Site arival and pitch finding
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Awwww, thanks
. I love these threads that help, OCC here I come
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I don't even understand you post AD so-that'll be a no then, err or yes- maybe
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Cornersteady said,
you can fly Birmingham to La Rochelle this weekend for £48.06 out and £39.50 return. How much is it with car&caravan or MH I wonder? One hour 30 minutes each way, google says 11+ hours by car without a van of course and probably no breaks.
Know which I'd prefer!
So do I, all that packing and unpacking of bags, getting to and fro from airports, long check in times and hanging around in dreadful airports waiting and then there is a good chance of delays. What a waste of time and money. My holiday starts as soon as I step out of the front door and into the motorhome. Anyhow back on track.
I don't know why but arriving at noon or very close to it does seem to becoming more prevalent. Having a motorhome, it is very rare for me to arrive at that time either because of the distance travelled or because I am visiting somewhere on route. I am also not too particular about what type of pitch is left or where it is as long as I can get on it after all it is not difficult to later move with a motorhome if so wished. When solo, driving around a site is no problem unless there are low trees. For this reason there are occasions when I do walk around or unhook the towed car to find a pitch. It all depends on site layout and access. There is no one solution.
peedee
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so your MH is permanently packed? you have a house elf who packs it for you perhaps? I see no difference between packing my van for a holiday and packing for a flying holiday both require getting stuff ready and putting it into the van or a suitcase. as for check in, doesn't that happen on ferries, or whatever?
What long check in times at airports?And what hanging around? We do on line check at home usually a week or so before, and use the special bag drop off at the airport, use fast track security. I usually spend no more than an hour tops at the airport before departure. My holiday also begins the moment I lock the door.
I'm a fan of both types of holidays, I'm not saying one is better though flying can certainly be quicker and cheaper.
Back on topic. I have before that as I always ensure I get a HS I'm not a arrive at noon type, so perhaps more HS would ease the problem on the sites where it exists.
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I will say our caravan and previos motor caravans are all mostly ready to roll with the basics always on board, but where as we had to change the extras over to the motor caravan in storage ,then park the car on the pitch, it is easier with the car/caravan as we just hook up and go and get sorted at our liesure when at our first destinaion,
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The overwhelming number of sites we've visited are drive round one way systems and choose a vacant pitch, this works very well in my opinion. There are, a very few, like the one mentioned at Cambridge, where you walk and find a pitch. In this case this is totally understandable as it is a tight single track linear site with no circular road system. Here booking in is managed differently and very effectively and can be 'forgiven' for not being the norm! There is room at the barrier to queue too whilst folk find pitches.
One way does not fit all, or suit everyone mind, but the systems we witness are fair for the majority of members and work best for those understandable site specific reasons.
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For people who are staying a while on a Club site and want the perfect pitch, why not turn up at a time that suits you (mid afternoon seems sensible), take any pitch that is offered, don't unpack too much and don't put the awning up. Next morning take a stroll around and see which area you want to stay in then wait for somebody to leave. Bag the pitch with a piece of equipment and move your outfit. Probably takes 30 mins and you can enjoy your preferred pitch for a week or two.
We always do this on the continent when we want to stay for more than three days. Admittedly easier with a Motorhome but we used to do it all the time with a caravan. Learned the trick from the Dutch!
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When we arrived at Trewethett a few days back around 12.30, we found 6 vans already in the queue, towcars mainly empty. OH was surprised to find the office empty, apart from the wardens, then realised that the arrivals had all been sent off to walk round and select a pitch.
Presumably they have to make a shortlist as what if 2 of them selected the same pitch? Or maybe they get given something to mark the pitch with? We did see someone going past the next day carrying a peg length piece of brown drainpipe.
(We had been allocated a disabled pitch, so did not have to go and choose.)
Good idea there as there are several areas on the site which are blind alleys, so driving around to look would not be easy.
Here at Merrose the regime seems to be to drive round to look as we noticed several vans and MHs going past a few times.
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whichever method is used walking or driving I would think the pitch is only 'yours' when you obtain the fob thing with the number on it.
At Troutbeck a few years ago (a site where you drive around not walk, you could walk but it's quite big) I asked if a particular pitch was free when booking in and it was so I took it then and then and drove to the pitch. There was a woman standing on it trying to reserve it while her OH was still in the office, she did move off quite happily when I explained.
Oh and before KjellNN has a go at me like last time I'll remind him he has done the same (which he didn't mention at the first telling off but let it slip later on)
and yes if I had found an outfit already setting up on the pitch I would not have tried to get it but found another
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You will need to refresh my memory on that one Corners.
I have no problem with anyone choosing a pitch on arrival as long as there is nobody in the "queue" ahead of them.
Yes, if we arrive at a quiet time OH will ask which pitches are free and select one off the plan when allowed, we are not too fussy and it does save hassle. However, wardens will not usually let you do that if there is anyone still out looking for a pitch, and that is fine with us too.
Once, as the pitch was just beside reception and the warden could see it was not taken, we have been allowed to decide even though one other arrival was still looking. On that occasion I think he let me through the barrier and onto the pitch while OH was still paying.
We have certainly never selected a pitch and then found someone behind us in the queue trying to reserve it. We have found someone on a pitch we had been directed to, so chose a different one, and did the same when we were allowed to choose at reception and then found an EHU cable on the pitch.
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On the site we're on now, we were given half a dozen pitch numbers marked on a site map to chose from. We pitched on the chosen pitch and went back to reception to inform them of the pitch number. Meanwhile a following arrival member with the same half dozen pitches marked on his site map was unable to understand why we were occupying the pitch he wanted. The wardens can't win!
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with regard to AD's point about leaving the van to walk around the site, there have been (as ever) many posts that suggest its not practical to do this as 'units would be queued up in the approach road' etc.....
we arrived at Bonterra Park yesterday....this is a hugely busy site and the site is now full (we rang to secure a pitch as its one of the busiest over-wintering sites) and, without knowing who we were, the barrier was immediately opened to let us inside, away from the main road only 30m away.
there were already two vans inside, but easily enough room for us to park, return to check in and then move of to our pitch....we knew where it would be...
all approaching vans are let inside prior to check in, as its the most practical thing to do with a short access road and a busy street ouside.
Cue, loads of CC rules why vans in the uk cant get on side without checking in first.......
and this seems to be the biggest difference.....rules over practicality or practicality over rules....
so, here we have no vehicles cruising the site (this would be silly on such a full site) and no vehicles waiting on approach roads or any roads outside the site causing issues.
with a high turnover of vans here, they come and go all day, some left this morning as were went to the showers, several arrivals have already pitched.....
as ever, no highway blockages, no excess vans on site, no bow wave of arrivals, no rush for the 12:00 best pitch.....just calmness.......
i might just do a Malcolm and doze off......
oh no, off for a walk and a bike ride....
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Some sites don't person the office between 10:30 and 12:00 / 13:00, as there is only the one set of wardens and they have other duties. So raising the barrier to let folk in who arrived between those times just would not happen at those sites.
These are generally the smaller sites but also some off the larger ones when they go into winter mode.
Yes of course the CAMC could employ more staff. However, this would only increase costs even further.☹️👎
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Interesting BB I wonder though why club sites with all their rules over practicality are so popular? Maybe it's the rules that make thing practical? Thanks for taking the time out of your holiday to post as well. Another slow day?
Not too keen on a site just opening it's barriers (travellers? maybe they don't have them over there?) and I'm glad the club doesn't do that.
PS is that site abroad? If so I don't understand, you've often posted that booking (or telephoning ahead to secure a pitch) is not needed over there?
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Is it me ,or are some members making hard work of arriving and finding a pitch ??, for me ,I turn up after the stated arrival time, go and see the person in reception ,and either walk or drive round the site (which ever the warden prefers you to do),find a pitch ,park on it and then let the warden know which one , I've always thought that was quite easy
P.S, the sun was shining on my screen , but I just pulled the blind down
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Likewise HD, having used club sites for over 18 years it is quite easy. There are often other arriving at the same time but even then everyone pitches in the end on their preferred pitch.
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At worst you will at least get 1 night on that singularly desired pitch, maybe!
