Leaving early and paying for the extra day
Hi all. The wife and I are trying to figure out to get more weekends away whilst we’re both full time working and to fit in around club arrival and depart times.
If we booked Saturday Sunday Monday. But left site Sunday evening. This would give us saturday afternoon and evening to chill. Most of Sunday to do something locally before coming home. And we just eat the cost of the third day. But it would get us around the leaving before mid day rule.
Is this a done thing? Arriving Saturday after 1pm and leaving Sunday before 12 just isn’t worth it. But we’d love to get away more use our van more.
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Been doing it for years, and in my view totally worth it. We've even done it sometimes just for an hour or two and it again worth it so there's no rush to be off by 12.
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It’s the only thing you can do really to get some extra time on a Club Site, and many have been doing it for years.
Some CLs, if not busy and if you ask beforehand might let you stay beyond their usual leave time, but it shouldn’t be taken for granted. All depends what you prefer to do.
You don’t even get 24 hours nowadays if you only overnight at a Club Site, cannot get on before1pm, have to leave by 12 noon usually, might even be earlier at some sites, I am not sure. The Club won’t mind you paying but not staying.
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If the site isn't busy, as for a late departure....for free👍
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Always good practice to let the wardens know your intentions, I think.
The other thing worth considering is extending the start of your weekend - if you have sites close enough in areas you want to visit. When we were both working, I would sometimes travel up on the Thursday evening to get set up, stay the night, come home to work on Friday and then we'd go up together after work. You probably get a wider choice of pitch that way, a pleasant Friday evening and the whole day on Saturday, avoiding that "wait till 1pm feeling"!
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Veldom, I would choose from the list of small private sites on here - they are not as tied to rules as Clib sites and not as limited to numbers as CLs - then phone and ask if they can give you a price and a booking for a weekend package - say 1800 Friday arrival to1800 Sunday departure. If they are business minded they will probably do a deal for you.
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I would let them know out of politeness so they know who is on site, you'll probably be handing back keys or cards (or leaving them in a container .) Lots of people book an extra night so they have a bit longer on site or off.
ps it's one good thing about CAMC that it doesn't prevent movement on most sites (there are exceptions) other venues including the other club often have "no movement times."
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Things have changed in terms of Club Sites in the last 15 years or so, they have to manage a lot more coming and goings than they did. If the site you are on isn’t very busy, you could ask staff on Sunday morning if you can stay a bit later, no harm in this but don’t expect to do it all the time. This year appears to be a bit of a transition one for Club, there might be a few sites that aren’t as busy even at weekends.
As mentioned, there are other sites to try, CLs, small private sites, that might give you a bit longer on your last day. All depends what you want. We have arrived early on CLs, and left late, but only after consulting with owners. They are much more relaxed generally than Club Sites, but then don’t have to manage the same sort of numbers.
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If they are there then yes and I've always even if leaving 'on or before time' have popped in and said thanks to the wardens when handing back the pitch/barrier key fob. I just explain we're booked in till tomorrow but leaving early and all they do is say thanks.
Usually now most sites have a post box at the office, or just a box by the exit barrier, to drop off any pitch/barrier fobs or keys so it's not really necessary to tell the wardens at all either leaving early or not.
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There are, or were, some sites (Edinburgh?) where arrival was from 9am but most of the sites have a 1pm arrival.
One possible reason for the arrival time is that on popular sites it is not certain that there will be a pitch available if early arrivals were allowed. I've been on sites where it's a steady steam leaving from early morning and others when it's all in the last half hour.
The arrival times have been discussed many times on here but it's now after 1pm and from previous threads and current reviews it's rigorously enforced. I was reading one review this week where people were turned away being 10 minutes early. Now right or wrong (and there are many opinions) this is what the club does so again there is a choice.
And yes I've seen sites where pitch and around it maintenance is done in that hour.
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Yes one can certainly ask but there are two problems, one is that there is no certain way of knowing that in advance and secondly even if it isn't busy it's totally up to the wardens to say yes or no. We've been on sites when it's fairly empty in winter and asked and been told no and no problems with that we knew before asking it's not a given which is why we starting booking an extra night.
There only certain way to ensure a late departure is by booking an extra night.
Post edit. it's only to 4pm anyway.
b. If guests would like to remain later on site, not necessarily on the same pitch, please speak with the site staff. Be aware that charges may apply if staying beyond 4pm
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As EuroT and Ttda have already alluded to, the possibility of extending your stay for a more modest fee, sometimes even free, would be to use CLs or Independent sites. Most of these that I have either used or looked at in the last couple of years actually state a price for a later departure, and may even waive any charge in non busy times. Best to check beforehand though.
The club used to have a more laissez-faire attitude when we were working and we would often leave later on a Sunday or BH Monday. If not we used to do what you are considering and pay for an extra night.
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I very often pay for the extra night and then leave about 6.30pm after the traffic has died down. Depends where I am staying in relation to home but even 2 or 3 hundred miles can be covered by midnight to 1am. Park the van on the drive, quick glass of wine and into bed......!
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With summertime prices at very high levels I wouldn't be paying those sort of rates (£35 - £60+ for Hillhead) for a few hours extra stay...
if you can't get a late departure (for whatever reason) then plan one of the weekend's 'activities' (like a NT visit) for that last afternoon, then have a cuppa in their car park afterwards and then go home early evening. Amounts to the same timing but with several tenners still in your pocket...
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We used Buxton and Leek sites quite regularly and there used to be a blackboard put out there on Saturday afternoon asking for "volunteers" to leave before 12 on Sunday so they could manage numbers of incomers with late leavers. Used to work well, even allowing for later than 4 pm leaving.
I think your point about authoritarian probably on the mark.
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Just reading through comments about time etc., when we joined staying until 4 on a Sunday was fairly normal on some sites. We have not asked for years as we are retired. Today we left Stamford site after a weeks stay (lovely site reaction of many vaners) and leaving after 12:00 could be very problematical as the road up to the site is single with passing points not a great place to meet another unit.
Just a thought about changing arrival times 10:00 arrival would mean 9:00 leave. The hour is also there to give site staff time to check condition of pitches.
No system is perfect but with high use of sites what we have got is the best compromise to me.
A very positive point from me I love the new two peg pitch marking so much easier than the old original of peg in middle of van or at corner.
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We spent years when working arriving Friday evening (often getting the worse pitch on site) then asking for a couple of hours extension on Sunday. In the good old days pre COVID this was an easy thing to do but them days are gone and the club just really wants your money for the least amount of effort on their part.
If I was paying for the Sunday night I wouldn't even bother telling them just leave when ready as long as you are not breaking another silly CMC no movement rule it is up to you when you leave
Since retiring we have not renewed our membership refuse to pay the high prices and have the endless silly rules dictated to you
Shame it used to be a great club!
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Evening
We've been pretty much full this weekend (10 spaces) but as we only had one arrival today I agreed that two of todays departures were welcome to stay until 4pm. Two others had already booked another night to enable them a 7 o'clock get away. Both options are widely used, the 4pm one when possible. Is that me being authoritarian?
JK
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the problem with doing that it messes up others who want a few days or a week's holiday on the said site . as site data shows its fully booked for those days when there's vacancies.then said site looses out rest of the week as no one on it .look for local centre rally's as you'll have enough power with your battery for that short length of time
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I assume you mean paying for the extra night messes up others. I don’t see it that way as the person 'buying' the pitch is perfectly entitled to stay all night and leave the next day which would give the same appearance on any availability chart. You could say anyone who makes a booking of any sort is messing up others.
A warden granting a 4pm departure messes up no one either as that warden knows of any arrivals due and acts accordingly as JK explained.
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