laimeduck Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 Which club should I join this year, & why? I tend to use UK sites only for long weekends, or maybe 3-4 sites over a long weekend & then go to the continent for longer holidays. I have used CC & have used their Cl's & main sites. Their main sites are pristine but are not really my cup of tea - too many rules & regs, and their Cl's vary tremendously. Are the CCC any different? I know it's horses for courses & I know there is no one answer, but I would be interested to hear your comments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 Jeremy Are you aware that the C&CC has special concession rates for people as young as 55, out of main season ? Dunno if that applies to you of course - judging by your avatar you have some years to go yet. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retread24800 Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 I used to be a member of both mainstream Clubs and I believe that the C&CC lives up to its name as 'the friendly club' certainly I felt it was far less 'stuffy' . But now I :- A) Live abroad and B) Have become a Motor caravanner I would look seriously at The motorcaravanners Club They also fulfil one of my long term gripes in that they are there primarily to fight the corner for Camping-caristes rather than in protecting and improving their real estate assets, I notice, for instance, that their range of CL's are open to non-members and are fully managed by the site owner rather than by the Club. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RogerC Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 Both IMO...it keeps your options open and membership costs should/could be recovered in the 12 months of membership depending on your usage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mel wood Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 Hi "laimeduck". There is much information on the Forum about CCC (advantages and disadvantages). I suggest you check the thread "Finding campsites". I posted a comment on there on 4th August which hopefully you may find of interest and possibly of help. Another very relevant thread is "Which club to join". I think that you will find much of interest to you on it. Personally I find the benefits of being in both clubs outweigh any frustrastions/difficulties experienced. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retread24800 Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 mel wood - 2012-01-25 5:29 PM Hi "laimeduck". There is much information on the Forum about CCC (advantages and disadvantages). I suggest you check the thread "Finding campsites". I posted a comment on there on 4th August which hopefully you may find of interest and possibly of help. Another very relevant thread is "Which club to join". I think that you will find much of interest to you on it. Personally I find the benefits of being in both clubs outweigh any frustrastions/difficulties experienced. Could you post a link, tried search against'finding campsite' and it returns me here :-(For The OP He is an occasional user of CL's over weekends and is looking for a club that can help him with specific needs, ie discounts on ferry, insurance, continental guides. Joining two clubs only gives one set of discount but doubles your costs :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mel wood Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 "Retread" - To find the thread to which I referred use the Search facility, type in "Finding campsites", click on the "all posts" box. You will then get a long list. Scroll down and you'll soon come to "Finding campsites". I agree that some people may only wish to be in one club but I was just giving a personal opinion that I find it useful for various reasons to be in both CC C and CC. For instance, my Recovery/Breakdown Service is Green Flag through CC and this year the cheapest ferry deal I found was through booking via CC. For 10 years the cheapest and best (for our requirements) Motorhome Insurance has been through CCC. So we seem to gain various discounts/good deals through being in both clubs. It is up to each individual to go with what he/she requires. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laimeduck Posted January 25, 2012 Author Share Posted January 25, 2012 malc d - 2012-01-25 3:50 PM Jeremy Are you aware that the C&CC has special concession rates for people as young as 55, out of main season ? Dunno if that applies to you of course - judging by your avatar you have some years to go yet. ;-) Malc - Flattery will get you everywhere :-D :-D My Avatar was first used some years ago - about 1956 I think, although that does depict me slightly... but only slightly... older than I was then. Lets just say that I've had a bus pass for a couple of years or three :D :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laimeduck Posted January 25, 2012 Author Share Posted January 25, 2012 Retread24800 - 2012-01-25 4:03 PMI used to be a member of both mainstream Clubs and I believe that the C&CC lives up to its name as 'the friendly club' certainly I felt it was far less 'stuffy' .I would look seriously at The motorcaravanners Club They also fulfil one of my long term gripes in that they are there primarily to fight the corner for Camping-caristes rather than in protecting and improving their real estate assets, I notice, for instance, that their range of CL's are open to non-members and are fully managed by the site owner rather than by the Club. Retread - thanks for that, I did not know about the Motorcaravanners club. That could be good as a 2nd membership. I will only join one this year... CC or CCC... as I will not use them enough to justify membership of both. The less stuffy the better AFAI am concerned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nuevoboy Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 laimeduck - 2012-01-25 5:13 PM malc d - 2012-01-25 3:50 PM ;-) Malc - Flattery will get you everywhere :-D :-D My Avatar was first used some years ago - about 1956 I think, although that does depict me slightly... but only slightly... older than I was then. Lets just say that I've had a bus pass for a couple of years or three :D :D ..and did the title of the magazine the character appeared on, have any bearing on your choosing it, I wonder? ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulmold Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 I'm in both CC and C&CC. If you only use CL/CS's I'd go with CC. The problem I find with CS's of the C&CC is that you expect a small site with a maximum of 5 vans but with the C&CC you could find a field full of tents as well as they don't count in their 5. We once went to one in Northumberland and found 6 vans(that already breaks the rules) and 25 tents all sharing the facilities of 1 male toilet and shower and 1 female toilet and shower and didn't include the occupants of a bunkhouse and 3 ready erected tents. FRom then on if we want a quiet 5-van site we use CC ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 Retread24800 - 2012-01-25 4:49 PM ...Could you post a link, tried search against'finding campsite' and it returns me here... Here's the link: http://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=24574&posts=19 (I suspect you might have tried to use the website-wide "SEARCH" facility at the top of the page (ie. where it says "Enter a search term...". To search the forums you need to start by clicking on the word "Search" in the box headed (in your case) "Welcome, Retread24800" and then follow mel wood's instructions.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayjsj Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 Jeremy, I use to be in both, I dropped the C&CC mainly because they ' Insisted' on showing me to a Pitch, instead of just letting me pick my own, from the list of empty ones. A small thing I know, but for 'US' it was a 'clincher'. Especially after an altercation with a 'Site manager' who obviously thought Motorhomes were 'lesser beings' and should be 'tucked' out of the way. I like CL's, but agree that the quality is variable. The CC sites i like, as I prefere a 'hard standing' and defined pitches, less aggravation like that. Never found them 'stuffy'. ;-) Ray It's a Mad, MAD world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laimeduck Posted January 25, 2012 Author Share Posted January 25, 2012 nuevoboy - 2012-01-25 5:42 PM laimeduck - 2012-01-25 5:13 PM malc d - 2012-01-25 3:50 PM ;-) Malc - Flattery will get you everywhere :-D :-D My Avatar was first used some years ago - about 1956 I think, although that does depict me slightly... but only slightly... older than I was then. Lets just say that I've had a bus pass for a couple of years or three :D :D ..and did the title of the magazine the character appeared on, have any bearing on your choosing it, I wonder? ;-) :-D :-D :-D *-) *-) *-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
francisgraham Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 Can someone please explain to me what these 'Rules and Regulations' are that some find so onerous? I've been on a few CC sites in England and Scotland this year and in every case my experience has been as follows: I've rolled up, never having booked in advance, and been greeted by a friendly warden or his wife who has taken my details and asked me to walk or drive around the site, choose the pitch that I like best and, after I've settled down, nip back and tell them the pitch number. No one has every shown me a list of rules, asked me to sign an agreement governing my behaviour, or the terms of my contract with the club, or in any way made me feel as though I'm some child that needs to be instructed in the rules of civilised camping. There have been signs warning about driving too fast, just like you get in the real world funnily enough, but that's about all I can recall seeing in writing. Oh, and a warning that the toilet block will be closed for a short time for cleaning. On one occasion, I was asked to park with the corner of my 'van in line with a post. This was on a site with a grassy area where there were no defined pitches and this seemed eminently sensible. It meant that 'vans were evenly spaced for our comfort and for health and safety reasons in the case of fire, which can spread more easily between 'vans that are close together. If anyone can get upset about that then 'chill out' would be my advice! So what are these 'Rules and Regulations' that seem to annoy a tiny minority of people? Will someone enlighten me so that the next time I use a CC site I'll have something that I can moan about? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laimeduck Posted January 25, 2012 Author Share Posted January 25, 2012 Thanks to all those of you who have responded positively. I now have sufficient info I think to make my decision. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gwendolyn Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 Rayjsj - 2012-01-25 5:50 PM I use to be in both, I dropped the C&CC mainly because they ' Insisted' on showing me to a Pitch, instead of just letting me pick my own, from the list of empty ones. A small thing I know, but for 'US' it was a 'clincher'. Especially after an altercation with a 'Site manager' who obviously thought Motorhomes were 'lesser beings' and should be 'tucked' out of the way. It’s interesting how people’s perceptions of what is offered can differ so much. The Wardens [or HSMs as we now have to refer to them!] on the C&CC sites believe that escorting members to pitches and showing them where everything is, and occasionally helping someone to pitch, is all part of a courteous welcome. And they believe that the policy of that of the CC wardens, who leave you to choose your own pitch, is less than courteous. So what begins as a desire to assist can be seen as dictatorial intrusiveness, while a policy giving members more freedom can be viewed as less than welcoming and lacking in courtesy….. And I have to say that never on a C&CC Site have I been refused a request to change pitches if I have been less than happy with a pitch allocated to me. I still use a caravan as well as a motorhome and I can honestly say that not once have I felt I was treated any differently when using the motorhome compared with the treatment when using our caravan. Member of both clubs [26 years of C&CC and slightly fewer of CC]; happy to remain so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mondo Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 I was a member of both...but I dropped the C&CC as they tend to SITE you as opposed to CC who let you pick your own..On one paricular C&CC site when I booked I asked for a pitch in the open..the warden put me in the trees..so we had a "Discussion" about it... rang head office and the warden was proved wrong..so the treatment I got wasn't that good after so C&CC got dropped... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gwendolyn Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 As I said above, they "site" you as they regard it as a "service" to members, just a matter of courtesy. They don't do it from a perverse desire to be awkward. They see it as a positive thing. If I have been unhappy with a pitch I have never had a courteous request to move refused. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Leake Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 I would like to encourage all those who are undecided to join CCC leaving more space for my lady wife and I to enjoy the superior CC sites. More expensive for us oldies with no age related discounts but as my kids were fond of telling me when they wanted something expensive. "You get what you pay for Dad". It's true as well with the standard of the CC sites and their facilities in general being much higher than CCC sites. I'm afraid we are very conservative by nature. We like to know what we are going to get and we want the best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 1footinthegrave Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 Only belong to CCC for the very occasional CS on our way up and down to Dover, but.... If you want to have the most frustrating times then go with the CCC, they have re-vamped their find a pitch website. If I had had a gun I would have probably blown my brains out rather than wade through all the multiple choices of what outfit I had, then after putting in the dates of my chosen stay comparing three, then astonished to find only one of the three even open, and no "details" to compare in any event. All this so we could find an overnight whilst we looked at other vans. Sheet bloody madness. Another reason to keep going abroad. ( That's if there's any Diesel in the south west ) Oh and as for facilities I simply don't get it, you've paid God knows what for your van with all mod cons, why do you need facilities, trotting across a field in your dressing gown and the missus in her curlers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mel wood Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 1footinthegrave - 2012-01-25 If you want to have the most frustrating times then go with the CCC, astonished to find only one of the three even open, and no "details" to compare in any event. . Details of all sites, including dates open are in "Your place in the country" book provided to all members. I find it invaluable to use this BEFORE attempting to make any booking - on-line or by phone. It usually provides all the details I need (obviously not whether there are any pitches available on the date I require). It is a most handy book to have in the house then put in the van when touring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melvin Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 I am afaid we are snobs, we only use Caravan Clubs sites Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayjsj Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 Gwendolyn - 2012-01-25 10:15 PM As I said above, they "site" you as they regard it as a "service" to members, just a matter of courtesy. They don't do it from a perverse desire to be awkward. They see it as a positive thing. If I have been unhappy with a pitch I have never had a courteous request to move refused. Gwen, I guess it's all about 'interpretation' by the 'Manager' involved, in my experience (personally) it didn't turn out to be a 'positive' experience. Our requests to move to other pitches (sometimes on grass because hard standings were in shade or alongside the toilets) were often met with ' Motorhomes ONLY on Hardstandings as you Plough up 'My' grass. Even though I always carry 'Breadcrates' to stand the van on, and always explained that. anyway, I changed and won't be going back. Ray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 1footinthegrave Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 mel wood - 2012-01-26 12:23 PM 1footinthegrave - 2012-01-25 If you want to have the most frustrating times then go with the CCC, astonished to find only one of the three even open, and no "details" to compare in any event. . Details of all sites, including dates open are in "Your place in the country" book provided to all members. . With respect I know that, I am a member so why else would I be accessing their now useless website, I was just trying to harness modern technology, and hopefully get the most up to date information as very often stuff in the book is out of date, or more locations have been added since publication. It takes seconds to update a website, a little longer for printed supplements that come monthly that you need to wade through and amend your book. As for the OP's question, the only plus I can see to CCC is for the older person quite substantial discounts offered on their club sites, especially the basic facilities sites, which are cheaper than most CC CL's but I doubt CC members are so down at heal to need the discounts . :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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