Tracker Posted May 18, 2014 Share Posted May 18, 2014 After many years of forsaking the UK for holidays due to the scarcity of overnighting locations and dry sunshine we are considering trying again to supplement the forays over (or under) the water and to see the bits we have not yet seen. There has been much on here from time to time over recent years and whilst I have followed and supported efforts to improve the non sited provision of overnight parking I have not been that enthusiastic about trying the various schemes for myself. Can I ask those of you that do spend your holidays in the UK but without using sites which scheme(s) you find work best for you in the real world disregarding all the hype on their individual websites? We prefer a book format rather than online as a phone signal cannot be guaranteed when we need one and it is only overnight parking that we seek not daytime parking as we have never found that to be too much of a problem. Motorhome Stopover for pubs and Britstops for more of a variety seem to offer the widest choices and I wonder how well they work in reality? Thanks guys and gals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Dwight Posted May 18, 2014 Share Posted May 18, 2014 Hi Tracker. We joined Brit stops last year and have used them a few times. We stayed on one a couple of weeks back near Warwick. We have had no complaints so far. We have found that some of the Pub stops are a bit expensive if you opt for a meal. But there is usually something cheap on the menu. But you can suss out the stop first and then decide to stay or not. David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sydney1 Posted May 19, 2014 Share Posted May 19, 2014 We joined Britstops this year and have used a couple in the south. Both were attached to a pub and no complaints. Nicely prepared and research book accompanies membership. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted May 19, 2014 Share Posted May 19, 2014 If you have to have a meal on these schemes you may as well join the clubs and use their CL networks and camp comfortably......surely better than a pub car park, and meals in UK pubs can be very indifferent..club CLs will be cheaper as well. I recently rejoined the CC as waiting on nhs op and cant travel abroad at the moment, so far its been OK had a few weekends and away next week for half term week on 2 sites that get good reviews... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brit_Stops Posted May 19, 2014 Share Posted May 19, 2014 Hi Tracker, Of course I may well be ever so slightly biased (cf our website...) but just to clarify, you don't have to have a meal at a Brit Stop. It's your choice. Happy travels! Steve :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
betsy Posted May 19, 2014 Share Posted May 19, 2014 Hi Tracker, We are members of the C&CC, which we use when their sites etc are convenient when moving about in the UK. We are not subscribers of any of the other overnight stopover organisations mentioned. When touring the UK we use the same system that we have used for many years all over Europe (ie countries like Czech Republic, Slovenia, Croatia, Germany, Italy etc etc). We find a quiet restaurant etc with a rear car park and then simply ask the owner (sometimes using sign language) if we had a meal in his establishment would he mind if we stayed in his car park overnight. In all the many years that we have been doing the above we have never, ever, been refused. Some of the owners/staff of the establishments that we have returned to (for instance, on our annual trips to Portugal) have actually become more like old friends. In the UK, usually when visiting National Trust properties, we have stayed in some wonderful pubs (two in Somerset with streams running outside our window etc ) and, if we have decided to return again the following evening because the area was so lovely, we have invariably been welcomed back with a smile by our host or his staff. We have never been asked to pay for the parking element of our stay. When I mentioned the above to my two local landlords they both immediately said that they too would welcome such business. One even said that the camper van owner would only need to buy a beer ...and that landlord has a busy pub that does very well. One last thing, my wife actually prefers staying at pubs rather than campsites in the UK as she doesn't have to cook and therefore feels its more of a holiday! Hope this is of interest and good luck with you UK travels Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ips Posted May 20, 2014 Share Posted May 20, 2014 As a CL owner i am obviously biased but surely this is the way to go tracker. Secure and probably a better view than a pub car park and from 5 quid per night what's not too like. Many cl / cs are close to pubs ours being one. 7 quid a night beautiful view very secure quiet and peaceful and 10 min walk to country pub or restaurant or Indian or licensed cafe. Many other cl with similar scenario. Trouble with some alleged free schemes is that one is compelled to buy something which could end up costing more than a site. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arthur49 Posted May 20, 2014 Share Posted May 20, 2014 ips - 2014-05-20 1:31 PM As a CL owner i am obviously biased but surely this is the way to go tracker. Secure and probably a better view than a pub car park and from 5 quid per night what's not too like. Many cl / cs are close to pubs ours being one. 7 quid a night beautiful view very secure quiet and peaceful and 10 min walk to country pub or restaurant or Indian or licensed cafe. Many other cl with similar scenario. Trouble with some alleged free schemes is that one is compelled to buy something which could end up costing more than a site. .... and once again I'm very happy to recommend your own CS :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ips Posted May 20, 2014 Share Posted May 20, 2014 ... and once again I thank you kind sir :-D Arthur, Guess what I saw last night. Walked up the lane at 8pm to shut the gate after having mowed the field earlier and a Dear jumped through the hedge into the field with the pond in, never seen one here before but had heard rumours that a few other locals had seen them. PS It was Mrs ips who left the gate open but persuaded me (by methods I could not possibly elaborate on) to go shut it as she was by then in her jimjams on telling her of the above on my return she wished she had shut her own gate :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laimeduck Posted May 20, 2014 Share Posted May 20, 2014 Tracker Hi You don't have to belong to an organisation, you can just search the area through google. I did yesterday because I want one night in the Lingfield area of Surrey in July to go to the races with friends and family to celebrate my wife's birthday. Came up with a site 3 miles away, £15 for the 3 of us through this lot :- https://www.pitchup.com/. There is one other site closer to the racecourse and a few £'s cheaper, but they are full on the day I wanted. No membership fees - I guess it's a sort of screen scraper - Might be worth investigating for a few stops? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted May 20, 2014 Share Posted May 20, 2014 ips - 2014-05-20 1:31 PM As a CL owner i am obviously biased but surely this is the way to go tracker. Secure and probably a better view than a pub car park and from 5 quid per night what's not too like. Many cl / cs are close to pubs ours being one. 7 quid a night beautiful view very secure quiet and peaceful and 10 min walk to country pub or restaurant or Indian or licensed cafe. Many other cl with similar scenario. Trouble with some alleged free schemes is that one is compelled to buy something which could end up costing more than a site. If only all the CL's & CS's were like yours Ian but the growing trend seems to be to fit EHU's and charge £15 a night with no reduction if you don't want a EHU. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted May 20, 2014 Author Share Posted May 20, 2014 Thanks folks, all contributions noted. We are not exactly strangers to UK Motorhome holidays as prior to discovering the many advantages of the Sunshine and the more relaxed attitudes South of the Channel we spent well over 30 years enduring the UK weather and overnight and general parking limitations. In those years we spent more time in the North of Scotland than anywhere else simply because there is/was more freedom up there than there is down 'ere. We are not bothered about the perceived security of a site, or the 'benefits' of mown grass etc as all we need is a quiet spot to kip and a convenient tap and a pit for fresh / black / grey water replenishment every three days or so for which we are quite happy to have a CL/CS night if needs be, as long as it is not miles out of our way. Unlike caravanners who have little option, staying on a site has no particular attractions for us as we want to be out and about all day and every day seeing and doing whatever we fancy seeing and doing in the area without being tied to a site. Before anyone protests, that was not a dig at tuggers in any way as we too appreciate that a caravan on a site can be a lot more comfortable than a camper van - it is just stating our own personal preferences which is why we drive without towing and do not book sites. CLs / CSs are OK but many are miles from anywhere which means that not only do you have to locate and drive to them and often faff about trying to phone them but there is invariably nowt to do all evening which is another reason why we prefer the continental ways of Aires close to towns and villages. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Dave Posted May 20, 2014 Share Posted May 20, 2014 Totally agree and your site is a cracker. Sites like yours need to be used or they will be lost. We stayed on a great CL near Oban and we were the first to stay this year and it was early May. By the way Ian how the devil are you still tugging? Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ips Posted May 20, 2014 Share Posted May 20, 2014 Hi Dave were very well thanks i trust you and Mrs Dave are well also. Yes still tugging and very happy with it. Thanks for your kind words hope to see you soon, you may spot our new friend the dear . Lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pampam Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 Ips i thought you had a hiace camper ?what sort of caravan did you get? Havent you got a motorhome now?i miss mine like mad pp:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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