# ACSI Membership



## dora (Jan 23, 2008)

Is the ASCI card worth it? We're a 2 adult, 17 year old Eurabmobil, 2 dog outfit. travelling through France to Salou for first 2 weeks of New Year, We also travel Easter and October. I'd never thought about it before, but a quick glance suggests its a 'no brainer'. whats all your views?


Thanks


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## MikeCo (Jan 26, 2008)

We would not be without it as we spend around 5 weeks in June and 5 weeks or so in September mainly in France.
The card covers for 1 dog so you may have a bit more to pay on some sites.
If you get the ASCI DVD as well then that is also very usefull.
We also carry some Camping Cheques as well.


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## Nethernut (Jun 4, 2008)

We've used the ACSI card for the last few years. Good value, only upfront charge is circa £6 or £7 for the book and card each year. Have stayed on some lovely sites for just Euro 10 or 12.


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## MikeCo (Jan 26, 2008)

I forgot to mention that you have to buy the book each year so you need the 2009 one which is not out yet.


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## locovan (Oct 17, 2007)

We have got the CCI card and Applied for a ASCI which we get on Dec 20th I believe its nice to be able to camp cheaper.


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## ramos (Nov 1, 2008)

MikeCo said:


> I forgot to mention that you have to buy the book each year so you need the 2009 one which is not out yet.


Delivery after December 15th i believe :lol:


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## Rapide561 (Oct 1, 2005)

*ACSI*

Hi

I do not have a card but was given the CD thing which I added to my laptop. That alone is a useful tool for finding campsites etc.

I looked at one site in Switzerland this year and the price was 28 Swiss Francs per night - about £14.00. With the ACSI card, it was 12 Euro, just under a tenner at the time.

When I arrived at Camping Butterfly at Lake Garda this year, the receptionist asked me if I had an ACSI card. Anyway, it turned out that it was cheaper for me without one as I had a longish stay so got a discount.

Certainly for the shorter stops, the scheme looks really good.

Russell


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## Telbell (May 1, 2005)

JUst a shame that the scheme isn't too popular with UK Sites :roll:


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## PAT4NEIL (Jul 21, 2007)

I used the ACSI card this year in France, Spain, Portugal, and saved quite a bit of money.

My only gripe is I am away Dec/Jan and could do with the new card before I go on the 6th December, doesnt help that it comes out later in December, its just a pity you cant get it sooner.

Pat


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## hilldweller (Mar 8, 2008)

dora said:


> Is the ASCI card worth it?


Without doubt.

The DVD program is also worth it for finding campsites easily on your laptop but there's probably no need to buy a new one every year. It'd interesting when you click FRANCE, it's like the map of France is blasted by a thousand shotguns. They must breed campsite by factory farming.


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## Suenliam (Mar 22, 2006)

We bought the ASCI card a couple of years ago as we travel mostly out of high season in France. Actually we did not find it particularly worth it as we only used a couple of sites. However, as has been said the book is worth it for campsites which may not be in our other guides. 

We prefer smaller sites than the majority of ASCI sites seem to be as the ones we could have used we a bit commercial for us or the location was not what we wanted. I would rather pay a bit more than stop somewhere second choice.

The above applies for hols. during April - June and Sept. + Oct. so it may be a different situation during the winter.

Sue


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## ktesis (May 11, 2005)

*ASCI Card*

We are new to motorhoming and ventured to France for all of September. We stayed on some nice sites and reckon we saved nearly £100 overall. It surprised me the number of Brit campers we spoke to had never heard of the scheme and were paying the full price for the site!
Worth every penny if you travel off season!


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## hiker (Jun 22, 2008)

The ACSI website is good as you can search for sites by area & date range, so you can see if there are any suitable sites offering the discount where/when you need them. I've just ordered the 2009 one as we did more than break even on the last one over a fortnight in Oct, & it introduced us to some good sites. It seems much better, i.e. more wide ranging, than the camping cheque scheme.


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## krull (Jul 22, 2006)

My oinion is it's a waste of money. Bought one for this year and used it only once. The rest of the time we used cheaper sites or aires or there wasn't an ASCI site near. Shan't bother again.


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## SidT (May 9, 2005)

Krull. Its horses for courses, We have used ACSI for years and find that the first night can recoup your outlay, We have just had a month on a site in the South of France paying €14 a night instead of €32 a night, a big saving.
Cheers Sid


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## PIEDODGER (Aug 22, 2008)

Have the 08 card, just bought the 09 one today online hope it arrives before I set off as heading off over Christmas/ New Year all January difficult to post it on as I will be weather watching and planning some of the route as I go not really bothered about the cold (used to it) more the snow, could buy it on site in 09 but would like the new book in English, I have the cd good info.


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## peedee (May 10, 2005)

Telbell said:


> JUst a shame that the scheme isn't too popular with UK Sites :roll:


Do you think that is because UK sites already discount off season stays? Not so many continental sites do that.

My ACSI 2009 DVD arrived today, lists 515 camp sites in the UK, mainly commercial ones so its a good mate for the club books. I like the search facilities on it and the sites have GPS co-ordinates which you can upload to "MY-ACSI" via the internet and then download to your GPS but in the TomTom format so you would need to run a conversion program for other GPSs. It also has a route planner which for someone without, say AutoRoute, is not bad. Still finding my way around it but it is clearly built to allow much more data to be added when collected. The site information is very good and its a pity all the clubs within the FICC don't contribute to it instead of just ACSI.

peedee


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## peedee (May 10, 2005)

krull said:


> My oinion is it's a waste of money. Bought one for this year and used it only once. The rest of the time we used cheaper sites or aires or there wasn't an ASCI site near. Shan't bother again.


I would think now £1=1 euro, well almost, anything that helps to keep costs down has got to be a good thing. 
peedee


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## blacksville (Dec 2, 2007)

*acsi card*

USED IT FOR YEARS.I THINK IT IS BEST CAMP CARD ON MARKET.WOULD NOT BE WITHOUT IT. BLACKIE


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## Don_Madge (May 1, 2005)

I think the ACSI guide is one of the best buys especially if you only use sites.

Now they have the GPS co ords it's another good selling point.

Slightly OT the Caravan Club are starting to included GPS co ords in the their 2009 Caravan Europe guides. That will make life a lot easier.

Don


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## Telbell (May 1, 2005)

> My ACSI 2009 DVD arrived today, lists 515 camp sites in the UK


How many of those give the "discount" though where you can use the Card?
Yes, UK sites do charge less off out of season but the ACSI discount is better value I think


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## scept1c (May 10, 2005)

I think it is excellent value. We try to use Aires but when we can't find one to suit or need to do some laundry we use an ACSI site. Most of them are pretty good and the max you should pay in 2009 out of high season is 15 euro which includes showers and electric hook up.

As stated above, you need to buy the book or the DVD every year. First, the card is dated so you can only use a current one. The current guide also lists the sites which give a discount. For example, if you visit Ireland you will find a lot of camp sites with the ACSI logo on display but they don't give any discount and you will not see them in the book.

Last year when we went to Rome, we stayed at Happy Camping Village on the outskirts. The normal charge at the time was 32 euros per night but we were able to stay for 14 per night. The book and card only cost me about £9 so that one site more than paid for the book.

I was given a copy of the DVD a couple of years ago and it's good for planning but when on the road, we find it a lot more convenient to use the book. I will be ordering the 2009 edition soon.

I believe ACSI is a Dutch organisation and I'm told they have a reputation for looking for good bargains.


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## scept1c (May 10, 2005)

Sorry, correction to my previous post. The Irish sites I have looked at are on the 2007 DVD but they do not give a discount.


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## Mike48 (May 1, 2005)

The DVD lists 8600 ACSI "approved" sites where you pay the standard rate. It is completely separate from the ACSI discount book which lists 1601 of these 8600 campsites where you can stay off season at either 11, 13 or 15 euros a night.


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## colonel (Oct 11, 2008)

Like peedee just got my DVD and have been playing with it today. 

Seems quite good and although it lists all their sites, you can select the ones offering the discount and a number of other selection criteria as well. The route planner is not bad either. Seems like good value to me.


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## peedee (May 10, 2005)

Telbell said:


> How many of those give the "discount" though where you can use the Card?
> Yes, UK sites do charge less off out of season but the ACSI discount is better value I think


As gelathae points out, the DVD does not give you ACSI discounts, you need to buy the book to obtain a years membership. This I also did and to answer you question Telbell, out of the 515 on the DVD, only 3 sites in the UK giving ACSI discounts.

peedee


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## Telbell (May 1, 2005)

> As gelathae points out, the DVD does not give you ACSI discounts, you need to buy the book to obtain a years membership. This I also did and to answer you question Telbell, out of the 515 on the DVD, only 3 sites in the UK giving ACSI discounts.


Yes-aware of that peedee-hence my comment earlier about "pity UK aren't so keen"....perhaps I should have said."....aren't so keen on the discount scheme"


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## Don_Madge (May 1, 2005)

peedee said:


> Telbell said:
> 
> 
> > How many of those give the "discount" though where you can use the Card?
> ...


Hi Pete,

ACSI have got stand at the NEC and it might be worth chasing them up to see if they can get more UK sites enrolled.

I might be working on their stand so I will most certainly put the point across.

If this post contravenes the advertising code on facts please delete and except my apologizes.

Regards

Don


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## Telbell (May 1, 2005)

> I might be working on their stand so I will most certainly put the point across.


May be worth a try Don- especially during these economic times when people may be caravanning in the UK rather than abroad.


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## Jean-Luc (Jul 21, 2005)

Our ACSI book is always our first point of reference when looking for a site, after all, the sites listed are inspected by professional inspectors, unlike the CC books which are just a collation of members reports which can be very subjective and we have found to be often out of date or do not reflect the conditions we have found when visiting such sites.


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## peedee (May 10, 2005)

When I was first a CC member I used to send reports in but rarely do it these days. Last time I looked at one I thought they were over complicated and requested too much detail some of which is not easy to obtain on a short stay. Incidentally the CC does have inspectors, I know one. Not sure what they look at but suspect it is only those sites which go into the holiday brochures. 

Don,
Cannot make the NEC, certainly worth mentioning it to them, especially with the current rates of exchange which may attract more continental campers to come over here.

peedee


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## Don_Madge (May 1, 2005)

peedee said:


> Don,
> Cannot make the NEC, certainly worth mentioning it to them, especially with the current rates of exchange which may attract more continental campers to come over here.
> 
> peedee


Pete,

ACSI do at least listen to suggestions, last year we kept at them to include the GPS co ords and they came up trumps.

Don


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