Hi, as a new camper family we are amazed that when we looked for campsites for our caravan we found quite a lot adults only and most of the others fully booked. Now, is it essential to pre book camp sites before setting off touring or how do these things work.
The last thing we want is to be stranded somewhere with no access to a site and facilities. Sometimes we just want to tour around and see where we end up but we will need nightly facilities.
Is it worth joing any clubs like CC and CCC? Do members get any preferential treatment or access to sites?
We have just spent 3 hours on this site looking for sites for the bank holiday, most are minimum 3 nights when we can only do 2 or adult only which we find astonishing that they can descriminate, perhpas we should execise our human rights haha...
If anyone can let us know what the protocol is and how we should approach this be really grateful thanks.
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Hi and welcome,
Others are more knowledgeable and will be round soon, but I guess it depends what sort of site you are after. There is no doubt that May B/H's are very busy so you may have to search a bit harder. You should be able to find something suitable though. In peak periods I wouldn't recommend turning up on spec, as you might not find anywhere, off peak it should be easier.
Personally we prefer very remote sites and these are less popular, but I still try and book where possible. Infact, I tend to avoid sites that do not allow booking, as turning up to find the site is full would be a nightmare.
I find the adults only sites infuriating, as they often tick all my boxes, look lovely and quiet, and then I see theya re adults only. Its a bit stupid IMO as adults have a far greater capacity to be rowdy into the wee hours disturbing all and sundry, than kids who generally go to bd earlier.
Members don't get any preferential treatment other than cheaper nightly fees (non members pay an extra £7 and some Club sites are members only)
Many sites have minimum stays for Bank Holiday weekends - usually 3 or even 4 nights.
Weekends and school holidays are always busy times so may sites get book quickly - people book in advance to ensure they have a pitch when they want it. Also some sites have minimum stays during these periods too - a lot don't do single nights (just something to be aware of!!)
I guess it would be possible to not pre-book any sites and just tour where the mood took you but it could leave you with nowhere to stay or a long trek between sites to find somewhere that could accommodate you.
Maybe it would be better to plan your trip and book a few sites on your chosen route.
We are members of Caravan club, have their insurance for caravan. Have used a couple of their sites. Lots of people book months ahead because thats the only time they can go away and want to make sure they get what they want, but you are sure to find a site for bank holiday but it may not be your ideal site at this stage.
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During all school holidays I would say book in advance. I don't see any advantage to the clubs and have left C & CC. Some sites are adults, some for kids, some dogs, some no dogs etc. There are sites out there for everyone and we don't really have a problem finding vacancies somewhere that suits us.
>>> we find astonishing that they can descriminate, perhpas we should execise our human rights haha... <<<
I think you will find that campsite owners are perfectly within "Their Rights" to stipulate what kind of clientele that they want on their sites.
You don't state what kind of unit you have or what you are looking for in a campsite, but if you are going touring and want to do so without booking, then you will need to match what you take to the kind of touring you wish to do.
We do not like to book in advance and so our unit is equipped in such a way that we we do not require any services other than a pitch. IE we can stay on any available space. Nor do we need to have an awning up or an EHU. Therefore we are more likely to find a pitch on a busy site that would be unsuilable for say a family sized unit that was looking for a serviced pitch.
There are literally thousands of sites up and down the country that cater, or do not cater, for every need, but unless you are looking for an all singing, all dancing pitch, then there will always be pitchs available wherever you are. And, if the worst happens, you will always find a quiet corner where you could wild-camp for the night as we have often, but that was through choice and not because we couldn't find a campsite that would take us.
Thanks to everyone for these replies, they give us hope at least. We find that this site is the best of them all including the CC & CCC which are really quite useless with information, this site has them all and it seems to be free how do they do it.
Please keep replies coming we read them all and take tips from them, we thought it illegal to "wildcamp" say in layby's are there other places? We are self sufficient and able to manage without ehu etc for a couple of nights at least.
We find that sending enquiries through this site to site owners does not result in speedy responses, guess they are busy out of the office on site all day, is it better to phone the sites rather than email them?
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>>> we thought it illegal to "wildcamp" say in layby's are there other places? <<<
It depends on what kind of unit you have and what kind of laybye you use. We prefer laybyes that cannot be seen from the main road. IE ones with hedging and/or trees between us and the main road.
There are however roads that do not have any traffic on them after say 6pm and any pull in area there can be used.
As to laybyes that have notices on them saying "No Overnight Parking", well who is going to enforce that? Traffic Wardens go home at 5pm and Traffic Police have more to do with their time than roam around the country-side looking for overnighters in laybyes. Even if you are questioned by the Polis, just say that you have driven a long way and need to rest before continuing your journey. There is no way that they will force you to move on. Indeed, from personal experience, we have never been questioned by the Police at anytime when we were wildcamping, but we have asked at several Police Offices for places that they would reccommend that we wildcamped and been pointed to good, quiet places.
As to other places to wildcamp, there are plenty but you will need to learn of these yourself from looking at other forums on the Internet. Try Googling for motorhome wildcamping sites.
Quote: Originally posted by roadcamping on 20/4/2010
, we thought it illegal to "wildcamp" say in layby's are there other places? We are self sufficient and able to manage without ehu etc for a couple of nights at least.
We find that sending enquiries through this site to site owners does not result in speedy responses, guess they are busy out of the office on site all day, is it better to phone the sites rather than email them?
AIUI, Parking up in a layby overnight isn't illegal (unless there are specific byelaws relating to it.) Thousands of HGV's do it every night.
As to contacting sites, I've never contacted them via this sites link. If i'm not in a hurry I would email. But not all sites are that organised re answering email. So I would ring if i'd not had a reply within say 24 hours.
But if I'm wanting to get something booked I'd just ring
Quote: Originally posted by kyoto49 on 20/4/2010
I find the adults only sites infuriating, as they often tick all my boxes, look lovely and quiet, and then I see theya re adults only. Its a bit stupid IMO as adults have a far greater capacity to be rowdy into the wee hours disturbing all and sundry, than kids who generally go to bd earlier.
I think you will find tht the reason they look lovely and quiet is precisely because they are adult only.
They are not the sort of sites that would put up with rowdy adults either.
Many sites have apparently gone "adult only" due to bad experience with children abusing the facilities and being allowed to run wild.
While it is no doubt only a small minority that behave like this, it does happen, and site owners find that the easiest thing to do is ban all children.
------------- Jennifer
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Topic: Finding & booking sites
Thanks to everyone for these replies, they give us hope at least. We find that this site is the best of them all including the CC & CCC which are really quite useless with information, this site has them all and it seems to be free how do they do it. 
