If you read this blog regularly, you’ll know that I’m not a big fan of Centre Parcs. it’s nothing personal - I’m in the minority. Most people love it…I’m just not one of those people and that’s ok. Horses for courses and all that. Som when Magic Breaks invited me to try out Les Villages Nature - a french family holiday destination based on a similar concept, I was curious. Plus, with a day trip to Disneyland Paris thrown in, I knew it would earn me a serious amount of parenting points…and lord know, I can always use those.

Situated 6km from Disneyland Paris, Les Village Nature is easily accessed with a direct train from St. Pancras to Le-Marne-Valée in just under three hours. The resort is a ten minute taxi transfer from the station and it’s clear when you arrive that Les Villages Nature is the perfect oasis of calm.

There’s a lot about it that you’ll recognise from Centre Parcs. Wristbands, bike hire, a huge swimming pool with slides and a changing room full of lockers that are almost impossible to work. But its better…so much better. First of all, the French have imbued the place with the style they are known for. The Promenade du Lac lines an expansive lake that isn’t just there to look pretty (although it does). It’s there to encourage local wildlife and plant life and you get to oversee it all while you eat genuinely great food and knock back fabulous wine (I highly recommend the Chateau de Santenay Pinot Noir). The variety is huge, the quality is excellent and there’s no sacrifice in atmosphere.

Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, the site is committed to eco-savvy systems leading them to win Silver at the Responsible Tourism Awards for “Best Reducing Carbon & Other Greenhouse Gasses” in its quest to minimise its ecological footprint. The buildings are covered with vertical gardens designed to encourage the growth of local wildflowers, the vehicles are all electric, its a paper free site and the pool is heated with geo-thermal energy. As if that wasn’t enough, the activities available - of which there are over 100 - are all about encourage interaction with and appreciation of nature.

You can hire bikes to travel around the site, but we lucked out when we were given a golf buggy instead. Id be lying if I said the kids weren’t initially a bit disappointed that they weren’t going to be cycling around but knowing my kids as I do, I was pretty sure the novelty would wear off fairly quickly. Especially in December. Needless to say, even my six-year-old admitted that cycling would have ‘sucked’ as we pootled home in a weather proof golf buggy as the rain drove down and the temperature remained at a chilly 3 degrees.

Of course, there’s so much more to do than swim and eat. The kids did pony riding and Mini Jeeps, but there were a huge array of activities on offer - at very reasonable prices - meaning that everyone in the family is card for. If the weather is rubbish there’s an ace soft play that’s less a headache in primary colours and more a scandi-inspired fun factory complete with an excellent coffee bar serving an array of pastries that makes Patisserie Valerie look like something from a service station food court. To really enforce the message of relaxation home, there’s Kir Royales available too.

Accommodation is excellent too. Our cottage was a three bedroom, perfectly designed space. One bathroom with a shower and a bath, another with a shower and a separate loo meant that there was more than enough space and privacy for everyone. High chairs, cots, dishwasher, microwave oven and two TVs meant we had everything we needed and the onsite shop was more than big enough for us to fill the fridge with enough snacks to keep a small army going.

Of course, no trip to Les Village Nature would be complete without a trip to Disneyland Paris. Taxis take ten minutes but there’s also a shuttle bus that runs every 30 minutes and costs 2 Euros per person and takes twenty minutes. Its a door to door service that makes accessing ‘the most magical place on earth’ easy but it also means that if staying in a DLP Hotel is too much (both emotionally and financially), then you can have the best of both worlds: the excitement of DLP and the oasis of calm that Les Villages Nature offers.

Plus, it’s cheaper than its competitors. Prices with Magic Breaks start from just £69pp based on 2 adults and 2 children aged under 12 sharing a Clan Comfort Cottage for 2 nights on selected dates in 2020. Day tickets to Disneyland Paris can also be added to you Les Villages Nature Paris booking from £65pp.

So, it’s great value for money, it’s so beautifully thought out both on an aesthetic and an ethical level and it’s a hop skip and a jump away from Disneyland. The pool is spectacular - swimming outside with my kids at 9pm in December watching the steam rise up from a beautifully lit infinity pool that overlooks a lake shivering with wildlife was a real highlight…even if the lockers are still a total arse to use. Centre Parcs may not have been my bag, but when the French do it, I’m there with bells (and Minnie Mouse ears) on.

*Magic Breaks invited me on a press trip to Les Village Nature with agreed deliverables.