camping cards?
we are thinking of going to France in the off season (before July and after August), don't know which just yet. Which is the best camping discount card to obtain?
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I take it you mean ACSI Camping Card or Camping Cheques. Yes? Decide which sites you are going to then look on line and see whether they are in either of those two discount schemes for the dates you will be there ..... if so join that scheme......if not join neither.
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Agree with previous advice: have a look at what sites you want to stay at, and take it from there.
From a financial point of view, the Club can, as already explained, do good deals with ferry bookings and camping cheques. But if you book independently, then the outlay of the ACSI card is much cheaper than buying x number of camping cheques up front if you can't get them as part of a deal. Once you've got them, they are valid for 2 years, NOT calendar years from when you bought them, ie cheques bought now are valid for 2017 and 2018.
The ACSI card (and guide) cost around £14-£15, and you can use the card as often as you like.
It all depends on what sites you want to use, whether they accept either, or none. A bit of research needed!
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Remember also that with ACSI card "out of season" varies from site to site. Some also offer special deals e.g. 7 nights for the price of 6.
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Hi, in regard to the two main options there is much good info above but to me the main advantage of buying Camping Cheques is as part of an ITX package with the club-combining cheques and ferry.
If you use the booking service you will be able to see the saving that can be made by doing this,indeed booking site via the club and ferry can also give the ITX savings, and this year my ferry part of the package was over £300 cheaper than booking direct with Brittany Ferries. This means that even if I binned the cheques, which I don't as we have some cheques sites that we use each year, I am still over £200 in pocket.
Savings do vary considerably but if you are not set on one particular route/day/time you can save a lot of money.
Whenever I posted on this before I have always cautioned that you must never assume anything. We have got the best deal going at 0800 one year and overnight the next time.
One thing, always put a minimum of 7 cheques as the amount you want as you cannot get a quote otherwise and please come back with any more questions.
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TG, we are booked with the club, as per my post above, but are travelling with friends after we meet up in France. I made my booking and passed the phone to my motorhome owning friend who then, speaking to the same person, got a good deal direct with Camping Cheques using P&O from Dover.
His van is an Autotrail Scout and I think he paid app £110 out mid May and back mid June.
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ACSI is an excellent Card to have and you have many more options of Camp Sites taking it. Prices are €11, €13, €15, €17 and €19 and priced by services they offer. . When we started travelling into Europe we bought Camping Cheques but only ever used one or two as could not find a site near we want to be and in the end threw them away.
Have used ACSI for 13 years since the year it was brought out with 200 Sites and using it this year for the 14th time. The Campsites offered have grown each year and now there are 3,319. Camping Cheques have diminished every year and there are far less.
If you travel by Eurotunnel, as we do the CC offer does not apply..
DianneT.
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Another fan of ACSI we just wish that we had known about it when we lived in France! However, don't feel bound to ACSI once you have made the 'investment' for the card. Many sites in France are similar cost to the ACSI rate out of season. We tour Europe with the CC overseas books and the ACSI books and never book - out of season that is so the OP should be fine. OP you can get the ACSI membership via the club shop. We book the tunnel using Tesco points (therefore 'free'
) so not particularly interested in the Camping Cheques system though it does seem to have good offers if the ferry suites.0 -
I see that you're from North Humberside and buying camping cheques will get you a good discount on some of the crossings out of Hull, after all, Zeebrugge and Calais are only about 80 miles apart and, depending on where you are heading, the difference in distance to where you are going can be a lot less than this.
To get the best deals, you have to travel on a Saturday or Sunday night. To get the ITX fare, you have to book ferry and "accommodation" - campsite(s) or camping cheques in 1 transaction. On line, you must buy a minimum of 7 camping cheques, by phone you can just buy 5.
Apart from this, ACSI is the better schem, but there's no reason why you can't mix and match.
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Hi Tammygirl,
We do get ITX fares for Motorhomes as well so if you couldn't find one then there wouldn't have been one available for a caravan either. Always make sure you put the Camping Cheques in your basket first and then search the fare. If in doubt give our Travel Team a call so we can search for you.
Hope you find one in the future.
Best Wishes
Tracy
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I think the comment re MH was related to Brittany Ferries crossings where caravans went free, on some crossings, so you are only paying for a car of, say, 5M as opposed to a MH of, say, 8M making the car and van cheaper and, it seems, leading people to think that they are not getting an ITX.
Now the name of the club has changed there will possibly be more who feel this is unfair!
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