Prices
I have just cancelled my two week stay at Looe caravan site after checking the updated prices I have since booked the same two weeks at nearby privately owned sites which are both of equal standards if not better and saved £200 how is that possible.
Comments
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Well the updated prices would have added an extra £35 maximum to your two week stay but you're making it sound as if £200 was the extra in updated fees?
The prices at the other site would still have saved you a considerable amount even before prices went up.
Why the difference, or why is it possible, well it just is for a number of reasons in my view not worth worrying about as at the end of the day you have to choose which site gives you the best deal for the quality you want.
If the other site does that and is as good as you say then it's a no brainer to choose the other site.
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Unless you tell us what site you have changed to how can we compare? I have booked 5 commercial sites this year and all of them have been a very similar price to what I would have paid on Club sites, if not slightly more. The reason I have chosen non Club sites is simply to do with location.
David
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I have four C&MC sites booked as part of a 30 day tour, these only account for a third of my overnight stays on the trip The prices of the Club sites have increased by an average of £1.70p.n. since I booked . All my other locations are very much cheaper but I will be keeping at least three of the Club sites just because of the locations. I'm undecided on the fourth, location is not a factor but if I ditch it, it will be because I decide to change my route.
One thing I do agree with about prices is that there is a widening gap in costs between Club sites and the good commercial sites I use, with the Club being at a disadvantage particularly off peak. That is even more so if you apportion the Club subscription across the number of nights you stay on Club pitches. A saving of £200 is a lot though, the best direct comparison I could come up with is about a £90 saving for a two week stay!
Not all commercial sites offer a saving but it is best to shop around these days and not just stick with Club sites.
peedee
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You don't make it clear when you are going, nor which those "nearby privately owned sites" are, darney, but if you really have found sites £14 per night cheaper than Looe CAMC site good luck to you. And in the interests of fellow members who might be interested, care to name them?
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I'm still waiting to stay on a club site and find it not either completely full or very nearly so.
But it will be good to do so. Imagine, having such a wide choice of pitch....
In the meantime, in the real world, away from CT, the prices have had no consequence on people visiting club sites........
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We have not so far, and are unlikely to, book any Club sites this year, and for us it is totally down to what the prices now are. There is almost always an alternative.
Right now we are on a serviced pitch, on a CL with good toilet and shower facilities, about 4 miles from the nearest Club site, and saving £13 per night.
Next stop is a CCC site at £21 per night, no Club site in the area, then a small commercial at £25 per night, again no Club site nearby.
After that we had to choose between the club site east of Inverness at £33 or the CCC site west of Inverness at Dingwall, which is £10 per night less.
And our final site, another commercial that used to be an AS, down the A9 at Newtonmore is £8 per night less than the Club site at Inverness.
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Full +1, as you say, and as I've many times before, what is posted on here bears no resemblance to what actually happens in real life. Certainly in peak and spring onwards it is as you say.
A few weeks ago, the second weekend of the season I think, I did a count and there were more outfits on service pitches - 39 out of 44 or 88%, than on standard pitches - 35 out of 144 or 24%. It would appear that people were happy to pay the extra £4.90 a night for a SP. I wonder what the club will make of that?
Also I've noticed the site is full on both for the Easter and May BH weekends. If people are cancelling they have left it late for this Friday, or maybe they have and others have picked up the pitches? Either way it's looks as if people are prepared to pay the prices set.
PS The site was all HS so the use of SP can't be blamed on that. There is also a site a few miles away that is £8 more expensive per night, that's full too over those weekends. It's no different to the club site and yes I've stayed on it and had a look round recently.
As I posted elsewhere club prices are still middle of the road, yes there are cheaper and yes there are more expensive, everyone has a choice.
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"Right now we are on a serviced pitch, on a CL with good toilet and shower facilities, about 4 miles from the nearest Club site, and saving £13 per night."
CLs are great, Kj, and, in our latter years of vanning, always our first choice where available. But I don't really think it fair to compare them price wise with club (or commercial) sites. They are what they are, a good alternative but with nothing like the running costs of bigger sites. And, in fairness, C&CC sites are only significantly different in price for those, like us and you, who can benefit from the age related discount (on a like for like pitch.)
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If you are fortunate to get away in your caravan/motorhome many times a year, I can see that price increases will have an impact on your hobby/holiday.
For those of us who get one week a year (and maybe two weekends) away, it has a lesser impact. So we won’t be looking for a cheaper alternative. It’s a precious break away from home, and we want to be sure of the site.
We are one of those boring couples, who go to the same site every year. And mostly just relax on site.
For the past two years we’ve had one weekend on the cheapest site ever. No white peg, no EHU, no neighbours. Just our cows.
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"For the past two years we’ve had one weekend on the cheapest site ever. No white peg, no EHU, no neighbours. Just our cows."
Good job you had no neighbours, Goldie, they'd probably complain about the cows mooing too loudly or too early (or too late)!
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I'm still waiting to stay on a club site and find it not either completely full or very nearly so.
But it will be good to do so. Imagine, having such a wide choice of pitch....
We have just stopped on two CC sites and neither have been more than 1/3rd full. Which pleased us as we had plenty of choice of where to pitch. Randomcamper you are either picking the wrong club sites or choosing to visit them in peak times.
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Sorry, I wasn't aware there was a right or a wrong club site? Which is which please..?
We just go to the sites that are in places we fancy staying....
Certainly don't visit at peak times, now the kids are adults with their own lives we have two golden rules, no school holidays & no bank holidays.
If your 1/3rd full sites were remotely representative, which in our experience they aren't, unless you are talking about Monday or Tuesdays, which will be the same story on any site, then the club would be quickly reducing prices. They aren't. I suspect that prices will have to rise a lot more yet before it influences most working members, desperate for a few weeks away each year. Club sites are still an utter bargain for anyone looking for a simple short holiday, no airport chaos and little commitment/no deposit ( I know that may change soon). Good luck to people staying elsewhere, your pitch will be quickly snapped up by someone else grateful for the chance to get away.......
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My post was more to show that there are almost always alternatives to Club sites if price is a factor, as there are quite a few members for whom a site has to be a Club one. We too always used Club sites until about 10 years back, and the ease of booking, amending and cancelling when necessary, and lack of a deposit being needed was a big plus point, but that is all changing now.
One thing that surprised us when we broadened our horizons was how many commercial sites had many or even all of their pitches serviced, which is a big plus for families with babies and toddlers when it comes to bathing, and for we older people who are not as fit as we used to be.
We have just come from a commercial site at St Andrews, a very popular coastal holiday destination, where our daughter had booked a 7 night stay, the last night being for us to come and take over the van. The site was all serviced pitches, excellent play areas, small clubhouse, soft play and gym for rainy days ( £2 extra I believe ) and a heated indoor pool, no extra charge. £30 per night.
By comparison, the Club site in Fife, not near the coast or the main holiday destinations, is at present £29.80 per night for a standard pitch, with no extra offering for young children.
We also compared the Club's Banchory site with a commercial a few miles away, and found that their serviced pitches were slightly less expensive than the Club's standard pitches, and the Club site does not even have a play area for children.
When it comes to CCC sites, the age related discount is as you say, good for we older people, but they also work out less expensive at many times as their peak periods are much shorter. Easter is not a peak period at all on their sites in Scotland.
The price for the commercial site at Newtonmore also surprised us. We had looked at it in the past when it was an AS, but never used it as we found it expensive, but now it is very reasonable compared to Club sites up here.
We have also found a commercial site near York, never a cheap area, which, in June, works out £10 per night less than Beechwood Grange, which we always used to use.
Having a head office to run obviously has a cost, but is that not covered by the annual subs? Club Site running costs are surely similar to Commercial sites, and are there no "economies of scale" when running so many sites?
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How right you are. I watched around 10 minutes of the programme last night about the running of a large caravan site and one of the couples and their children were complaining to reception about the sheep making a noise! It was one of those moments when you think to yourself, you couldn't make it up! The site was definitely not the sort of site that I would want to go to personally (everyone to their own), but not due to the sheep.
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We are on Great Yarmouth race course club site it is less than half full and it is Easter holidays
IMO it is now that the full effect if site prices and the add costs of other much higher costs will this year see possibly quite a few empty pitches on many club site
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IMO it is now that the full effect if site prices and the add costs of other much higher costs will this year see possibly quite a few empty pitches on many club site
I hope so JVB because that will give those that can afford to do so more freedom to tour without booking.
peedee
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The thing is K that you post these types of post, with great detail of the prices and savings against club sites and how the sites you are using are just as good if not better than club sites, full comparisons against club sites, how club sites should be cheaper...every few days, this one is the third in four days (and the second one today) in a similar vein. Your are perfectly entitled to do so of course but what is the point of these frequent posts all saying the same thing?
My post was more to show that there are almost always alternatives to Club sites if price is a factor, as there are quite a few members for whom a site has to be a Club one.
The way you have written is appears to say that club site users do not know there are alternatives and the parts in bold is disparaging of the fact the choice of site has to be a club one? So what if it is? Do you think that those that do use club sites need some form of education as to other sites? They can't make their own mind up without your frequent posts? Have you ever considered that perhaps those that use club sites do know there are other providers yet still make a conscious choice to use club sites? I won't speak for others but I do know there are other sites out there and I think the quality of club sites is far better, you don't and that is brilliant, you've found 'better' in your eyes but it is not better for everyone.
This appears to be some type of 'crusade' on your part to convert others to your now preferred way of touring. You are perfectly happy as said, and that is great so why not let other be perfectly happy with their choice?
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Surely if you arrive after 1pm there should be someone there to book you in. 😉 Personally I’m not sure consideration comes into it. Unless it ever became as easy to find places as over there, it would be sensible to ring ahead and check availability, or make an online booking when you stop somewhere on route.
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And especially true if you're towing I would say?
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I think K makes some very valid points and has also backed it up with some useful information. We are in the fortunate position of not having to worry too much about site costs. However, like anyone don’t like paying more than is necessary. In our case it’s all about a suitable site in the area we are interested in visiting. To date the CAMC has been our first port of call, purely down to ease of booking / amending. Once deposits are brought in that will no longer be the case, particularly if we can get a similar offering at a lower price where we want to be.
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He does indeed and yes he does back it up, which I always approve of. But the same type of detailed post every few days, or twice in one day with exactly the same information or viewpoint is in my view labouring his valid points.
I think you prove in some ways my point? You do know other providers are out there yet have made a decision, so far, to continue using club sites.
I wouldn't worry about deposits too much just yet 'sometime in 2022' probably means after the summer?
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So far we’ve never come across one with an airlock. However, I assume they have an intercom. They could perhaps insist on you being a member if you turned up without a booking and could quickly check that. Although unless they security check any non members that do book, I would think any potential risk low.
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You both have valid points with your posts although kJ has it seems always griped about costs in the UK when he compare his outgoings and his pension
So he is it,seems getting more UK with his outlook than he would still living in his native country
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I'm thinking the same, every month is a bonus. I think you'll be alright for May!
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