CCC v CMH

Dave, you're certainly right as far as the shower/toilet facilities go.  We have been on some sites in France where the shower/toilet facilities were, shall we say, very basic but we have been fairly relaxed about this as with ACSI we are seldom paying anything like what we'd pay for a UK club site.  Also the French sites are invariably much more laid back about pitching positions etc. Having said that, some of the French sites have modern, immaculately clean ablution facilities, particularly those which have covered heated swimming pools, jacuzzis and so on which are still cheaper with ACSI discount than UK club sites.

We also like the fact that with ACSI there's no need to book or decide in advance how long you wish to stay, you just turn up. We've only ever had one site that was full for that night only because of some local event and another that had shut earlier than published at the end of the season. With the UK clubs, the only time I tried just turning up was when I'd attempted to check availability and book by phone on the way, several hours in advance and they hadn't bothered to return my voicemail to let me know they were full. Luckily, I found a CL/CS within a reasonable distance.

As Tony said, you do know what to expect with the UK club sites. Also, prices for UK commercial sites can be silly money in comparison.

rogerblack wrote:
As Tony said, you do know what to expect with the UK club sites. Also, prices for UK commercial sites can be silly money in comparison.

I have always found that commercial sites are comparable or cheaper than 'club' sites. I believe that some sites in places like Cornwall are silly money, but I don't go there.

Frank

boxerman wrote:

rogerblack wrote:
As Tony said, you do know what to expect with the UK club sites. Also, prices for UK commercial sites can be silly money in comparison.

I have always found that commercial sites are comparable or cheaper than 'club' sites. I believe that some sites in places like Cornwall are silly money, but I don't go there.

Frank

 Frank, I don't like naming sites but a "not noisy" site in the lakes was quoting over £40 a night last year. That was outside the English school holidays and is what I call silly money. Clearly they get enough folk willing to pay that so I guess it all works on the old supply and demand principle.

I can name a site in New Forest that wants £60+ per night in high season yet only charges £11 low season, as said supply and demand. If folk are daft enough to pay the high price then the site will carry on charging it.

Askit wrote: Frank, I don't like naming sites but a "not noisy" site in the lakes was quoting over £40 a night last year. That was outside the English school holidays and is what I call silly money. Clearly they get enough folk willing to pay that so I guess it all works on the old supply and demand principle.

Ok Tony, I'll admit that I might be a bit out of touch, so I just did a little research:

Two of my favourite sites in the Lakes are Castlerigg Hall and Castlerigg Farm, both of which are, to my mind on a par with the Keswick C&CC site.

Standard pitch for 2 persons per night, High season at:
Castlerigg Hall = £35
Castlerigg Farm = £24.50.
C&CC Dewentwater site member = £32.95, non-member £41.85.

I am not a member of C&CC so the higher price would apply for me.

Bear in mind that te price of the C&CC pitch could vary with date of booking, whether they are busy or slack, inside leg measurement, wind direction etc... whereas a commercial site just gives you the price, High, low or peak season.

So I'll stick with what I said that I've found that in my experience, commercial sites are comparable if not cheaper than 'club' sites.

Frank

Good sites but I would always choose the hall over the farm. I was not disagreeing with you, I think that in most cases the non-club sites will be cheaper. Having said that, with the age discount, we paid less than £20 a night on some CCC sites. If I was making a point, it was that sites will charge what they can get away with at whatever bit of the market they operate in.

Askit wrote: If I was making a point, it was that sites will charge what they can get away with at whatever bit of the market they operate in.

Agreed

Frank

I am a member of both the clubs ...the cmhc discount card for sainsburys offsets the cost of the membership and I like their booking system ,no deposit and easy to cancel or amend at only a few days notice. C&c club require deposits but offer the over 60 discount and you can select a hardstanding in many cases. So advantages for each.

We have just encountered a difference between the two clubs.

Our van was stolen a month ago and in it were the handbooks for both clubs. We have just got around to asking for replacements. The CAMC were sad at our loss and were happy to send a replacement handbook. The "friendly club" wanted £10 to send us a new one even though ours had been stolen. We declined.

dbroada wrote:We have just encountered a difference between the two clubs.

Our van was stolen a month ago and in it were the handbooks for both clubs. We have just got around to asking for replacements. The CAMC were sad at our loss and were happy to send a replacement handbook. The "friendly club" wanted £10 to send us a new one even though ours had been stolen. We declined.

Hi Dave - that’s good to know. 

I’ve joined the CACC to see how I get on. The only frustration is that despite joining and paying over a month ago, I still haven’t received any handbook, or membership card, or letter, nothing, despite 2 phone calls. 

Perhaps I need to report it stolen 

Sally
X

I am a member of both as they both have good features.  However, with CAMC, when I cancelled a trip with less than three days notice due to weather - I was heading for Dunnet Head, where weather problems can be significant, I was blacklisted (or at least put on a warning) because, although from my  point of view I was cancelling one trip, from their point of view I was cancelling two bookings:  the ultimate destination of Dunnet Bay AND the half-way house of Culloden on the way up.  Fair enough I suppose, but worth bearing in mind.

CAMC good for one-night pre-bookings, which you can't do with all CCC sites.

As an aside - not sure if I am doing something wrong or omitting to do something - but when I am sussing out sites with CAMC even if I put in the site name (sometimes plus region, county etc.) it still comes up with the full list of sites alphabetically - it seldom (or never?) takes you straight to the  site you want to check out - any comments on this?  CCC takes you direct to the site you want to investigate, but - unless I am doing something wrong? - you can't just check out available dates the way you can with CAMC, but have to go all through the booking process to find out if there is availability and what it will cost, and it would be helpful also if they saved your vehicle details the way CAMC does, and you didn't have to go through the whole caboodle - vehicle, length, width etc. - EVERY time you go from one site to another to check out availablilty.

We have been put on the CAMC potential warning list too (hospital visit) and have been assured we won't be blacklisted providing we keep them informed of why we have cancelled at short notice.

I too am making the same mistake as you on their booking page. You do the search, find the site, put in the dates, log in and book Abbey Wood.