What’s the point of the Club if sites are full?
I left the Club last year because we mainly take our motorhome to Europe but I was happy to rejoin as we thought a week away in the UK might be good whilst we await new travel rules. So, having decided on a nice area in the South East and found a Club site we fancied - it is totally booked out in June. Fortunately there are plenty of commercial sites with lots of availability in the same area and in many ways I would prefer them to a Club site.
I suppose you could say that the Club is successful by having their sites sold out, but - a “touring Club”?! Seems to me that it is a highly specialised Club catering for a few people who want a very specific experience far removed from normal camping.
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I can’t quite follow your logic there, HG, and I’m not sure how you define 'normal camping'. Surely the people who have booked the site in June are members exactly as you are with the only difference being that they booked earlier.
Incidentally, you aren't shown as a member in your avatar. Perhaps you didn't rejoin once you found the site was full.🤷🏻♂️
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No, I was going to rejoin if I was able to book or find a CL but obviously I won’t bother now. I also find the ferry booking less than satisfactory (different topic).
We have used Club sites as previous members because it was convenient but I have always had the same issues. Booking a long way ahead isn't compatible with “touring”. Maybe impulsive holidays in a motorhome or caravan aren’t possible in this country? I think that the Club appeals to a very limited number of people and that’s the problem I have. I look to the Club to be representative of the caravan/Motorhome community but actually it isn’t.
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I would expect in these times as yourself ,want it seems to get special treatment? by expecting pitches to be availabe, ,when the vast majority have done what it is quite possibly the most sensible thing to do by understanding that staycations are Very Popular recently and booking early, to avoid frustrations that a few as yourself are finding to their cost
And as you mention this club is very popular, with members
Ps we have now three long tours booked for this year all visiting 23 all this clubs site , but then we seem are one of the many, who accepted the situation that was unfolding and b looked early before is seems in your case were caught out when the Cork popped out of the bottle
But as you seem to have found there are sites out there without he's available when you want? Which speaks volumes as to why they have pitches
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That's the whole point from the point of view of the club.
We'll manage to have as full a touring year as we can envisage this year without visiting a club site but am still satisfied with my membership.
Seems to me that you are suffering from a misguided expectation of availability this year, and if I may so, that is a bit naïve given the exceptional circumstances that we find ourselves in.
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As you have said you have used CLs in the past so why not try them again. There are plenty that are advertising as having pitches available, and as you choose to yourself you could combine a few of them to make up a decent trip. All it takes a little bit of research, if you're willing to go to the trouble, that is!
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I think WN has summed it up well, HG.
The club obviously doesn't suit you at present, although hundreds of thousands of members find the opposite. However, it's no big deal as alternatives exist so you'll have plenty of choice. If I felt like you, I’d just quietly walk away.
Enjoy your touring.
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"I look to the Club to be representative of the caravan/Motorhome community but actually it isn’t."
We walked past the club site at Chatsworth earlier this week - looked pretty full so certainly representative of that section of the caravan/Motorhome community.
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I rejoined the club in the hope of making use of temporary holidays sites of more than 4/5 days duration. Are there any and how do I find them?
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You've got replies in the thread created when your post was moved from Stories, SC.
https://www.caravanclub.co.uk/club-together/discussions/shortcircuit/has-club-moved-on
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Thanks for redirection as initially not sure where to post.
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Mmm, sounds familiar, David🤣
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Glad you find it so👍🏻
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I think the balance this year has obviously been skewed by COVID which hopefully won't turn into a regular thing year on year. Demand has probably been excessive compared to previous years with people (not yet) able to go abroad and perhaps many more people taking up the hobby. That coupled with the Club's very generous booking condition does work against those of us that prefer not to plan too far ahead. We also have no idea what will happen will happen later in the year with regards to COVID so people are probably making hay when the sun shines? It surprises me not that it is relatively easy to book a commercial site because of their T&C's which at the very least require a sizeable deposit or more often than not full payment on booking this makes using CMC site far, far more attractive so spontaneity this year has certainly gone out of the window and those that prefer that spontaneity are the losers.
David
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You are out of UK practice HG. And this touring year is hardly standard fare given that almost everyone is confined at the moment to this small island. Hopefully things will open up overseas for you and you can do what you love. But you will have to be a great deal more forward thinking and organised to get exactly what you want, where you want and when you want it at most Sites, let alone the Clubs at the moment. We usually set off on the hoof, book as we go, but we have an event planned in September. We have had our Site booked since before Christmas.
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They do indeed. Even the ones who don’t normally book anything😂 Meanwhile, those not used to UK are learning fast........hopefully😁
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As a "Touring Club " I find it almost impossible to tour using Club sites since week ends are booked up months in advance, so making moving from site to site a nightmare only being able to make mid week bookings makes touring impractical
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It's not just club sites and it's been this way for many years. However, this year the issues are exacerbated and it was obvious months ago that this would be the way of things.
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This one post sums up the current selfish modern day thinking of many people that imagine that the *Club* should be there for themselves alone regardless of all that's gone on these past 18 months.
Here we have a non member with expectations that the club should be able to supply availability regardless ... when clearly availability this year is going to be at a premium, the club as done a sterling job at opening the sites it as so far , and providing a service to the normal membership & not just the one year wonders that might join if circumstances are to their benefit.
This type of attitude says everything about what is happening throughout the UK of late.
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I fully accept that, firstly, this year is unusual (although I seem to recall the same booking problems in other years) and, secondly, there are thousands of members who are happy with the Club and the quality of the sites. I guess I am having a rant because I couldn't get booked! CLs are certainly an option and it's a good system but there are drawbacks with using a motorhome on a CL.
Motorhomes are essentially for touring and I just don't see how this is possible with the Club as there are no "touring' pitches and even if there were no doubt there wouldn't be enough to rely on. In theory I could book a number of sites well ahead and tour the UK but this requires a lot of planning and no flexibility if you want to change your plans half way through.
My point about what is "normal and representative" is that if you have a motorhome in particular why would you want to book several months ahead to stay in one place for a fortnight?
Perhaps the UK is just not suited to touring given the short season and high demand?
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Even before Covid, there appeared to be a preponderance of early booking of club sites. Whether that is a case of FOMO or people want their holiday lives mapped out in minute detail a year in advance, I couldn't say. What such a trend does do is remove the ability to be spontaneous. It also mitigates against those who, for whatever reason, find that "real life" precludes being able to plan so far ahead. Complete flexibility, including as WTG posted -non facs/non EHU sites, gives better chance of finding somewhere. I hope it works because that is what I am relying on.
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HG, I have no idea what you mean by "touring pitches". A pitch is a pitch.
MHs are for touring but so are touring caravans. Booking ahead for either unit does not equate to staying put for two weeks as it's simple enough to book a tour using numerous sites of all types. CLs are perfectly feasible for use by MHs, although you may want to select those with HS.
As I said earlier in the thread, the need to book ahead has been with us for years. It's not new and may not be ideal but it is what it is and has become exacerbated in these strange times. I'm afraid the days of spontaneously touring and turning up left us long ago in this country. The "normal and representative" has changed.
You are indeed having a rant, to use your words, but there is nothing special in your findings or your situation. We're all in the same boat and only differ in the way we deal with it.
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I’d go further by saying touring is easier if it’s for less that a week as the ‘staying for a week’ folk find it harder to book than ‘short stayers’. If I go from A to B & stay for 1 or 2 days at each place it’s touring surely🤔
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As far as I am concerned, touring is a mindset. You are either minded to get on with it, understanding what the current issues might be as we progress through this pandemic, going with what’s available (plenty for those willing to put the effort in), being capable of compromise, mixing one’s options, trying something new, concentrating on effort rather than whinge, applying fore thought and having an open mind about having to do things differently.😁
I don’t happen to think Club Sites serve MHs in the true touring sense, but they have given us plenty of lovely stays up to and including a fortnight ago. It’s never been a Club to us, just a paid access to a network of Sites, large and small. That’s all our expectations are, and it’s doing what we hoped. As are small independent sites, Britstops and a myriad of other options we choose to use to go on holiday.
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