Camping Cheques?
Are these still valid? There were a few postings suggesting that sites were going to abandon them.
I am browsing sites for next year and notice on the club's site one near to Biaritz called Itsas Mende (sic?) . Has anyone stopped there? It doesn't seem to be in the new Venture Abroad.
Comments
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Some sites may drop Camping Cheques in 2017 and some others may take them up. Either wait patiently till the new Camping Cheques list is published on line, or if you are impatient ask that particular site if they intend to accept them. But I don't see
that a listing in Venture Abroad has any connection with Camping Cheques.0 -
They are still valid for next year (if they are 2016/2017) or to the end of December this year if they are 2015/2016. However, an increasing number of sites are dropping out of the scheme.
There are reviews on the Camping Cheques website which may help, but if you wish to make absolutely that they will be accepting Camping Cheques when you intend to be there, then I would email the site to ask.
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Incidentally, does anyone on the staff know why the Caravan Club (which now comes up at the top of the list when you 'Google' Camping Cheques) doesn't have a full link to information about them or any indication that they can be bought and used in this country? There is only information about buying them as a package with a ferry crossing. Is it a reluctance to promote 'commercial sites' in this country? Promoting commercial sites would obviously be a conflict of interests for the Caravan Club?
Perhaps I should have started a separate thread to ask that question - it just came up that a long term member of the Caravan Club, and a contributor to this forum, wasn't aware that they could be used anywhere else than in mainland Europe.
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No doubt you are correct Val. However, I picked up a 2016 Cchq book at the NEC last week. I've never had one before and one of the first things I did notice is that they were able to be used in the UK.
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We stayed at Itsas Mendi a few years ago. Its not a bad site although access with a 7m van was a bit tight and we had to leave via the entrance as we could not make the turn into the exit. The site was very convenient for the Pyrenees, St Jean de Luz etc
and well equipped. Being in that region, the weather can be a bit changeable.0 -
Incidentally, does anyone on the staff know why the Caravan Club (which now comes up at the top of the list when you 'Google' Camping Cheques) doesn't have a full link to information about them or any indication that they can be bought and used in this
country? There is only information about buying them as a package with a ferry crossing. Is it a reluctance to promote 'commercial sites' in this country? Promoting commercial sites would obviously be a conflict of interests
for the Caravan Club?Perhaps I should have started a separate thread to ask that question - it just came up that a long term member of the Caravan Club, and a contributor to this forum, wasn't aware that they could be used anywhere else than in mainland
Europe.The trouble is Val that the Club will only sell them as part of a package of crossings to Europe so use in the UK and the sale of Camping Cheques is a bit academic? I had hoped that by now the Club would be selling camping cheques over the counter but it
seems the fact that they are UK agents counts for nothing. Given that Camping Cheques seem to be gradually going down the drain I would have thought that any rules on selling them unconditionally would be relaxed as a priority?David
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DK, I haven't tried to buy them separately, but it looks as though you actually now can - although another part of the Club website says you can't
But if you go down that road you have to pay £6.95 admin charge plus £3 for the handbook on top of the price of the Cheques. Have a try and see what you think. 0 -
I am browsing sites for next year and notice on the club's site one near to Biaritz called Itsas Mende (sic?) .
Has anyone stopped there?
We stayed there this year on the way back from Spain. Interestingly we had stayed at Larrouleta on the way out following quite a few recommendations on CT. As we were travelling on the next day the mention by the owner that the restauant was open that evening
was welcome but it turned out to be very dissapointing.
As we had some 2014 Camping Cheques to use we decided on Itsas for the return so we could visit Saint Jean de Luz.The site was easy to find and there was a warm welcome. There were quite a few French vans and several Belgiums and we pitched at the top of the
site, very close to the shop, and, after looking around, realised that for a short stay this was the best area.
We had intended to eat in Saint Jean but having been charged more than double the price than we had in Spain for a beer decided to return to the site,having had a look at the restaurant earlier, and had a lovely meal and no worry about how having a drink.
It was mid June so still quiet 'early' but odd that we could get an English newspaper at the shop but not fresh milk!
Would certainly use again for a short stay but there are nicer sites in the area for longer holidays.0 -
Re Cheques- have been looking for our travelling companions who are not CC members and you can buy both paper and electronic cheques direct-albeit that you call will go to the Club!
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We've booked a fortnight at The Rivendale site in Derbyshire. 14 nights for the price of 11 Camping Cheques. We've used them there before. The site is well up to CC site standards and much cheaper when using the cheques. We've got a Silver Card and top it
up on line to use in UK or abroad.0 -
We've used our Camping Cheques in this country with several stays at Rivendale, at Newlands in Dorset, The Quiet Site in the Lakes, and at Brighouse Bay in Scotland. I'm not sure which of those still accept Camping Cheques, but all of them were fine by
our standards!0 -
DK, I haven't tried to buy them separately, but it looks as though you actually now can - although another part of the Club website says you can't
But if you go down that road you have to pay £6.95 admin charge plus £3 for the handbook on top of the price of the Cheques. Have a try and
see what you think.ET
I don't really want any
I don't mind paying for the directory but would object to paying the admin fee. I still have a Silver Card but have
not used it for a couple of years. I had issue with that at some campsites who either couldn't get onto the system or took twice the number of cheques. All sorted out without too much trouble but still a bit of a bind. Tend to use ACSI or the Club European
Guides to find campsites now.David
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No, I'm not a fan either, and only get them as part of a Brittanty Ferries package. I offered paper Camping Cheques at a French campsite this year - which is in the handbook - and the site owner peered at them, turned them over, shuffled them, and admitted
she had never seen paper Cheques before.0 -
I thought the idea of offering these cheques was as a sort of discount on the ferry price. I have just priced up Brittany Ferries, Portsmouth to St Malo night crossings both ways, on the CC website. To start with it said that I would need to buy 5 cheques
but when I input this number, it said the minimum was 7. Then the overall price was within a couple of pounds of the one I obtained on the BF site, plus the cost of the cheques. So no overall saving. Given how much easier it is to use the BF booking system
I think I will go with booking direct.0 -
Hi Steve, below is what I posted in another thread and backs up what AD said. I think that the minimum cheques is 5 over the phone or they have a 7 for price of 6 offer.
Best way for us is by booking an ITX package combining ferry and camping cheques. Savings vary but on the longer routes, such as from Plymouth that we often use, can be substantial.
Our price for 2017 for a May/June return with Brittany Ferries, Plymouth to Roscoff with 7 cheques, is £346.55. This makes the ferry £241.90.
Booked direct with BF the cost is £573!!I think that Portsmouth routes can be less but you need to do your research as savings are not consistent. I am getting a better price for a overnight crossing but often they are more expensive.
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We love Camping Cheques for the substantial saving on crossing cost. At the same time we find it disappointing that fewer sites accept them. We made the mistake this year of buying some extra ones over and above the minimum as there was a good offer -
14 for 12 I think - but then we failed to use them. We stayed 3 nights on one site where the manager told us that he would need 3 cheques or, his preferrred option, of paying for 2 nights and a 3rd free using ACSI. It seems that Camping Cheques are dwindling
to nothing.0
