UK touring without booking?
Comments
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I’m sure it is, WTG, especially with CLs. Many a time we’ve booked only to find that, on arrival, a CL has 3-4 empty pitches and I’m talking about the Westcountry in peak season. Even club sites (both clubs) often have empty pitches.
However, I would always ring ahead because, for instance, on arriving at an unattended CL it’s not possible to know if the owner has taken bookings for those 3-4 empty pitches.
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We have stayed at 15 sites this year from January to December which have mainly been CMC sites but also a couple of C&CC sites plus a couple of commercial sites. My observation is that on some of those sites you could have got an overnight pitch but it would have been more troublesome if you wanted to extend that stay beyond an over night. For all those sites we have rarely booked more than a month ahead. I am sometimes surprised how full some sites seem to be. I am sure it could be done but I would suggest a plan B!!!
David
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I am not a great fan of Club sites or CLs - with a caravan I would aim for medium sized independent campsites, or pub stopovers if I had a Motorhome.
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We did two longish tours this year WTG, both over two weeks, in our MH. First one was Northumberland/Scottish Borders, mid August. We booked first couple of nights at Nunnykirk, purely because it was easy to do on Club website, there’s always lots of pitches at Nunnykirk, it’s a proper “campers site”. But we actually set off early, and I phoned a CL near Catterick for a sleep over heading up there. Turned out to be a little beauty, walled garden with loos at just £11. After Nunnykirk we went up to Foulden Hagg CL, just over border near Berwick. This has two sites, one CL, one private, both are lovely, we used the private site as we liked the views more. Then the fun started, how to get home........ we decided to head off down Hadrians Wall, so stopped over night at Nunnykirk again, then a CL we use regularly near Gilsland on the Wall. Then it was over the tops via Teesdale to Barnard Castle and that night we stopped at another of our regular CLs, Scar Close near Richmond. Because of our route home we hardly touched a main road, just a short section of the A66, and again over tops through Dales until we finally picked up the A1 South of Wetherby, with a few last miles then home. This is our kind of tour, through some stunning scenery, off the main roads with nice town dotted along the route. Plenty to do, plenty to see, lots of places to picnic and pull off the road, do a nice walk. Doable, booking on the road, just in case CLs and Sites have security gates, or because it was August, they might not have a pitch. We could have stopped off at a lot of sites had we not been choosy, or even wild camped.
Second Tour was SW, again nearly three weeks, early September. We wanted to do a long drive on first day, and booked into Exeter Racecourse. We had a problem on arrival, but just stayed an extra couple of days before arriving at a peach of a CL near Tintagel, complete with swimming pool. From there, I rang an old friend who has a CL, and yes we could have the place to ourselves! Hopped up to a recommended CL at Okehampton, then dropped a huge clanger booking Hurn Lane Club Site. Too busy, not our kind of location and very expensive! Our next night, CL we wanted was booked full, but we hopped to Notgrove Club Site for under £14, and were second to last off as it closed! Only three outfits on site.
So I would say yes, an off the cuff tour is very doable in Uk, providing you aren’t fussy about super facilities, you mix your Sites and are prepared to move on a little if first choice is full, baring in mind, there are only 5 pitches at CLs. There are some great wild camping spots as well away from main routes, given the finances of National Parks, AONB, etc......no one is policing them, we could have overnighted in some fantastic places, but we like to be on a site. CLs without any thing other than a tap and a bin, you can drop in without a phone call a good deal of the time. Difference here is it is a small island with lots of visitors, rather than the expanses of France and Spain etc..... so a phone call while on the road, saves a detour or disappointment.
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Since we became members of the C&CC we hardly ever book far in advance nowadays. We find their sites have more availability even at the last minute.
Earlier this year as we were on our way to France we called in at Moffat for an overnighter. I thought I had booked it a few nights before, however when we got there it turned out I hadn't
even though it was August there were some pitches left for us to choose from.Also don't forget the THS we've never used them yet but I know many folk swear by them especially in the summer months when lots of the club's sites are busy and expensive.
To be honest it was yourself and BB that helped us make the decision to join the C&CC with all your advise.
Its rare that the sites in our neck of the wood are full.
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We like film locations as well. Yorkshire very good for films old and new, Northumberland as well. Cornwall of course has featured in many. We managed to stop off at Berkeley Castle and Sudeley Castle this year, used in Wolf Hall and The Hollow Crown. Durham Cathedral and Warkworth Castle were locations for Elizabeth, with Cate Blanchett. We found most of the film locations used in the 70’s Poldark series, and some of the Robin Hood Prince of Thieves, waterfalls are not far from home for us.
Scotland is great for film sets. Blackness Castle was Mel Gibson’s Elsinore, along with Dunnattor. Used in Outlander I think as well.
Good guide here: http://www.scotlandthemovie.com/movies/ffilms.html
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We very rarely book ahead, tend to leave it to the afternoon of the night we want somewhere to stay and have never had a problem.
Independent sites and club sites are easier to book, CL sites don't always answer the phone. We just have a plan B and C, the same as when we tour abroad.
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