A pre-booked taxi to Center Parcs takes your family, luggage and food shopping from your front door to the village. There’s no car to pack and no long drive at the start or end of the break. From Birmingham, Woburn Forest and Sherwood Forest are usually around an hour and a half to two hours away in normal traffic. Elveden Forest, in Suffolk, takes longer to reach.
Center Parcs breaks start on a Monday or a Friday. You can arrive from 10am, but your lodge isn’t ready until somewhere between 1pm and 4pm, depending on the type of lodge you’ve booked. This guide explains how to time your taxi around those rules, what each village means for the journey, and how to arrange the trip home when you check out at 10am.
Center Parcs from Birmingham at a glance
| Village | Location | Main route from Birmingham | Typical journey |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sherwood Forest | Nottinghamshire, near Rufford | M42 and M1 north | Around 1.5 to 2 hours |
| Woburn Forest | Bedfordshire, near Millbrook | M6 and M1 south | Around 1.5 hours |
| Elveden Forest | Suffolk, near Thetford | M6 and A14 east | Around 2 to 2.5 hours |
These journey times are typical rather than guaranteed. Motorway roadworks, Friday afternoon traffic and school holidays can all add time, especially at the start of half-term.
How Center Parcs arrival rules affect your taxi
Arrival and departure days
Center Parcs breaks start and end on Mondays and Fridays. The main exceptions fall around Christmas and New Year, when arrival days can change. Monday-to-Friday and Friday-to-Monday breaks both use the same changeover days, so the villages are busiest on those mornings and afternoons.
When you can get into your lodge
You can arrive at the village from 10am and use the facilities straight away. However, your lodge only opens at a set time, which depends on the type of accommodation:
| Accommodation type | Lodge access |
|---|---|
| Treehouses | 1pm |
| Exclusive Lodges | 2pm |
| Forest Lodges, hotels and apartments | 3pm (1pm with early arrival) |
| Woodland Lodges | 4pm (2pm with early arrival) |
These times come from Center Parcs and may change, so check your booking confirmation and pre-arrival email.
Cars on the village
Center Parcs keeps cars off the village roads for most of the break. On arrival day, guests can drive to their lodge to unload, then return the car to the main car park. On departure day, guests can drive to the lodge from 4am to load up, and check-out is at 10am.
Arriving by taxi doesn’t change these rules. Where you’re dropped off, and whether your taxi can take you to your lodge, depends on when you arrive and on the village’s instructions on the day. Check your pre-arrival information, and follow the directions at the arrivals lodge.
Choosing your arrival time
Arriving early to use the facilities
If you want a full first day, arriving early lets you swim, eat and explore before your lodge opens. The trade-off is managing your luggage until then. Pack a small day bag with swimwear, snacks and anything the children need, so the main cases can wait until you can get into the lodge.
Arriving around your lodge access time
If you’d rather go straight to the lodge, plan to arrive close to your access time. Center Parcs asks guests to head to their lodge around that time, not before, to reduce queues and congestion. For a Woodland Lodge with a 4pm access time, for example, a pickup that gets you to the village in mid-afternoon usually works well.
Late arrivals
The arrivals lodge is staffed 24 hours a day, so you can still check in if your journey runs late. If you’re coming straight from work on a Friday, tell us your preferred arrival time, and we’ll plan the pickup around the Friday traffic.
Busy dates and travelling with children
School holidays and half-term
Center Parcs is at its busiest in the school holidays, particularly half-term and the summer break. A Friday arrival at the start of a holiday means a busy check-in on top of heavy motorway traffic, with families across the country setting off at the same time. If you have the choice, a Monday arrival usually means quieter roads. Either way, your driver can plan around the worst of the traffic.
Travelling with young children
A journey of an hour and a half or more feels long to young children. Tell us the ages of any children travelling, so we can make sure the right child seats are fitted before we arrive. If you’d like a comfort stop on the way, mention it when you book, and we’ll build it into the timings.
Mobility and accessibility
If anyone in your group has limited mobility, contact Center Parcs before you travel to ask about access arrangements at the village. Tell us about any wheelchair, walker or mobility aid you’re bringing, including its size, so we can confirm it fits alongside the luggage.
Village-by-village guide
Sherwood Forest
Sherwood Forest is in north Nottinghamshire, close to Rufford and the M1. For many Midlands families, it’s the most familiar of the five UK villages.
Route from Birmingham
Most journeys head north on the M42 and M1, then leave the motorway for the final stretch through Nottinghamshire. Traffic on the M1 near Nottingham and Derby can be heavy at peak times, so allow extra time for a Friday arrival.
Who it suits
Sherwood is a sensible choice for families in north Birmingham, Sutton Coldfield, Tamworth and the Black Country, where the M42 and M1 are easy to reach. It’s also a shorter trip for anyone travelling from the north-east side of the Midlands.
Woburn Forest
Woburn Forest is in Bedfordshire, close to Junctions 12 and 13 of the M1. It’s the newest of the English villages.
Route from Birmingham
The usual route is the M6 to the M1, then south into Bedfordshire. Woburn can be the quickest village to reach from Coventry, Rugby and Warwickshire, which are already close to the M6 and M1.
Who it suits
Woburn works well for families in Coventry, Solihull, Warwickshire and south Birmingham. It’s also a straightforward option for a short Friday-to-Monday break, when time on the road matters most.
Elveden Forest
Elveden Forest is in Suffolk, near Thetford, on the edge of the Brecks. It’s the furthest of the three villages from Birmingham.
Route from Birmingham
Most journeys take the M6 east and then the A14 across the country. The A14 can be slow near Cambridge and at busy times, so plan for a longer journey on a Friday.
Who it suits
Because Elveden is a longer trip from the West Midlands, the case for a taxi is stronger here. Nobody in the family has to drive for two hours or more at the start of the break, or again after a busy final morning.
Longleat and Whinfell
Center Parcs also has villages at Longleat Forest in Wiltshire and Whinfell Forest in Cumbria. Both are longer journeys from the Midlands, but we can quote for them too. Contact us with your dates, and we’ll confirm the route and timings.
Choosing the right vehicle
Families and groups
A Center Parcs break usually means more luggage than a normal trip: suitcases, food shopping, bike seats, pushchairs and toys. For families and groups of up to seven, the Mercedes V-Class keeps everyone in one vehicle, with space for the luggage.
Couples and small families
For two or three passengers with lighter luggage, the Mercedes E-Class is a comfortable choice for the motorway.
Telling us what you’re bringing
When you book, tell us how many suitcases you’re taking, plus any bulky items such as pushchairs, travel cots or food boxes. That’s the best way to make sure the right vehicle turns up. Child seats are available on request, so mention them when you book.
If you’d like a fixed price for your break, you can get a quote online in a couple of minutes.
Booking the return journey
Check-out timing
Check-out is at 10am on departure day, and cars can reach the lodges from 4am. Departure mornings are busy, so plan the return pickup carefully.
Pickup options
You can be collected at check-out time, or later in the day if you’d like to keep using the facilities after leaving your lodge. If you choose a later pickup, think about where your luggage will be in the meantime, and ask Center Parcs about the options when you arrive.
What we need
- The village name and your departure date
- Your preferred pickup time
- The number of passengers and items of luggage
- A mobile number that will work at the village
Food shopping and essentials
Many families bring a food shop with them for the first few days. If you’re planning to stop at a supermarket on the way, tell us when you book, so we can include the stop in your journey plan. Alternatively, you could arrange a supermarket delivery to the village, where the village allows it. That leaves more room in the vehicle for luggage.
Taxi vs driving yourself
| Driving yourself | Pre-booked taxi |
|---|---|
| Packing and unpacking your own car | Luggage goes straight from your door into the vehicle |
| A long drive at the start and end of the break | Everyone can relax on the way |
| Fuel and wear on your own car | Fixed fare agreed when you book |
| Car sits in the car park for most of the stay | No car to manage while you’re there |
For many families, the biggest benefit is the journey home. Check-out is at 10am, and after a busy final morning, nobody has to face two hours on the motorway.
Because the fare is fixed when you book, roadworks or a longer route don’t change what you pay. Our guide to fixed-price and metered taxis explains why that helps on longer journeys.
Pickups across Birmingham and the Midlands
We collect from homes across the region. That includes pickups through our Birmingham taxi service, as well as from Solihull, Sutton Coldfield, Wolverhampton, Coventry and Nuneaton. Our coverage area page lists every town we serve.
Book your Center Parcs taxi
NET Airport Transfers runs pre-booked, fixed-price taxis from Birmingham and the Midlands to Sherwood Forest, Woburn Forest and Elveden Forest, and back again at the end of your break. Tell us your village, dates, lodge access time and luggage, and we’ll plan both journeys for you. Book your Center Parcs taxi online, or contact us for large groups and other villages.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to get from Birmingham to Center Parcs?
In normal traffic, Woburn Forest is around an hour and a half from Birmingham, and Sherwood Forest around an hour and a half to two hours. Elveden Forest takes roughly two to two and a half hours.
What time can you arrive at Center Parcs?
You can arrive at the village from 10am on your arrival day. Your lodge opens between 1pm and 4pm, depending on the type of lodge you've booked.
Can a taxi drop you at your Center Parcs lodge?
It depends on when you arrive and on the village's instructions on the day. Vehicles can only reach the lodges at certain times on changeover days, so check your pre-arrival information.
What time is check-out at Center Parcs?
Check-out is at 10am on departure day. Cars can access the lodges from 4am that morning for loading.
Can you go to Center Parcs without a car?
Yes. Cars are kept off the village roads during your stay anyway, so you don't need one once you've arrived. A pre-booked taxi covers the journey there and back.
Which taxi fits a family and luggage for Center Parcs?
For families and groups of up to seven with suitcases and shopping, the Mercedes V-Class is usually the best fit. Tell us how much luggage you're bringing so we can confirm.
