# Camping Cheques



## eanpee (Mar 15, 2014)

Is Camping Cheques really as good as it seems? We mix sites and wild camping as a rule but at 14.50 a night ......?


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

Bargain

EHU + Ability to use site Facilities.

What do you want?


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## bognormike (May 10, 2005)

mostly good quality sites, and good value. But you have to buy them in advance and they have limited life. For us, we have used ACSI sites more in the past few years, and there are more ACSI sites than CChq sites. If you're in to using sites off season, a combination of both gives you excellent choice.


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## 100127 (Jul 20, 2006)

As we do not go in the height of the season, ACSI and France Passion works for us. Also you get to sample some good wines when your parked up behind a châteaux. A couple of nights using France Passion, and it's paid for the book.


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

Another vote for ACSI.

2739 ACSI sites compared to only 640 Camping Cheques.

With ACSI you pay the £14 (approximately, including postage) for what is essentially a discount card, and that entitles you to the cheap rates on all ACSI participating sites.

With Camping Cheques you have to pay in advance for every site you stay at by buying the cheques for £14.95 each - PLUS a £7.50 service charge each time you buy cheques.

Since there are so few CC sites it seems a bit risky to carry more than three or four cheques since it's relatively unlikely that you will find a CC site where you want to stay, so when buying them in small quantities they are nothing like as cheap as they first appear.

As BoggyMike said, they expire after three years, and it's NOT three years from the date of purchase. I'm not exactly sure of the details, but I think if you buy in (say) November, those cheques will have a life on only 2 years and 2 months - because the validity is counted on a yearly basis. (Does that make sense?)

It might make sense to get a CC Silver Card, which is free. It doesn't give you any more benefits but it does make it easier to buy more cheques while you are abroad if you need them. BUT this has to be done through Head Office in the UK, so it involves either an Internet transaction or a phone call home . . . PLUS the £7.50 service charge!!

Quite why you cannot buy more cheques at the campsites (using your card as proof of membership) escapes me. It should not be a problem with chip and pin technology to confirm membership details and take payment.

After all this it will come as no surprise, dear reader, to know that we have become disillusioned with Camping Cheques, and stick almost exclusively to ACSI. :wink: 

A further small (maybe not so small) benefit is that you can use your ACSI card in virtually any situation as an identity card, to save handing over your passport. This has always worked for us in any and every campsite - whether they are ACSI or not - and in other situations as well.

Hope this helps

Dave


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## seanoo (Mar 31, 2007)

as said the cheques are now £14.95 each plus the admin charge plus the £6.50 admin charge if you buy in the uk. 

i use the camping cheque french website and the cheques are €16 which at todays rate is £13.30 , also the admin charge is €6 which equates to £5

10 x cheques bought in the uk = £156

10 x cheques bought in france= £138

a saving of £18 on only 10 cheques! every little helps these days


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

Certainly a saving Seano, but do you need a French address to buy form the French website?

This is what draws us toward ACSI and away from CC more than anything - *see the image below*.
*29* ACSI sites and only *3* Camping Cheques in the area.

Someone was asking on here a while ago about discounted campsites in the Perpignan region, so I had a look.

Q.E.D. :wink:

Dave

*Please note - Could be confusing!* The ACSI sites are shown in a sort of turquoise colour with CC on them. Camping Cheques are a muddy red colour.

.


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## oxford-wanderer (May 20, 2008)

Zebedee said:


> Certainly a saving Seano, but do you need a French address to buy form the French website?
> 
> No Dave, we have bought them using our FairFX card.
> 
> ...


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## seanoo (Mar 31, 2007)

hi zebedee, i have a silver card which is registered at my uk address but i use my french bank account to pay for them. 

i only use them at a couple of sites that do the 14 nights for 11 cheques which makes them reasonable value but i use ACSI camping card for general touring , much better value and choice. all the best sean


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## seanoo (Mar 31, 2007)

oxford-wanderer said:


> Zebedee said:
> 
> 
> > Certainly a saving Seano, but do you need a French address to buy form the French website?
> ...


nice , didnt think of that.
only difference is you lose a small amount in the conversion rate when you change your pounds to euros to load the card

wonder how long they take to close that loophole though?


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## cronkle (May 1, 2005)

Cronkletta also buys our CCs through the French web-site and finds it works out a lot cheaper.

She has also found that if she buys them along with a ferry ticket through the Caravan Club then you can get a hefty discount that way. Not much of an advantage if using Mr Tesco and his points but quite significant if you are using one of the western ferries.

We are going to Brittany at Easter. The route will be Plymouth to Roscoff and back. Plymouth because of a family commitment and because that route saves a day drive to and a day drive back (only have just over a week). Savings also of about £200 fuel as well.

The fare without CCs: £417

The fare with 7 CCs: £477

7 CCs for £60.

I know that it is a pricey exercise but what I think I'm trying to say is that the discount CCs go some way to making it more affordable.

And no Zebedee, before you say anything, we haven't come into money 

Edited as Cronkletta says it was through the Caravan Club.


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

> Crinkle said:- And no Zebedee, before you say anything, we haven't come into money


I can lend you a couple of quid if you need it.

The interest will be very reasonable - just a couple of Crinkletta's delicious cakes! 

Dave


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## klyne (May 10, 2005)

The advantages of Camping Cheques is that they offer good discounted rates if you want to use any of their sites and that is really the rub. Because you have to buy them in advance, especially if you want paper cheques, it rather forces you into using CC sites. ACSI gives you much more freedom. I have a CC Silver Card which is quite convenient but have suffered a few computer communication issues when using it on campsites. I also purchase online from the French sites with a saving of about £1.50 per cheque. I have 7 cheques left on my Silver Card which expire at the end of 2014. Unfortunately due to various medical conditions its unlikely we will be able to use them in Europe so may have to try and use them in the UK. The one thing that tips in favour of Camping Cheques is if it leads to a decent discount on the ferry fare.

David


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## SNandJA (Aug 22, 2008)

If you use a mix of aires and Camping Cheque sites then the coverage compared with ACSI is not quite the issue it may be. Not all ACSI sites operate the discount scheme. CCheque "guarantees" 3 star and above and you can get some really top class sites out of season which doesn't always exclude UK school holiday dates. 4 and 5 star sites are likely to be cheaper than ACSI which have a scale of discount prices. Used 5 star 54 Euro site for 14 Euro near Biarritz for example. Some advantage booking ferry with cheques via Caravan Club or Alan Rogers Travel who have a Travel card that doubles as a camping Cheque Silver card. Excess cheques can be used in UK before expiry and expired cheques can be "renewed" for a fee equivalent to one cheque. The electronic versions probably now better option. If you use a lot of cheques there may be some advantage of a Gold Card. Free booking (this is a Low Season Scheme!) Cheques last 4 years. Loyalty points make the renewal of the Gold card cheaper or even free. More 7 nights for 6 cheques 14 for 11 offers.
Gold Card features

Gold versus Silver

We've used both schemes ACSI & CC which is possibly worthwhile anyway. We did have a deal for a Gold Card in 2008, I think it was half price (1.5 rather than 3 cheques), and we use it enough to get the benefits of no renewal fee. Not sure I'd go for a Gold Card now that Alan Rogers travel or Silver Card exist which are essentially free. If you do go for one then the cards can be topped up via internet but you are best buying in bulk to save on admin. Transaction fee is usually waived when used with ferry booking. Transaction fee is cheaper with Gold Card too 50% off and you get a free annual guide which is necessary to operate the scheme unless you use the website.

There aren't many UK sites but Rivendale in the Peak District is one that would be worth visiting to spend your last cheques and there is one in Cumbria but most in south-west.

I'd do both schemes for the sake of the small ACSI outlay and try Camping Cheques via CC Silver Card or Alan Rogers Travel.

Alan Rogers Travel Card

Steve


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## cronkle (May 1, 2005)

SNandJA said:


> I'd do both schemes for the sake of the small ACSI outlay and try Camping Cheques via CC Silver Card or Alan Rogers Travel.
> 
> Alan Rogers Travel Card
> 
> Steve


Good post Steve.

We have a Gold Card (from 2008). We also have the ACSI Card as well as the France Passion book and various information about aires/stellplatz etc. Interestingly the POIs that came with the France Passion last year also feature Camping a la Ferme.

I reckon that we have most options covered with that little lot.


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## lalala (Aug 13, 2009)

I think that the organisation behind Camping Cheques recently changed and the new owners seem committed to bringing more sites into the scheme and to inspecting these sites. Certainly the Alan Rogers card can be used for Camping Cheques as well as other benefits.
I do agree that the ACSI card is easier, once it's bought then there is no more administration, but the sites can be more expensive.
It would seem sensible to have both options thus giving more choice of sites.
LLL


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

> lalala said:- I do agree that the ACSI card is easier . . . . but the sites can be more expensive. LLL


I'm not sure about that LLL. :?

At a realistic exchange rate (1.14 Euros/£) the most expensive ACSI site would be £15.75, and there are not many at that price. Most are in the range of £12.25 or £14.00, with some as cheap as £10.50.

Camping cheques cost £14.95 each at face value, plus a proportion of the £7.50 service charge, depending on how many you buy at once, plus (possibly) the cost of a phone call or internet charge to the UK head office.

On all but the most expensive of their sites ACSI are definitely cheaper, and you don't have David's (Klyne) problem of looking for sites in order to use up your vouchers before they expire, nor the considerable sum invested up front . . . £104.65 in his case! 8O

For Sean who stays on a site for a fortnight and gets 14 nights for the price of 11, the Cheques make sense, but he's obviously a closet caravanner! :lol:

It's good to explore all the pro's and con's though, as situations do change over time and a shift of loyalties _might _be in order.

Dave


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## cronkle (May 1, 2005)

Zebedee said:


> > lalala said:- I do agree that the ACSI card is easier . . . . but the sites can be more expensive. LLL
> 
> 
> I'm not sure about that LLL. :?
> ...


Crinklotta tells me that she paid €16 (ooh- found the € key) per CC.

Just looked at the Acsi book and that is about the most common price amongst the €12, €14, €16 and €18 prices that the front of the book says is to be charged this year.

She also tells me that the admin charges we pay each year amounts to the cost of the Acsi membership over time and as near as dammit.

By the way, she has been baking various breads today and only makes cakes for good boys (hence bread for me 8O ).


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## Gretchibald (Jul 22, 2011)

We have both cards so that we can stay at a campsite we like no matter which scheme they support. Compared to the other high costs of motorhoming the few euros difference per night in the cards is not a consideration for us , more the quality /location of the site. We mostly stay on aires but would treat ourselves to a luxury campsite about once a week ie heated swimming pool,sauna, resturant, bar , entertainment etc , the Camping Cheques sites are usually top notch definitely value for money.


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## seanoo (Mar 31, 2007)

"For Sean who stays on a site for a fortnight and gets 14 nights for the price of 11, the Cheques make sense, but he's obviously a closet caravanner!"

oi , no need for that! go and wash your mouth out.


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## mikebeaches (Oct 18, 2008)

Another vote for Camping Cheques. Buy them from the international site at €16 and lower admin charge. Use the silver card, so can buy on-line en route if required. 

There is a good selection of naturist sites in France with camping cheques.

Also use ACSI - again, good for some naturist sites too.

Mike


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## Gretchibald (Jul 22, 2011)

Because of this post decided to have a look at how many camping cheques we have left , while on their site noticed a new app to download. After downloading you just shake your ph/tablet and it brings up a list of campsites closest to you- works great.


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

where is the poster


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## eanpee (Mar 15, 2014)

Do you mean as in where is he physically?......Azerbaijan right now! ...or were is his reply?....I'm just soaking it all in and we're going for a combo of the Card and cheques(on a card too!)
thanks to everyone that's responded so well!


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