Message Forums

I have just purchased a caravan and was looking at joining a club, can anyone advise which one to go fof ie, camping and caravan club/caravan club, and what are your thoughts are they worth joining

Hi, you may find this a useful tool

This subject has been covered many times and you should find your answers with the search

Cheers  Ratty

Why just join one?

We have been members of both the main ones for years and use both their sites as well as all their smaller CL and 5 van sites.

Surely caravanning is about freedom of choice and by being members of both, we enjoy that freedom.

Camping/caravanning is not a cheap hobby these days and to restrict your hobby because of an annual membership cost just does not add up compared to the benefits that such a membership could bring you.

Okay, after a few years you may find that one club suits your lifestyle better than the other and then you can choose to drop one of them.

We've been members of C&CC for over 3 years, since we had the folding camper. Now we've switched to a caravan we've started joining in on meets(you can go along with a tent or TT but we like our home comforts). The beauty of their meets is that mostly you don't have to book, just go along to any that you fancy. Although we weren't too keen on group camping to strat with we do enjoy the meets & are beginning to make friends & our daughter has lots of fun meeting up with her new friends. We haven't used any of their club sites but do regularly visit a CS.

I've bought a CC sites directory & am browsing their sites. I'm thinking of joining purely for their CL's which are in the main very cheap if you use all of your onboard facilities.

Caravan Club (CC) has about 220 of it's own sites with about half open to members only and over 2500Cl's ( small 5 five van independant sites of variable standard licensed by the club for members only ) , the standard of it's sites is consistently high over the whole network, it provides every service that a caravanner could need and all the services are comparable with the best of service that you can find anywhere. When you arrive at a club site you book in and pay your fees, no deposits are taken so the whole fee is paid at this time, you are then given information about the site and are told to go go and have a look at the pitches available ( all empty pitches are available ) choose one, set up and then let the wardens know where you have gone. Should you decide for whtever reason that you need to leave before the date that you  have paid till, you can inform the wardens that you are leaving and will receive a refund of all fees for the days that you have paid for but will not be staying for.

Camping and Caravanning Club (CCC) has about 110 sites of it's own a handful  (6 at the last count )  of which are members only  and a network of about 1000 CS's ( like CL's ), the standard of the sites over the whole network is of a more variable standard with the best sites comparing favourably with the CC sites. It also provides a full range of high quality services for the caravanner that are just as good as those provided by the CC. When you arrive at a club site you book in and pay the remainder of your fees ( a deposit will be taken when you book which  if you cancel more than 7 days in advance you get   back, within 7 days you lose  ), the warden will decide where you are to pitch and will escort you to it and ensure that you have pitched precisely as he requires. Should you need to leave for any reason the fees that you have paid will be forfeit ( though in some circumstances by special request to head office giving circumstances and doctors notes be placed on account for you to use in the rest of the year )

I have been a member of the CC for 18 years and have never regretted it, I have been a member of the CCC on two occasion in the last four years and have on both occasions resigned it just did not suit me. I know of a lot of people who like and use the CCC so I would suggest that it is worthwhile joining both clubs and seeing which one suits your purpose best

Quote: Originally posted by janus on 08/7/2011

---

Caravan Club (CC) has about 220 of it's own sites with about half open to members only and over 2500Cl's ( small 5 five van independant sites of variable standard licensed by the club for members only ) , the standard of it's sites is consistently high over the whole network, it provides every service that a caravanner could need and all the services are comparable with the best of service that you can find anywhere. When you arrive at a club site you book in and pay your fees, no deposits are taken so the whole fee is paid at this time, you are then given information about the site and are told to go go and have a look at the pitches available ( all empty pitches are available ) choose one, set up and then let the wardens know where you have gone. Should you decide for whtever reason that you need to leave before the date that you  have paid till, you can inform the wardens that you are leaving and will receive a refund of all fees for the days that you have paid for but will not be staying for.

 

Camping and Caravanning Club (CCC) has about 110 sites of it's own a handful  (6 at the last count )  of which are members only  and a network of about 1000 CS's ( like CL's ), the standard of the sites over the whole network is of a more variable standard with the best sites comparing favourably with the CC sites. It also provides a full range of high quality services for the caravanner that are just as good as those provided by the CC. When you arrive at a club site you book in and pay the remainder of your fees ( a deposit will be taken when you book which  if you cancel more than 7 days in advance you get   back, within 7 days you lose  ), the warden will decide where you are to pitch and will escort you to it and ensure that you have pitched precisely as he requires. Should you need to leave for any reason the fees that you have paid will be forfeit ( though in some circumstances by special request to head office giving circumstances and doctors notes be placed on account for you to use in the rest of the year )

 

I have been a member of the CC for 18 years and have never regretted it, I have been a member of the CCC on two occasion in the last four years and have on both occasions resigned it just did not suit me. I know of a lot of people who like and use the CCC so I would suggest that it is worthwhile joining both clubs and seeing which one suits your purpose best

---

Thanks Bill thats a better description, do you think that the caravan club is suitable for families as well as couples?  Do there sites have childrens facilities aswell? my two don't need loads to entertain them but do like to make a few friends.

Going to look at their website now.

Thanks

I think Bill is spot on, however I think families are probably better off with the C&CC just ask not to be positioned on a corner pitch as a lot of the members of the C&CC seem to enjoy cutting across them, I am a member of both clubs but Dont know if I will renew both this year.

Stew

Quote: Originally posted by cckids on 08/7/2011

---

Thanks Bill thats a better description, do you think that the caravan club is suitable for families as well as couples?  Do there sites have childrens facilities aswell? my two don't need loads to entertain them but do like to make a few friends.

Going to look at their website now.

Thanks

---

KIds on CC seem to have a really good time, there is usually some sort of play area and they always seem to find others of the same age to play with. As a pensioner I always enjoy watching the kids play and seeing what simple things they do together reminds me of the things we used to do when we were their age.

I can't speak for the Caravan Club because I have a tent and not many CC sites accept tents. The CC seems to be mainly for caravanners, motorhomes and I think trailer tents.

After a lot of deliberation I very recently joined the Camping and Caravanning Club and so far I have not been too impressed.

The first problem I encountered was on trying to book my first club site online both via the automatic booking system and by telephone I was told no pitches of the type I required were available. When I contacted the site directly they had several pitches available so it became apparent that the online booking system was not synchronised with the sites...not in that case anyway.

I was then very disappointed with the state of the pitches at that same site. Although the site was good it was no better than many other non-club sites I have been to and the pitches were worse than many I have been to. Perhaps I was expecting too much after reading other members praises of club sites. Standards are good but nothing exceptional.

I had to cancel my second attempt at visiting a club site (earlier this week) due to weather reports of gale force winds. Although, according to the rules, fees can be returned or credited if the site feels that the weather is not conducive to safe camping, in this instance the site did not feel gale force winds was a good enough reason and I lost my deposit.

The irony (according to the rules) is that if I had turned up at the site and then had cause to complain about something the site could either find me another more suitable site or refund me. Likewise, If I turned up and then had to leave due to gale force winds I may still have been refunded, but to cancel beforehand means I lose my deposit.

I am having a third attempt to camp at a club site this Sunday and I am sincerely hoping that it will be an enjoyable experience because so far, including the joining fee, I have parted with about £79 and for that I have achieved two nights camping.

Of course rough pitches don't affect caravans all that much because they are on wheels but based on the information already given in this thread and my own experiences so far, if I had a caravan I think my choice would be the Caravan Club.

I agree with Bill's assessment, generally.  We are members of both but generally prefer Caravan Club sites.

Just something to add (don't think it's been mentioned but can't see other posts at the moment).  With either club sites it is worth booking and not just turning up.  The main Club sites tend to get busy at weekends and at holiday times - IMHO it's not worth risking turning up and finding no pitch.

Also, with the CC you can book and there is no need to pay a deposit.  C&CC sites require a depoosit when you book.  There are of course pro's and con's to each system.  These things have been discussed at length on here.

I can't speak for the C&CC sites, but if you try to book a CC site on line and the website says it's full, ring the site direct and check.  We have sometimes found that we have got into a site after ringing although the site has appeared full on the website.  The wardens on site are in a much better position to say if they have spaces.  I wouldn't be surprised if thre are a small number of pitches that are keep as backup (e.g. in case of excess water/flood, or failure of electric bollard etc).

I'm a member of both Clubs and find I use them equally.

I have access to all the CS and CL sites as well as rallies, THS (temporary holiday sites), the Club sites, cheap insurance, monthly magazine etc......

Money well spent in my opinion.