Weekends
Is it just me or does anyone else have trouble trying to book seven consecutive nights or more every time it seems that Friday or Saturdays are full .
Just tried to book clumber park seven nights from seventh to fourteenth August but you guest it Saturday is full . I know lots of my friends are fed up with this situation and the club are loosing loads of money as I have now booked with the camping and caravan club. It's getting so bad it's hardly worth being a member of th caravan and motorhome club anymore
Comments
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Some people have to work all week and like to go away for weekends when they can, others having a longer holiday may start on a Saturday and leave the following Sunday, or want to be away two weeks or more. This means that the weekend nights overlap with people going away at different times, and causing excess pressure on the Friday and Saturday nights. The only thing you can do is to book up well in advance if you want to go to some of the most popular sites, or try using a commercial site as an alternative. We sometimes go to commercial sites, doing so later this month, and we enjoy using them for a change, for the extra facilities some provide, or because we want to go somewhere that isn’t served by a club site.
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You were hoping to book a week in August when we're already half way through July? That’s real last minute stuff! I’m not surprised you couldn’t do it.
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This has been aired before and the simple reason is that club sites are popular and the only solution is to book early as been said above, or as you say find some where that has pitches and isn't as popular.
What do you (OP) suggest? You can't start penalising 'weekenders' And those full Saturdays mean the club is earning a lot on money that may subsidise midweek, why take that away on the chance it might make money? a bird in the hand... or rather a pitch taken on Saturday is worth two potentially midweek?
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Just tried to book clumber park seven nights from seventh to fourteenth August but you guest it Saturday is full .
It is a fairly popular site for weekends and you have left it a bit late to book. However, the 9th to the 28th inclusive are available.
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For a week or more at this time of year especially as many people, other than those who need their weekends after working mon-fri, Book Sun-Sun or Sat to Sat
And as Staycations are on the up it seems ,it will get more urgent to book early for holidays as now they can be booked for a year in advance ,it costs nothing to book ,or cancel if needed giving as much notice for those who book late
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If it's only the Saturday missing I would book the days you can and keep looking at availability as its most likely someone will cancel and you will be able to get your full week. It's a bit of a gamble but we often find it works! You could also ring the site to see if they have any pitches put aside which they are willing to release.
As has been said this is a regular discussion topic here on Club Together but as yet no one has come up with a solution which is fair to all. What is fair is that the Club open bookings to all so everyone has an equal opportunity to make a booking over a year in advance should they wish to. The Club's booking system is very generous as it allows you to cancel without penalty up to 72 hours before arrival on site. If you wanted to go to Glastonbury you wouldn't leave it until three weeks before the start of the Festival to buy tickets and it's a similar situation with Club sites during the peak period..
David
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is that a solution though, does it work? And if it has, it appears that these places have more spaces but that means less income?
It won't eliminate the longer stayers (Saturday to a week on Sunday) and then for weekenders all you do is book three nights over a weekend.
I wouldn't want that either, it wouldn't affect me, but people who work Mon - Fri should have the chance to get away
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I’ve noticed a few CLs are doing this too. 3 nights for weekends and 5 nights for bank holidays. This effectively excludes anyone who works Monday to Friday, thus ensuring that they only attract retired visitors without having to stipulate ‘adults only’
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is that a solution though, does it work?
Depends how you look at it. We were at Braithwaite Fold on 15th May for 5 nights. Site was full and at that time of year it was a minimum 5 nights stay. We arrived on a Tuesday and left on a Sunday. The site was full at all times as far as I could see.
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The C&CC must be happy with minimum stays because it has been in force for as long as I can remember. If you are lucky it is not a barrier to staying shorter lengths if they have last minute vacancies and it it is mostly only in force during peak periods.
peedee
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You are jumping to conclusion there JVB, it could also be they were not fully booked. At least it gives those wanting a long stay a better chance of getting it and as far as I can see there is very little if any speculative bookings becasuse of the deposit system.
peedee
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It all depends on ones personal circumstances. Much of the time during the first 6 years of caravanning my wife didn't work. Clothes washing came out and went back in the caravan after the weekly wash including a set of school uniform for our eldest. The only preparation for the off was for Sue to load the fridge from our fridge at home on a Friday. The van was otherwise always loaded.
By 6pm I could easily be set up 70 to 80 miles from home either in North Wales, Lakes, Buxton, Much Wenlock, Holmes Chapel, Chirk, Bridgnorth etc. We would normally stay until late Sunday leaving around 8pm. Youngest would be washed and in her jimjams on the way back with a sleeping bag over her.
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I can remember when there was no minimum stay restriction on C&CC sites.
I think they generally keep a couple of pitches for short notice emergency use and, or all I or any other lay person knows, may keep a % of pitches for chancer arrivals. Let's face it, none of us know anything regarding either club's arrangements for sure. It’s speculation and guesswork to pass away an evening of boring telly.
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Many non club sites have a minimum number of nights, like the CCC at weekends.
But I wonder is it to ensure more pitches on Saturday nights as suggested, or to generate more income? And/or make it easier/better for the site owners rather than the site campers?
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People generally only want what they themselves want. Some don’t see the bigger picture. The club is not just one site, it is a network of sites spread across the country. What is the difference between spending a week on one site or a week of consecutive nights on different club sites In a touring style. Non! When a site is full, it’s full, move on! That’s the beauty of our club, it’s primarily a touring‘ club. I reckon this is a game winner for many of the members!
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I can't put a date on it as we've been members for nearly 50 years.
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There will doubtless be some speculative bookings. The only one that I recall ever having made was during the last year that CMC ran Braithwaite fold. I noticed in the February a five night vacancy end of August into September and it was a location we had enjoyed about 4 or 5 years earlier. We had not made plans for September but I thought 'when we come back from our first trip it will be mid June and we will see if it suits our planning then'. It did but with C&CC I would have done the same I suspect and would still have had 6 weeks to cancel.
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I would consider our bookings both CAMC, C&CC and a private site, for next May / June speculative. Although we want to go away at that time, I have no idea if we will be fit to do so, or if Covid will allow.
I would have thought most bookings, unless for the very near future, could be considered speculative.
The definition of speculative is after all - based on conjecture rather than knowledge.
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