david ann Posted June 28, 2009 Share Posted June 28, 2009 hola to all Just got back to Sax, Alicante from a trip to England in our Benimar Europe 6.76meters. approx. trip of 5500 K I can't get over the price of Camping and Caravan Club sites. I know that I'm now a non member but you need to be a millionair to use them. For two nights at Folkstone we paid for 3 adults and our m/home nearly £80 (already admit not now a member BUT) daylight robbery especially as this is the same price for a frame tent and they only had 2 loos and 2 showers on a 80 plus site !!!!!!!! Very nice site but more than twice the price I pay over here in Spain. camping used to be the holiday we took when we hadn't got much money. I'll stick to europe in future and not waste my money in england. Needed the moan Take care David Taylor >:-( >:-( >:-( >:-( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyishuk Posted June 28, 2009 Share Posted June 28, 2009 Ah, Its just a gentle introduction as you enter the UK about UK prices generally :D Rgds Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LordThornber Posted June 28, 2009 Share Posted June 28, 2009 It's no joke though really is it? A site I've given up on, purely because he's just sooooo out of touch with his pricing is another example. It's a shame really, it's in a lovely little Yorkshire Hamlet and it's spot on for us when we only have a couple of nights. But, enough was enough when about 2.5 years ago he asked me for £42 for three nights. He apologised to be fair, saying it was external factors that had pushed up the price. The facilities, whilst spotless, are from the fifties, and I'm not exaggerating either. There's no heating in the showers, (not as we use them), a dish and clothing washing building that truly needs seeing to be believed, it's that ancient. I feel for the poor tent camper though who pays the same price there though as everybody else. I would assume his fees are now in the region of £16 per night. And do you know what? I bet he's full, he always is. Barmy. Rip Off Britain at it's best. Or worst... Martyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted June 28, 2009 Share Posted June 28, 2009 £16 per night? rather pay less but whatever, £40 per night you must be 'kin joking Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LordThornber Posted June 28, 2009 Share Posted June 28, 2009 We recently bought all day bus passes whilst staying near Blackpool. We went here and there as you do and at one point got off and had a wander round Blackpool for a look around, we hadn't been there for donkeys years, it's not our cup of tea at all, but each to their own as ever. Whilst there I noticed some B&B's were advertising for as little as £12.50 per night per person inc breakfast, so under £90 for a week for one. I've just clocked the prices for staying at the CC's Blackpool site, (which is a fair old hike away from Blackpool) and it's dearer for one person to stay on it for a week. For 2 people it's cheaper to be fair but food for thought perhaps.. Martyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wanderer Posted June 28, 2009 Share Posted June 28, 2009 Folkstone C&CC club site - £8/adult mid season - £6.60 pitch fee for non-member - Electricity £3.20 - all per night. If you were charged £80 for 2 nights then you were mis-charged. £33.80 is not cheap but is not nearly £80 for 2 nights. Just happens wife was looking at the Folkstone site details when I read your post which made us do a double check on the prices. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philjp Posted June 28, 2009 Share Posted June 28, 2009 Its not just the UK. Prices are going up in europe. Was charged £25 a night last week in Belgium.I know the exchange rate does not help. But with Vat now set at 19.5% and in some areas a further .5% local tax added In general we found Prices had increased in France Germany and Belgium Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted June 28, 2009 Share Posted June 28, 2009 Philjp - 2009-06-28 6:36 PM Its not just the UK. Prices are going up in europe. Was charged £25 a night last week in Belgium.I know the exchange rate does not help. But with Vat now set at 19.5% and in some areas a further .5% local tax added In general we found Prices had increased in France Germany and Belgium May I respectfully suggest that you were not charged £25 per night in Belgium, but were in fact charged in Euros an unstated sum that you have converted to £25 (at an equally unstated exchange rate). In the same way, may I suggest that you may not have found that prices in France, Germany, and Belgium had increased, but that the Sterling equivalent of prices in those countries had increased, largely due to the present exchange rate of Sterling.I accept that I'm being pernickety, for which I apologise, but prices abroad, expressed in Sterling, are really quite meaningless without knowing what exchange rate has been used in converting them, and the charge at a single campsite is no guide to the cost of campsites generally.It is obvious that the Sterling equivalents of prices throughout Europe will be higher with an exchange rate of 1.14 to the £, than they were with an exchange rate of 1.25 to the £. However, that does not mean actual prices in Europe have risen by the same amount. In fact, so far as I could tell, and with a few exceptions, prices have only risen by somewhere around 3%, due to inflation. The rest of the apparent increase is due to the fall in the Sterling exchange rate, and that exchange rate is slowly improving at present.In this vein, in just under three months in France ending last week, all spent on campsites, the most we paid was 25 Euros per night, and the least 7.5 Euros per night (with facilities that were adequate and clean, and the gate locked at night!). We did not select sites for their cheapness, but for their locations, and some were superb. The average, yet to be properly calculated, seemed to be around 15 Euros, which compares quite favourably with the £25.80 we would have paid at the CCC Folkestone site instanced above. Fuel was consistently cheaper. So, the Euro cost is largely relative to the location and the facilities on offer, and if the slow upward climb of Sterling returns it to somewhere above 1.20 during the next few weeks, the increase in cost should not be allowed to frighten anyone off going. On my calculations, France, at any rate, is still a cheaper destination overall than the UK. So, cheer up folks, it ain't all doom and gloom!! :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rapido-lass Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 Having just returned from Ireland, I thought I should add my twopenneth worth regarding camp site prices. We saw a contrast in both price and facility standard whilst away. They always charge you for electric hook up unless you ask for a price without which can then drop the price from between 2 and 5 euros! The most expensive one was charging 30 euros without electricity. We looked around the site and it was unkept, shabby and the facilities appauling - needless to say we didn't stop their. On the whole they were between 20 to 25 euros a night without electricity. When we changed our sterling it was like for like so the prices were equivelent to pounds sterling so in our opinion expensive. Having said that we did stay at a couple of cracking sites! We also had no problems in turning up un-booked and getting on a site. On returning to the UK, the first site we stopped at was fully booked and we were given a lecture about planning ahead! Forgive my ignorance but.... isn't the whole experience and reason for touring is that you end up somewhere and then book in? To be honest, even though the sterling/euro exchange rate isn't that favourable, it still makes more sense to holiday abroad than stay in this country. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philjp Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 Brian in general I agree with you the exchange rate made things dearer. We did find French campsites cheaper than the rest of Europe stayed at 4 sites Chalon, langres, Cernay, Gerardmer However Germany along the Mosel valley was expensive and it was a holiday weekend and sites where full along with the steplatz The charges worked out in Euro at around 37 a night this include charges for showers also electric hook up ( Charges for electric on usage metered.. there was also a charge for connecting to the hook up nothing mentioned on websites or in site books) Luxembourg was a little better no charge for electric (included in site fee) cheapest diesel at e85 a litre. Belgium worked out at an average of e32 per night. We also found some sites charging for rubbish bags or extra tax for disposal of rubbish along with a local tax We met two English family’s who had come down from Denmark as it was to expensive and where spending the rest of their holidays in Germany and Luxembourg. Overall the cost was cheaper for the time spent out of the UK than when we where down in Cornwall in April But we still found Prices had gone up from our last visit in Febuary even acounting from the porr exchange rate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derek500 Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 Of course the current exchange rate is hitting Brits. When we moved to Spain in 2003, we bought enough Euros to last for 13 years, until our pensions kicked in. We paid 67p per Euro. When we recently stayed on two very ACSI Camping Card sites in Asturias and Cantabria, we paid 15€ including hook-up and dog. For us that's a touch over £10. We'd struggle to pay only that in the UK. Even CL's seem to creeping up towards the tenner mark now!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
messerschmitt owner Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 camping is no longer cheap but it strikes me that camp sites are full every weekend so enough of us must be happy to pay the extortionate amounts charged! I bemoan the fact that we could take the car and get 40+mpg, stay in travelodges or cheap b&bs and spend less money than on a campsite nowadays, with better facilities, and be able to park anywhere within reason. The only advantage now of a motorhome is the cheapness of meals (cooked in) and the ability to make tea and coffee as and when we choose without rip-off prices. Pitch fees, prices per extra adult, prices per kid, extra for awnings, the ubiquitous extra vehicle, electric-hook-up, etc, is way OTT. I try not to stay on sites which automatically charge me for electric hook-up and give me no option to reduce my costs by using my on-board facilities. Combined with the new cost of motorhomes and caravans (to replace my Rimor like for like would cost £63,000 - an increase of 40% in four years), I can see the motorhome and caravan market going into decline. Even a basic van conversion like an Adria Twin is now nigh of £40,000 - who wants to spend that kind of money on a van? Is this hobby pricing itself out of the market? I think so! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
breakaleg Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 LordThornber - 2009-06-28 4:30 PM We recently bought all day bus passes whilst staying near Blackpool. We went here and there as you do and at one point got off and had a wander round Blackpool for a look around, we hadn't been there for donkeys years, it's not our cup of tea at all, but each to their own as ever. Whilst there I noticed some B&B's were advertising for as little as £12.50 per night per person inc breakfast, so under £90 for a week for one. I've just clocked the prices for staying at the CC's Blackpool site, (which is a fair old hike away from Blackpool) and it's dearer for one person to stay on it for a week. For 2 people it's cheaper to be fair but food for thought perhaps.. Martyn Hi Martyn, Wouldn't it be good, if Blackpool council would let van's stay on the Starr Gate car park overnight? plenty of public transport for those of us who couldn't/wouldn't walk. Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LordThornber Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 Hi Pete, of course it would be a good idea, but it's far too radical. I jest of course. Lets face it, Blackpool surely has enough of a draw to employ someone to Police a carpark for overnighting. I cannot believe there isn't one motorhome owning councillor who hasn't suggested this sort of idea. At any other popular location for that matter. Aggrieved Of Blackburn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
breakaleg Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 Hi Martyn, I emailed Blackpool council to suggest this a couple of years ago, although one councilor did say he would raise the issue, nothing came of it, (suprised to hear that aren't you) In the first instance I was complaining that a borough the size of Blackpool, would only allow the disabled to park free (for 3 hours) if you park in a disabled bay (the main car park, only has 12 disabled parking bays) but around 500 others. Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertandjean Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 Without a doubt campsite charges are out of hand in the U.K., and what's the point of having a motorhome if you have to book months ahead for the privilege of handing over large amounts of your hard earned cash for little in return? This year, for various reasons, we have been unable to get away for our usual couple of months at a time, but instead are taking shorter 3 week breaks. The thought crossed our mind do we stay in U.K. but soon passed when we checked prices, found sites fully booked etc. So here we are in France sat on aire at Conty (Dept 80), parked on grass under shade of trees, watching horses and carts glide past with temp. approaching 30degrees. Has price risen here? No this aire is still free to park overnight, no time limit, with water etc also free. Easy walk to village to buy fresh bread, a bottle of decent wine and a good resturant for a meal if we think its too hot to cook (amazing what you can afford to do when not paying for campsites) . So forget U.K. sites and enjoy motorhoming as it should be! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
messerschmitt owner Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 robertandjean - we are doing this in two and a bit weeks - a week in France inc ferry is cheaper than a week in Wales, so off to France we are going! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LordThornber Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 Ever the sad man that I am, (I'll save Howie saying it) :D , I recently took a look at the CC's website for an assessment of how full one of it's site is. Ok, there will doubtless be some cancellations but of course they might well get filled and the site I chose is a very popular site. I checked for availability from 1st June to 31st Dec 2009 and the results astonished me. Never mind the fact that there isn't one weekend available, (not as I thought there would be), but the site is 93% full. Or 7% empty if you're that way out. I repeat 93%. Unbelievable but true. Martyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
messerschmitt owner Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 and, Martyn, that is why the prices won't come down from their extortionate levels! We tend to, on a weekend away, use the toilet facilities and shower aboard so are basically filling with water and emptying waste, using a pitch and not using electricity. We take our rubbish home and recycle when we get back so our cost of renting a 30ft x 40ft piece of grass shouldn't be £20+ per night! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LordThornber Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 Campbell, we camp just the same, albeit with hook up. It's galling really what we're forking out but as my figures show, supply is being met by demand so the prices will remain high. No wonder our use of CL's has probably quadrupled over the last 2 years or so. OK, we're not site owners, and we don't have accurate figures to look at and make judgements as to whether we're getting caned, but, going back to the site I mentioned earlier, I cannot believe he needs to charge £16, (or more possibly now), for either a scruffy grassed pitch or the tarmac area near the loos. So for 24 hours, we use 60 litres or so of his water, in summer virtually no electric, empty the loo and grey water and that amounts to £16. Sorry, I can't believe it. I'm going to buy a site for myself :D Martyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rapido-lass Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 I do think that the point of touring has now been totally lost with the Caravan Club and no doubt any other club or sites. I don't mean to offend anyone when I say this (no doubt will), but.... if you have a caravan and want to go to a site for a week or two, then you probably have thought about where months in advance and hence been able to book. However, as far as motorhomes go, agreed not everyone, but a large percentage do not stay put for long, and by nature tour an area and only decide to stop when the sun goes down.Therefore we can not book the illusive pitch that far in advance. Why isn't this style of touring being catered for or are we just being discriminated against in this country? I'll duck behind the chair now to avoid the flack....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mel wood Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 To 'messerschmitt' You really do need to check your facts! The current list price of an Adria Twin according to July's MMM is £34903 - not quite approaching the £40000 you stated. Also some people for various reasons prefer a panel van to a coachbuilt. You make your choice and pay your money for what you want. Don't knock someone for having a different lifestyle or van. Having said that, I agree that a number of sites in Britain are expensive, including at certain times, club sites. However, Camping Club age discounts are welcome as are the free nights obtained with the Passport Scheme and also through the Caravan Club credit card. We recently stayed at Torvaig Campsite at Portree, Skye for £4.50 per person per night with £2 for electricity. Sanitary facilities were of a good standard and washing poweder for the washing machines was provided free of charge! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 Philjp - 2009-06-29 9:13 AM Brian in general I agree with you the exchange rate made things dearer. We did find French campsites cheaper than the rest of Europe stayed at 4 sites Chalon, langres, Cernay, Gerardmer However Germany along the Mosel valley was expensive and it was a holiday weekend and sites where full along with the steplatz The charges worked out in Euro at around 37 a night this include charges for showers also electric hook up ( Charges for electric on usage metered.. there was also a charge for connecting to the hook up nothing mentioned on websites or in site books) Luxembourg was a little better no charge for electric (included in site fee) cheapest diesel at e85 a litre. Belgium worked out at an average of e32 per night. We also found some sites charging for rubbish bags or extra tax for disposal of rubbish along with a local tax We met two English family’s who had come down from Denmark as it was to expensive and where spending the rest of their holidays in Germany and Luxembourg. Overall the cost was cheaper for the time spent out of the UK than when we where down in Cornwall in April But we still found Prices had gone up from our last visit in Febuary even acounting from the porr exchange rate I'm not doubting for one minute what you say, only that the prices you paid should be treated as indicative of prices generally. We met one couple while away who said they had just left Germany for France, because Germany was so expensive, and another, also coming from Germany, who, when we asked them if their experience had been the same, said they had been on a superb site just outside Freiburg at 15 Euros per night. Last year we spend three nights in Germany, en route from the Czech Republic, in mid June, paying 18, 19.98, and 14.40 Euros respectively. In autumn '06 we stayed on a superb site at Backnang for 14 Euros, when municipals at Beaune and Ribeauville in France were charging nearer 16 Euros. All I am saying is that sites in "honeypot" areas charge more, and even more again when there are school holidays.If you can plan to avoid the school holidays, and avoid staying at the honeypots, you don't necessarily pay the inflated prices - except perhaps in Italy, where site owners charge what they think they should have, without regard for whether the site is empty or full! :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
messerschmitt owner Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 mel wood - 2009-06-29 5:22 PM To 'messerschmitt' You really do need to check your facts! The current list price of an Adria Twin according to July's MMM is £34903 - not quite approaching the £40000 you stated. Also some people for various reasons prefer a panel van to a coachbuilt. You make your choice and pay your money for what you want. Don't knock someone for having a different lifestyle or van. I based my price on the ltd edition Adria Twin as advertised on the motorhomes page of this very website - IIRC about £38000+. If you knew my motorhome history, you would know that I currently own both a van (1981 Toyota Hiace Devon) and a motorhome (2004 Rimor 747TC). I have owned more vans than coachbuilts and even a Land Rover Dormobile, so have had a wide variety of vehicles and therefore understand exactly why some of us choose to have a van over a coachbuilt - I'm just lucky enough to have both! My comment was more along the lines that the cost of even a van conversion is now extortionate for what you get. In the UK in the 1950s and 60s companies like Dormobile and Devon were producing vans by the bucketload as they were cheap, albeit basic, and could double up as basic family transport. Not so anymore! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mel wood Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 Meschersmitt Fair enough! Quality of new vans - conversions and coachbuilts - is also an issue. The cost does not necessarily reflect the quality - unfortunately! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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