# Do You Use Camping Cheques?



## juliepoolie (May 9, 2005)

Hi Everyone,  

Over the last year or so, we have stayed at some lovely campsites using camping cheques.

Thought it would be interesting to see just how popular the camping cheques are amongst our motorhoming community.

I've attached a poll.

Thx

Julie


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## pault03 (May 9, 2005)

I will be using camping cheques in France next week, so I will vote on return.
Is it true you don't need to book in advance?


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## juliepoolie (May 9, 2005)

Hi Paul,

We tend to book during the peak season, i.e. June/July & August, or just give the site a quick call before hand to check. Some places we have stayed at like you to book, however must don't require that you do so.

Where in France are you going? 8) 

Hope you have a good time.

Bye for now.

Julie


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## autostratus (May 9, 2005)

The current Camping-Car magazine is carrying an advert from Camping Cheque.
In the text it states: 'Sans reservation' and 'Sans duree de sejour impose.'

So any campsite which tells you that you must book or tries to restrict the length of time you can stay is in the wrong according to Camping Cheque themselves.

That is of course if they have a pitch free and it is within the dates set by the campsite for the use of CCs.


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## juliepoolie (May 9, 2005)

> The current Camping-Car magazine is carrying an advert from Camping Cheque.
> In the text it states: 'Sans reservation' and 'Sans duree de sejour impose.'


Hi Gillian,

That's good to know, saves phoning in advance then - excellent!

Julie


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## pault03 (May 9, 2005)

Hi Julie
I think we will head to La Yole campsite on the Atlantic coast near Nantes.
Paul


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## johnsandywhite (May 9, 2005)

8O Camping cheques would be a waste of time on me. We are *WILD CAMPERS*. :wink:


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## autostratus (May 9, 2005)

Some more information on Camping Cheques.

We had 19 Camping Cheques left which expired at the end of 2004. We had been unable to use them because of problems in autumn 2003 and spring 2004 and not enough time in autumn 2004.

It states in the site book, repeated in the 2005 version that Camping Cheques cannot be exchanged or reimbursed if stolen or unused.
I found out last month that this is not the case.

A month ago a campsite owner told me that they do reimburse for unused Cheques but he thought you had to apply before the end of February.

I've been talking to Camping Cheque UK who agreed that they do indeed reimburse for unused Cheques but there was the cut-off point and as it was now passed I was too late.
I had a bit of an arguement with them and pointed out that there was no way I could meet that deadline because I didn't know there was one!

They've been in touch with the French HQ and i am now told that they will reimburse for these Cheques but that I must deal directly with the French office.
Re-imbursement takes the form of an issue of Cheques to the number I already have minus one. If the current price is now higher than I paid then I must pay the difference.

This is a satisfactory outcome.


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## 88845 (May 9, 2005)

Hi.
We used Camping Cheques on 12 of the 30 nights we were in France last Sept. rest of time on Aires etc.
Next week we are off again and have not bought CS's but plan to use our ACSI discount card as we did successfully in Belgium And Holland in April this year,similar prices without the initial outlay. Will of course still use Aires where possible plus we will be giving some France Passion sites a try.

Regard 
John

The early bird may catch the worm, but it's always the second mouse that gets the cheese.


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## GypsyRose (May 9, 2005)

Really interesting .. off in Dec .. are they open at that time of year...?! We will be away Dec - March maybe... Ana xx


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## autostratus (May 9, 2005)

You get a book which lists all the sites and gives all the information.

Tell me where you're going and I'll look up that area as I've got the 2005 book..


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## autostratus (May 9, 2005)

Go to www.campingcheque.com which tells all including the campsites.


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## Boff (May 10, 2005)

Hi, 

I do not even use camp sites. Except in rare exceptions.

Best Regards,
Gerhard


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## carol (May 9, 2005)

FERDINAND said:


> Hi.
> Will of course still use Aires where possible plus we will be giving some France Passion sites a try.
> 
> Regard
> ...


John can I suggest the one I tried (the one and only on my trip) so I don't know if you are in this area - it is in the Champagne and Ardennes Region - and a place called Bligny - it was excellent, and if this is France Passion I want more, we had an excellent tour, a tasting, (I wondered why my glass was always full) and then he even took us up to the vines as well. Not sure if this is a normal sort of France Passion site, or indeed if everyone gets the same attention, perhaps it depends on the amount of time they have available when you drop in, or whether they like you, who knows, but the champagne was great and at €10.20 a bottle, really excellent value we thought.

Carol


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## 88845 (May 9, 2005)

Carol, unfortunately will not be in the area you recommend as heading for Brittany this time, more likely in Sept. when we will be going through Central France.
By the way good luck on your British Passion project..
John


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## MOTORHOMER (May 9, 2005)

autostratus said:


> Some more information on Camping Cheques.
> 
> We had 19 Camping Cheques left which expired at the end of 2004. We had been unable to use them because of problems in autumn 2003 and spring 2004 and not enough time in autumn 2004.
> 
> ...


Good for you. I may consider them then in the future. probably not much good to us this year as we go June 20th to july 21st.. We will just take pot luck in getting a site. Can always wild camp if we cant. We plan to look early in the day if we will want a site so hopefully will be ok.

Motorhomer


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## 88785 (May 9, 2005)

Aren't camping cheques only valid in low season?
We are going in july, they won't be any good will they?

sorry to appear thick (though i am  ), new to camping abroad


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## MOTORHOMER (May 9, 2005)

TheOggies said:


> Aren't camping cheques only valid in low season?
> We are going in july, they won't be any good will they?
> 
> sorry to appear thick (though i am  ), new to camping abroad


Hi the oggies.

I think the sites vary a bit in when they will & when they wont accept them but generally they are low season thats why I said they are no good to us this time. We have to go later than we would normally so as to avoid being away when new grandson arrived.

Motorhomer


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## oldun (Nov 10, 2005)

I am a bit confused over the comment about booking in July.

Camping Cheques can only be used off season and July and August are almost always excluded.

The Guide will tell you when the Cheques can be used on any given campsite.

There are many offers available when using Cheques, 7 nights for 6 Cheques, 14 nights for 10 cheques, free meal etc.

They are good value providing you want to use the larger commercial type of site.

Smaller sites often offer lower prices without the use of Cheques.


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## 88838 (May 9, 2005)

prefer ACSI discount card, [found courtesy of Gillian  ] don't like having to commit myself in advance, ACSI is £4.50 [I think] for 2006 and camp site charges are up by 1 €; but still worth the outlay imo.

main advantage of the cc scheme seems to be the inclusion of ferry crossing, but I use tesco vouchers whenever possible.

8)


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## 91929 (May 1, 2005)

We spent 8 weeks in Holland this year 7 days on a C&CC rally 4days booked at Molengroet (because of Queens Birthday)
and 7 days booked at De Kuilart because of 60 Year Aniversary of Liberation
The rest on Camping Cheques
All site great except one that was boggy in some places after heavy rain and for the heavy showwers that were occuring

We have also used them in the rest of Europe (one site when asked could we use them responded with - "Yes! We GET PAID with them)

Sites do vary but only had one bad site (Camping Cisano on Lake Garda - dirty small pitches with trees in the middle of the pitch)

We have been using them since 2000


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## oldun (Nov 10, 2005)

I inspect sites for a campsite guide and after visiting many of the Camping Cheque sites I have come to the following conclusion. 

If you love off season sites that are very busy, quite large, have most of their facilities up and running and are very popular with the Dutch then you will love Camping Cheques. They often have many excellent offers such as 7 nights for 6 cheques, free evening meal with a stay of X days. In general the sites are of a high standard and your stay will cost you the same as, or even less than, the smaller site up the road

If you love peace and quiet then avoid those sites like the plague.


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## dodger148 (May 9, 2005)

We have used them for the last six years,, we do however now book our own ferries as we tend to find better deals.
Only one year did we have a carry over so used them with a freeby Daily Mail ferry offer to Ireland. Sadly seems the Irish Sites have kicked CCs in touch


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## autostratus (May 9, 2005)

djchapple said:


> If you love peace and quiet then avoid those sites like the plague.


I think you do them a dis-service.
Obviously the nearer you get to the peak season the busier they get but still not full otherwise they wouldn't want you there with Camping Cheques.

We are in France in April and the sites are pretty empty. We're also there in September and from the middle of the month they are also quiet apart from a few 'hot spots' like the eastern Med.

We also spend June on a Camping Cheque site, Chateau le Verdoyer in the Dordogne and there's usually plenty of room right until we are coming away first week in July.

We've used quite a few of their sites over the last few years and there isn't one I would tell you to avoid 'like the plague'.


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## patr (May 9, 2005)

Well said Gillian

We do not inspect sites for a campsite guide but choose sites that offer excellent facilities and value for money. The Camping Cheque programme does just that, though we always book our own ferries. "Avoid like the plaque" eh?. A true dis-service and we will continue to visit sites like Port Lepine in Brittany, Chateaux Martragny in Bayeux and Hegau Bodensee in the Black Forest for up to half the actual site fees. 

"If you love off season sites that are very busy, quite large, have most of their facilities up and running and are very popular with the Dutch then you will love Camping Cheques. "

I would rather camp with the Dutch than many of our fellow countrymen whose behaviour and contempt for their hosts and fellow campers beggars belief at times.


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## DJP (May 9, 2005)

*Touring Cheques*

We used Touring Cheques last summer in France and Spain. They were ok as long as you were prepared to go "out of season" to some sites. Sites were of a good standard and offered good savings.
The only downside was when we sent several unused cheques back in the post to them they "got lost" (ok, we should have sent them recorded delivery) When we queried our refund we were told no cheque no refund. As all the cheques have a serial number on them and were tracable I thought it was a bit unreasonable for them not to check their records for unused cheques issued to us. Also the cheques can only be used in the year of issue, so it's not as though we could have used them this year.
We have since joined up with Camping Card ASCI for this years trips.


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## zulurita (May 9, 2005)

We find camping cheques useful in low season and have used them in Spain and Portugal. In France we tend to use Aire d'Service. We now have the Asci card and hope to use this is bit this year whilst heading for Eastern Europe. We hope this card will catch on in a big way as it saves paying up front and therefore no worries about expiry dates and canpay as we go, much better.  

The sites we have used have been good but wouldn't want to be at the sites in High season, apart from Camping Gavin in Spanish Pyrenees, that site was/is GREAT.


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## oldun (Nov 10, 2005)

If you get the camping cheques Gold Card (I think that's the name) then you can get extra cheques when on a Campsite and get refunds for your unused cheques. There are other benefits as well.

I do not know the full details as I rarely use theses cheques, they are definitely not much use in the UK as there are so few sites.


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