Hi All
I knew prices were going to go up, but bloody hell some of the main club sites are terrible prices.
It’s a good job some independent sites are still attractive in price, but a lot are going to force people away from them.
Need to shop around an affraid and keep away from the rip of sites
Post last edited on 12/02/2023 09:30:50
------------- Cheers
Ray
Discovery 4 & Bailey Barcelona 4
Don't forget to leave a review of the campsites you have visited this year or last!
We have found over the last few years commercial sites often cheaper than club ones. We still belong to a club but have not used one of their sites for last 4 years.
Only dipped my toe into potential sites for this year, and yes, the prices are looking rather shocking for many, and finding more and more sites adopting the rather deceptive 'accumulative pricing' structure, where the base price looks OK(ish), but the real price if you want an awning and EHU, and have a dog, etc. etc. boosts the price actually expected to pay to highly unacceptable levels! Is an additional £5/night each for an awning and dog really justifiable! .... not in my reckoning it's not! Not so long ago stayed on all inclusive sites for £12/night TOTAL!
Can't speak for CCC, but CAMC really seem to have lost the plot entirely, basic camp sites at reasonable rates seem to be well off their radar these days, all I get pushed my way in their promotions are foreign holidays, glamping 'opportunities', and very expensive 'pop-up' camp sites! Once you battle past all the BS promotions, the good old fashioned camp sites are there but not always anything like competitive with private sites in the area! .... and you are paying a membership fee which you have to factor in to any camp site costs!
My membership of CAMC really only gets justified by access to storage facilities, insurance, and CL sites. If I was only looking for main campsites I probably wouldn't bother being a member these days! All I ever hear from the CAMC members I know, is how disillusioned they are with the club and their membership is under review!
Before the 'justifications' for pricing responses role in, based on huge rises in energy costs, I'm quite prepared to accept and absorb those as a fact of life, BUT neither my dog, nor my awning use energy, so why the price hikes on them by strategic changes in pricing structure? - Profiteering from the 'more money than sense brigade' who are fresh to camping due to the Covid situation is my guess! On the subject of Covid, from people I know who own sites, when they were forced to close and lost income, they also slashed their operating costs for the period they were closed, so their losses were far less than would appear, and they quickly recouped any loss on resumption of business, so that old chestnut no longer has any value in current markets! .... Doubt me! Go look at CAMC annual account figures for one, and their turnover and overheads are some of the highest in the industry!
Camping has changed over past few years, and certainly not for the better, it's becoming a rich man's plaything these days, and those of us on tighter budgets are being squeezed out! I don't want to drive anyone's business bust, but I'm a savvy enough businessman to know when I'm being robbed by money grabbers, and I won't play along!
Don't forget to leave a review of the campsites you have visited this year or last!
Not a club site, but I noticed recently that although the charge per person had not increased (£10, which is fine for a single camper) the hook-up charge is now £7.50/night! Argh. I love the place to bits but I won't be using hook-up there any more.
------------- Always edited for sloppy typing - when I spot it!
Quote: Originally posted by SGThomas on 12/2/2023
A lot of CS/CLs offer a bleak field with a standpipe for water and an Elsan yet are still asking £25
I've seen some asking MORE! Their charges rival full blown camp sites with better facilities and better locations!
I like CLs in general, and are my preferred type of site all other things being equal, BUT there is a limit to the value of a patch of grass, a communal standpipe and a drain, for me it's up to £21 with EHU included. Got to take into account that many CL's are remote/awkward to access, and have limited resources (pubs, take aways, attractions etc.) within easy reach.
Don't forget to leave a review of the campsites you have visited this year or last!
Just filled in the CAMC members satisfaction survey (open till 18th Feb) that was mentioned in recent news letter email.
Gave them a good slap on pricing!
Will they take heed, of course not! They are full of themselves on the large numbers of 'more money than sense Covid Campers' that have signed up in past couple of years, the old guard can go do one in their eyes!
We stayed at a CS (Farncombe Farm near Lambourn) recently, £25 pn and were disappointed. There are still sites around for less, but becoming more like hens teeth, and many are charging more for any ehu used. Sign of the times I suppose.
Quote: Originally posted by Hedgehugger on 12/2/2023
Not a club site, but I noticed recently that although the charge per person had not increased (£10, which is fine for a single camper) the hook-up charge is now £7.50/night! Argh. I love the place to bits but I won't be using hook-up there any more.
it must be remembered that the site owner who is commercial is probably paying £0.70 or more for a kwh unit so £7.50 for 10 or 11 units is not bad.
Don't forget to leave a review of the campsites you have visited this year or last!
In todays news 40% increase in camping fees since 2021
Complete joke to be honest. I really feel for families trying to get away on a cheap but reasonable holiday this coming year.
I know that the old saying "A caravan is an expensive way to take a cheap holiday" has been around for years, but when you stand back and look at the overall picture - price of a caravan, price of decent tow car, cost of fuel to tow with associated low MPG to destination, and today's pitch fees, it's beginning to look cost wise like you're going on a luxury holiday! ... you are not of course! Comfortable certainly (at least it is in my van), but quite a lot of hard work too, and damned if I can find any luxury in emptying waste tanks (maybe convenience when filling them covers that?).
I still love my caravan, but seriously got to look at renting self catering cottages as an alternative to dragging the caravan all over the country! That would also open up new routes to destination as no longer needing caravan friendly roads, nearly halve my fuel costs, and no doubt speed up my journey times a fair bit! Don't want to think about that too hard, logic is beginning to suggest the caravan has had it's day and I'd be better off without it, that'd be a hard pill to swallow, I love my caravan holidays so much.
We have stopped using the EHU option as it's cheaper to use Lpg (safefill refillable) for fridge and heating. We also have solar though not much help in the winter months. Even in winter we can go 4 days.
It's time the CMC offered non electric pitches. Our membership expires in May and we aren't renewing. Gone are the days when £10 cls & cs sites were plentyful.
Got to agree with Monty CAMC are getting a total rip off, stayed on Bolton Abbey club site for a few days last year (Tuesday to Friday) and asked if we could stay another couple of nights. We stayed on same pitch used same amount of water and same facilities but was charged an extra £10 a night on top I presume because it went into weekend. Being a member we get site fees a lot cheaper, god knows how much a none member would pay. Just get bombarded with emails for offers of which if you shop around can get just as good offers offers.
A day of all things motorhome and campervan. The show is held both in the main indoor arena and across the grounds. Catering, hot drinks and food options are available. Easy access to the site and free parking included. Win one of five pairs of day tickets
Topic: Costs of sites in 2023
via mobile 12/2/2023 at 8:55am
