I've spent the last couple of days with my nose in the ACSI book (cross-referencing to reviews on this website and the Caravan Europe book) and have a good idea now of where in France we hope to be heading in the summer and some of the sites we want to stay at. We have previously been tied to July/August time and so have always booked sites well in advance, even small Municipal sites. However, this time we are going for 3 weeks from 22nd August to 11th September and wonder whether to book in advance or just take a chance - we both find this idea quite scary, usually liking the reassurance of a booking! Also, is it possible to book sites when you want to use the ACSI discount card and if so, do you need to tell the sites you are claiming the discount?
Don't forget to leave a review of the French and other European campsites you have visited!
Take a chance - we always go at the same time as you and never book anywhere! We've been using Camping Cheques, some Touring Cheques, and an ACSI card for about fourteen or more years, and never had a problem either in August/September, or May/June. We've never booked a single site, and never had a problem finding a pitch anywhere. This year, even on 17th August, our first ACSI site had about thirty free pitches out of just over 100!
When using the ACSI card you need to tell them when you arrive that you'll be using the ACSI card in order to qualify for the discounted rate. You may be able to book, but if you do then it's likely that the site will charge you the normal rate - the whole idea of the ACSI card is to fill pitches which otherwise would not be occupied!
There really is absolutely no problem in not booking, although it's a very 'foreign' concept to most Brits that you can still use your caravan for 'touring' - staying as long, or as little as you like, and moving on when the weather or boredom dictate! Do it - you may even get to enjoy the freedom again!
simple answer no end of season french hols are over most brits are home as are german dutch etc if you want to book then do so but in 25+ years of french hols there is no need we only book if we really want to go somewhere special with someone
Like above, have been going to France and Spain for many years and have never found the need to book.
That is completely alien to UK site operators who seem unable to cope with someone just turning up on the off chance.
The other big difference is that although you must tell the French site that you will be paying using ASCI or Camping Cheques when you book in, you don't actually pay until you leave -- again, unheard of in UK. If you don't like the site, then leave.
If you are at all worried. then why not start looking for a site around 4/5 in the afternoon and if you do find one that is full ( I would eat my hat ! ), then you have still got plenty of time to find another.
Enjoy yourselves. Dave
Don't forget to leave a review of the French and other European campsites you have visited!
We're also going on the 22nd of August and have no intention of booking in advance. We only booked the first time we went as we went in peak season but after finding out how much could be saved using ACSI and camping cheques we started going in low season using them. Booking in advance often means paying a booking fee too so why do it?
I wouldn't bother booking at that time of year. 3 weeks earlier would be a different matter especially if you were set on a particular site. My main stay pitches 26th July - Aug 12 are booked!
Thanks all for the words of advice and encouragement. I think we're going to just go for it this year - or maybe book somewhere for our first couple of nights in France if I lose my nerve later on ...
Hi Bofs.
To give you an idea, the site we went to this year was empty for the first week of July, we were there for the first two weeks of July, so I need not have booked, although the ACSI card rate would not have applied at the time due to it being July. last year the site was fully booked all the time we were there, and that was the middle two weeks of July, so you are always going to get on a site during the ACSI scheme dates without booking I would say, also most sites will charge a booking fee of maybe 20Euro or so for pre-booking no matter how long your stay, and that gets added to your pitch fees, the whole idea of idea of ACSI is not to book, as the end result is a win win for both site owner and happy camper.
From my personal experience, if you find a very good site that you really want to go to then why not book it in advance?
Around here where I live close to Montignac in the Dordogne, I know of 2 British owned sites that are either full or very nearly full from the middle of August right through until early October and the same goes for some Dutch owned sites as well.
Sites run by British people in France often have to be booked, but these are (in general) quite small sites and sometimes Adult only. Often they have a large 'repeat' clientele, perhaps mainly British - and are perhaps not the sort of sites that some of us would choose - preferring something a little more French or 'international'. To us half the fun of a French holiday is that your neighbours may be from any country in Europe and even beyond - and exchanging chat and experiences with others with completely different lifestyles is an important part of our holiday. One of the sites you mention, on another website, has posted that the clientele is 99.5% British - which wouldn't sell the site to me at all.
BUT - for those that do prefer smaller British owned sites then dillonsamben's post is a reminder that if you want to stay on such a site, then you are likely to have to book in advance.
I expect the same applies to smaller Dutch-owned sites - they may have a largely Dutch repeat clientele - and so will book with repeat visitors.
Post last edited on 30/12/2010 08:46:44
Don't forget to leave a review of the French and other European campsites you have visited!
Quote: Originally posted by dillonsamben on 30/12/2010
I honestly do think you are all wrong!
From my personal experience, if you find a very good site that you really want to go to then why not book it in advance?
Around here where I live close to Montignac in the Dordogne, I know of 2 British owned sites that are either full or very nearly full from the middle of August right through until early October and the same goes for some Dutch owned sites as well.
So why not book in advance?
As the owner of one of them and former owner of the other, you would obviously like to encourage booking in advance but dozens of UKCS members cant be wrong. We have all toured France without booking in advance and never had a problem finding pitches on first choice sites.
Sometimes find we are one of a few peas in a drum with empty pitches all around. Come September some sites start to close. Our best experience was being allowed to stay on after a municipal site closed in mid-September. One loo and a shower left on/open for us to use - freebie for as long as we wanted to stay. (Nice warden)
Apart from the site where we store our caravan which is small and can be busy off peak, we have not, in the past 20+ years, booked from mid August onwards (or May - end June), and never found a site remotely near full.
We are trying the ACSI card for the first time this year (Thanks Val A) but if sites are giving good discounts you can bet it's because they can't fill their pitches at the time of the offer.
If you book sites you lose the flexibility and fun of a proper touring holiday. If you haven't booked you can stay longer than you'd planned if you like a site or leave earlier if you don't.
We booked our main two sites this year for the last two weeks of August but we needn't have bothered. We probably wouldn't have travelled as far as we did if we hadn't booked either, so this year we're not booking. Will have a short list of areas and sites, and I'm planning on getting an ACSI card now. If we find a site we really like we'll stay for the whole two weeks. If not, or the weather changes, then we can move. We stayed on a total of five different sites and all of them were accepting campers who had not booked, and all but one had quite a few empty pitches.
We only book sites, taking ACSI CC, when we know the site and want a certain pitch. But we have never had to pay a deposit, but this is not in France, as we go to Germany and Austria + other European Countries.
When touring I usually email a couple of days ahead to enquire if there are pitches available and whether the site is ok for a 8 metre, twin axle van.
------------- Kia Sorento XS towing Elddis Crusader Storm.
Amazing family weekend with old steam engines, classic car displays, market stalls, and full catering and bar. And camping on site - Save £25 by booking in advance.
Topic: To book or not to book?
