caravan & m/home club - membership needed to stay at their sites?

[Muchos04]

Both clubs have extensive networks of "5 van sites" .... roughly 2,500 with CAMC, 2,000 with the other one, mostly a field with waste disposal and a water tap, many with additional facilities such as a water tap, toilet, even showers, a lot with EHU. You have to be a member of the club to use them but ironically for all the talk about "rules" you have to be a member of either club to access a large network of "few rules, few facilities" sites.

It all depends on what you want, what facilities you need etc.

A good website is searchforsites.co.uk which lists every single variety, from car parks in the middle of nowhere to pubs in the centre of town, full facilities to no facilities.

This is brilliant thanks a lot GrannyJen.


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[GrannyJen]

This is brilliant thanks a lot GrannyJen.


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I forgot to mention that searchforsites also has an app, it costs around £5 a year, you can either search for a specific location or just open it up and it will open with all sites within a 20 mile radius. I used it Monday driving home from Glasgow. Got as far as I could down the M6 until tiredness and headache caused me to halt, opened it up, found a pub about 5 miles away and overnighted there. Nice company, nice wine, nice dinner and nice sleep

 

[Paul G - 2022 Ocean]

Interesting read this thread. I’m thinking of joining one of the clubs, but which is best for a Cali owner, mostly with a driveaway awning if staying more than 2 nights?

 

[Hawthorn37]

Depends pincipally on where you want to go. Originally we joined the Caravan Club (CAMC), because of where we wanted to stay during some holidays to New Forest and Somerset/Cornwall. Then we wanted around 4 nights at a Camping & Caravan (CCC) site to visit an RHS show etc., and it was cheaper to become a member. Since then we’ve been to a mix of club sites and independents.
I‘d say that CAMC sites are fairly uniform in what you get, a known quantity if you like., and they attract mainly caravaners and motorhomes; CCC sites are a bit more variable and attract a few more tent campers, as well as campervans so a little younger demographic. CAMC sites seem to be pricier than CCC with fewer discount offers. The pitches on CAMC sites in our experience are a better standard, and mostly hard standing that will take a van plus awning. With CCC we’ve had to pitch the awning on ‘grass’ which was actually bare earth.
Both clubs are a bit problematic when it comes to wanting to reserve say 2 pitches together if you want to meet up with friends, as with CAMC it’s first come basis, and CCC they tend to allocate for you.
Just to say, we do have more experience of CAMC sites than CCC, but it’s personal preference.

 

[NessL]

Depends pincipally on where you want to go. Originally we joined the Caravan Club (CAMC), because of where we wanted to stay during some holidays to New Forest and Somerset/Cornwall. Then we wanted around 4 nights at a Camping & Caravan (CCC) site to visit an RHS show etc., and it was cheaper to become a member. Since then we’ve been to a mix of club sites and independents.
I‘d say that CAMC sites are fairly uniform in what you get, a known quantity if you like., and they attract mainly caravaners and motorhomes; CCC sites are a bit more variable and attract a few more tent campers, as well as campervans so a little younger demographic. CAMC sites seem to be pricier than CCC with fewer discount offers. The pitches on CAMC sites in our experience are a better standard, and mostly hard standing that will take a van plus awning. With CCC we’ve had to pitch the awning on ‘grass’ which was actually bare earth.
Both clubs are a bit problematic when it comes to wanting to reserve say 2 pitches together if you want to meet up with friends, as with CAMC it’s first come basis, and CCC they tend to allocate for you.
Just to say, we do have more experience of CAMC sites than CCC, but it’s personal preference.

That’s a good summary of the differences between the two clubs.
We’ve found that the toilets are usually more recently refitted on CAMC sites than CCC, but both are usually very clean.
However, the rows of orderly white boxes with a very narrow demographic of visitors can feel a bit stifling, so we tend to stay at CCC sites more often.
We too mix club sites with independents, based on the location of where we want to visit.

 

[Paul G - 2022 Ocean]

Depends pincipally on where you want to go. Originally we joined the Caravan Club (CAMC), because of where we wanted to stay during some holidays to New Forest and Somerset/Cornwall. Then we wanted around 4 nights at a Camping & Caravan (CCC) site to visit an RHS show etc., and it was cheaper to become a member. Since then we’ve been to a mix of club sites and independents.
I‘d say that CAMC sites are fairly uniform in what you get, a known quantity if you like., and they attract mainly caravaners and motorhomes; CCC sites are a bit more variable and attract a few more tent campers, as well as campervans so a little younger demographic. CAMC sites seem to be pricier than CCC with fewer discount offers. The pitches on CAMC sites in our experience are a better standard, and mostly hard standing that will take a van plus awning. With CCC we’ve had to pitch the awning on ‘grass’ which was actually bare earth.
Both clubs are a bit problematic when it comes to wanting to reserve say 2 pitches together if you want to meet up with friends, as with CAMC it’s first come basis, and CCC they tend to allocate for you.
Just to say, we do have more experience of CAMC sites than CCC, but it’s personal preference.

Thanks @Hawthorn37 thats a good summary.

 

[Paul G - 2022 Ocean]

That’s a good summary of the differences between the two clubs.
We’ve found that the toilets are usually more recently refitted on CAMC sites than CCC, but both are usually very clean.
However, the rows of orderly white boxes with a very narrow demographic of visitors can feel a bit stifling, so we tend to stay at CCC sites more often.
We too mix club sites with independents, based on the location of where we want to visit.

Thanks @NessL. I’m swaying more towards the CCC mainly due to the fact we would have our 12 yo son with us so would want some opportunity for him to meet other kids. I’ve just downloaded the searchforsites app too and will definitely joint that when the free 3-day trial expired as for £6 a year it seems pretty good value. Already had a search for some faulty local sites on it and discovered some pub stopovers too that might be worth a try as well as some small In dependants as well as CAMH and CCC sites.

 

[Hawthorn37]

Thanks @NessL. I’m swaying more towards the CCC mainly due to the fact we would have our 12 yo son with us so would want some opportunity for him to meet other kids. I’ve just downloaded the searchforsites app too and will definitely joint that when the free 3-day trial expired as for £6 a year it seems pretty good value. Already had a search for some faulty local sites on it and discovered some pub stopovers too that might be worth a try as well as some small In dependants as well as CAMH and CCC sites.

Think in your position I’d do the same. Not that many children on some CAMC sites, although some are well set up for youngsters. Most have a games / activity room.

So you’re fully aware, other benefit wrt CAMC has been the booking policy, no deposit and with changes possible at no cost up to 3 days before travel. BUT as of Monday this week, a 20% deposit (or £25 ) is needed at time of booking, refundable up to 21 days before your arrival day. I can understand why they‘ve needed to do this, even if it does impact flexibility a bit. However, if say the weather closes in and you want to change plans, if you give 3 days notice you can cut your stay short and get a refund of the unused days, which is quite fair.

With CCC you can cancel and get a refund 31 days before travel, but you can amend up to 10 days before travel. I don’t know of any curtailment refund with CCC.

Another difference we’ve come across is that with CCC during high season is that the minimum stay for all sites is 2 nights., with some sites more than this. We haven’t found this restriction with CAMC. So if booking a 1-night stopover, this limits CCC usefulness. Some CAMC partner sites have a minimum stay policy, unless you call them to see if they’ll give you a waiver.

 

[NessL]

Think in your position I’d do the same. Not that many children on some CAMC sites, although some are well set up for youngsters. Most have a games / activity room.

So you’re fully aware, other benefit wrt CAMC has been the booking policy, no deposit and with changes possible at no cost up to 3 days before travel. BUT as of Monday this week, a 20% deposit (or £25 ) is needed at time of booking, refundable up to 21 days before your arrival day. I can understand why they‘ve needed to do this, even if it does impact flexibility a bit. However, if say the weather closes in and you want to change plans, if you give 3 days notice you can cut your stay short and get a refund of the unused days, which is quite fair.

With CCC you can cancel and get a refund 31 days before travel, but you can amend up to 10 days before travel. I don’t know of any curtailment refund with CCC.

Another difference we’ve come across is that with CCC during high season is that the minimum stay for all sites is 2 nights., with some sites more than this. We haven’t found this restriction with CAMC. So if booking a 1-night stopover, this limits CCC usefulness. Some CAMC partner sites have a minimum stay policy, unless you call them to see if they’ll give you a waiver.

We’ve found that whilst the CCC website won’t allow 1 night bookings, if you call the site direct they will.