Exploring
Hi All,
I like to explore and simply turn up for a couple of daysand move on. This creates a problem at this time of the year as most sites get fully booked. Does anyone have any tips on how to plan a trip wothout getting fixed to ridged about where or when you arrive and leave?
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Hello and welcome Roger. The best advice I can give is simply do not restrict yourself to Club Sites. There are a lot of very nice CLs and small private sites out there, most a lot cheaper than the big Club Sites. Being a member of the CCC might help as well.
We are setting off on a trip in the next few days, we have booked nothing, despite this being the busiest time of the year. We know the areas we want to spend some time in, and will use a no facility Club Site at £14 per night, a small private site with loos and showers that is £16 per night, and then decide where to go onto from there. Being flexible enough to use your onboard facilities, and maybe even doing without a hook up for a few nights broadens your choice of sites immensely, but of course you have to be happy and confident in doing this, it may not be for everyone! Give it a try, it's quite easy checking out what sites are like via decent reviews, Google Earth and sources such as UKcampsites. All the best
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That’s good advice from TDA, Roger.
Living in this part of the world makes us realise it’s not a great idea to head for tourist hotspots at peak times unless you’ve booked, so heading for less popular quiet areas will give you a better chance of doing what you want.
Welcome and good luck on your travels.
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Looking at late availability Roger, this year, even many of the main sites seem to have a reasonable number of spaces. Especially when you consider the weather we are getting. It would mean needing to be flexible and perhaps hopping further than you might want. I suspect you might find it more difficult in September when peak prices end.
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One of the real downside of the club is the non availability of " Late availability" option for week days. If it works for week ends why not week days. After all the ethos is caravanning, meaning movement. If that was available the peripatetic vaner and in particular M/Homers they could quickly arrange a touring holiday. Club would have better spent the rebranding monies on say providing that facility instead of the ego waste.
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Of the 20 Club sites in Devon and Cornwall only 3 are fully booked this coming Saturday night.
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Maybe plan to arrive reasonably early in the day when spare pitches become available. If you arrive late at this time of the year like minded people will have got there before you and you'll have less time to find alternatives as site offices etc close for the day.
I agree about late club site availability not be being shown in the week, it would be good if we could see the number and type of pitch spaces each day rather than just weekends. So phone ahead each day to see what's available.
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We are off to Scotland in a couple of weeks, doing a one night stopover on way to Edinburgh. Have just booked that one night. Edinburgh we are at a CCC rally, no booking required. We then move down to Kelso for the BCC FOL. That has been prebooked, but they do welcome late comers in the unbooked area. After that, we are touring around, where we go depends on the weather. We do this every September and only phone ahead when we decide where we want to go. If you belong to the CCC and stay at one of their sites and then move on to another area which has a CCC site you fancy visiting, you can just pop into reception on the site you are on and they will book ahead for you. I don't know if the CAMC do that. One of our favourite sites is a commercial site in Glen Nevis Fort William and you don't have to book, you can turn up. We haven't yet not had a pitch.
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Why thank you K. I do try to please and be helpful.
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Looking at the Late Availability listings there appears to be be plenty of places available on CC sites over this summer. This is backed up by the advert I keep getting every time I sign on to the site saying that they've reduced prices mid week on some sites even in the high season. Looks as if members are not using the sites anywhere as much as those at HO expected....could have a lot to do with the high season price structure!!
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could have a lot to do with the high season price structure!!
It does not seem to have stopped them increasing them even further, next July and August. Which seems a bit strange. Seeing as we are having one of the best summers for years and they are still undersubscribed.
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Funny this has come up about the 50% off mid week at some sites over summer. There are 6 sites that have this offer on in July and August, yet come September only 1 site on the whole network will have the 50% discount.
We are using more and more of the other clubs sites their pricing for over 60's is much better.
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Certainly I think the CAMC need to be asking themselves if they have got it right.
A lovely sunny summer weekend forecast here in the Malverns, temperatures in the mid to high 20's. If late availability is to believed, tonight Friday is only 50% full, Saturday 60%, Sunday 47%. Through the rest of the week I can only gestimate, as no figures are provided. This last week it would have been about 40%.
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The Camping and Caravanning Club run many temporary holiday sites and weekend meets/rallies for members. Many do not require advance booking and at some ths it is possible to join the club.
All of the above are clearly shown each month in the CCC magazine which members receive. There are also telephone numbers of the stewards so it is possible to find out if there is space before turning up.
Last week we were at a ths with toilets and showers at Whitby for £14 per night for 2 people. Next week we hope to be at a ths in The Cotswolds, again with toilets and showers, for £8.50 per night.(Most ths do not have toilets and showers.)
The CAMC also has similar ths and weekend meets but I have not found a way of discovering where these are held. It is possible to register with a centre and ask for a booklet of its events, some of which occur outside the local area but I don't know of any listings for temporary sites throughout the UK such as provided by CCC.
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It has certainly been all about pricing for us, especially the increased length of the peak price period on many sites, and the higher off peak prices, like TG we are using CCC sites instead, and more CLs.
We especially like being able to book a HS with the CCC.
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In a normal year (no illnesses!), I suspect we would be away for over 50% of it, and wouldn't want to pay anything like big Club Site prices. We are appreciative of the Club's no facility Sites, such as Nunnykirk (£14) but sadly these are the ones the Club seems to be losing. Folks new to touring seem to want full facilities, HS, and don't seem to care what they pay for it, so I don't expect the Club to lower peak prices, but I do hope they keep the cheap Winter discounts, as we benefit greatly in Winter.
If a family commits to a caravan or MH, then even at peak prices the Club Sites are cheaper than cottages or hotels in the main. It's a swings and roundabout market, just depends if the Club can attract new members who don't mind the pricing structure. In the meantime, we will enjoy finding nice new CLs and small private sites at reasonable prices.
I have said for years that the Club ought to discount late take up in peak periods like other holiday providers, as some income is better than no income. We would use more Club Sites if they did this. If we could roll up at a Site on a whim, and pay £15 per night, rather than £30 per night, we would do it, and I suspect a few others would as well. I don't consider it unfair offering a discounted price, it's the sprat to catch the touring mackerel. If someone wants to use a busy site, and ensure they get on, then book early, but pay for that reservation as you would with any kind of holiday. It would take the Club back to its earlier roots as well, encouraging folks to look in on spec. Adaptable pricing is the way to maximise income and encourage usage at some Sites.
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Very interesting brue. Back when we first toured, mid 1980's, we just hopped around from site to site, usually rolling in at teatime. It's how we first became members, we rolled into North Ledaig, opted to join to get cheaper fees. You could still roll down to Marazion (Threeways) Site and get a pitch on spec into the late 1990's. Then touring really took off in a big way, and some sites you had to book in advance.
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Am I surprised at the current vacancies? It's family holiday time. What is there on that Club site for families? A games pitch? A volleyball court? An off road bike track? Rope walks and tree climbing? A games room? Swimming? or even a paddling pool? And on the site plan the dog walk is ten times the size of the little play area, so the families have simply gone elsewhere.
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I quite agree about the families going elsewhere. Although like EasyT the additional facilities didn't really attract us as a family, for the same reasons.
My point was more that the pricing structure is not attracting enough folk to this site, even on a weekend, whilst others, also without facilities, are bulging at the seams. 50% occupancy means a loss of almost £3000 for tonight alone, based on 2 adults.
Perhaps the CAMC are happy with this state of affairs, there is a storage compound which must bring in additional revenue. From our point of view it is great. We are fortunate in that price is not really an issue and this is a reasonably quite site even at peak.
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I don't think families with children would be attracted to that sort of site for a two week holiday even if the Club site prices were halved. I bet Center Parcs Sites are full - even at four times the Club site prices.
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That's an entirely different type of holiday 😉.
If you caravan or motor home with youngsters it generally means you're into the outdoors - walking, exploring and finding places to visit that offer other types of activities when required. Centre Parcs are NOT cheap only thing included is the pool I'm informed everything else is an extra, so very costly.
There are sites that provide entertainment and pools but they are not club sites or CL's 😂.
You chose what you want, where you want it, when you want it and pay what's asked if you want too.
Maybe the club will reconsider pricing in due course, even next years prices could be reduced or discounted if the revenue from this year hasn't brought in what they expected. In a lot of ways I think the club and trying to extract the maximum they think they can for a pitch and widening the peak times. If it doesn't make commercial sense it will need to be reconsidered. I have no doubt our club is on the ball 😉
We aren't restricted on price but if other sites are nearby with better facilities for similar price well make a judgement on which to use. Even a CL or CS site without facilities, it's about choice, location, facilities, local amenities and price.
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