not having to book at campsites?

[athiest]

Hi all, In my forty odd years of marriage, my wife and I have enjoyed going away for however many days on a whim, driving our car in a direction towards somewhere and finding somewhere too stay when we had decided that we had arrived. We have now bought a Motorhome joined the CCC, and were expecting to do the same sort of thing, only stopping at a CCC club site instead. We have just today received our club pack and membership cards. On reading about the club activities and sites it seems that we are expected to, in the main, book a site well in advance that we intend to stop at before arriving. This of course completely negates what we were hoping to use the van for. I imagine that most of you have done what we hope to do, and would like some info about just arriving at a site from people who have done it. Thanks in anticipation. "A"

[colin]

Most of our touring is done outside of july and august.

We rarely book in advance, mostly doing as you are suggesting, now with mobile phones it's easy to phone around in the area to save any wasted journey to a full site, last easter was closest to not getting on a site, we had to park next to a skip, but with no windows on that side of van no worries. We do book in advance if intending arriving late at a site, but thats just common sence and curtestsy

[Hymer C 9.]

Like Colin, all except school holidays and weekends we never really book, but with so many CL around it is never really a problem, when we travel for a couple of months at a time don't think I have booked in advance above half a dozen times, and always find somewhere nice. Carol.

[HWO]

Hi A

I suppose in your hotelling days the first place that you tried could be full. Likewise the CCC site could be full when you get there, depending on time of year weekend or not .

If you don't book a site you will need to be more flexible in where you finally pitch for the night.

Within the CCC as well as their own sites there are also Certificated (five van sites for members only) sites and Temperary Holiday Sites which are again members only( usually some sort of field) . If you use these as well as the full sites you probably don't need to book

.

As to arriving at the site if they have room for you they will let you in thro the warden will give you a tongue lashing for not booking!

[mel wood]

If you book with the CCC you will have to pay a deposit which it appears is only refundable if you are dead. This deposit is £25.00 so if you do book make sure you really do want to go. We usually phone on the day we want to use a site and it is usually O.K. but the wardens can be a bit "grumpy" when you arrive. You will find that out of season this usually works. The CCC wardens are very good at getting back to you if you phone and leave a message on the answer phone. Janet.

[Basil]

We are with the Caravan Club (not the CCC Caravan and Camping Club) and must say we never book in advance but decide where we want to stop and phone ahead of our arrival (which I suppose is booking in advance) to ensure that they have a space for us to pitch on. I can honestly say we have never had a 'grumpy' warden from doing this they have always been most courteous.

We have looked at the website booking pages and found that many of the sites are shown as fully booked but doing what we do has always got us a pitch so I can only assume that they have cancellations and no shows.

 

Bas

 

Edit typo

[lennyhb]

We too hate having to book sites part of the fun of Motohoming is just getting up an going works fine on the continent with all the aires & stellaplaz.

In the UK usually only use CL's & CS's and ring up the day we are going unless we have something defiantly planed then we may ring up a bit in advance. Also when ringing CL's & CS's especially in wet weather check the ground is suitable for a Motohome or they have a hard standing.

 

 

 

 

[malc d]

In many years of camping we have never booked more than one or two sites. These days we always tour out of the main school holidays and have had no trouble getting a pitch (yet).

 

It's true that 'tourers' do seem to be seen by some CCC site wardens as some kind of nuisance, but then the CCC are now building chalets on sites so it seems the original aims of camping are being lost.

 

Of course, the best thing to do is to travel on the continent where tourers are still welcome.

 

 

 

 

:-|

[Klyne]

mel wood - 2010-01-20 11:53 AM

 

If you book with the CCC you will have to pay a deposit which it appears is only refundable if you are dead. This deposit is £25.00 so if you do book make sure you really do want to go. We usually phone on the day we want to use a site and it is usually O.K. but the wardens can be a bit "grumpy" when you arrive. You will find that out of season this usually works. The CCC wardens are very good at getting back to you if you phone and leave a message on the answer phone. Janet.

 

I am not a member but I had heard elsewhere that the the CC&C had changed their rules on refunding deposits. I think they now refund deposits if you cancel more than 7 days before you were due to arrive at the site without question.

 

David

[robertandjean]

One reason, apart from poor weather, rip off site fees etc, we do not tour in the U.K. anymore is the nonesense of advance booking. So our advice is forget U.K. and head for France (or Germany) and stay on aires, France Passion sites or municipal camp sites and never have to worry about advance booking again!

[mirage]

Caravanning has become very popular over the last few years to a point where it can be difficult to find a pitch on Club Sites on the off chance at weekends. Sites in popular locations abroad July and August can also be more tricky e.g. South of France pressure in these parts is increasing as more people from the old eastern bloc countries come on holiday.

Don`t give up you just have to plan a little as someone else said the C.C. often shows sites as full on the Web Site, ring and you get a pitch. Go midweek or a little out of season its also cheaper especially on the continent.

[lennyhb]

robertandjean - 2010-01-20 7:46 PM

 

One reason, apart from poor weather, rip off site fees etc, we do not tour in the U.K. anymore is the nonesense of advance booking. So our advice is forget U.K. and head for France (or Germany) and stay on aires, France Passion sites or municipal camp sites and never have to worry about advance booking again!

 

Couldn't agree more, it's often cheaper to hop across the channel than stay on British sites.

Even more importantly if you do want to visit anywhere in the UK they are determined not to let you park your Motorhome, every where else (over the water) you are welcomed with open arms.

 

 

[mel wood]

 

 

I am not a member but I had heard elsewhere that the the CC&C had changed their rules on refunding deposits. I think they now refund deposits if you cancel more than 7 days before you were due to arrive at the site without question.

 

David

That is perfectly true. However,the new policy also states:

"If you cancel your booking, for any reason,seven days or less before it

starts, we will not refund your deposit."

 

 

Hope this clears up the issue.

[mel wood]

 

Even more importantly if you do want to visit anywhere in the UK they are determined not to let you park your Motorhome, every where else (over the water) you are welcomed with open arms.

 

 

Come on Lenny! Don't be so negative.

 

You don'y qualify your statement and say who "they" are.

 

I agree that some councils and other car park owners make it impossible for motorhomers to park because of height barriers or notices banning motorhomes from parking but that is not true everywhere.

MMM does feature articles and has produced a booklet regarding motorhome parking in Britain.

 

Also in Scotland it is possible and not illegal to 'wild camp', given certain perfectly reasonable parameters.

 

I take your point about France and Germany but we did notice last year in France that some car parks and supermarkets now have height barriers. We could not park in some cities and towns because of a lack of motorhome parking so had to drive on rather than stop to see particular attractions. Also on parts of the Riviera motorhome parking on the roadside was illegal whilst car parking was allowed.

 

Remember some of us want to travel in mainland Europe but we also wish to motorhome in Britain to enjoy historic sites/cities and beautiful countyside and coast.

 

 

[robertandjean]

Mel, what you say re height barriers and problems parking in parts of the Riviera is true but these type of restrictions are very much the exception and not the rule in France. In the U.K. however, the situation is reversed with any welcolme for us motorvanners being very much the exception not the rule! The fact that articles in MMM regarding motorhome parking in U.K. go under the heading "The Height Fight" whilst in equivalent French mags pages are devoted to towns and villages opening new camping car aires illustrates the point.

[athiest]

Hi all again, as you probably have gathered we are new to this life, in fact we are due to pick up our first MH on Saturday. It seems that most of you are doing just what we want to do. We intend to cross the pond but not until we have got used to driving the MH in a safe way, perhaps next year. Thanks for putting our minds at rest. "A"

[Basil]

lennyhb - 2010-01-20 8:14 PM

 

robertandjean - 2010-01-20 7:46 PM

 

One reason, apart from poor weather, rip off site fees etc, we do not tour in the U.K. anymore is the nonesense of advance booking. So our advice is forget U.K. and head for France (or Germany) and stay on aires, France Passion sites or municipal camp sites and never have to worry about advance booking again!

 

Couldn't agree more, it's often cheaper to hop across the channel than stay on British sites.

Even more importantly if you do want to visit anywhere in the UK they are determined not to let you park your Motorhome, every where else (over the water) you are welcomed with open arms.

 

 

Tend to agree with both robertandjean and lennyhb we don't do much in the UK as we find it so restrictive compared to Europe. We never book ahead in Europe just get our £50 return crossing and go where ever we decide and just stop where we get to that day. You definately can't do that in the UK with peace of mind even using CL's. As the fees where you stop are generally so much cheaper or completely free it is very easy to cover the ferry crossing so the outlay is generally less, though as it is so easy we tend to go longer distances but that is partly made up with cheaper Diesel. To us there is definately an anti motorhome/ caravan feel in the UK compared to Europe where you seem welcome wherever you go, certainly in our experience anyway (over 40 years and it has got steadily worse in the UK in recent years IMO).

The Caravan Club do not charge deposts and will always refund without question any monies paid and subsequently not used, this is one of the points we prefer over the CCC.

[mel wood]

athiest - 2010-01-21 11:45 AM

 

Hi all again, as you probably have gathered we are new to this life, in fact we are due to pick up our first MH on Saturday. It seems that most of you are doing just what we want to do. We intend to cross the pond but not until we have got used to driving the MH in a safe way, perhaps next year. Thanks for putting our minds at rest. "A"

 

ENJOY!

 

I'm sure you'll find some places and sites to enjoy in the UK in the next few weeks and months then when you do go over the Channel will enjoy the experiences.

 

Important points about when you collect your motorhome - check EVERYTHING at the handover to make sure everything is as it should be and that everything works. If there is anything you are unsure of just ask the person doing the handover. He/she should take you through all aspects of using your van. (I hope this doesn't sound patronising but even experienced motorhomers can miss certain things on a handover, especially in the excitement of getting a new or different van. There were some aspects that were missed on our last handover.)

 

When you are ready to venture into mainland Europe (out of season) you will probably find it helpful to research the ACSI and Camping cheques schemes. Also the Caravan Club's 'Camping Europe' books are very helpful for details of sites and information about driving in other countries.

 

Do let us know (if necessary on a new thread) what your van is and how you get on over the next few weeks, including using sites.

[Guest Tracker]

So much to learn - exciting times eh?

 

May I suggest that you start by a day out trip to get to know how the kitchen, washroom and heating and electrical systems work.

 

I would then suggest that your first away trip is short - like a weekend maybe - and to a very local full facility site and preferably within easy range of an accessory shop as there are bound to be many things you have not thought of yet.

 

That way the early learning curve should be less steep and cock ups less painful or expensive!

 

Ask again when ready for foreign trips as by then you may have more idea of whether you favour full facility sites or less formal 'Aires de camping Car' or even no sites at all type holidaying all of which is very easy in many - but not all - parts of mainland Europe.

[maggyd]

Actually joining the C.C.C. rather than the C.C. is probably the better descision for the type of last minute up and go camping you want to do, their policy of taking a deposit makes it easier to find a vacant site! hopefully,!! we gave up our C.C.C. membership some years now as we were not using as many of their sites! but we are thinking of going back as the last couple of years with the C.C. has been getting harder and harder to find a vacancy!! maybe we are unlucky in wanting to go the the most popular sites.

Anyway I would be interested in how you find it so let us know your opinion wont you after a few months.

Like others on here we have opted for going over the Chanel for ease of getting a site, we tend to be like you just go where and When we please at a drop of a hat, and it is very easy abroad with the network of Aire,s and Stelplatz in France and Germany. Good luck with your Motorhome I know you will love it as we do as it makes for a much more relaxing holiday! I wouldnt even dream of going back to Hotels now even without the dog. I might add we first joined the C.C.C. in 1969 gave it up after about 17 years when the children grew up did our own thing but went back to it in 93 also joined the C.C. then.

[athiest]

Hi all, just like all the forums, (mainly computer orientated) that I have been on over the years, the level of help from the members is with out drought very gratifying. We picked up our first MH on Saturday last and were nearly driven mad on the journey from Nottingham too Birmingham by the noise from the multitude of vibrations from the various pieces of equipment as fitted. This was of course to be expected and will be remedied soon by the judicious wrapping of certain items in "bubble wrap"for the journey. We had been looking for over six months for this exact model and getting £1000 off the windscreen price left us feeling that it had all been worth it . As said earlier, this first year is too get used to it. So I do not think that outside of Britain is on the cards. But of course you never know. Thanks for your input, we really do appreciate your help to a pair of "newbies". "A"

[Petra]

We never book in advance as we never know where we are going to be! We usually start thinking about a site around 4pm and then look in our Caravan Club directory and ring the nearest one. We have never been refused doing this. On one occasion we did just turn up but were told that the site was full even though there was loads of space. Maybe they did not like the look of us! so it is always worth ringing first even if you are only 5 minutes down the road. The wardens have always been very friendly towards us doing it this way.

 

We also do this when we are on the continent and usually find an aire that we can get to by about 4pm.