Peak Period Dates 2017
Slightly confused by the peak period dates for 2017 site fees.
The first week in April is a peak period yet part of the Easter weeks holidays are now in the lowest season.
If I wanted to go for three nights say to Bolton Abbey 4th April it would cost us £27.50 per night yet if I wanted to go during the Easter holiday weeks 18th April, it would only cost £19.90 per night.
Doesn't seem logical to me.
Comments
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It'll all be guided by school holidays. These days, as I understand it, schools have 6 or 7 week terms not the Easter holidays. So as Easter falls latish this year that will probably be the reason. I believe peak now includes all the Scottish, which start earlier and the English which finish later, summer holiday dates. Obviously to maximise income, I couldn't possibly comment on the justification of this 😉
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Most schools round here broke up on Friday so the next 2 weeks are peak period. They go back the day after Easter Monday. However.... some schools in Greater Peterborough don't break up until next weekend and go back on the 26th April;. It is causing chaos and confusion with families with children in different schools.
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It is indeed a stupid state of affairs. Without wanting to get all political, it arises, at least partly, out of the obsession for removing schools from local authority overview. So schools are to a great extent free to set their own term and holiday dates. It leads to the ridiculous situation where we have two secondary schools in our town sharing a campus but often having different dates for holidays and closures!
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Agree with Moulesy. Some schools up here finish on Friday for two weeks, but some do not finish till the following Thursday 13th and don't go back till the Tuesday after the May Day bank holiday. It even happens with primary and secondary schools within the same small area.
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Thanks for the comments/explanations folks.
Not having any children I thought Easter school holidays always included the weeks that Good Friday and Easter Monday fall in.
Now that there are four price bands and the difference between two consecutive nights, for just two adults and a pitch, can be nearly £9 p/n I'm afraid for me it's no longer a case of just going on the spur of the moment. The handbook has to be studied first.
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My outlook is fairly straightforward. When I am looking and booking, if a site is beyond what I consider to be an acceptable nightly fee I look elsewhere. If that's is because a few schools somewhere in the UK are on holiday or for some other reason, doesn't matter.. Price is too high look somewhere else..
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Our children are grown and flown and grandkids live in NZ. We live on a walk to school route though and had an idea so checked it out with those at work with children. County council websites have holiday dates for current and at least one year ahead. But not all school are local authority run these days 😯. Still gives an idea if you're planning and a sight easier than the handbook!
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The variation in school holiday periods may be lengthening peak times. Although I am far from convinced it is the only reason. I just took a quick look at Chatsworth, peak now covers just over a quarter of the year, with a standard pitch for two costing £34.60.
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That's a good point Steve and I think the club may be just catching up with lots of other leisure providers in stretching peak rates. We like Chatsworth and we're there for 4 nights next month, but only because we've still got a couple of site night vouchers to use. Think we'll be looking for a CL next time we visit the area.
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yes, and as a few posters keep urging the club to follow other sites and non club practices this may be happening. As you said, be careful what you wish for!
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We are now using other sites regularly as we find the CC fees to rich for us and we can get some free nights on pub stop overs as long as you have a few drinks or a meal which we would normally. do any way. We have voted with our feet and had some great times.
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It looks as though it has been extended but if you keep an eye open it doesn't always cover the holidays completely. Hence Easter this year gets cheaper after mid April.
Our local schools are on holiday now and go back after the Easter bank holiday. Dorset schools are off at the end of the week so will probably benefit from some lower prices during the week following Easter. What it means for us in the SW is lots of holiday traffic over a longer period.
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We live right on the Nottinghamshire/Derbyshire border. Notts schools finished last Friday and go back the Tuesday after Easter. Derbyshre schools don't finish until this coming Friday and so have Easter as the middle weekend. Problematical if you're a teacher in one authority but your own children go to a school in the other.
This doesn't apply to Academies, however, who can choose their own holiday pattern.
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The basis of the problem is that Easter is not a fixed date so we get problems with it every year. If it was fixed then the dates for the peak period would be the same each year and you could book with confidence.
We booked from the 18 April due to circumstances and I could not believe the rates we were getting, until it struck me the schools were back.
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