The Perfect Family Summer Break: Centre Parcs Le Lac d’Ailette

We’d heard about European Centre Parcs and how great they are from friends, and had wanted to go for a few years, but now our children are that bit older - 5, 8 and 11 this summer seemed the perfect time to give one a try and enjoy a more active summer break. 

We’ve been to France as a family several times now and love the ease of the ferry (whole post on why ferries are an amazing way to travel, especially as a family), so we selected a French Centre Parcs Le Lac d’Ailette - also, all the Centre Parcs in Belgium were fully booked for the summer holidays when we looked in March! 

The European Centre Parcs book up early, and now we’ve been to one, we can see why! 

We already want to go back to the same Centre Parc and try lots of different ones too.

A Lodge by the Lake: Views, Quiet Nights & Cycling Everywhere

We chose to stay at Le Lac d’Ailette because we wanted to try a new ferry route, which was super reasonable, from Newhaven to Dieppe via DFDS ferries, and Le Lac d’Ailette was a comfortable 3-hour drive from the port. 

Also, with its natural lake and sandy shore ‘beach’, as well as woodland, we thought the setting looked beautiful. 

We selected a lodge that backed onto the lake (love that you can choose house number) and was slightly further out from the hub of the swimming pool and restaurants. 

For us, it was a great spot; quiet, with gorgeous views. 

One of our highlights was sitting outside every evening for dinner and a glass of wine. However, it was quite a distance from all the activities, so if you do choose a location further out, bikes or a buggy are a must. 

We hired bikes before we went, mainly because we thought it would be fun and they were reasonably priced, but actually cycling around became one of our highlights of the week as well as our super-useful mode of transport. 

It was great to be able to pop to the beach (by the Lake) shop, or travel to do other activities.

The choice of bikes from the hire shop was fab - our 5-year-old had only just learnt to cycle, so we hired a tag-along-bike (basically where a child’s bike minus the front wheel is attached to an adult’s bike) so she could pedal and join in but not have to get up and down the hills by herself. 

Our older two loved the independence of having their own bikes and went for mini bike rides just the two of them. All the bikes came with little keys so you could lock them up easily whilst swimming or using any of the facilities.

Aqua Mundo: The Subtropical Waterpark We Couldn’t Resist

This was another of our favourites! 

It was so much fun that we went every day during our stay. It’s a heated subtropical water park, with plants and trees inside - there are  13 slides, whirlpools, two wild rivers runs and a wave pool. 

Our highlights were the river runs or rapids and the flumes. It does get very busy, so we definitely recommend arriving at 10 am when it opens, which we managed to do most days. 

Fun for All Ages: Archery, Pony Rides, High Ropes & More

We tried a mix of the activities. We all hired an electric boat and a pedalo on the lake - the pedalo was our favourite. The lake and the areas you were allowed to go in weren’t that big, so the pedalo felt much more suited to the location.

Our son loved archery, and our youngest daughter enjoyed a pony ride, where I walked alongside holding the reins of a pony who did not want to follow the rest of the string (I checked the collective name for ponies!), which was mildly stressful for me but added to the fun for my daughter.

Both my daughters and I enjoyed a workshop where we made our own perfume from essential oils and natural ingredients, and they are lovely keepsakes that remind us of our holiday. 

My son and I loved the high ropes climbing activity, although it was slightly more adrenaline-fueled than we’d imagined, as we were largely left to our own devices!

We all had fun at the bowling alley in the evening - ordering cocktails and milkshakes to our lane. 

There’s also an arcade, soft play area, mini-golf and table tennis, tennis and badminton courts. Writing all this down, I can’t believe how much we managed to do in six days, and we didn’t do all the activities on offer. The activities were all reasonably priced and easy to book in-person or via the app.

Family-Friendly Dining: From Crepes to McDonald’s

We enjoyed delicious crepes at Suzette  - savoury for the grown-ups and sweet for the kids, and two yummy meals at II Giardino, where my highlight was the goat's cheese and honey pizza. 

The Le Marché buffet was fun but expensive, and not many vegetarian choices, although they made up for this with a delicious and extensive pudding selection!  

There’s also a McDonald’s, which came in handy after swimming!

Self-Catering Made Easy: Shops & Cooking in the Lodge 

There’s a small supermarket/co-op type shop where we picked up baguettes, fruit, milk and cheese. We brought lots of food with us (there are regulations on what food you can’t bring - dairy and meat) and enjoyed the fact that the accommodation was self-catering, so we could save on most of our meals.

Why We’d Go Back in a Heartbeat (and What We’d Do Differently)

For us, as a family of five, it was an almost perfect trip - fun-filled days of activities, playing on the beach, and enjoying a drink at the beach bar. 

There was so much to do that no one got bored, and the scenery and setting were gorgeous and felt very safe. Almost everyone there were families, and although it was 98 per cent full when we stayed, it felt spacious and calm (apart from Aqua Mundo) . 

The only downside was the accommodation was smaller than we thought it would be and needed a lick of paint/ freshening up. 

Next time, I think we’d spend a bit more on accommodation.