michaelmorris Posted November 30, 2017 Share Posted November 30, 2017 We're planning to go to touring around Brittany next June for around 18 days. We're certainly going to be using the odd Aire or two, but we want to stay in full campsites for much of the trip as we want the luxury of onsite showers (the one in the van is pretty pathetic). Looking at various sources of information, it looks as though many people purchase an ASCI camping card to get discounts on campsites in France. I have a few queries that forum members may be able to help me with. 1 - What proportion of campsites in Brittany accept ASCI cards? 2 - The site advertises discounts of "up to 50%". What is the most common percentage discount? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted November 30, 2017 Share Posted November 30, 2017 The ACSI website lists 118 campsites in Brittany https://www.campingcard.co.uk/france/brittany/ but I don’t know what percentage of all the campsites in Britanny the 118 figure represents. As explained here https://www.campingcard.co.uk/extra-information/what-is-campingcard-acsi/ the per-night price will be €11, €13, €15, €17 or €19 and each entry in the list of 118 Brittany campsites shows the price that will be charged. It is also possible to identify which (and how many) campsites charge which price. The price - number of campsites charging that price are as follows €11 - 3 €13 - 15 €15 - 53 €17 - 42 €19 - 5 You can also display on a map where the campsites that charge each price are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaelmorris Posted November 30, 2017 Author Share Posted November 30, 2017 Derek Uzzell - 2017-11-30 2:09 PM The ACSI website lists 118 campsites in Brittany https://www.campingcard.co.uk/france/brittany/ but I don’t know what percentage of all the campsites in Britanny the 118 figure represents. As explained here https://www.campingcard.co.uk/extra-information/what-is-campingcard-acsi/ the per-night price will be €11, €13, €15, €17 or €19 and each entry in the list of 118 Brittany campsites shows the price that will be charged. It is also possible to identify which (and how many) campsites charge which price. The price - number of campsites charging that price are as follows €11 - 3 €13 - 15 €15 - 53 €17 - 42 €19 - 5 You can also display on a map where the campsites that charge each price are. Thanks. It certainly appears on the face of it to be a good deal. However, if the number of sites in the scheme is small relative to the total number of sites in the areas then it is going to be pretty restrictive. Furthermore, if the actual average discount is significantly less than 50% , then the actual savings may not be quite so good. For instance, if we visited 10 campsites on the holiday, 100% were ASCI members , and they each offered a 50% discount on a 30 euro pitch fee, I would save 10 x 15 = 150 euros. However, if i visit 10 campsites and only 20% of them as ASCI scheme members and only offer a 10% reduction, my saving is 10 x 40% x 3 euros = a saving of just 6 euros. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted November 30, 2017 Share Posted November 30, 2017 michaelmorris - 2017-11-30 1:44 PM We're planning to go to touring around Brittany next June for around 18 days. We're certainly going to be using the odd Aire or two, but we want to stay in full campsites for much of the trip as we want the luxury of onsite showers (the one in the van is pretty pathetic). Looking at various sources of information, it looks as though many people purchase an ASCI camping card to get discounts on campsites in France. I have a few queries that forum members may be able to help me with. 1 - What proportion of campsites in Brittany accept ASCI cards? 2 - The site advertises discounts of "up to 50%". What is the most common percentage discount? Thanks 2 Very difficult to say, as the discount you actually get will be the difference in cost between the ACSI flat-rate (which generally excludes tourist tax) and the seasonal rate the site would charge if you didn't have the card. My impression is that the discount rate will only be a high as 50% when compared to the highest rate charged by the site within the period that the card is accepted, and this is rare. Bear in mind that the ACSI flat-rate includes pitch, two adults, showers, and electricity, whereas many sites charge all these separately at rates that vary between low season, mid season, and high season. The card is rarely, if ever, accepted during any of the high season, but how sites charge is a purely commercial decision made by the site owner/operator. For one 18 day trip to Brittany in June, with some days spent off sites, I don't think you would stand much chance of breaking even on the cost of the guide/card (roughly the average cost of one night on site, low season, with electricity). What you will have, however, is a very useful guide to a large number of campsites that are of a generally good to high standard. If you're planning on another trip later the same year, you may find that the discounts pay for the guide. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barryd999 Posted November 30, 2017 Share Posted November 30, 2017 It might be worth checking out municipal sites as well in France. Ive had an ACSI card before but never bothered this year as we were in Germany and France which are just awash with aires and wild spots and if you need a site out of season you can usually find a municipal or small basic site a fair bit cheaper than ACSI sites. That said they are often in good locations but I am not sure ACSI in France they are such a bargain. Its not like its an expensive investment though so if you like sites (I dont) then its probably worth having. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted November 30, 2017 Share Posted November 30, 2017 Michael This website lists 582 campsites in Brittany http://www.brittanytourism.com/accommodation/campsites so - for 2017 - it’s reasonable to assume that about 20% of Brittany campsites were in the ACSI scheme. If you carefully planned your 2018 itinerary so that you visited specific areas of Brittany and then put a lot of effort into researching ACSI sites in those areas and what they would have been charging in June 2017, and then deliberately selected those campsites where the ACSI price reflected a big discount, you should easily be able to recover the cost of the ACSI discount card + guide. But if you intend to gypsy around Brittany, stay on ‘aires’ as well as campsites, and might choose campsites that take your fancy even though they were not in the ACSI scheme (as Brian says) you’ll have difficulty breaking even on your French trip. The ACSI scheme includes countries other than France, with 47 campsites participating in the UK. So even if you did not fully cover the cost of ACSI membership while in France, you might be able to do this by staying on ACSI campsites elsewhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yoko8pups Posted November 30, 2017 Share Posted November 30, 2017 Bear in mind that the ACSI flat-rate includes pitch, two adults, showers, and electricity, whereas many sites charge all these separately at rates that vary between low season, mid season, and high season. And a dog or two!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJay Posted November 30, 2017 Share Posted November 30, 2017 We use ACSI sites. You save money , and get the cost of it back , within a matter of days IMO. As has been stated , most sites charge extra for EHU, each person , and sometimes the showers. Well worth the cost, and most sites are good. We have used some from the "Le guide officiel Cam[ping and caravaning ", which is also good for France.( had over 9000 sites in my version 2014) Both available from Vicarious Books PJay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thomsonjuk Posted December 1, 2017 Share Posted December 1, 2017 Be careful as there are cut off dates when some sites do not accept the asci card it is normally stated in the description of the site as to what dates are covered Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartO Posted December 1, 2017 Share Posted December 1, 2017 The ACSI discount is often only a couple of Euros but if you use sites regularly, you soon cover the cost of the ACSI subscription. Last spring I failed to check the dates when a site was open and we turned up and drove in to be told it wasn't open yet - but they let us stay anyway for the discouted rate and there were a couple of other MHs on there too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tazdog6007 Posted December 2, 2017 Share Posted December 2, 2017 imo it's worth having for the books alone,plus the info therein. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derek500 Posted December 2, 2017 Share Posted December 2, 2017 We always save more than 'a couple of Euros' using ACSI (pounds too, as we use the UK sites). Earlier in the year we stayed at Camping Playa de Mazarrón in Murcia and paid 17€ a night. The rack rate is 22.25€. We saved 70€ for our two week stay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laimeduck Posted December 2, 2017 Share Posted December 2, 2017 derek500 - 2017-12-02 1:24 PMWe always save more than 'a couple of Euros' using ACSI (pounds too, as we use the UK sites).Earlier in the year we stayed at Camping Playa de Mazarrón in Murcia and paid 17€ a night. The rack rate is 22.25€. We saved 70€ for our two week stay. Agreed! In September we spent 6 nights in Cacares Camping, Extramadoura Spain which cost us 5 x €17 (discount of one night for staying more than 4 nights)= €85The standard price is €23 per night which would have cost €138. So we saved €53. (plus we spent 48 nights away in total, the bulk of which were in ACSI sites so our savings were even greater) The book & card cost us €15.95 for 2017 Sorry Brian I don't think your figures stack up ..... It really is a no brainer! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted December 2, 2017 Share Posted December 2, 2017 laimeduck - 2017-12-02 3:08 PM...Sorry Brian I don't think your figures stack up ..... It really is a no brainer!No it isn’t.As has been said earlier, Michael undoubtedly could recover the cost of an ACSI discount card if, during his 18-day trip to Brittany, he stayed on enough ACSI campsites where there was a significant difference between the ACSI discounted rate and the non-ACSI rate.But the less ACSI campsites he stayed on, the more likely it would be that he could not recoup the ACSI joining fee. For example, if he stayed on just one French ACSI campsite for a single day in June and never stayed on another ACSI campsite in 2018, he would be well out of pocket.This is what Michael’s original enquiry is all about, but (as Brian has highlighted) for Michael to make a ‘profit’ from the ACSI scheme will depend on what Michael chooses to do when he is in Brittany.It’s only possible to resolve an equation with one unknown, and in this instance there are multiple unknowns. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Jones Posted December 2, 2017 Share Posted December 2, 2017 We were on that site for a couple of nights in September Jeremy - very popular with Brits. Not surprising, since each pitch has its own private shower room! Excellent value at ACSI rates. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laimeduck Posted December 2, 2017 Share Posted December 2, 2017 Derek Uzzell - 2017-12-02 4:17 PMlaimeduck - 2017-12-02 3:08 PM...Sorry Brian I don't think your figures stack up ..... It really is a no brainer! No it isn’t.As has been said earlier, Michael undoubtedly could recover the cost of an ACSI discount card if, during his 18-day trip to Brittany, he stayed on enough ACSI campsites where there was a significant difference between the ACSI discounted rate and the non-ACSI rate.But the less ACSI campsites he stayed on, the more likely it would be that he could not recoup the ACSI joining fee. For example, if he stayed on just one French ACSI campsite for a single day in June and never stayed on another ACSI campsite in 2018, he would be well out of pocket.This is what Michael’s original enquiry is all about, but (as Brian has highlighted) for Michael to make a ‘profit’ from the ACSI scheme will depend on what Michael chooses to do when he is in Brittany.It’s only possible to resolve an equation with one unknown, and in this instance there are multiple unknowns. I don't understand your point Derek? Fact - the card cost me €15.95 - the savings on the bulk of ACSI sites is more than €2 The OP states "We're planning to go to touring around Brittany next June for around 18 days.We're certainly going to be using the odd Aire or two, but we want to stay in full campsites for much of the trip as we want the luxury of onsite showers (the one in the van is pretty pathetic). " Depends on how you interpret "Much of the trip" - probably more than half one could reasonably surmise? 9 days? So I repeat, I believe it is a no brainer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derek500 Posted December 3, 2017 Share Posted December 3, 2017 Jeremy. I think Derek's point is ithat not all the campsites in Brittany accept ACSI and if the OP decides to stay at a non-ACSI site he won't make any savings. We plan our trips around ACSI and aires, so rarely use non-ACSI sites. Had a few holidays in Brittany and have never used a non-ACSI site, so for us it's a non-brainer. We have the cheaper subscription direct from Holland. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted December 3, 2017 Share Posted December 3, 2017 Jeremy In his 2nd posting above Michael said “...if we visited 10 campsites on the holiday, 100% were ASCI members , and they each offered a 50% discount on a 30 euro pitch fee, I would save 10 x 15 = 150 euros. However, if i visit 10 campsites and only 20% of them as ASCI scheme members and only offer a 10% reduction, my saving is 10 x 40% x 3 euros = a saving of just 6 euros...” This could be read as meaning that Michael has in mind to use campsites just 10 times during his 18-day holiday in Brittany and that there is no guarantee that all (or even any) of those campsites will be in the ACSI scheme. One could also chuck into the mixing-bowl that some ACSI campsites will have special motorhome-specific tariffs that negate the financial benefit that a caravanner would gain from having the ACSI card. As Brian and I have emphasised above, how much financial benefit Michael could get from the ACSI card would depend on what he does in 2018. If he bought the card and then stayed on no ACSI campsites in 2018, he would get absolutely no financial benefit: if he bought the card and stayed on, say, 10 ACSI campsites and selected ACSI campsites where the discount was large, buying the card would have been an excellent investment. For a (non-member) cost of €16.95 to obtain an ACSI card it ought to be simple for Michael to make a ‘profit’ next June and - as has been said above - the ACSI book should in any case be useful and the €16.95 cost won’t break the bank. But there’s no ‘no brainer’ certainity that the €16.95 cost could be recouped because achieving this depends on Michael’s motorcaravanning usage in 2018. You might ask “Why, if Michael bought the ACSI card, would he not deliberately maximise how he exploited the ACSI scheme?” but that’s another matter... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laimeduck Posted December 3, 2017 Share Posted December 3, 2017 Selective reading on my part Derek I didn't see his second post. Apologies to you & Brian. I like ACSI, but often find sites in Eurocampings to be cheaper - or Municipal. Wouldn't be without the ACSI card though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted December 3, 2017 Share Posted December 3, 2017 So do I, Jeremy, and no need to apologise. :-D I fact, I like the ACSI app better, because it shows the non-card as well as the card sites and, although the ACSI inspectors can show slightly eccentric judgements on site quality (they are, after, mere humans) the inclusion of a site is usually an indication that the facilities etc will be at least acceptable. The app (downloadable for PCs as well as phones) includes maps, which makes locating sites around a given point far easier than fiddling with the ACSI book, and can be set to filter the results for various parameters. It has become my default site finding resource. If the site also takes the card, cherry on the cake! :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaelmorris Posted December 4, 2017 Author Share Posted December 4, 2017 Thanks for all the replies. We plan to pick campsites based mainly on location and facilities, with price being a secondary (but important) factor. We'd rather pay 28 euros a night for a pitch next to the sea that's on our route, than going 10 km out of our way to pay 10 euros a night for a site at the back of an industrial park! I think the key thing is where the ASCI sites are and how good they tend to be when compared to non-ACSI sites. We could really do with looking at a recent ACSI book to see where the sites are. At the moment we really don't know how many nights we'll be at aires, but my gut feeling is somewhere between 3 and 8 nights. Aires will be picked because they are convenient and/or picturesque, not (per se.) because they are cheap/free. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted December 4, 2017 Share Posted December 4, 2017 michaelmorris - 2017-12-04 1:08 PM ...I think the key thing is where the ASCI sites are and how good they tend to be when compared to non-ACSI sites. We could really do with looking at a recent ACSI book to see where the sites are... If you visit the ACSI website, you can select Britanny as a region https://www.campingcard.co.uk/france/brittany/ On that webpage clicking on the small map with a tent symbol and “118” on it will bring up a larger map indicating where all 118 ACSI campsites in Britanny are. It’s also possible to subdivide Britanny into its four departements that (in 2017) had the following number of ACSI campsites - Morbihan(68), Finistere(50), Cotes d’Armor (25) or Ille-et-Vilaine(9). The campsites can be listed and clicking on an entry will provide a summary of the campsites facilities, any reviews from people who have stayed there and a link to campsite’s website if it has one. It’s not realistic to expect to obtain valid advice on how ‘good’ ACSI campsites in Britanny are compared to non-ACSI campsites - what ‘goodness’ criteria would be employed and where might the relevant data be held? If you buy the ACSI card, you’ll be purchasing an ‘option’. Without the card you won’t be able to get the ACSI discount at an ACSI campsite. With the card you will be eligible to use the ACSI scheme, but how you choose to best exploit it will be down to you. Why don’t you just decide to buy the damn card? It will one less decision to make between now and next June ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laimeduck Posted December 4, 2017 Share Posted December 4, 2017 Why don’t you just decide to buy the damn card? It will one less decision to make between now and next June ;-) Another No brainer then Derek? Tee Hee! Seriously though some of the nicest ACSI sites I have stayed on have been in the €11 to €13 bracket whereas some of the substandard sites (subjective opinion by me & my wife) have been upwards of €20. As I think Brian says some of the site descriptions in the book by the inspectors make you wonder if they did indeed visit? Plus what I like is not necessarily what you will like - so just get out there and try it & learn by experience what suits you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJay Posted December 5, 2017 Share Posted December 5, 2017 laimeduck - 2017-12-04 4:26 PMWhy don’t you just decide to buy the damn card? It will one less decision to make between now and next June ;-)Another No brainer then Derek? Tee Hee!Seriously though some of the nicest ACSI sites I have stayed on have been in the €11 to €13 bracket whereas some of the substandard sites (subjective opinion by me & my wife) have been upwards of €20. As I think Brian says some of the site descriptions in the book by the inspectors make you wonder if they did indeed visit? Plus what I like is not necessarily what you will like - so just get out there and try it & learn by experience what suits you. Totally agree with you Jeremy! Some of the Big expensive sites , do not have such good basic facilities. You are paying for the extra ones, which we personally do not use. We try for sites close to villages/towns ,beach, don't need the extras, just the convenience of getting about on foot.The Camping Guide Official I mentioned earlier, has some great sites in, and most at a reasonable price. BUt we are all different and want different amenities, so what we like may not suit others, as we have found out from recommending friends!! We don't like aries, so only use in an emergency.PJay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted December 5, 2017 Share Posted December 5, 2017 PJay - 2017-12-05 9:21 AM ...We don't like aries, so only use in an emergency. PJay There are aires and aires... The one at St Jean sur Mayenne near Laval is based on a redundant campsite and retains the original facilities. https://www.aire-service-camping-car-panoramique.fr/mayenne/53-saint-jean-sur-mayenne https://www.aire-service-camping-car-panoramique.fr/panoramique/mayenne/53-saint-jean-sur-mayenne/index.html?html5=only €9.40 per night for a motorhome and 2 adults, including 230V electricity and ’servicing’. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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