Top 10 Getaway for Tiny Travelers - Center Parcs Les Hauts de Bruyeres, France

Center Parcs Les Hauts de Bruyeres, France won a Top 10 Getaways award in 2001 for its support of parents with infants and toddlers..

At 14 rural vacation villages throughout Holland, Germany, Belgium and France, Center Parcs delivers good value and active yet relaxing "holidays." In cottages, clustered in villages surrounded by forest, Center Parcs has accommodated mostly European families for over 40 years.  Ranging from standard to deluxe, all offer kitchen facilities with separate dining, living and sleeping areas. Some villages feature special "Children's Villas" for families with pre-schoolers, close to wooded playgrounds and provide some toys and practical items.
 
Close to nature, you can put aside the stresses of everyday life. Each year-round village has its own local flavor and specialty, and offers every indoor and outdoor sport imaginable, plus a Subtropical Swimming Paradise which brings new meaning to the phrase "indoor pool." This lush environment combines jungle with tropical beach and has flumes, rapids, whirlpool baths and waves as well as a shallow wading area for the little fish in your family. As for meals, prepare them in your cottage or dine at restaurants (discounted for children; baby food is free) which range from family-friendly to romantic and gourmet (after all, this is Europe). At each village, live entertainment and shopping facilities are also found in the central Market Dome. In keeping with the active theme, diverse, professionally staffed activities are available for kids 5 to 17-years-old at all villages.

Located in the Sologne region of France, 28 miles/45 km from the Loire Valley and 105 miles/170 km from Paris, the tranquil village at Les Hauts de Bruyères is likely the best choice for Tiny Travelers. First, there is BALUBA, an indoor play world for 0-4-year-olds with a toddler pool and entertainment.  And, while parents fish, canoe or enjoy the spa, and siblings ride and groom Shetland ponies at the animal farm, babies from 3-months to 3-years are lovingly cared for in an on-site nursery.

A trained nursery attendant and her assistants care for up to 12 babies under 3-years-old for one to two hours in a four-room cottage, licensed by the local authorities to conform with safety standards. It is equipped with changing mats, cribs, playpens, highchairs and age-appropriate playthings, however, parents are encouraged to bring baby's favorite toys along with bottles and diapers. For a modest fee, infant care is available there with a half-hour minimum and two-hour maximum use per day.  Private babysitting is also available.