the motorway to reach the right one. Follow google maps rather than the signs. Cabins are not ready until 4pm but you can park up and use the facilities beforehand. We went swimming and had a wander around until our accommodation was ready.

Booking //

• We booked directly on the Villages Nature Paris website back in January and it was so worth it! Book early — we got 25% off with their early booking discount. They also included activity credit, which covered things like the chocolate workshop or pony riding. When you book direct, you can choose your exact cabin (location). Pay in euros rather than pounds to save around 10% on the exchange rate {we use a Revolut card to avoid foreign exchange fees, ad affiliate link}.

• OR: If you want to combine it with Disney, it does come under an official Disney partner hotel. You can book the resort via the Disneyland Paris website and get a “package” stay that includes Disney Park tickets (2- or 3-day) alongside the accommodation. 

  When booked through the Disney website, you should receive certain perks such as Extra Magic Time (early access to the parks) and free or included parking at the Disney Parks.

• The resort is located around 10 minutes by car from Disneyland Paris. Although the resort is marketed via Disneyland Paris and appears under “Disney area hotels”, it is not fully a “Disney hotel” in the traditional sense in terms of branding and location.

• When we booked we decided to do the 2 separately so we then stayed at Newport Bay for 1 night to do the Disney part. It worked out cheaper & gave us the characters, an easy walk to the park plus a nicer cabin v an apartment if booking through Disney. I’d also heard about long queues at reception to pick up Disney tickets at nature parcs whereas booking Newport bay gave us our passes on the app ready to use before checking in. 

• We felt like Center Parcs had so much there that it would be a shame to waste that time if we were out all day at Disney if that makes sense so preferred doing the two separately.

Accommodation — Your Home in the Heart of Nature

Whether you’re travelling as a couple, family, or in a group, there are so many different accommodation types. Choose from cosy apartments or spacious cottages designed for families up to 12 people. Some of the newest Premium and VIP cottages come with private terraces, whirlpool bathrooms, and large living spaces perfect for lazy mornings or game nights.

Inside your cottage or apartment you’ll typically find:

• Fully-equipped kitchens

• Comfortable living spaces with bright natural light and outdoor space

• Free Wi-Fi and modern amenities

We stayed in a 4p Comfort Cottage which looked like the below. It had 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms {although only one toilet} and then an open plan kitchen/living/dining room plus an outdoor terrace.

You can park outside your cabin to unload anything but then park back in the nearest car park, about a 5 minute walk to keep the areas car free.

We took our own kids bikes with us but you can hire them when you get there.

I’d read such mixed reviews about the whole place before we visited and so we had very low expectations. Some people report seeing rats or bugs. We went in October so I’m not sure if it would be different in the summer but we had no complaints accommodation wise, it included bedding & towels within our package - do double check that if booking as not all of Europe does as standard.

I packed extra tea towels, soap and washing up liquid which we didn’t really need but I would definitely take extra pillows - the pillows there were super thin!

The cottage also included a travel cot.

Swimming // AQUA MUNDO

Center Parcs are known for their epic swimming domes and this was no exception. It was a huge indoor and outdoor water park with slides for all ages. Our children loved coming here each day. There’s a whole outside lazy river, huge outdoor slides, obstacle courses over the water and outdoor splash pads {this bit is only open in the summer}. It’s impressively all geo thermally heated! Indoors there are wave pools, flumes, hot tubs and multiple water play areas for all ages. There’s also a cafe in there. It was amazing and I imagine in the summer months even more so enjoying the warm weather outside right next to the lake. We did go in the outdoor lazy river but the air temperature was cold above the water. Whether your kids want to zoom down slides or you want to float and relax, water play here can easily fill an afternoon. There are also lots of activities you can book in here on the app or at the kiosk in the middle.

Be aware that they are very strict on not allowing any outside food in, they check bags and do make sure you’re wearing only correct swim attire - we saw a few people get turned away by security guards. They provide life jackets for children. You use your wrist band as a locker key. I would say that it didn’t feel the cleanest in the changing areas and showers, I get a bit grossed out by things like that anyway and it was chilly in the changing parts {the UK Center Parcs we’ve been to had heated floors}, was busy and there are no regular sized pools for children to practice swimming per se, they’re all wave pools or lazy rivers or hot tub. But still, such an amazing activity that’s included and it wouldn’t put me off going back.

Activities //

One of the things that sets Villages Nature apart is its focus on nature experiences. We really loved the way it’s all set around a lake with beautiful natural planting, you can even spot wild beavers there!

There really is so much to do with cycle friendly paths around the whole park {it’s a large site!}. My husband and I didn’t cycle but we enjoyed walking behind the kids who could cycle safely around. There’s a main promenade which has shops, restaurants and entertainment.

It’s well worth getting the app to see what’s on during your stay. It also tells you what’s included and what is a paid extra.

🌱 BelleVie Farm — Get up close with cows, goats, ponies, and more, enjoy farm-themed workshops like bread-making, beekeeping or seasonal gardening, and play in indoor areas with tractor-themed slides.

🌳 Forest of Legends — A magical outdoor play space full of rope bridges, secret paths and treehouses perfect for kids’ imaginative adventures. This was such an impressive playground and then there are mini parks the whole way around the resort too.

🌼 Extraordinary Gardens — Four themed gardens inspired by earth, air, fire, and water, with interactive displays and scent-rich plantings that make exploring feel like a discovery walk.

From energetic adventures to relaxed explorations, there’s so much on offer:

• Segway and bike hire

• Mini golf and archery

• Canoeing and boat hire on the lake

• Forest trails and nature games with fairy and elf characters

• Escape rooms and obstacle courses.

• An action room with Climbing walls

Kids & Family Activities

• Soft play areas {we loved the epic soft play in the cafe at the farm, it’s open from 7.30am perfect for early starts}

• Kids’ clubs, stories and discos in the bowling alley each evening

• Seasonal workshops (crafts, gardening, animal care)

• Pony rides and beach games

• Spa treatments

• Aqua fitness, baby swimming and wellness classes.

• Driving school

• 4 x 4 off roading adventures for children

• In the summer there’s a beach area with sports activities too.

• We spent a lot of time at the forest adventure playground, soft play and farm which don’t cost anything extra. Then we booked the off road driving and chocolate making course.

• I think this is what makes it so great for all ages, there’s so much to do for everyone. Teens would love the freedom.

• I also liked that there was something to do no matter what the weather. It’s rare to find good indoor options!

  
  Food //

The Lakeside Promenade is your hub for:

Restaurants & Cafés — You’ll find a Vapiano Italian pizza restaurant, French creperie, burger restaurant, snacks, or a wine bar by the water. They all offer delivery services or take out too.
Bakery & Grocery — Pick up fresh pastries, baguettes, picnic supplies or essentials from the on-site supermarket that had a salad bar, a deli and pretty much most things you could wish for {a little bit of a higher price compared to the French hypermarkets nearby but obviously you don’t need to leave the site}. My children loved the make your own pancake machine there. And you can’t miss the BEST, award winning French patisserie. I was obsessed with their baguettes, pastries and cookies.

Entertainment & Shops — Fancy a round of bowling? Or a browse through boutiques and toy shops? The promenade keeps you entertained even off-season.

🚆 Easy Access to Disneyland Paris & Beyond

Despite being surrounded by nature, Villages Nature is also just minutes from:

• Disneyland Paris

• Val d’Europe shopping centre

• Paris by train for just 2.50 euros a ticket.

… if you can get your children to want to leave!

You can find out more and book here.

If it helps price wise, we paid £742, around 842 euros for 3 nights in a Comfort 2 bedroom cottage in October half term. We kept the cost down by self catering {bar a few patisserie visits}.

Our whole trip looked like: 3 nights at Center Parcs where we day tripped to Paris from and then 1 night/2 days at Disney.

If we went back, which we definitely plan to in the future, I’d spend longer there next time! As I mentioned above the reviews before we went were very mixed, I think especially if you need something whilst you’re there perhaps. It is a large resort and we went with the expectation of a self catering cottage rather than luxury resort. But this was our honest experience and other than the thin pillows & slightly cold/slightly dirty at times changing room floors, we didn’t have any complaints.

See THIS story highlight for more, this post for the total cost of everything and this post for Disneyland Paris tips.

I’ve shared a blog post on how we spent a day in Paris with kids here.

And as ever, let me know if you have any questions big or small. I know that it’s so hard to decide where to book and when travelling with kids, the little details can really make a difference.