Arrival Time
As a member of the Caravan Club for more than 26 years, I thought it was created to provide a service to members. I and many other members like to arrive at site at noon, so that we can set up, have lunch and have the whole afternoon to explore. I note that more and more sites are changing to 1,00 P.M. arrival, either so that Wardens can have lunch or that there is an access problem for the site e.g. Black Knowle. This can easily be overcome with a slightly earlier leaving time. Nothing is worse than trying to find a layby to have lunch before arriving at 1.00 P.M.
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I'm not sure I'd go with the idea of enforcing an earlier leaving time, but I do agree that 1 pm is not ideal for arriving. By the time one's set up and had some lunch there's not a lot left to do on the first day, particularly after a long journey.
In fact, Geoff, on many sites there's no access problem at all and I've never understood this arbitrary arrival/departure arrangement. Much easier to make it open between, say 10 am and 8 pm. I've never been on a CAMC site which hasn't had pitch availability by 10 am anyway!
Still, it's all been said before - we have what we have for now and just have to make the best of it!
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I'm the opposite. I can't bear arriving at midday and having to leave earlier would put the final nail in the clubs coffin for me.
We are all different.
I'd agree with moulesy's suggestion but for the inevitable movement of the queuing to before 10am because some people always have to be an hour earlier than the set time.
I suspect the movement of arrival time to 1 on many sites has been due to persistent early arrivals causing nuisance
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Indeed JayEss. We are all different. On Leaving home to start a trip I aim to be away just after 8.30 to miss some of the rush hour traffic. Once a year we go to Southport for Christmas and as it is about an hours drive have to wait until 11am to leave home. To stay beyond 10am on moving day whilst on site I find an imposition.
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As said, have a later lunch, not as if you're going to starve. Just arrive no earlier as per ruling of the site, set up, eat, and chill out, after all its not an occurrence every day.
Lunch fits in my day whenever it can and if its particularly hectic, I miss out and have double at tea time
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I don't like the 1pm arrival either - were there any discussions before it was imposed? Obviously some sites its necessary - and I expect I shall get used to it. It's certainly better than "over there" when the office is likely to be closed anywhere between 12 and 3pm! Then again there is no restriction on arrival time.
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Most sites are still 1200 arrival but for every person who wants an earlier departure deadline I bet there's at least two who will prefer later arrival as the lesser of the two evils.
At least the club hasn't followed C&CC with its blanket arrival time of 1300 on all sites - yet.
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Relatively few CC sites have 1pm arrival. In my experience more common on many commercial sites, and indeed many of those that I use. C&CC sites are all 1pm. Doesn't get my vote!
Not everyday occurrence Dave but, for me during 19 weeks of the year every 5 days. It is not just the pm arrival but perhaps having to stay later on the previous site.
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Not everyday occurrence Dave but, for me during 19 weeks of the year every 5 days. It is not just the pm arrival but perhaps having to stay later on the previous site.
For your reasons I can understand 'Easy', it happened to me moving from the Wirral club site to a CL in North Wales. Only an hours drive but the CL stated no arrivals before 1.00pm, we stopped off midway to walk the dog and have a cuppa.
But the OP is stating that his lunch is the reasoning behind arrival times, and should be adjusted to suit his eating habits
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I shall be arriving at a site at 9am at the end of August, and leaving at the end of a tour a few weeks later at 9pm. Nothing out of the ordinary.
Oops, I am posting in the UK section by mistake !
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Good idea. Let's all do that.
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That's definitely going to put your meal times out .......😇
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Strange ........there's an awesome number of CMC sites that are pretty much full & availability is on some sites hard to find ........members must be voting with their feet & turning up regardless......😜
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out of habit I suppose some would say
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We are definitely in the leave site later in the morning camp I'm afraid. It is rare on leaving day that we set off until mid morning, sometimes late morning, why? well because we are not going far and can't arrive until 13.00
When we travel to the ferries its the other way we leave home as soon as we are ready, then travel a fair distance so don't arrive on site until late into the afternoon.
Midday ish is OK for us as we have very little setting up to do. By the time OH has got the EHU plugged in and I can get the kettle on I've usually got lunch prepared.
To be honest it doesn't matter what time the club chooses it will not suit everyone. At least they don't close for 2-3 hours for lunch.
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so, lets have a quick check out of 200+ sites how many have a 1pm arrival time? I know there are a few but has it increased that much, as in more and more?
And while i agree with you wanting to be on at 12, it seems a bit 'odd' that you want your lunch at 12 but don't want the wardens to have their lunch at 12? Ok They can have their lunch at one then but If they have theirs at 1pm for you then they will have to close the office at 1pm won't they?
Actually I really don't think the 1pm arrival time is anything to do warden's lunch time and most site offices on sites open at 12 are open from 12 even on those sites with only one set of wardens.
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does that happen over there TG?
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Old habits die hard for some😱 .....but at least it's my choice old chap & no one else's 😘regardless of the arrival time .🕛 or 🕐 😇
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a big +1 from me too. I was actually agreeing with your first post! I've made the same point myself, sites are full so a lot of people like things the way they are - including me - but some post on here that we keep going to club sites as a) we don't know better or b) we've always done it
sorry if that wasn't clear, I wasn't taking a pop at you
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would never shout you down David, sorry if you think so.
I really asked out of interest. A three hour lunch break seems a bit excessive, if i couldn't get in I could wait around an hour, even at the bar (but then I maybe wouldn't be in a fir state to pitch) but two or three seems a bit long. Still I suppose if you know in advance you work around it.
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new arrivals dont have to 'hang around'...you can get pitched up, and come back to the office (much) later to check in....
even with a long lunch break (siesta
) the office will still be open from 8am till around 10 in the evening, so plenty of cover and the ability to 'get sorted' even when its closed...like some others, im not a fan of arbitrary arrival/departure times.
it may be regarded as a 'necessity' during peak at sites where there is an access issue, but at all other times/locations these could be waived. resulting in a roll on, roll off approach which seems to work well in other places...
as has been said, you cant please everyone as we all want something a bit different in the times we arrive and leave, but a trial on a small number of sites (say, with unrestricted access and out of season) without set times would soon confirm that this flexibility (and more members getting what they want) could be acheived.
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It does and its annoying because they don't publish it. Out of 12 sites in France this year 6 of them closed for lunch, not 1 hour but 2 hrs. Then the 2 municipals we attempted to use closed for 4 hrs, 12 - 4pm barrier down no one around so you couldn't just go on and pitch up which is the norm. So those sites we didn't use, the other ones we kind of took it for granted that they would be open by 2pm so adjusted our arrival time. Only 1 site this year did we encounter the 'closed for lunch pitch up and see me later approach'
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new arrivals dont have to 'hang around'...you can get pitched up, and come back to the office (much) later to check in....
even with a long lunch break (siesta ) the office will still be open from 8am till around 10 in the evening, so plenty of cover and the ability to 'get sorted' even when its closed...
Not our experience this year BB, not sure if it was the areas we were in but we found this year most closed and dropped barrier.
The site you liked at La Croix Valmer we arrived at 12.10 they close from 12.00 until 14.00 no one interested in letting you in or even coming out to talk to you, so we left and went to Cavalaire Sur Mer instead. The good thing about it is there are plenty of sites over there so for everyone that closes you will usually find another one open.
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