Caravan and camping club

[B J G]

Previously had some 39 years as a Caravan & Camping Club member but now joined the Caravan & Motorhome Club.
Reason being that I considered the C & M C as more suitable for the Cali with its bias towards hard standings rather than grassy areas. I only use UK sites out of season as in France for most of summer months.

Noticed big difference between pitch allocation system, Camping Club show you to a pitch-no choice. Caravan Club said have a drive road and pick one then let us know.
I had heard tales of 'jobs worths' getting difficult about how they parked, which made the Cali side door on the wrong side. I tentatively asked how I should park. "any way you like but not on the grass" was my instructions.

Only thing you need to be aware of is that the toilet blocks get closed for cleaning at specified times, not convenient with a no toilet Cali.

If a family and a tent is used then must be Camping Club

 

[Meoncoast]

I considered the C & M C as more suitable for the Cali

Your post sums up our use and expirences of C&MHC esp with finding a pitch and which way to park. We remain members of both clubs but are finding we are using C&MHC more. If we want a smaller site their 5 unit sites have worked well for us.

 

[andyinluton]

Only thing you need to be aware of is that the toilet blocks get closed for cleaning at specified times, not convenient with a no toilet Cali.

I've yet to stay on a C&MC site where every toilet closed at the same time, even if there is just the one toilet block there is invariably a separate disabled WC that is available.

 

[Mike Frost]

Post script to my last post above - Received the annual end of year e-mail from the Caravan and Motorhome Club a couple of weeks back, we being members for all of 8 weeks, and provided therein was a link to 'member offers'. Among them was a link to Shell Fuelcard scheme; it isn't complicated to sign up as a C&MC member, and the card gives you 8 pence a litre discount on standard Shell diesel at all their motorway sites. This works for us, as we can hop on the M25 at J9 (4 miles away) and hop off at J10 (also about 4 miles away) to access the Cobham Shell services, others living further from a Shell Motorway services might not find it day to day convenient, but still worth having for the trans-Britain runs.

Might be something to add to the scales when making up your mind whether to join...

Just sayin'.

 

[briwy]

The discount on ferries more than pays for our C & CC membership.
Not sure if the C & MHC offers the same?

 

[Mike Frost]

C&MHC have a variety of offers on Brittany and Stena Line, but they'll negotiate on your behalf on a case by case basis, having been going since 1897-odd, they have long standing relationships. Not an issue for us; we haven't used a ferry since the Tunnel opened!

Doubtless that will change, as we are hoping to take a junket down to Spain and perhaps Portugal in the spring, from Santander...

 

[Melanie Day]

The Quiet Site is good (with the bar), but the Camping and Caravan Club sites at Ravenglass, and at Eskdale are nice too. Both have pubs and food within a short stroll.

Excited we are getting our California Beach Friday and have already booked from Monday at Eskdale site with our tent so looking forward to getting familiarised with our van too!

 

[MarkVw2017]

Thanks for all these comments. Will defo join now when get my cali!!!!

 

[GrannyJen]

I am doing a 4 site tour, three of them sites belonging to the two clubs.

Last night I was at the C&CC Cambridge. Unwittingly I was trying to book for the weekend of the Duxford airshow. They could only offer me grass and non-eHU.

Superb. For £7.50 I ended up in a large field with just myself and about a dozen tents. I had a water stand pipe next to me. 20 yards away, the other side of a substantial hedge that separated the main site from this little gem was the superb facilities block.

Peace and quiet with a superb amenity block 20 seconds walk away for the price of a couple of crap glasses of wine at a britstop!

 

[ArunAlec]

I am doing a 4 site tour, three of them sites belonging to the two clubs.

Last night I was at the C&CC Cambridge. Unwittingly I was trying to book for the weekend of the Duxford airshow. They could only offer me grass and non-eHU.

Superb. For £7.50 I ended up in a large field with just myself and about a dozen tents. I had a water stand pipe next to me. 20 yards away, the other side of a substantial hedge that separated the main site from this little gem was the superb facilities block.

Peace and quiet with a superb amenity block 20 seconds walk away for the price of a couple of crap glasses of wine at a britstop!

That's what that field is!
We were there last week-end and noticed some activity over the hedge.
A great site for access to Cambridge

 

[GrannyJen]

That's what that field is!
We were there last week-end and noticed some activity over the hedge.
A great site for access to Cambridge

Yes. This field ....

 

[GrannyJen]

That's what that field is!
We were there last week-end and noticed some activity over the hedge.
A great site for access to Cambridge

Another, imo, better site, is Highfield farm park at Comberton. A little further away, still close to a park and ride, lovely walks for the dog, rural location and run by a lovely family. Sadly with my last minute booking... as in two hours before setting off... they were full.

 

[Elmo3]

Quick question - I am looking to arrive at a CCC site in the Cali, to be joined by Mrs Elmo in her car. The pitch will therefore have the Cali and a car parked on it. I see this as no different to having a car and a caravan on a pitch. Any views on this? I’ve not booked it yet and will ask them but just interested in others experiences. Thanks!

 

[WelshGas]

Quick question - I am looking to arrive at a CCC site in the Cali, to be joined by Mrs Elmo in her car. The pitch will therefore have the Cali and a car parked on it. I see this as no different to having a car and a caravan on a pitch. Any views on this? I’ve not booked it yet and will ask them but just interested in others experiences. Thanks!

Many big whites tow a car.

 

[Elmo3]

Many big whites tow a car.

Good point, I’ll remember that if there is any resistance!

 

[SimonB]

Always worth asking the wardens on the phone. Always found them extremely helpful and willing to be flexible.
Some sites have different size pitches and if you have a campervan you could be allocated one of the smaller pitches. Campervan plus awning could occupy the pitch.
If you ask in advance, they might have a larger pitch available or an area to park the car nearby.

 

[Barbara]

I stayed on the Cambridge CCC site, I booked camper-van and awing on hardstand. At this site the caravan or van plus awing are on the hard stand and any tow car on the grass. I had a visitor and I was told that it was OK for her to park on the grass next to my van.

 

[Elmo3]

Thanks all, don’t think there’s a problem. I just didn’t want to run into some of the issues others have had on CMC sites.

 

[ArunAlec]

I second that

Admin, can this be done

Admin, did anything come of this suggestion?

 

[Sleepytortoise]

Would people recommend the camping and caravanning club or the caravan and motorhome club or both to join?

Just bought our first Cali and likely to be camping on smaller sites or wild but interested in insurance discounts and other benefits so wondering which is best or if worth joining both?

Many thanks
X

 

[Loz]

We have both, but not sure we get the value of both as we don't stay on enough sites to earn the discount. So as we have stayed at more CMC sites and took their insurance we probably won't renew C&CC next year.

 

[larrylamb]

Exactly the same for us as @Loz says above, i think it's 50/50 here and down to personal preference but we won't be renewing the C&CC. Even though the C&MC booking website is painful we find no deposit and no minimum stay bookings works well for us. They might be a tad boring but site facilities are always top notch.

 

[Wongo]

Every year they both seem to be more like a business than a club.
I can always find a better dea on the ferry than they offer, incredible considering their buying ‘power’.
Booking sites can be incredibly frustrating as well.

 

[Cali4nia-Dream]

We also have both, though probably use C&MC more than C&CC. Whilst as @larrylamb says the C&MC booking website is not the best, it does allow you to specify dates and see where there are vacancies, as yet we haven't found a way to do that on C&CC.

After saying that we use C&MC more than C&CC we did do the C&CC escorted tour of Iceland and the Faroes this year.

 

[ArunAlec]

Ditto.... In both but if I had to choose it would be CMC. I find their website best and overall their sites better, especially their CLS.