Barnard Castle
Just been looking at booking three nights at Barnard Castle for two adults and two children from the 2nd of April but was disgusted to find that it would cost me £115 pounds, that's £38.33 per night, in April. What has the club become?
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Hi ralph-dot, try Doe Park at Cotherstone which is a lovely site (commercial) have stayed several times and will be back there in June.
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They vary in price across the network due to a variety of reasons. I'd try a CL.
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I'm with you Ralph-Dot, It's an absolute scandal. I just looked at booking a couple of weeks at Sandringham with our 5 year old granddaughter but the £502 price tag put paid to that. The problem is school holidays. The Caravan and Motorhome Club, of which we are fee-paying members, is now behaving like an open-market holiday company and we, the members, are having to suffer the financial consequences. Being a member of the club is no longer beneficial because there are plenty of comparable independent sites charging much less. I wonder if this is the club's way of recouping the rebranding cost. Incidentally, my wife and I are pensionners so prices like this are prohibitive. Needless to say our membership renewal is under review.
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Here Here. I have to take school holidays and we are now looking more to CL/CS to save costs or to other commercial sites.
We have booked 2 weeks at Cheddar Bridge site which is very near to the club site but saves us a fair chunk of cash for the same period.
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and I'm also with you Patris as a single person on a low income the peak season rate is getting a joke ,the peak season on some sites starts this weekend I'm not paying top rate of late March I know I pay less than most of you so please don't slate me but as I'm on a low income the £5 or £6 extra is a lot to me
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Can I suggest, as I have on a similar thread entitled Hillhead, that you write and point out these facts to the club? They won't know unless they're told why members aren't booking - assuming they even notice! I'd like to hear their response.
Very difficult for families and fixed incomes, we fall into that category,. Personally I've not looked to book club site as yet this year, haven't had cause yet. But if my findings are similar to these on this thread I'll be looking around at alternatives before reaching a booking decision.
Maybe just maybe HQ are reading these threads but not commenting! Who knows? Certainly when I was working anecdotal evidence we passed up was poo pooed or ignored at best but if we managed to get someone to actually write in and comment sometimes management were surprised enough by the response to act. We can but live in hope 😉.
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As I am now retired, I have give up going away at Easter & bank holidays, 2 reasons, 1st as they are always busy and I'd like to think as we can go any time let the workers with kids on school holidays use the space, and 2nd we are out priced, we used to go just before the holidays to get the cheaper rate, but this year the peak rate started at end of March, a good 2 weeks before Easter, so waste of time thinking along the price line, but you are right they are pricing themselves out against commercial sites, and closing the basic sites like Mildenhall, so you are correct in that the club has changed into a buisness, and loyal members will have to back out and let the rich 'pioneers' take over.
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We also try to avoid school holidays, but Easter is difficult to avoid. We generally head over the water in mid/late April, and usually set out from home about 2 weeks before our ferry crossing,
This year we are not home again till early July, when peak season is starting on several sites.
If we stay in UK we also get caught up in the May BH and school Half Term. If Club sites are too expensive we use CLs.
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Whilst I agree the prices at "peak" times are more than I am prepared to pay if you look at late availability for Easter with the exception of Devon & Cornwall and to a lesser extent Scotland all sites are full. In this situation would any business reduce prices? Having said that looking at vacancies in D & C there may be a commercial case for reductions to encourage more bookings for Easter to increase total revenue.
As others have stated elsewhere on CT there are alternatives such as CLs and rallies and I have personally booked the South Lancs rally at Southport on the park next to the club site at a cost of £49.00 for four nights. Even using a full 6k gas bottle still a big saving compared to the adjoining site at Easter.
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I'm with those who decamp when the school holidays are on. If we do go away, we use CLs or the 'no facilities' sites. I'm quite happy to leave the main sites for families with limited scope time wise.
It's reached the stage that I cannot stomach site prices although we do get more for our money.
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I've been looking for somewhere at Easter but as I live in Yorkshire it's very popular all the sites are full but 2 are shut for a refurb and one in Derbyshire is too so making the rest busy however just spotted on late availability and found Hebden Bridge has 1 non awning pitch free over Easter has it has no toilet block it's cheaper than the bigger sites but I only do 2 nights as I not have a shower in my camper
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It's not a big site and is very popular so tends to fill up quickly, I booked for 3 nights for the may bank holiday, £33/night for the 2 of us.
Last month we had 5 nights on a serviced pitch at White Water for £20/night, yes it was low season but a huge difference.
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I do as I go to that site quite a bit so manage ok but not go more than 2 nights as I can't go too long without washing my hair !!
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Those prices are certainly more than we'd be willing to pay.
But I can't help thinking that the words "chicken" and "roost" come to mind given the number of folk who have complained on here in the past that the club is not businesslike enough and actually argued for an increase in prices at peak times (quickly adding that they don't use club sites at peak time themselves!)
I'd be looking for a CL in the area - there's bound to be something to suit.
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Basically it is your choice as to whether you pay or not. If you think it is too high, then you go elsewhere, even to the C&CC site nearby. The price is only too high if people refuse to pay and if they do the club will have to review the charges. If people are willing to pay that price then it is the going rate for the site.
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