I've read a few posts about this subject, but I want to make sure I'm working out the prices right. We're new to caravanning and so I joined the caravan Club mainly because the sites are easy to book and get to. However the sites we'e been to are not very good for kids. 1 had a play area but there's no other kids, and really the whole place is full of .. well ...old people ( sorry). However the sites are clean and relatively cheap 26 quid a night say. When we went tent camping we could pay up to £32 in devon (one site was £37 but I refused to go there). But there's no point in us going if the kids aren't happy. I've looked at CCC sites which seem more kid friendly but the prices are outrageous, £85 for 3 nights in November ! Am I working that out properly ? Is the CCC really that expensive ? Do most people just go to private sites ? Are all the CC sites a bit sterile and really for the older generation?
Mainly use private sites, but we don't have kids anymore and don't want entertainment.
We have been to a few CCC sites and found them to be like staying in a car park, just parked in straight lines, there can be a lot of rules too. They could have done with updating too.
As said before that price works out at less than £30 a night so divide that by the amount of people and really it's not that much per person.
I always look at the reviews on here, especially toilet/shower reviews. I refuse to pay for a shower. You can put in what you are looking for in the campsite search too.
You can always Google the site and other reviews may come up.
We were on a CC this weekend and there were kids on it riding bikes and using the play area. If you go out of the main holiday times then all sites are mainly older people. The weekends will be busy with children we have been to Grafham water which has a pool and that had lots of kids at the weekends. Every time we have been to Ferry meadows they have been lots of kids we took our granddaughter and she had a great time.
Remember when the children are are school lots of sites not just CC or CCC will be full of us Oldies as we leave the space in the school holidays for those with kids.
yeah maybe its better during school holidays. Just done a comparison between 2 sites in Derbyshire. CC £46 for 2 nights. CCC £58 for same 2 nights(assuming membership). When we tent camped I wouldn't have dreamed of using either club, but I'm a bit nervous about towing so CC sites seemed easier.
We've mostly used the CL's since joining the CC, and they've not had any kids on them. Well apart from 1 where there was a static and there were kids in there. However, we stayed at the Malvern CC site and there were loads of kids there. That was out of school holidays, but it was a weekend.
Have a look at the "Kids for 1p" sites (of which Malvern is one), you will probably find there are more kids at those because they are so cheap to take the kids to.
sandringham ccc was going to be £68 next weekend so we're trying our first 5 van cs at £28. Sandringham cc we've always found cheaper but hardly any open space to play. We use a mix of places incl private and do or don't renew our membership depending on where we want to go in the following year.
------------- From tents to trailer tents to a tin tent to an air tent to trailer tent and back to tin tent!
Use CC sites 95% of the time .... and I'm not old! C&CC always work out dearer for us, and to my mind they are not as well maintained, have stupidly narrow hardstandings and unmade roads. Still use a few local ones. Haven't used a commercial site for a while ... looked at some locally for a friend visiting the area and was shocked at the cost and low standards.
NB This is experience based on a life time of caravanning, so 45 years now.
------------- 2020 Volvo XC60 B5 R Design Geartronic / 2018 Swift Elegance 580
We nearly always use C&CC sites. We find them mostly well maintained, with many having had their facilities blocks updated, eg Canterbury, Kelvedon Hatch, Theobalds Park that we have stayed on this year. They are some unmade roads, but there are many tarmac roads around the sites, and getting more so. The modern propensity for hardstandings can give lots of straight lines of vans, and the same could be said of some CC sites I have seen, but in many cases they are around curved roads, so not really like a car park. Rules, we all need them, and I have only rarely seen over execessive application by the management. Others will tell you that the CC has wardens who are very enthusiastic for the rules.
There are lots of kids at sites in the school holidays, but out of season it can be oldies. Most C&CC sites have a play area, some more extensive than others.
Everyone is entitled to their opinion, and this is mine. I am merely a C&CC member who likes their sites and putting the other view to those expressed earlier, I a not in the pay of the club!
If you are unsure with your towing C&CC have an advice line / helpdesk and offer towing & manouvering courses, as I believe do the CC. So Smellysocks, whichever you choose, the most important thing is to enjoy your camping.
------------- Alan
2016
February C&CC Theobalds Park
March C&CC Salisbury
May C&CC Adgestone IOW
July Le Clos Auroy, Auvergne France
August C&CC Polstead
August C&CC Oxford
October C&CC Lauder
We belong to both Clubs to give us a maximum choice of sites and also the odd commercial site but generally the choice is based round location. Personally find that CC sites are more 'professionally designed and managed' compare to C&CC sites but appreciate that others will have a different view. On the point about facilities for children. Commercial site will tend to do more because there peak business are based around the school holidays. Club sites have to appeal over the whole year to keep us oldies happy, without us most Club sites would not be sustainable. I think also the expectation on Club sites is that it is up to parents to provide the entertainment for their children and the sites are just a base for that where as commercial sites are more of a destination in their own right.
Thanks for the opinionS. I think I'd try c&cc sites if they weren't so expensive, as it is I can see me switching back to commercials sites, they were always good when we were in the tent. Maybe when the kids have left and I start getting my pension I'll join the cc again and complain about all the young uns
why go to just club sites?look in the campsite search here,it's great,we're off to Northam farm at Brean Sands in a couple of weeks for the Wild West week,£14.95 a night to include ehu,fishing, two dogs,awning,etc,cant get any better than that,children are £1 a night extra but there are plenty of fenced play areas for them
We've only been to one CC site and no C&CC site's but we use the clubs for C&CC meets and we're just about to try our first CC rally. The clubs occasionally use private sites for their rallies so I look out for those to enjoy a full facility site at a reduced price. A lot of weekend meets are in fields which usually creates a more community feeling and a chance to get together and of course they are cheap.
If you look at the site information and review on here and the caravan club you get a better idea of what will suit you.
I have used a mix of commercial and caravan club sites, some are great for children others not so much in both types. When you say good for children what exactly are you looking for?
A play park seems to be fairly common, other families on site its hit and miss. Outside of the summer season it seems that families are off out entertaining the children so you don't seem to get as much mixing on site, I could be wrong though its been a few years since I had a child with me :)
I haven't ever seen activities such as visiting zoo's etc on caravan club sites.
Why not tell us a few places you would like to go and we could make suggestions.
I'd certainly say CC sites are mainly for retired paper-weight adjusters and the likes. The ones that get out the polish and duster before the beer (sherry), immediately they pitch up. (yes they do, ive seem them!)The sites are also, in the main, extremely regimented. You will also invariably find the wardens have huge seniority complexes.
I'd pick a private over a club site every time - unless you use five-vanners a lot. Which are obviously (and thankfully) no good for kids.
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: CCC V`s CC v`s Private
, without us most Club sites would not be sustainable. I think also the expectation on Club sites is that it is up to parents to provide the entertainment for their children and the sites are just a base for that where as commercial sites are more of a destination in their own right. 
