Center Parcs with a baby
Key facts
Short answer: every Center Parcs lodge has a free cot and highchair for under-2s, but no cot bedding, so pack your own. Two-storey lodges have stairgates, and under-3s get free Baby Dolphins swim sessions in the pool.
Center Parcs is one of the easiest UK breaks with a baby: the lodge comes with a cot and highchair, the villages are car-free once you arrive, and there's a heated pool with baby-only sessions. Here's what's provided, what to pack and what to book early.
Everything below comes from Center Parcs' own website and help centre, checked October 2026. Policies change, so check your booking details too.
What's in the lodge for a baby
| Item | Provided? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cot | Yes, one per lodge | For infants under 2. Extra cots on request (Center Parcs: baby facilities) |
| Cot bedding | No | "We do not provide cot bedding, so please pack yours" (Center Parcs: FAQs) |
| Highchair | Yes, one per lodge | Extra highchairs on request |
| Stairgates | Yes, in two-storey lodges | |
| Bathroom step | Yes | A children's step in the bathroom |
| Bed rails | On request | Free, subject to availability |
| Kitchen | Yes | Fridge, freezer, oven, hob, microwave, kettle and dishwasher (Center Parcs: what's included) |
To ask for an extra cot, highchair or bed rail, Center Parcs says to use its Live Web Chat and type "I want to speak to a human". Facilities vary in some apartments and hotel rooms, and some lodges have steps up to the door, so check the accommodation details before you book if you'll be pushing a pram.
Swimming with a baby
Unlimited entry to the Subtropical Swimming Paradise is included in every break (Center Parcs: Subtropical Swimming Paradise).
- Baby Dolphins is a free pool session just for under-3s, with songs and inflatables. It's supervised by lifeguards but not instructor-led, one adult (18+) per child, and places must be pre-booked because they're limited (Center Parcs: Baby Dolphins).
- Babies and toddlers must wear swim nappies or reusable nappies. You can buy swim nappies at the Pool Information Desk if you forget.
- Supervision: Center Parcs says children aged 4 and under need one adult per child.
- Free buoyancy aids for babies and toddlers are by the pool, and there are family changing cubicles and nappy-changing areas.
- Bring your own pool towels (lodge towels are for the lodge) or hire them at the pool.
Activities for babies and toddlers
Center Parcs lists these at all its UK villages (Center Parcs: baby and toddler breaks):
- Sensory Play Babies: 2 to 12 months.
- Sensory Play Toddlers: 13 to 36 months.
- Fun Pots With Tots (pottery painting): 1 month to 5 years.
- Baby Balance Bike Buddy: from 10 months.
- Baby Owls (meet a barn owl): from 1 year.
Most activities cost extra and book up, so reserve them when you book your break. Center Parcs also says complimentary Ella's Kitchen baby food is available in selected restaurants.
What to pack
- Cot sheets and a baby sleeping bag (no cot bedding is provided).
- Swim nappies, or reusable swim nappies, plus pool towels.
- A pushchair or sling: the village paths are pushchair-friendly.
- Toiletries (not provided) and your baby's usual milk and food. There's a Parcmarket on site for top-ups.
- A room thermometer if you use one. The Lullaby Trust recommends a room temperature of 16 to 20°C and a firm, flat, waterproof mattress (Lullaby Trust: safer sleep on holiday).
Not sure what else to bring? See packing light with kids.
Getting there greener: Center Parcs by train
Once you arrive, cars stay in the car park, so a train plus a short taxi can work well. Under-5s travel free on most National Rail journeys (National Rail). Nearest stations, from Center Parcs' own help pages:
| Village | Nearest station | Distance | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whinfell Forest (Cumbria) | Penrith | About 1 mile | Center Parcs |
| Woburn Forest (Bedfordshire) | Flitwick | About 3 miles; free shuttle bus on Mondays and Fridays | Center Parcs |
| Longleat Forest (Wiltshire) | Frome | About 5 miles | Center Parcs |
| Sherwood Forest (Nottinghamshire) | Newark Northgate | About 15 miles | Center Parcs |
| Elveden Forest (Suffolk) | Thetford | About 16 miles | Center Parcs |
Whinfell and Woburn are the easiest by rail with a baby. Center Parcs warns that luggage storage is limited if you arrive before your lodge is ready, so pack light or plan to keep bags with you. Taking a pushchair on the train? See pushchairs on trains and ferries.
Good to know — Overnight Stays Near the Village or Alternative UK Forest Lodges: Travelling a long way the evening before check-in, or comparing UK forest lodges and family cottages? Check Family Lodges on Booking.com and nearby family hotels on Booking.com (affiliate links).
More on staying away with a baby
- Holiday parks compared: Center Parcs vs Haven vs Butlin's side by side.
- Haven with a baby: cot and highchair hire, swim slots and tots' pools.
- Butlin's with a baby: £10 cot hire for under-2s, pool rules and term-time breaks for tots.
- Hotel cot policies compared: Premier Inn, Travelodge, Holiday Inn and Hilton.
- Camping with a baby, for a lower-cost, lower-carbon break.
- Best travel cots, if you'd rather bring your own.
Sources
- Center Parcs: baby facilities
- Center Parcs: FAQs
- Center Parcs: what's included
- Center Parcs: Subtropical Swimming Paradise
- Center Parcs: Baby Dolphins
- Center Parcs: baby and toddler breaks
- Lullaby Trust: safer sleep on holiday
- National Rail
- Center Parcs
- Center Parcs
- Center Parcs
- Center Parcs
- Center Parcs
Last checked and updated: · Kiddieko · How we check facts
