Travelling to Center Parcs in Germany is a fun idea for families who want a real European road trip with some incredible scenery along the way. There is a great Center Parcs village in the north of Germany near Hamburg, and another is in the south near the border with Austria. Unless you have a campervan or motorhome, you’re probably going to want to stop off somewhere for a night on the way there and back, but that’s all part of the adventure. If opting for Park Allgäu in the south, theme park enthusiasts might consider a detour to Europa-Park in the south-west of Germany. It will add roughly 1½ hours to your journey, but would be a diversion worth taking, in my book.
Alternatively, you could just hop on a plane, which would certainly be easier and quicker than driving all that way. Personally, I would rather see a bit of Germany en route, but flying is certainly a good option if you’re short on time or don’t want to put a load of miles on your car. If you’re driving to the Alps in Winter time, check the rules in Germany as cars are required to have Winter tyres with a snowflake symbol. Snow chains are not allowed.
A little disclosure: there are affiliate links on this page! That just means if you click on a link, find something you like and buy it, I’ll make some cash. You won’t pay any extra, though.
Center Parcs Villages in Germany
Once you’ve decided which village to go for, you’ll need to figure out the best way to get there. You have three options:
- Eurotunnel with your car, then drive to the village
- Ferry with your car, then drive to the village
- Fly from UK to the nearest airport to the village, then train/bus and taxi to the village. You could hire a car at the airport, but it will probably sit in the village car park for most of your holiday, so might not be the best budget option.
Top Tip: Center Parcs is the perfect place to learn to ride a bike! Take a look a children’s bikes on Amazon.
Travelling to Bispinger Heide Village
Eurotunnel from Folkestone
| Route | Crossing Time | Onward Distance to Village | Onward Journey Time to Village |
|---|---|---|---|
| Folkestone – Calais | 35 minutes | 454 miles | 7¼ hours |
Ferry from UK Port
| Route | Crossing Time | Onward Distance to Village | Onward Journey Time to Village |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dover – Calais | 1½ hours | 454 miles | 7 hours |
| Dover – Dunkirk | 2 hours | 436 miles | 6¾ hours |
| Folkestone to Calais | 1½ hours | 454 miles | 7 hours |
| Harwich – Hook of Holland | from 6½ hour day or night crossing | 321 miles | 5 hours |
| Hull – Rotterdam | 11½ hour night crossing | 306 miles | 4¾ hours |
| Newcastle – Amsterdam Ijmuiden | 15¾ hour night crossing | 302 miles | 4¾ hours |
| Newhaven – Dieppe | 4 hours | 543 miles | 8½ hours |
| Poole – Cherbourg | 4½ hours | 709 miles | 10¾ hours |
| Portsmouth – Caen | 5¾ hours | 638 miles | 9½ hours |
| Portsmouth – Cherbourg | from 4¾ hours | 709 miles | 10¾ hours |
| Portsmouth – Le Havre | from 6 hours | 587 miles | 9 hours |
| Portsmouth – St. Malo | from 10 hours | 736 miles | 11 hours |
Fly From UK Airport
- To Hamburg Airport – this is the nearest airport to Bispinger Heide Village. There are no easy routes to the village using public transport. A taxi straight to the village takes 1 hour.
Travelling to Park Allgäu Village
Eurotunnel from Folkestone
| Route | Crossing Time | Onward Distance to Village | Onward Journey Time to Village |
|---|---|---|---|
| Folkestone – Calais | 35 minutes | 576 miles | 8¾ hours |
Ferry from UK Port
| Route | Crossing Time | Onward Distance to Village | Onward Journey Time to Village |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dover – Calais | 1½ hours | 576 miles | 8½ hours |
| Dover – Dunkirk | 2 hours | 562 miles | 8½ hours |
| Folkestone to Calais | 1½ hours | 576 miles | 8½ hours |
| Harwich – Hook of Holland | from 6½ hour day or night crossing | 507 miles | 7¾ hours |
| Hull – Rotterdam | 11½ hour night crossing | 487 miles | 7½ hours |
| Newcastle – Amsterdam Ijmuiden | 15¾ hour night crossing | 510 miles | 7¾ hours |
| Newhaven – Dieppe | 4 hours | 571 miles | 8¾ hours |
| Poole – Cherbourg | 4½ hours | 723 miles | 11 hours |
| Portsmouth – Caen | 5¾ hours | 647 miles | 9¾ hours |
| Portsmouth – Cherbourg | from 4¾ hours | 723 miles | 11 hours |
| Portsmouth – Le Havre | from 6 hours | 620 miles | 9¼ hours |
| Portsmouth – St. Malo | from 10 hours | 745 miles | 11 hours |
Fly From UK Airports
- To Memmingen Airport – this is the nearest airport to Park Allgäu Village. There are no easy routes to the village using public transport. A taxi straight to the village takes 25 minutes.
Fancy a family road trip? Why not pile the kids into the car and head for Bispinger Heide Village?
Useful Resources When Driving in France, Belgium, Germany and Netherlands
All distances have been taken from Google Maps. Journey times will vary depending on the time/day you travel and any unforeseen events such as accidents or roadworks. Whether you opt for planes, trains or ferries, remember to allow 1-2 hours for check-in and boarding each way.
Many countries are bringing in more and more ULEZ zones, which can make journeys difficult if your big old family car is non-compliant. Even cars that are compliant have to be registered to be allowed in these zones. This all gets pretty complicated, so it’s best to just avoid the relevant areas. Google Maps will often take you straight through a ULEZ zone without offering an alternative route, so make adjustments to your route before you set off if necessary. Visit drive2.city for up-to-date information on ULEZ zones in the UK and the rest of Europe.
For information about using trains in Europe, I highly recommend visiting seat61. There’s not much this guy doesn’t know about train travel in Europe.
