# C&CC and CC Sites - expensive, aren't they?



## andyangyh (May 1, 2005)

It might just be me but.......am I the only one that thinks that the sites run by the two major clubs are getting seriously expensive?

We belong to both the Caravan Club and the Camping and Caravanning Club and use their 5 van sites a lot if we are touring the UK. However, when we wanted a "proper" site a couple of months back and looked around for somewhere to stop with hardstandings (it had rained like hell, more forecast and the CL we had booked was flooded) we found that,even in the lowest season, the nearest C&CC site (Verwood) wanted £11 a night. That included electricity (we didn't get the choice!) and they weren't keen to take us for one night unbooked. 

So we looked in the book and rang Merley Court - a large commercial site some 8 miles away. Yes, they could offer us a pitch. In fact, they gave us one of their "super-pitches" which included water, electricity, drainage and a TV hook-up (with Sky!) for the same £11 that the Club site would have charged us. The site was beautiful - quiet, immaculately kept, with an on-site shop and walks in the woods.

Last season we worked as wardens on a campsite in Devon. For the low-season there we were offering an electric pitch for £8. The site had a small, quiet bar/restaurant, immaculate toilet blocks - in every way at least the equal of any site I have stayed on run by either of the two clubs.

Next season we will be working on a site in Dorset. Interestingly, it is right next-door to a Camping and Caravanning Club site. Charges for the site we will be working on compared to the C&CC site (all prices for MH + 2 people, pitch with electricity for 1 night) :-

Low Season - £10.85 (Club Site £13.50)

Mid Season - £13.50 (Club Site £14.60)

High Season - £17.00 (Club Site £17.20)

At the commercial site you have the option of a non-electric pitch and that brings the price down by about £2.50 per night. At the Club site you will almost certainly NOT get the choice but, in the interests of fairness, I am comparing like with like.

Can't be the location that makes the difference - the two sites adjoin each other. Can't be staff costs - I know how much we are being paid and what the C&CC pay their wardens and we are slightly ahead. Can't be the facilities - the toilet blocks on each site are comparable and the sites share a dog-walk. Both have children's play areas etc.

So, considering that one site is run as a profit-making business and the other is supposedly owned by its members, why will a week at the one supposedly run for its members cost up to £18.55 more a week? Oh, and don't turn up half an hour early to the Club site. Friends of ours inform us that they were charged £5 for the privilege of pitching 30 minutes before mid-day - something no commercial site I have worked for would ever contemplate.


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## LadyJ (May 9, 2005)

I quite agree with you Andyangyh the club sites used to be value for money but not any more. The CCC has the slight edge on CC as we do get age conssesion for over 55's but even so its much cheaper to stay on a little cl's or cs's.


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## rommel (May 10, 2005)

*CCC*

The Caravan Club boasts it has 336,000 members multiply this by the £30 annual subscription and you will see why they have to charge such high camping fees, they are almost broke!


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## 89146 (May 15, 2005)

I have found the same, in the UK. even more irritating when I never use the toilet/shower blocks, preferring to use my own. I accept that flat rate prices to include facilities is a straightforward way to sell the pitch and have never minded "paying" for something I don't use, but there are some lovely sites away from the club sites. Sometimes nicer wardens, too!!


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## aido (May 17, 2005)

*post subject*

That why we left the cc & the c& cc last august......aido


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## Malc (May 9, 2005)

Some of the `commercial` sites are becoming greedy now as well, charges for dogs, awnings, pup tents etc. I dont begrudge them a living but....prefer CL`s and CS`s. 
Malc


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## andyangyh (May 1, 2005)

Oh, I agree. Given the choice I would always go for a CL etc. But this isn't about CL's. My point is that, like for like, Club sites are now not just similar in price to commercial sites but more expensive. Why?


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## olley (May 1, 2005)

just stayed at Tredegar CC in newport, told them we would arrive 9am wednesday and leave at 4.30pm friday still only charged for two nights. but it was about £38.00 for RV and 4 adults.

The good thing is that if you have never been to the site before, with the CC you know what you will get, no nasty surprises.

Olley


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## 89564 (May 28, 2005)

It think they call it 'Branding'.Certain universal standards apply to all sites.

So you can wander off in your caravan and know all will be well when you get there AFTER noon.

For this people will pay and the clubs will charge whatever they feel they can get.

When i travelled UK/Europe for transport companys.The secretary always booked me in Marriott hotels if possible.I knew it would be bland, acceptable,clean,expensive and there would be an Indian restaurant in walking distance.

Not much changes in this world.

N


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## 91929 (May 1, 2005)

You want to try the continent - Many wont let youin before 12:00
if you arnt in by 12:30 the are closed for lunch - and dont reopen till 14:00 or 15:00

you MUST leave before 12:00 & not one minute later or they charge for another night

Often you have to pay a deposit for the toilet key - And pay for the showers

The C&CC charge extra for electric so you dont have to use it if you dont want to


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## Bagshanty (Jul 24, 2005)

PamnPete - you must be rematkably unlucky with your sites abroad! We have rearely had anything like that -quite the opposite. In fact the reason we like touring abroad is that everyone, including campsite owners, are far more laid back. We Brits seem to have a serously petty streak.

But I agree totally with the general tenor of the forum - club sites are ridiculously expensive. Well, someone's got to pay for those silly green overalls the CC wardens have to wear! We talk about them as members clubs, but in fact they're run for the benefit of management, who aren't generally caravanners. We've been CC members for 31 years. In the early days they were good value, and most commercial sites pretty naff. Not so anymore.


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## 88726 (May 9, 2005)

hi guys

i allways thought you paid more on a cc site because theres less vans on them due to better spacing of pitches where as commercial sites (sometimes)cram them in to maximise income. i think somebody summed it up nicely in saying that with cc you know what your getting before you arrive . i have to agree as with cc i always get what i expected .


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## 88974 (May 11, 2005)

PamnPete

i have to agree with bashanty, On the continent I have often booked in before 12.00. sometimes before 10.00a.m. having slept outside the campsite the night before and left after 4.00pm. a time we like to travel at and have never been charged extra. perhaps i have been lucky.


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## Scotjimland (May 23, 2005)

I agree, CC sites are now as expensive as many commercial sites. 
Supply and demand in this country has driven up prices, the Club says it is expanding the network but in reality they only buy up sites and develop them. 
This can only get worse, caravanning and motorhoming is becoming more and more popular, we need more basic sites not more club sites. 
It's a pity we don't have the network of municipal sites the French have.  
Cls are all very well but they too have 'jumped on the band wagon' with many now charging "site" prices. Gone are the days of the £2.50 a night


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## Don_Madge (May 1, 2005)

I worked for the CC (expenses only) in the late eighties early nineties and you would not believe what goes on at East Grinstead. The policy was/is treat the members like mushrooms, keep them in the dark and feed them on fertilizer via the club magazine. Some members are so brainwashed it's unbelievable.

I did attend a CC rally once in 1977, it was politics all weekend, who was voting for who at the AGM and so on, never again

I must admit I'm still a member though. In the early days of continental travel their red pennant was the best or only cover available. I use the club sites at times when visiting family and I've just saved £75 with them on the Hull to Rotterdam ferry.

On the whole I cannot agree with Pam/Pete comments on continental sites.

Don


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## dodger148 (May 9, 2005)

A few years ago you could say the CC sites were a cut above the rest and were cheaper. That is certainly not the case now and it has already been quoted that commercial sites of similar or better quality are now lower in cost with more options. The CC sites for us are now a last resort.
They have made it plain over the last couple of years they dont want us.

The C&CC sites fare better, they have been improved over the last few years and with the age conession can make a difference.

What bugs me more tho (but doesnt affect me personally) is where motorhomers get charged extra for the little car they may be towing and I cant in my mind see why this should make a difference. They dont charge tuggers for their cars. I wonder why the greed of some of these organisations hasnt realised if they reduced the price for m-homes they could get some more pitches in as we dont carry half the junk the tuggers do, also their grass wouldnt get as damaged as we are more likely to move our motors during the day


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## 88962 (May 10, 2005)

Apart from the cost it's getting more and more difficult to book onto the CC sites (can't comment on CC & C as we are not members) and you need to plan way in advance. As has been said motorhomes and caravans are becoming more popular and there is no extra provision, the CC has opened two new sites but closed one. Thee sites are open to non-members and there seems to be no preference in booking given to its members, I know it is a bit cheaper but I mean the actual chance to book.


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## 88993 (May 11, 2005)

Try staying one of the clubs sites (and some others) when you have 5 children. We don't take up twice the space but certainly the fees are double dear!
Obviously don't want families on site. Some people prefer not to have children on site, but why? If some families are badly behaved, then deal with them don't discriminate against all. I mean, I've seen some pretty badly behaved "old" campers and they are given discounts!?!?


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## Scotjimland (May 23, 2005)

hymaway said:


> Try staying one of the clubs sites (and some others) when you have 5 children. We don't take up twice the space but certainly the fees are double dear!
> Obviously don't want families on site. Some people prefer not to have children on site, but why? If some families are badly behaved, then deal with them don't discriminate against all. I mean, I've seen some pretty badly behaved "old" campers and they are given discounts!?!?


Here Here !!! but we have to pay for the copious amounts of shower water our kids use :roll: even though they shower in the RV.

As for oldies.. you mean the saga chavs in shell suits who never stop complaining, sitting behind their wind break breaking wind .. :lol: :lol:


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

Quote
As for oldies.. you mean the saga chavs in shell suits who never stop complaining, sitting behind their wind break breaking wind .. :lol: :lol:[/quote]

Jim really !!! I've been criticised for making generalisations but that one takes the biscuit !  

The upside of club sites is that the facilities are predictable and always clean but the downside is that they are becoming increasingly regimented. We felt in our last experience, as if we were back at school; don't do that, don't use this, shouldn't be here etc The last straw : as we were leaving I went to the loo block which was closed for cleaning. Fair enough, I went to the other one but that was closed for winter. We'd emptied the van loo and I was driving the car 80 miles on motorway so I did need to go. Cleaning hadn't started and there was no-one there so I went in. As I came out the powers that be caught me and told me I should have used the disabled loo. There was no sign to that effect , which I pointed out, pleasantly. I was told they always do it that way - implication that I should have known.

G


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## takeaflight (May 9, 2005)

CC sites in my opinion are good value I like the booking online I have found them always to be clean and tidy and the staff helpful they have a good spread over the country, so finding the location of one for my purpose as never been a problem, and on several occasions we have been allowed to stay onto early evening without being charged. I quite like the fact the staff have uniforms at least i know who to deal with. 
Being a Brumie I like value for money and if I can get a deal I will go for it, however it never ceases to amaze me that people will spend thousands on equipment for a hobby, moan at the cost of using it, its quite common with the light aircraft community, flyers owning their own plane or hiring one at over £100 an hour are quite happy to do so, but wont spend £12 on an up to date map.


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## Enodreven (Aug 29, 2005)

Hi, 

I thought i saw an advert in one of the MH magazines for people to become franchises of the CC sites?? if i am correct how will this help the members ?

Brian


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## andyangyh (May 1, 2005)

_*The C&CC charge extra for electric so you dont have to use it if you dont want to*_

Ooooh - don;t get me started on this one! If you want a hardstanding on a Club site you pay for electricity - full stop. Both commercial sites I have worked at had electric to most pitches but if you didn't want it you didn't pay for it. Every Club site I have visited worked on the principle that if the pitch had an electric hook-up you paid for electricity - irrespective of whether or not you ever used it.

There was a huge amount of correspondence in the Club magazines about this with both clubs falling back on quoting the Electricity Regulator - "unless you meter the supply individually to each pitch you must charge if electricity is supplied to that pitch". The rule was that you couldn't charge a flat fee for electricity - £2 a night for example - but you had to offer an inclusive price for a certain standard of pitch. The Clubs didn't challenge this nonsense, they simply went along with it.

Strangely the majority of commercial sites didn't interpret the regulations that way. No site, to my knowledge, has been prosecuted for charging £2 a night for electricity. I would rather the Clubs spent some of my subscription on challenging these edicts rather than meekly going along with them to the obvious disadvantage to their members.

Back to my original example - if we had wanted to use the "superpitch" at Merley Court without plugging in to the electric hook-up our bill would have been £2 a night less. If we'd taken up the grudging offer of a pitch at the C&CC site at Verwood we would have had to pay for electricity whether or not we wanted it.

I do agree that the C&CC and CC "brands" do guarantee a certain (high) standard, However, they are also increasingly coming to guarantee a certain regimented mind-set from their staff. This can't be something that each individual warden has thought out for his or herself - it must come from above. The "early arrivals" thing is a good example. As a warden on a commercial site I am expected to exercise my judgement - if the pitch is vacant, mowed and ready for occupation then there is no reason why someone arriving 30 minutes early can't pitch there. I am assured by those that know (friends of ours who were Wardens for one of the clubs last season) that wardens are actively discouraged from bending the rules in this way. Indeed there were rumours that the computerised booking system would flag up anyone booking in early - and a stern e.mail would follow rebuking the errant warden for allowing this to happen.

I don't have an axe to grind here - I work on a commercial site during the season but have been a member of both clubs for many years and use CL's. I also spend at least 3 months in France and Spain each year. I just want to know why my membership subscription doesn't seem to get me cheaper rates than commercial sites on sites that I (in theory) partially own. Doesn't even get me any booking privileges.

Here endeth the rant!


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## 90136 (May 1, 2005)

I find that both clubs are expensive, but the CC is better in that you get what you pay for, I agree with the posting about Merley Court, has been always a good quality site and on top of this it is commercial. Regarding electricity charges again you get what you pay for, and I plug up whenever I can. 
Yes I am an old wrinkly but I dont like the way kids are allowed to do whatever takes their mind, and make it unpleasent for us all. If yoy have children you keep them under control FULL STOP


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## Scotjimland (May 23, 2005)

Grizzly said:


> Jim really !!! I've been criticised for making generalisations but that one takes the biscuit !


Sorry for generalising, it's the same as saying 'all kids are trouble' which we also know to be untrue.. .. live and let live has always been my maxim..


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## Paulway (May 9, 2005)

Hi All

We are CC members and have been for a very long while, I actually like the so called 'regimented' approach, at least you know where you stand and if you don't like it don't join (I wish a lot more people wouldn't and maybe they would have more pitches available). I personally no longer use sites only CL's as I do not like the type of caravaner that seems to be ever populating them so I have no disagreement with anyone here persae. If you want to go to sites that are of a certain quality, with virtually guaranteed standards then thats what you get.
However I totally agree that the pricing system is now too high and is disproportionate to private sites and to what you get and use.
My main bone of contention is being forced to pay for electricity. 
Just to correct a couple of the comments made earlier, there was certainly a lot of correspondence in the magazines both in and out of the club but it is NOT the Electricity Regulator that caused this 'lumping' together of the electricity with the pitch fee it is a get out by the CC and the C&CC, and any other site that does it, to get round the law of the land.
This arose from complaints to first the club then the Regulator by the membership that the amounts being charged for the electricity used was greater than that being charged by the electricity suppliers which under law is illegal, the Act was brought in to stop unscrupulous landlords overcharging their tenants and profiting from the re-sale of electricity. The only option open to any re-supplier of electricity is to measure and charge by the amount used or as the CC and the C&CC give it to you FREE from charge.
Now clearly the severe increase in the pitch charge has of course offset this but legally they have taken away any redress that may have been taken in a court action, as that was the way the dispute was heading. Any private site that is charging for electric without metering could be prosecuted, so they take the risk at their peril.


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

Paulway said:


> We are CC members and have been for a very long while, I actually like the so called 'regimented' approach, at least you know where you stand and if you don't like it don't join "
> 
> I too like the tidy, cared-for look of the CC and C&CC sites and appreciate the space per pitch which is standard. I don't mind paying for it either. We've been C&CC members as tenters , caravanners and now MHers since the mid 70s. We like to think we are "good campers" in that we appreciate the environment ,understand why the rules are made and take care
> to leave all as good or better than we found it.
> ...


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## 89660 (Jun 2, 2005)

*CC and CCC*

We have been members of both clubs for over 20 years. At first we rareley used anywhere else,now we rareley use them. We stay with the CC for the red pennant insurance(excellent, we have had to use it once and they were faultless).The reason we stick with the C&CC is for the temporary sites which are good value.Earlier in the postings someone said that the C&CC charge extra for electricity, this is not always the case on some sites where all the pitches have electric. Also if all the non electric pitches are taken you have to pay for electric even if you don't need it. This has made club sites dear for us because we we are self contained and don't need electrics.


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