2023 site fees
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People can only discuss your comparisons surely if you name the sites you mention. I'm sure we can all pluck cheaper alternatives to keep this discussion lively.
I've mentioned upthread that it's very quiet everywhere, yesterday we visited 10 sites locally from a cl to an all in clubhouse type site to say hello and the feedback is that occupancy has never been so low with future bookings well down. Personally I think people are booking more last minute so hopefully when the weather gets better we will see an upturn.
JK
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JK, you are maybe right, but it seems people are going cool on traditional UK caravanning. Tour operators, travel agents, and airlines are all reporting that business and bookings are greater than before the pandemic.
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JK
Interesting what you said about people booking late. I think, after having a bad experience of paying in advance for a commercial site last year and losing the lot because of catching COVID I am becoming paranoid about booking too far in advance. Although there is little logic in it as it's only a deposit, the same applies to Club sites!
At long last we have made our first booking this year for next week for a few days at Swiss Farm in Henley. It is slightly more expensive than Four Oaks but for £2/3 extra a night I get a fully serviced pitch and I am much further away from that noisy road and I am a bit nearer to the town and the bus stop should I need it!
Given that out of season the main occupants of campsites seem to be the retired generation I wonder that as things start to get back to normal after the pandemic that more health appointments are being generated which take a priority over camping?
David
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Just out of interest the CL we recently used at Bude, "By the Byre" was full when we visited and the bookings board they used showed very few gaps (they allocate pitches.) They ask for full payment in advance for shorter bookings. So for three nights we paid £67.50 before arrival, other longer stays pay a deposit. It's situated by a nature reserve, footpaths and cycle ways, within easy walking reach of Bude.
For £22.50 per night we had a nice level pitch, plenty of space and for our pitch and the one next door, pitches 1 and 2 we had a tap each. However the basic facilities were good for everyone, (no extras like washrooms etc.)
I think much now depends on location, price and last minute bookings. But for some places like this CL in nice spots with limited space advance bookings are probably worth considering.
https://www.caravanclub.co.uk/certificated-locations/england/cornwall/bude/By-The-Byre-Caravan-Site/
The next site we used at Heligan Gardens, also paid in advance had add on insurance. A very nice privately owned site.
PS I think I also spotted a previous poster's review for By the Byre.
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Brue
Just out of interest how much was the insurance mentioned for Heligan Gardens site? Once went to a site on the IOW which did the same. It made sense to us as the booking also included the ferry crossing which doubled the price!
David
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Prefer to Google my price comparisons rather than visit 10 different sites. We all have the same resource at hand and have no reason to lie or bend truths to suit our purpose. I joined this club some years ago because of the way it was run,this has now changed and if I see no benefit in the cost of membership then I will obviously cancel it. The club has no loyalty to me and vice versa.
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Maybe you’re not aware that JK is a club site warden and was doing the friendly 'meet the neighbours' thing.
I agree with you about the loyalty issue and treatment of members is the main reason I walked.
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We didn't have to use it for a short stay but I think we opted in for about £1.15 per night, the T&Cs were quite complicated! Probably more useful for longer stays.
When we did a long trip to the Shetland Isles with the van including the ferries etc we took out insurance, it wasn't expensive. I've insured a week at a holiday cottage in Wales this year as it is an expensive time of the year, I think this cost around £30.
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We were at a lovely CL at the BH weekend in Norfolk, everyone there was complaining about the current club fees and when we took the better half's Car to the garage for a repair our mechanic (also a club member) also raised the subject with me. Seems to me the majority are not happy with the new pricing structure the club are employing and most are quite scathing with having the 20% offer emails. We have no club sites booked this year, only CL and other club sites which is unusual for us as we usually are booking into the next year with the CAMC. I can't quantify the reasons for the price hike with the new booking system but I guess the powers that be will be reviewing this at some stage this year. Safe Travels everyone
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We have just arrived on a "club" site with a toilet block, on a H/S pitch with EHU, for 5 nights at a cost of £97. It is very quiet, both from traffic noise and occupancy, with just 3 occupied caravan, 4 unoccupied seasonal ones, 4 M/Hs and 2 tents on a site of 80 pitches. Suits us down to the ground!!😁
None of the sites that we have been on this trip so far have been anywhere near full. I suspect that cost has a lot to do with why the sites are not busy, with the cost of living rises and in the case of the CC the inflated price hike. We would have possibly used an odd CC site but not with the prices they are now trying to charge us.
Edit, I forgot to add there is free WiFi on here too, which works well, but no phone signal.
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I've been looking for an overnight stay in a couple of weeks, for our trip to the tunnel. For various reasons we won't be able to leave until around 12-ish on the day, from here it's 300 miles to the tunnel, so a site around Birmingham would be good. We'll be using the M40 next day so it doesn't matter whether we go E or W around B'ham. Tunnel not booked until late afternoon next day.
We have a solar panel and for 1 night we don't need EHU. Compared Chapel Lane, CAMC, to Clent Hills, C&CC. Although there is an option listed for an Economy pitch type at Chapel Lane, next to it it states "Not available", so the next cheapest option was a grass pitch with EHU at £30.10.
Clent Hills does have a grass pitch without EHU, and it is £14. Admittedly, that is with the over 60's dscount, but even without the discount it's £18.70.
So for us on that occasion it's a saving of £16.10. Well pleased with that.
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It occurred to me I hadn’t seen any non electric pitches on offer when I’ve booked C&CC sites, even at short notice. I had a look at Clent Hills and it would offer me one if I put in Caravan but would only give me a hardstanding with electric if I entered MH. It has been fairly wet lately, so that’s probably the reason. Looking at the grass on the site we are on, I wouldn’t want to put a 3.5 tonne vehicle on it. Shame they don’t do non EHU hardstandings as well.
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As far back as I can remember the C&CC only offer grass non ehu but they are usually ok and not tucked into any awkward spots like the CAMC offerings (Altnaharra excepted.) We're booked on a non ehu at Ebury this year and have used non ehu on the site near Hereford which was very pleasant. I'm miffed because I missed a special offer at Ebury but there you go!
If anyone needs an overnight near the for M40/M42 junctions there's a CL in Leamington Spa at the rugby club on grass with adjoining club bar, The Crofts. A good base for Warwickshire sight seeing.
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Also c n cc have an over 60 reduction in membership fees £25 c n m c £59 .also have just come back from haggerston castle (haven) 4 nights with water point on pitch for £68 plus entertainment pass for two . brilliant swimming pool as well
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Have to agree, seem to me the club are investing in other forms of accomodation, holiday rentals, cottages etc. Probably be called the caravan, motorhome, glamping pod, yurt, holiday cottage club in the near future! Take me back to the good old caravan club, speculative booking,no deposit, j-cloth on your wash basin,mop and bucket and squeegee and get on with it. Perhaps as a membership we can propose it.
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We have just had 4 nights there, on a grass pitch with EHU, just where we wanted to pitch having been before, and it cost us £61:60.
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We have booked a grass pitch at CCC Chipping Norton, mid/late June, HSs were all booked, meeting up with friends, hope it keeps dry!
£21.09 per night. At least we will have a facilities block. Cotswold area seems pretty pricey.
We used a grass pitch on a CL just outside M in M last year, very good, but it was during the heatwave. No facilities, £23 per night. Was supposed to be £20, but omitted to say EHU was +£3.
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We are booked there in early June, we two, our daughter, and her 2 little ones age 5 and 2. Large Pitch with water and EHU, just over £30 per night.
Could have been less if daughter had not taken so long to decide on suitable dates! She will be paying the difference.
We were there last year and the kids loved it, so going again. Will be the last year they can come away with us in June as her oldest starts school in August.
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By being an OAP and having 25 years of membership and you have to apply for it as it’s not automatic. I’m afraid the other poster wasn’t quite correct.
However, age related discount on site fees is available to all members over 60.
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See above, Kj.
It's called Veteran Membership and not well publicised. The cost is half of the full rate whether you have full or digital membership, ie not half of the digital rate.
However, none of this has anything to do with CAMC's 2023 site fees.
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We have booked a grass pitch at CCC Chipping Norton, mid/late June, HSs were all booked, meeting up with friends, hope it keeps dry! £21.09 per night. At least we will have a facilities block.
Kjell we are there in 2 weeks time, and for the 5 nights on grass with EHU, it will be £87:87!
TW, I realise that this post is about CC prices but it just goes to show that there are club sites a lot less expensive than the CC are now charging for sites with similar facilities, in popular areas.
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Maybe, Nellie, but C&CC membership fee is a different topic altogether which was the point I was making after being sidetracked into explaining it.🙁
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