The Camping and Caravanning Club

Specifically for cycle touring subjects & questions
phil parker
Posts: 1033
Joined: 31 Dec 2009, 5:09pm
Location: Hants/Wilts

Re: The Camping and Caravanning Club

Post by phil parker »

One big caveat here...I stayed at a C&CC camping in the forest site (in the Forest of Dean) 3 days ago. I tried to phone them beforehand on two occasions to see if they had the same regulations as club sites, but I couldn't get through, so I emailed them the question. They responded to me that similar to C&CC sites they had special rates for backpackers and you didn't need to book in advance and they will always find a space for you!

Great! I arrived as pre-warned to get slapped with a fee for £16.80 as a back packer - and they didn't see it as extortionate. It is peak season, however , their standard charge is for 2 adults + 2 children, tent unit and car; as a backpacker you get a 25% discount on that rate - hence what I would consider to be a punitive and disproportionate fee and I will never use one of their sites again. The C&CC site I am using tonight cost me £6.50 and is excellent, as was the first one in Devizes for £7.90, but I had my own little secluded area surrounded my wind-breaking hedges.
Slowroad
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Joined: 28 Jun 2008, 9:58pm
Location: Nottingham, UK

Re: The Camping and Caravanning Club

Post by Slowroad »

Slightly confused - were they a certificated site or a listed site? Presumably not a C&CC owned site? If they are not actually owned by C&CC they are independent organisations and can charge what they like... sadly!
“My two favourite things in life are libraries and bicycles. They both move people forward without wasting anything. The perfect day: riding a bike to the library.”
― Peter Golkin
Bicycler
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Joined: 4 Dec 2013, 3:33pm

Re: The Camping and Caravanning Club

Post by Bicycler »

They are neither one nor the other. Not quite normal club sites but more official than mere certified sites: http://www.campingandcaravanningclub.co ... theforest/
Slowroad
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Joined: 28 Jun 2008, 9:58pm
Location: Nottingham, UK

Re: The Camping and Caravanning Club

Post by Slowroad »

Ah, I get it. Used to be Forestry Commission sites, had their own rates. I always thought they were really expensive but did stay in one once with a group of bikers and we had masses of room, though the loos were a bit basic.
Presumably the Forestry Commission isn't allowed to do something like run campsites any more...
“My two favourite things in life are libraries and bicycles. They both move people forward without wasting anything. The perfect day: riding a bike to the library.”
― Peter Golkin
phil parker
Posts: 1033
Joined: 31 Dec 2009, 5:09pm
Location: Hants/Wilts

Re: The Camping and Caravanning Club

Post by phil parker »

I've had a better result today at a non-C&CC site in Llandovery, S Wales, without boring you with the reasons why I am passing back through here again. I noticed the site last Saturday and thought I would give it a try rather than cycle another 8 miles up (and back down) the valley to the C&CC site at Rhandimowyn.

Whilst chatting to the owner and discussing C&CC sites, he was annoyed why people use them when thinking they are going to save money by being a member and that he didn't like losing business to them for no [apparent] good reason. I explained my reasons of never being refused a place as a backpacker and a consistency of standards within sites etc. (to which he agreed) and he said 'how much would you have been charged up the valley' (at the C&CC site) - I said the cheapest so far has been £6.50 and the most expensive £7.90. He said, well I'm going to charge you £6.00, how about that? Quite handy really as I have to pass back through here on Friday as well...and the site is the best one so far with great amenities and lots of outdoor table and chair sets (I have my own), 100 m from the Coop and probably less than half a mile into the town where I am now enjoying a cool San Miguel after battling over 70 miles of headwinds (and quite a few hills) on a heavy Thorn Exp bike!
LondonBikeCommuter
Posts: 238
Joined: 21 Apr 2013, 4:10pm
Location: Swindon

Re: The Camping and Caravanning Club

Post by LondonBikeCommuter »

Have to say I do feel sorry for the independents as I too only go to club sites and again for the reasons you state. I have turned up at Indy sites only to find silly additional charges for things.

Just remembered another reason why I'm not renewing my membership and related to the C&CC doing sod all for us cyclo-tourists and backpackers and it relates to electric. All I need at the end of the day is to charge a mobile phone a Garmin Edge and maybe a Nexus 7 but the only way to do it is to carry around heavy and bulky hookup cables. I'm also not certain that electricity is included at all sites.
phil parker
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Joined: 31 Dec 2009, 5:09pm
Location: Hants/Wilts

Re: The Camping and Caravanning Club

Post by phil parker »

I am staying at a Certified Site this evening, for the first time ever, and it will probabalybe the quietist night spent as it is in the middle of nowhere and ther is only one other couple in a caravan. I was charged £10, which the other couple thought was unfair as they were only charged £10 for the two of them, their dog and their caravan! A bit of a lottery at times?!

Yes, I agree about the electricity. It is not feasible to carry an extension lead, but most of us need to charge a phone, a Garmin, possibly an iPad and WiFi etc. I have a 4-USB plug and take it into the pub with me, ask if they have WiFi and if they would mind me plugging in my iPad, to which they always say yes, and then charge everything I own! However, I'm also trying to avoid the pub on a regular basis (had my first pub meal this evening on Day 8!) and there is not much alternative for charging devices. Ok, some owners do a service to charge a phone for £1 (often for charity) but that also gets very expensive on top of disproportionate site fees and laundry bills.

I think I will collate a list of points and submit to the C&CC at the end of the year - so post all your gripes here!
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stephenjubb
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Joined: 20 Jan 2008, 12:23pm
Location: East Yorkshire

Re: The Camping and Caravanning Club

Post by stephenjubb »

phil parker wrote:I am staying at a Certified Site this evening, for the first time ever, and it will probabalybe the quietist night spent as it is in the middle of nowhere and ther is only one other couple in a caravan. I was charged £10, which the other couple thought was unfair as they were only charged £10 for the two of them, their dog and their caravan! A bit of a lottery at times?!

Yes, I agree about the electricity. It is not feasible to carry an extension lead, but most of us need to charge a phone, a Garmin, possibly an iPad and WiFi etc. I have a 4-USB plug and take it into the pub with me, ask if they have WiFi and if they would mind me plugging in my iPad, to which they always say yes, and then charge everything I own! However, I'm also trying to avoid the pub on a regular basis (had my first pub meal this evening on Day 8!) and there is not much alternative for charging devices. Ok, some owners do a service to charge a phone for £1 (often for charity) but that also gets very expensive on top of disproportionate site fees and laundry bills.

I think I will collate a list of points and submit to the C&CC at the end of the year - so post all your gripes here!


Agree with all you say, I wonder how many of us "backpackers" actually camp with them? If not a great amount, would that explain why some areas are not greatly equipped for us?
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stephenjubb
Posts: 674
Joined: 20 Jan 2008, 12:23pm
Location: East Yorkshire

Re: The Camping and Caravanning Club

Post by stephenjubb »

phil parker wrote:I am staying at a Certified Site this evening, for the first time ever, and it will probabalybe the quietist night spent as it is in the middle of nowhere and ther is only one other couple in a caravan. I was charged £10, which the other couple thought was unfair as they were only charged £10 for the two of them, their dog and their caravan! A bit of a lottery at times?!

Yes, I agree about the electricity. It is not feasible to carry an extension lead, but most of us need to charge a phone, a Garmin, possibly an iPad and WiFi etc. I have a 4-USB plug and take it into the pub with me, ask if they have WiFi and if they would mind me plugging in my iPad, to which they always say yes, and then charge everything I own! However, I'm also trying to avoid the pub on a regular basis (had my first pub meal this evening on Day 8!) and there is not much alternative for charging devices. Ok, some owners do a service to charge a phone for £1 (often for charity) but that also gets very expensive on top of disproportionate site fees and laundry bills.

I think I will collate a list of points and submit to the C&CC at the end of the year - so post all your gripes here!


It's always pot luck with certified sites. In the past they have been graded a-n, with D being about £5. Not liking the expensive ones I've always tried to avoid anything above a band H as that usually means £10 plus and depending where you are you can get a commercial site for that, though certified sites are usually quieter.

Horses for courses I suppose, on the whole I think we have far more advantages than caravans or family campers.
LondonBikeCommuter
Posts: 238
Joined: 21 Apr 2013, 4:10pm
Location: Swindon

Re: The Camping and Caravanning Club

Post by LondonBikeCommuter »

I've not really had any problems finding places to charge stuff as I can always find a coffee shop/library to plug-in its more that the C&CC are billing themselves as cyclo-tourer/backpacker friendly when they're nothing of the sort or at least don't lift a finger to justify the self-styled label. Coincidentally the last time I was in a fix was at the Devizes site. They offered to charge my phone till the office closed after about 2 hrs so I could call home. Other sites have refused on security/liability grounds and pointed me to a phonebox or pub... Grrrrrr.

I've mentioned my gripes to the club numerous times but have never got any meaningful answers to my points. When I rang to cancel my DD for this years membership lady was more concerned about ticking the right box on her 'reason for canceling' form than my reasons.

Maybe if enough people got together and took it to the top?????
phil parker
Posts: 1033
Joined: 31 Dec 2009, 5:09pm
Location: Hants/Wilts

Re: The Camping and Caravanning Club

Post by phil parker »

Yes, I think we need to collate the negative points for backpackers and put them forward in a constructive manner and see if the C&CC will take note.

I can understand some points about charging and security, especially when it comes to liability and even culpability should something go wrong. I am back at the non-C&CC site in Llandovery this evening and noted a plug socket in the laundry room. I was doing my laundry anyway, so I also plugged in my 4-USB plug to charge my iPad, iPhone, Garmin and MiFi, when the owner/warden walked in and had a chat (about touring India of all things, not on a bike) and he got a shock when he saw my plug and 4 leads coming from the plug socket, but he wasn't bothered about it or the principle, just that I wouldn't be leaving it unattended, which of course I wouldn't. Now you can get USB sockets without the need for a plug socket as well, perhaps that would be a way forward?

Prices have gone up for the BH weekend and I was charged £6.50 tonight! However, I'm feeling good because I had a tailwind today!
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