Booking a pitch
Comments
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How do you know they 'should' leave by 12? They might have the warden's permission to stay late or, as JS said, might be leaving early having paid for the extra night.
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You have to smile.......comments like "but there would be no demand for booking a specific pitch" and "why is it necessary as all pitches are the same".
My suggestion to you is.......then don't take up the option to book a specific pitch, when the option starts to be offered (as it inevitably will be).
My guess though, is that you will be at the front of the queue to book a specific pitch.
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Correct , you can book a variety of pitches including H/S or grass as long as they are available for your chosen dates.........👍
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Cos that's the maximum number of nights we can stay on a site and those that wanted that specific pitch would be blocked if they spanned that date. It ain't changing I'd bet I think as the current system works and is really, really fair to all members and is in keeping with the touring way!
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Well I wouldn't book a certain pitch in advance other than H/S, why, because I like to pick from what's available when I arrive.
I don't want to pitch next to someone with half a dozen children or dogs for a start. I know for some this is not an issue, I don't mind children when they are well behaved or dogs when they are not yapping morning noon and night. But if you reserve a pitch in advance you can't possibly know who you are going to be be pitched next to.
I don't want to pitch under trees either, the site plans don't always reflect how big the trees are, or how far they overhang the pitches, do they get any sunlight at all, will I get a tv signal.
All these things matter to some folk (me included)
Leave it as it is, if you want to get a certain pitch as said at the beginning go to a commercial site. Club sites are for touring not for setting up house for weeks on end.
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We have used sites were you can book a pitch type, some where you can book a specific pitch and many, like the club, where you take your pick on arrival.
We have been inconvenienced on all types but, on balance, we would stick with the turn up and choose but if we could book a HS that would be great.
We have never arrived early but sometimes been allowed to leave a little later, we have very occasionally paid for an extra night but left in the evening etc etc.
I did smile at Eurortravellers pub analogy as we have twice recently been affected by this. When unable to book a table at the time we wished at a pub we went 'early', as they suggested as they had some tables that could not be booked,to find the place empty but all tables reserved for a particular time. We left and went elsewhere as we did when we visited one of our two local pubs to find every table reserved and not a single person sat at them.
I think it will always be more likely to be driven by what works for the business rather than for the customer.
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Why, oh why would the club consider or even want to copy the ways of those commercials? To replicate this makes little business sense, what is needed is that edge, that difference which attracts. The club seems now to have realised that it is it's uniqueness that is key to success and that tourers will remain their core business. Yes, it is a network with many sites pretty much dotted across our lands with no site being situated further than a comfortable day's drive from the next. It is a touring club and it caters for those tourers amongst us. The fact that you can book one night or up to twenty one nights on any of these sites and still pick your pitch on arrival is almost unique amongst providers and a draw for many members and potential members. No one is favoured, given preference or advantaged when it comes to length of stay on one site and long will that remain in my opinion! For those who wish those 'static' type two or three week holidays then they could of course go to those providers who specialise and 'favour' this!
For me the club has seen the light and is forging the way ahead in this respect as the future lies in promoting the network that it clearly is and so very different in many ways to those 'samey' commercials. It is that business edge that is the difference and makes the difference.
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Yes, I too do not understand the 'other sites do thing this way so why shouldn't the club?' approach. If you like the way thing are done on other sites/clubs better then go to them. Simple!
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A very good post. As I've stated before I do not like grass so we never go to site where we might end up on the stuff, or book a service pitch (which we always like anyway), so booking a pitch type would be good for us too.
We do the same as you when arriving and choose from what is available. A site plan printed off doesn't give any idea trees, sunlight, shade, or indeed any of the things you mention.
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We'd love to be able to tour for weeks on end like that David and one day in the future we may well be able to. But surely what you are saying is that, although you want to book a specific pitch for very long stays on one site, understandably, you are quite happy to choose from what's available when you arrive on site for shorter stays. Which is precisely what club sites offer!
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I see on another thread that Houghton Mill (former CC site, I believe, now run by the NT) have introduced the idea of pre-booking specific pitches.
Hopefully the CAMC will take note and will see how well it works (on many other sites too) and start the roll-out across their sites sooner rather than later.
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I am not quite sure how this pitch booking would work, particularly at sites that book up quickly for the weekends. Do sites that allow pitch booking permit it for Sunday to Friday, or just full weeks. If only full weeks you would have to get in fairly fast at some sites, otherwise it would not be possible. Or, as with a lot of purely commercial sites, is the suggestion that the CAMC tries to let the weeks first and only takes short bookings closer to departure date, to fill in the gaps.
Personally I think it is fine as it is. However, since we tend to book weeks everywhere, Sunday / Sunday and can book on frenzy day, either system works for us. Although being able to book a hardstanding would be nice.
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In a NUT shell, moulesy! Yes of course fellow members can still book for 7,14,21 nights as they always have, they just have to do it like the rest of us, no priveledges shown with choosing from what pitches are available on arrival. That's the fair way and it will remain I'm sure in this touring club of ours!
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All this discussion about pitch choice when you arrive!!
In the short time we have been caravanners, not once have we been asked to choose our pitch. Always allocated.
And we always have had to pay a deposit!
Are we doing something wrong????
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