Strategy for finding post November sites

WightWit
WightWit Forum Participant Posts: 4
edited November 2018 in UK Campsites & Touring #1

Hi All

When I head out for a trip after October I find it difficult to use the website to locate an open club pitch. Is it me? Have you found a streamlined  method?

Finding locations on a map - no problem - but then I look at details and they've closed for the year.

Bragging rights for the slickest method! 😀

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Comments

  • eurortraveller
    eurortraveller Club Member Posts: 6,830 ✭✭✭
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    edited November 2018 #2

    Just Google UK campsites open all year.  It will give a list of hundreds to choose from,  not limiting you to this Club's select few. 

  • Cornersteady
    Cornersteady Club Member Posts: 14,431 ✭✭✭
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    edited November 2018 #4

    Agree that club does not make it easy and it most definitely should. 

  • Mitsi Fendt
    Mitsi Fendt Forum Participant Posts: 484
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    edited November 2018 #5

    Maybe they think that members like a challenge

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited November 2018 #6

    It is part of the new adventurer outlook that the club marketing dept try to portray 

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited November 2018 #8

    If only...what is the point of saying there are over 55 club and affiliated sites open all year and then not giving a clearly visible list with links. This is unacceptable as a search for holidays, it's become a DIY approach that wont encourage people to book anything.

    A bit like "find a cruise" where do you want to go, sorry you'll have to do your own searching, we're going to make it as hard as possible to find anything....undecided

  • Takethedogalong
    Takethedogalong Forum Participant Posts: 17,064 ✭✭✭
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    edited November 2018 #9

    Too many clicks brue, like a lot of other aspects of website. It’s easier to use the old fashioned method sometimes. Bit like when you get to a checkout and there’s no bar code on an item, and watch as panic sets in, supervisor called, small meeting set up, by which time I have walked away! 

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited November 2018 #10

    I am wondering why this approach has been allowed to develop, whether it's come from IT or the Club itself. A pity to see what should be a simple straightforward search (this goes for many areas on the toolbar) is becoming worse. Not having a proper search facility on the web site for X years hasn't helped either. People expect fast easy searches.

  • Takethedogalong
    Takethedogalong Forum Participant Posts: 17,064 ✭✭✭
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    edited November 2018 #11

    Some aspects of the website are a shambles, I agree. It’s well nigh impossible to locate some things, often quite important as well.

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited November 2018 #12

    I have asked the club via the OP about the search facilities and hope we hear more. smile

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
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    edited November 2018 #13

    i find things quite easily on the club website ....................... sadly only by using Google!!

  • Unknown
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    edited November 2018 #14
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  • Takethedogalong
    Takethedogalong Forum Participant Posts: 17,064 ✭✭✭
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    edited November 2018 #15

    It’s the website equivalent of a camel. It looks impossible, but does somehow have a use and with a lot of coaxing does a job. smile

  • Unknown
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    edited November 2018 #16
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  • Takethedogalong
    Takethedogalong Forum Participant Posts: 17,064 ✭✭✭
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    edited November 2018 #17

    Ok DD, search for “dogs and Glamping Pods” I think it turned up over 4000 hits for me, the first ten pages nothing to do with Glamping pods. I didn’t go any further. But I did try to book one a different way, after 13 clicks, if finally told me they had nothing matching my requirements. It may have been the way I searched, who knows, but nothing is intuitive, it’s a random guess on how to proceed next! By which time I am bored and have booked a cottage elsewhere! As will thousands of other customers.

  • Tammygirl
    Tammygirl Club Member Posts: 7,957 ✭✭✭
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    edited November 2018 #18

    I did a search the other day for sites open between certain dates in Scotland. It did return a list, however on checking the sites listed over half of them were already closedyell nothing new about that. I have complained about the useless search before nothing ever seems to be corrected. Just what are we paying membership fees for.

  • Unknown
    Unknown Forum Participant
    edited November 2018 #19
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  • Unknown
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    edited November 2018 #20
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  • Unknown
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    edited November 2018 #21
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  • WightWit
    WightWit Forum Participant Posts: 4
    edited November 2018 #22

    Thank you all for thought provoking answers.

    Since I posted the question the site is presenting me with an open all year link as soon as I connect to the site (spooky!). What's more I stumbled across the same facility for CLs which was going to be question 2 ...

    I'm not sure that I will ever find this again though ;-)

  • Takethedogalong
    Takethedogalong Forum Participant Posts: 17,064 ✭✭✭
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    edited November 2018 #23

    CLs are actually easy. Just click on the 12 icon when you choose options on the very first page. Just don’t expect them all to have hardstandings or heated showers!smile

  • InaD
    InaD Club Member Posts: 1,701 ✭✭
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    edited November 2018 #24

    On the face of it, yes, simple, BUT, there are sites which are open until early January; so by only searching for sites which are open all year, those that are open between next Monday, when a lot close, and early January, are excluded from that list.

    Admittedly that only gives 2 more months, but they are still sites which could be considered during that time.

     

  • DavidKlyne
    DavidKlyne Club Member Posts: 13,867 ✭✭✭
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    edited November 2018 #25

    Perhaps an old fashioned idea but what about using the handbook? If you want to go away you usually have an idea what area you want to visit. The handbook is divided into regions so it shouldn't take long to thumb through the book. Might save some frustration with the website? I appreciate my suggestion would be more successful with main club sites rather than CL's

    David

  • nelliethehooker
    nelliethehooker Club Member Posts: 13,647 ✭✭✭
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    edited November 2018 #26

    Agree DK. One could of course make ones own list, from the Site Directory or the Supplement as soon as they arrive, of all club sites that suit one's requirements. Then one would always have it at hand for reference against the SD, or g*d forbid, the web site.wink

  • Takethedogalong
    Takethedogalong Forum Participant Posts: 17,064 ✭✭✭
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    edited November 2018 #27

    I used to do this, my little back book! I still have details for some nice sites that are no longer CLs, just had a look in it to find name of a place we once visited!wink

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited November 2018 #28

    The only drawback is the two yearly issue of the handbook, details for main sites and CLs can change over that time.

  • Tammygirl
    Tammygirl Club Member Posts: 7,957 ✭✭✭
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    edited November 2018 #29

    You are right brue, Seaview at Berwick used to be open until about 4th Jan so did Culloden both to close this year on 6th Nov frown

  • nelliethehooker
    nelliethehooker Club Member Posts: 13,647 ✭✭✭
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    edited November 2018 #30

    However the supplement & magazine update any changes in dates etc which can easily be altered on one's own list.

  • Takethedogalong
    Takethedogalong Forum Participant Posts: 17,064 ✭✭✭
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    edited November 2018 #31

    As does Bolton Abbey. Looks like members are getting squeezed on Winter touring. This member might squeeze back and opt for a cottage instead.........frown