Delftse Hout Site

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  • gatewaya89
    gatewaya89 Forum Participant Posts: 157
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    edited September 2018 #32

    Hi All

    Well there are some stead fast club members here but we shall disagree on certain points as is our fee paying right and continue to try all sorts of different campsites as we strongly believe that this particular club is on par with most others however you can come across some real gems out there!

    May I ask anyone out there in club land when did one of your clubs campsites last win any awards for service or standards as we are not aware of any current awards or perhaps we missed them? perhaps there are? but can someone point them out to us? as we see that this site wins them all again for Wales http://www.redkitetouringpark.co.uk/ see for yourself and judge?

    Hi HarryB  we class commercial sites those which are any site where we would not pay membership fee's for all year to use at any time,

    Now as for research Harry your right! we did do that on here! did we make a mistake then by using the reviews as a gauge by club users?Please advise as we would not wish to make the same mistake twice! 

    Again everyone's opinions are different but you are right we are finding now using other sites throughout the UK and comparing to this club sites just how a little dated the caravan & motor home club sites are and given that caravaning has moved on since the 70's  perhaps the club does need some new ideas and better facilities rolled out.

    We like yourself of course have been on many club sites and both users and some wardens tell us the exactly same thing but they still try to do the best with what they got and we take our hats off to them all! So question is what can we all do about it as we all pay membership fees every year but do we all get a good return?

    We do seem to constantly come up against this "its our club leave it alone as its fine as it is"type of replies! But just a question but don't answer should you not wish too?

    Harryb since being a member of this club have you ever put forward any idea's or update suggestions for sites which would improve it for all? and if you have were they implemented across the sites? as we would like to know which way you done this? if you have? as we can follow by your example?

    As you say " Just our opinion & many others"

    Hi Deleted User User

    We are so glad your taking part sorry to learn you are getting somewhat confused by all discussions taking place, but value your contribution immensely from someone who has traveled so far in Europe and for so many trips it would be great to check out some of your favorite sites you talk about especially Croatia?Please let us know!

    Hi Kjellnn

    Glad to hear we are not the only ones on here that found that site in Holland not up to standard, and like you we have tried some CL's in the UK on both clubs and your quite right! there are some real little gems out there when you can find them! thank you very much for you input and not too forget your opinions!

    But for another point of discussion we consider that if the club offers to book an overseas site then we feel its them we that should have the recourse with should standards not be met!

    Now before anyone starts going down the road of the club can not be held responsible for sites overseas should they at least ensure that certain safety standards are adhered too for its club members which they are sending there?

    As we said when we arrived due it being full to overflowing (please note everyone!)we were placed on an enclave with 4 other caravans and these were not 2 feet from our A frame and rear! the point here we are making is what if there was a fire you wouldn't have a chance to get your van out with so many being so closely pitched?

    Its all well and good the club and its followers saying Ah well that's caravanning abroad for you! but its not them which has to pick up the pieces when things go wrong is it? its us its members so we do feel if they are advertising such sites then certain rules should be applied there and here as we have already been told that pitch sizes for this club are usually quite good just seems that its not applied abroad!

    However there are some interesting points being made here!

    But please again can anyone member on this forum please tell us which club sites in the UK as a whole have won and have been presented with a 2018 award? or 2017 or even 2016? as we would love to try them out!, or is everyone going to say awards don't count including AA  or Top 100 site finalist etc? we await the long list with anticipation

    Just our opinion folks don't wish to upset anyone on here!

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited September 2018 #33

    Gateway, I don't know what constitutes an award winning site anymore than I know what sort of sites appeal to all who go vanning. It's very much a personal thing. If you found the site was lacking which you visited in the Netherlands, then A contact the said site with your concerns and B contact the club with similar. From time to time most of us come across sites  which we don't like for a particular reason, it maybe something that has just arisen, in your case the overseas site was busy and you felt safety was being compromised. 

    Personally I'd say club sites are fairly standard on safety issues in the UK and you won't be parked two feet from the next van. However this discussion area is about overseas sites and it would be pointless to introduce a discussion about UK sites.

    If you feel the club is remiss in it's promotion of any overseas sites your concerns or findings need to be raised with the club team in charge of that area.

  • gatewaya89
    gatewaya89 Forum Participant Posts: 157
    100 Comments
    edited September 2018 #34

    Hi Brue

    Thanks for that reply and already have done both! way ahead of you there, but still would be interested to learn which club site has won awards either here or abroad and  if your not sure then check out previous link to red kite they seem to have won quite a lot? and wouldn't that help all or the new bee's to have more pleasant trips out if using such sites were listed as you say for a personal thing but at lest they know its an award winning site?as for being a pointless discussion isn't that a matter of personal opinions as shown by all replies on here?

    As we keep saying everyone is entitle to a say especially if your membership fee's have been paid don't you agree?  however this is just our opinion of course

     

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited September 2018 #35

    May be you could start a new discussion about award winning sites in the UK section? smile

  • gatewaya89
    gatewaya89 Forum Participant Posts: 157
    100 Comments
    edited September 2018 #36

    Hi Brue

    Great idea do you think we would then get any listings back?

  • gatewaya89
    gatewaya89 Forum Participant Posts: 157
    100 Comments
    edited September 2018 #37

    Hi Brue

    No sooner said than done! wonder what king of response we will get from all the members? will they all have the same view on awards we wonder?

  • KjellNN
    KjellNN Club Member Posts: 8,670 ✭✭✭
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    edited September 2018 #38

    Gateway.......I can understand why you were not happy at being so close to your neighbours, but each country has its own rules on spacing and this is what sites must stick to.  Some countries allow very close pitching, in Switzerland, for example, the minimum is only 50cm, but that is not to say that you will always be that close, just that it is permitted and does happen at popular holiday periods.

    While the Club no doubt selects sites to offer to book that have reasonable standards, they cannot dictate the rules to sites abroad.  I believe they offer it only as a service to members, probably now an unnecessary service as most sites offer on line booking.

     Booking through the Club is quite expensive IMO, and any booking abroad at all is only necessary at the very busy times.  We, as many others do, use the ACSI card, go outside of the peak periods, and would not normally book anything other than the ferry.  That way, if we did find a site not to our liking, or the weather poor,  it is easy to change our plans, something which we have done a few times.

    Incidentally, should you ever be unlucky enough to be near to a caravan fire, forget trying to remove your van, just get yourselves to a safe place!

  • gatewaya89
    gatewaya89 Forum Participant Posts: 157
    100 Comments
    edited September 2018 #39

    Hi Kjellnn

    Yes good advice indeed run like hell..lol

    AS for the rest of your post very informative however we booked direct with Stenaline Harwich to Hook this year and got the whole trip there and back with captains cabins both ways for £240! what a bargain and that wasn't going through the club just having our own account which we do have! They seem to offer great discounts about January time each year well worth checking them out!

    But thanks again for information

  • KjellNN
    KjellNN Club Member Posts: 8,670 ✭✭✭
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    edited September 2018 #40

    We also booked direct with Stena this year, a day crossing, £112 , unfortunately we had to cancel  due to our daughter needing help with work in her new house.  They do have some good offers at various times.

    In the past we have booked sometimes via the Club and sometimes direct with the operator, depends who has the best price.

    My point really was that although it is pretty much essential to book a ferry, we almost never book sites abroad.  In the last 11 years we have only booked two, Delftse Hout as we were arriving late off the ferry and it was Easter weekend, and Ypres as we wanted to be on a very popular site within walking distance of the Menin Gate.

    There are thousands of campsites in Europe, a vast choice,but standards do of course vary greatly,as do prices.

  • InaD
    InaD Club Member Posts: 1,701 ✭✭
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    edited September 2018 #41

    I cannot give you details of any sites which have been given awards, but in any case, that isn't the subject of this thread.

    I must admit to also being a tad confused, like DK, whether you are talking about UK sites, or sites abroad.  To me, in the UK, sites which aren't a "club site" are private sites.  Or commercial sites, whatever you want to call them.  We use a mixture of those, club sites and CLs/CSs.  For us, the area we want to go dictates what site we use.  If there is a club site, then we'll book that, if not, it'll be either a private/commercial site or a CL/CS. That's what we have just done on a 3 week trip in the UK, and it worked fine.

    Abroad we never book anything as we don't go in peak season.  Although this club offer to book certain sites abroad for you, they are in no way responsible for how a site is run.  But of course if you have concerns, then you should bring it to their attention, as you have done.

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,145 ✭✭✭
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    edited September 2018 #42

    content Deleted User by poster