Sometimes I wonder

Surfer
Surfer Club Member Posts: 1,303
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edited April 2021 in UK Campsites & Touring #1

Sometimes I wonder whether it is worth being am member when you come across the charges for a pitch on a CC site.  Just tried Tewkesbury and it is over £30 a night for just the 2 or us.  A nearby highly rated commercial site same facilities except free wifi are £25.60 a night.  Looks like we will be either looking at the commercial site or a nearby CL.

I think the only reason we stay members is for the CL network and Mayday.  Certainly nothing else tempts us!

 

Comments

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited April 2021 #2

    It is amazing how many seem to post on here with your idea? but never mention the name of the "better/cheaper sitesundecided

  • Surfer
    Surfer Club Member Posts: 1,303
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    edited April 2021 #3

    I did mention Tewkesbury and also used a word "nearby" for the other site as not sure if we can name the competition.  Anyway booked on the commercial site and now paying £84 for 3 nights for a fully serviced pitch with water and waste water connections and free wifi.  Happy bunny!

  • Cornersteady
    Cornersteady Club Member Posts: 14,427 ✭✭✭
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    edited April 2021 #4

    It's an easy decision Surfer. Choose the one you feel gives you more value for money. There is nothing to wonder about.

  • DavidKlyne
    DavidKlyne Club Member Posts: 13,860 ✭✭✭
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    edited April 2021 #5

    Surfer

    No problem with naming other sites, in some circumstances it can be quite useful. However in doing so it would open that site up to extra scrutiny as one person's glowing view of a site may be very different from another. Quality and facilities apart my first question would be can I walk into Tewksbury as easily from your alternative site as I can from the Club site. If not then I would feel the extra premium for the Club site would be worthwhile. Does the other site offer the reduction in VAT? All these things impact on the final price you pay. It does seem to me that VAT reductions apart the average price of Club sites seems to be coming out at around £30 a night which was previously what we may have paid in the slightly off peak season. Perhaps something we notice because we have hardly been away much in the last 18 months?

    David

  • moulesy
    moulesy Forum Participant Posts: 9,402 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited April 2021 #6

    I agree with DK; it very much depends on why one is visiting Tewkesbury. If it's to wander into the town and look around it's many historic buildings, or for access to the beautiful riverside walks  (not forgetting eateries/takeaways), then the club site is the only sensible option. From anywhere else,  by the time you've driven into town and paid to park you'd have spent that £4.40 price difference and more, not to mention the time involved in journeys there and back.

    If we were talking about a tenner or more difference a night there might be more of a case to be made!

    BTW, Surfer, I can recommend a "nearby highly rated CL" for well under £20 a night, no wifi though!

  • moulesy
    moulesy Forum Participant Posts: 9,402 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited April 2021 #7

    Correction - it's a C&CC CS, not a CL. smile

  • Surfer
    Surfer Club Member Posts: 1,303
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    edited April 2021 #8

    We live in Malvern and go into Tewkesbury quite often.  We have now booked the commercial site with the 5% VAT reduction.

  • Takethedogalong
    Takethedogalong Forum Participant Posts: 17,046 ✭✭✭
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    edited April 2021 #9

    It pays to look at alternatives Surfer, indeed. More so if like us you aren’t reliant upon many of the facilities Club Sites provide. We saved £121 swopping from a Club Site to a CL a similar distance to MinM. Not really comparable, as facilities are not like for like, but it suits us better. But folks choose their Sites for different reasons, it’s very much a personal thing.

  • Wherenext
    Wherenext Club Member Posts: 10,607 ✭✭✭
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    edited April 2021 #10

    We take the view that we'll stop at the most reasonable, price wise and location wise, for our particular stop. Not often a CAMC site but we have been to quite a lot when we look back on it. Mostly CLs and small Independent sites.

    In fact we're off to an Independent site on Tuesday for 4 nights to give the caravan a run out. We chose it rather than the CAMC site at Chirk as we won't be using any facilities provided. Price difference for 4 nights? £68.

    I don't think there's a right or wrong in these type of comparisons. Whatever you feel comfortable with. 

  • Takethedogalong
    Takethedogalong Forum Participant Posts: 17,046 ✭✭✭
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    edited April 2021 #11

    There’s a whole raft of them named under the Small Sites Sticky for those in the know!😉🤣

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited April 2021 #12

    Yes there are but as OP which is itundecided

  • Surfer
    Surfer Club Member Posts: 1,303
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    edited April 2021 #13

     We normally do CLs or on occasions commercial sites, but this time around we did not want to be too far from home. Most CLs and sites really close to us are booked for the period we want to be away.

    First time the caravan is going out in several or more months so need to make sure everything is okay before we travel further afield. At least now if we really need something we can always pop home to collect it.  LOL!

  • davetommo
    davetommo Forum Participant Posts: 1,430
    edited April 2021 #14

    If you was not a member you could not use The CLs which you normally use. So bearing that in mind, is it worth being a member.

  • Surfer
    Surfer Club Member Posts: 1,303
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    edited April 2021 #15

    Which I pointed out in my first post.  Club sites are now too expensive for us.  Many CLs now also have fully serviced pitches for under £20 a night.