New Caravan Club booking website working for you?

[Hawthorn37]

A new Caravan And Motorhome Club booking website was launched today. After spending around 9 hours unsuccessfully trying to arrange some simple stopovers later in October, which should’ve been a 10 minute job, I just wondered if anyone has managed to book anything, and if so, how the new system benefits the members?

 

[HowieDog]

A new Caravan And Motorhome Club booking website was launched today. After spending around 9 hours unsuccessfully trying to arrange some simple stopovers later in October, which should’ve been a 10 minute job, I just wondered if anyone has managed to book anything, and if so, how the new system benefits the members?

It’s chaos. Very grumpy people on their forum. Managed to book into a site tonight for a few days by phoning direct. Site manager says it’s appalling and the system is crap.

 

[ArunAlec]

I gave up. Hopefully they will sort it but an hour long queue just to get onto the web site is a joke!

 

[GrannyJen]

Having had past experience with the woeful IT department of the CMC I was not optimistic.

I am travelling today. I received an email last night telling me to be patient with the site staff when they try to book me in.

Great. It looks as though my pitch for the first night will be joining the queue in the car park

 

[Blue Yonder]

The new system is joke. Just reinstall the old system it worked just fine. Currently travelling the uk and cant book into sites in advance. Wait about an hour in the virtual queue then once in cant book a site and after a few minutes of trying end up being placed back in the virtual queue again.

Moral of this story if it's not broke don't fix it.

 

[Brightonbelle]

I won’t be joining them then! We joined the other club (C&C). Didn’t realise that they don’t do Europe since Covid. Didn’t like the site (Canterbury - dirty showers) and having been told to ‘choose a pitch’ on arrival by a friendly chap, as we weren’t yet appearing on their online system, we did so. He said that was fine.
The next day two staff with clipboards came round asking why we were there as they had no record of us! It was quite intimidating.
They continued this whilst standing at our open Campervan door. I showed them the booking and asked them to leave as I wasn’t feeling great in the heat. They could see when they arrived that I was having a lie down!
We haven’t stayed at a C&C site since as I didn’t buy a Campervan to put up with this!
Since then we’ve been to small privately owned sites - much more chilled.

 

[Meoncoast]

This is all about collecting money upfront. OK only 20mins wait at 07.30 to get onto the webpage could not find our planned booking for early next year until I added a new booking which overlapped with the current booking so finally found an existing booking via this route

 

[ArunAlec]

They may need to change the “Late Availability” search to “Late Availability You Missed Whilst in the Queue“.

 

[Hawthorn37]

They may need to change the “Late Availability” search to “Late Availability You Missed Whilst in the Queue“.

We’re at home at the moment. I feel for those travelling right now, trying to book a site on dodgy WiFi /4G !

 

[Stu@rt]

Coincidently, I only visited the site this morning to join up. There is a site locally that I wanted to visit, but is a CL and is the only way to book.

A 20 min wait is unacceptable for a service that you charge £56 for.

I think I'll spend my cash elsewhere.

 

[The Saint Essex]

20 minute wait you are lucky, might have said 20 minutes but was 3 hours last night and then I had to change browsers as it didn't like to show the booking details screen in safari.

I think I booked my trips, got a booking number, but no confirmation email and can't access my bookings any longer to check that way if they are registered.

I can semi understand there is a "rush" to book now the window for June-August is open and the need for the queuing, but for it then not to work after the wait (which is obviously minimise server overloading) is just unacceptable, and why no confirmation email?

 

[dspuk]

I’ve found both the CMC and the CCC sites and apps woeful. Can’t imagine a newer one any better. It’s a shame because the last mile experience (at the site) has been great so far but this first mile is beyond painful.

A great example is the CMC app. After banging my head after downloading it but unable to see or book UK sites it seemed the app named CMC was for Europe (no hint in name or on App Store) and the actual app for UK was called CAMC app. Torturous.

Then booking the Shuttle through CCC to get the discount was the 7 trials of Hercules. I almost gave up.

 

[kurienp]

I would love to meet the woeful architects of these sites! I am not sure who the f&^£ decided that putting a wait time on a booking site is a good idea. With the kind of type of technologies available to scale your infra dynamically based on server load, this it seems like their servers are still based out of someone's mom's garage! this sh&$ still happening boils my blood ...

# rant over # apologies!

 

[flying banana]

i don't like anything about that 'club' .stuck to pub stops and independents all year this year ,so much cheaper and less stress.eg, stayed at a farm in hope last weekend, was working nights in sheffield the friday,arriving in hope 8am saturday morning,i asked if i could go on site early for a kip....no problem they said,i was parked up and asleep by 8.15. imagine that at that 'club' ? no, neither can i.i would've been in the sodding carpark for 5 hours and then have to move into a queue,probably told to wear a dumb mask to go in the shop to book in and then pay for hook up i don't use or want. leave that club to the tv watchers and caravanners. ' oooh but the showers were so clean !!!' yawn .their website now matches their campsites, regimented pain in the arse

 

[Hawthorn37]

i don't like anything about that 'club' .stuck to pub stops and independents all year this year ,so much cheaper and less stress.eg, stayed at a farm in hope last weekend, was working nights in sheffield the friday,arriving in hope 8am saturday morning,i asked if i could go on site early for a kip....no problem they said,i was parked up and asleep by 8.15. imagine that at that 'club' ? no, neither can i.i would've been in the sodding carpark for 5 hours and then have to move into a queue,probably told to wear a dumb mask to go in the shop to book in and then pay for hook up i don't use or want. leave that club to the tv watchers and caravanners. ' oooh but the showers were so clean !!!' yawn .their website now matches their campsites, regimented pain in the arse

A little off topic, but I suppose you make an interesting point - why use the big clubs anyway? When we were tenters, camping with our kids for annual holidays, we were nearly 100% on independent sites. It was once or twice a year, time to plan, and the one time we went to a CCC site we were put off by the rules. Now, we are fortunate to be camping more frequently, and using campsites to attend events and tour etc. For the past 3 years we’ve stayed at club sites around 50% of the time, and I agree the club sites do tend to be a bit boring in comparison. There are 3 positives for us though.
1. You can be fairly sure the pitches, grounds and facilities will be of a good standard (CAMC more than CCC in our experience).
2. The locations of the sites can be good for access to towns/ villages, road networks and areas we’ve wanted to visit.
3. Finally, the sites are easily researched online to see if there’s availability, and to book - UNTIL this week!!

Because of these points, we’ve used club sites as stopovers, and hastily arranged tours/ visits, but also some longer stops. The newly introduced CAMC booking system will hopefully and probably settle down, but at the moment I’m being put off booking up CAMC sites for now.

 

[Hawthorn37]

I would love to meet the woeful architects of these sites! I am not sure who the f&^£ decided that putting a wait time on a booking site is a good idea. With the kind of type of technologies available to scale your infra dynamically based on server load, this it seems like their servers are still based out of someone's mom's garage! this sh&$ still happening boils my blood ...

# rant over # apologies!

I’ve been responsible for building 3 commercial websites, and I realise that it’s difficult to beta test 100%, and I’m assuming some the hangs and 404 codes we are seeing will get better as fewer people crowd on, but I do agree with you. Even the site search filters don’t work as you’d expect - like the dates don’t filter out sites that are full or not open.

I‘ve given up for now. Luckily the next site we are on is independent. I bet that the site wardens are pulling their hair out right trying to book people in.

 

[Azteccamper]

I’ve been a member of the Caravan Club (CAMC) for nearly 30yrs - we were caravanners when the kids were young. But I had a moan recently about us paying £37 for a night at Brecon with the club. I didn’t want ehu but it was included. My gripe was the guy next to me had basically a coach sized motorhome with satellite, air con, fridge freezer, etc. paying the same as me.
I also then had a go about how they are ’modernising’ the sites. No wet room drying areas, no bike lock-ups, no bbq areas, no communal clothes-lines to dry clothes (I could go on). At 7pm you feel you must creep around the site as not to disturb the other guests!
Rant over.
Currently on a cracking site in Vallon-Pont-d’Arc that would knock spots off any CAMC site for €18 p/n.

 

[The Pox]

My CMC Challenge: can anyone name a worse web site for booking campsites?

 

[ArunAlec]

My CMC Challenge: can anyone name a worse web site for booking campsites?

Nope!

Managed to get on the web site this morning and tried some basic searching….. it’s awful!
Hard to believe they’ve done any testing.

 

[GrumpyGranddad]

My experience this morning -

The strange thing is that if you use the CAMC App then you can search sites etc with no problem at all. No queues.

Via a web browser, now that’s a different story!!!

 

[Meoncoast]

My experience this morning -

The strange thing is that if you use the CAMC App then you can search sites etc with no problem at all. No queues.

Via a web browser, now that’s a different story!!!

No not now 30 minutes later the App is blocked up with 30-minute wait as people wake up and try and log on. My advise check during the night when you wake for a Pee

 

[GrumpyGranddad]

No not now 30 minutes later the App is blocked up with 30-minute wait as people wake up and try and log on. My advise check during the night when you wake for a Pee

Actually i’m wrong. When progressing to the next stage it failed. Asked me to login again and then denied my attempts to login :-( !!

Had to reload the App and now puts me straight into the infamous queue :-(
Rubbish. Hope they resolve it soon.

 

[Nik_campervan]

The ccc site was bad enough, wont show available dates nor min stay info so you just need to keep changing dates till you manage to get a match, plus cant book a single nights stay, really unhelpful.
The camc site was great till improved, now it just dont work, im off to NW Highlands in October and need a stopover friday night, need to search via map for availability of whats re-route. Cant even search for sites in Scotland let alone for the day i need. WTAF whoever specced this improvement and released it deserves sacking.. cant believe its so broken.

 

[Hawthorn37]

I don’t disagree with the comments. The old page allowed you to
1. Search by region. Now not an option. It doesn’t even recognise ‘Scotland’
2. See the availability of a site and then fit in your stay to suit. Now no option to do this.
3. Filter sites by dates so full sites are not shown. Now all sites in the area of search are shown, whether they’re available, full, or closed.

What’s there not to like ??

 

[Meoncoast]

Actually i’m wrong. When progressing to the next stage it failed. Asked me to login again and then denied my attempts to login :-( !!

Had to reload the App and now puts me straight into the infamous queue :-(
Rubbish. Hope they resolve it soon.

ditto had to delete app and upload it again