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Topic: Do I have to join a club?

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cugsy

08/1/2014 at 7:54pm
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I'm still not sure what this CL and CS means. One of the things about camping (and now caravanning) is freedom to go to a small and quiet site. I don't need the fripperies...although the wife might. She wants us to join the Caravan Club - I don't. She reckons we'll get our money back in fees ('cos she read the advert). Me? I don't wanna belong to no stinkin' club.
So, basically - are there still enough sites out there that have water and electric and still be quiet for anti-social old gits without being in CC or C&CC? John

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Too old to put up a tent but still like waking up to skies and grass...not a cold hotel

Tc1962

08/1/2014 at 8:09pm
Location: Shropshire
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We are members of both the caravan club and the camping and caravan club - personally I'm not sure we have had our money back, we tend to find all our sites on this website, we have had some discounts though by being members. But our friends go abroad a lot and they wouldn't do it without the caravan club, being a member doesn't mean you have to just go to CC sites. We went to a certified site last year and it was quiet and fantastic, we were the only ones there for 3 of the 8 nights and the facilities were clean and basic - certainly not with frills but they were fine, it was a members only site though and well worth being a member for that. We have also been to lots of sites that you didn't need to be a member for - I'm not helping with your dilemma !! But I wouldn't resist joining, it's not a bad thing. But others with lot lots more experience than us will help you I'm sure .

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Jack+Jon

08/1/2014 at 8:14pm
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The answer is yes, there are plenty of non club sites around that would meet your needs. However many club members join only because there may be financial advantages in doing so. Maybe your wife has done a bit more research than you think?

However, club sites are often full of antisocial old gits building castle walls of windbreaks around their little bits of paradise so joining could keep both you & your wife happy.

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Regards, Jack+Jon.

Bob61

08/1/2014 at 8:14pm
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I have been camping in one form or another most of my life and have never yet failed to find a nice quiet campsite that meets all my needs. I have also found a few rough ones of course and two of these were C&CC sites. On a few occasions I have a arrived at a booked site to find it not up to expectations so I just leave and look for the next nearest site. I have always found something better.

I joined the C&CC once and as I said, the first two sites I visited were not up to expectations and having paid the membership fee and then lost two deposits due to bad weather, I found the experience rather expensive and disappointing to say the least and let my membership expire.

Obviously my experiences were not typical otherwise the C&CC wouldn't still be running! I certainly wouldn't join a club again although by what I have read I gather the CC is, perhaps, the better of the two clubs if you have a caravan.

Hacksaw Bob

08/1/2014 at 8:16pm
Location: West Midlands
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Quote: Originally posted by cugsy on 08/1/2014
I'm still not sure what this CL and CS means. One of the things about camping (and now caravanning) is freedom to go to a small and quiet site...

That's just what the average Cerificated Site (C&CC) or Certificated Location (CC) is!

millermicm

08/1/2014 at 8:28pm
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We prefer quiet non club sites. There are many out there most of which are very good indeed and not affiliated to the clubs.
We tried C & CC but left as we felt they had nothing to offer us.

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Steve

Mrs. Bonce

08/1/2014 at 8:31pm
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We belong to both clubs with (almost) the sole intention of using CLs/CSs. There are some exceptions, but most of them range from acceptable to very good. If you are interested in looking at my reviews, most of the British ones are for this type of site.

If your caravan has a loo and shower, and you are prepared to use them, there are still sites around for £10-£12 per night. In fact we used a CL last year that cost £12 and had a loo and shower.

The nicest site we stayed at last year was a CL with just electric and water (and a CWD), which cost £11.

Anne

cugsy

09/1/2014 at 5:20am
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I've seen some sites probably aimed at families that charge from £20 upwards. Camping was never expensive and I certainly don't intend caravanning to be the same. Maybe we'll join the CC for a year. Decisions...

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Too old to put up a tent but still like waking up to skies and grass...not a cold hotel

Mrs. Bonce

09/1/2014 at 7:21am
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You don't actually have to have any connection with a club (unless you want to). Some folks enjoy the rallies and temporary holiday sites which both clubs organise, we don't, but it is a cheap way of having a holiday.

One small quiet site which is not club affiliated, and we liked, is Marlbrook Equestrian Centre near the Malvern hills in Worcestershire. Dandy Dinmont near Carlisle used to be cheap, don't know if that is still the case.

tartan-tearaway

09/1/2014 at 7:49am
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JTQU

09/1/2014 at 8:12am
Location: Hampshire
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To use any 5 van site that operates on a Planning Permission exemption Certificate like the CC's CL and the C&CC's CS you MUST be a member of the club holding that exemption Certificate. Very few 5 van sites run on exemption Certificates owned by other Clubs and even fewer 5 van sites exist outside the exemption certificate system.
There are sites independent of either club and these must hold Planning Consent to operate, but they typically need to quite large to be financially viable.
A number of both club sites are open to non members but legally none of their 5 van sites can take non members.

Babyfish

09/1/2014 at 9:17am
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I have stayed at a few CS sites and have never been asked to prove I am a member of the C&CC even though I am. It's never ever been mentioned!

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It's summer again, caravan time! Hurrah!

romany girl

09/1/2014 at 9:36am
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For us its mainly CC CLs that we use for our our prefared sites, we have a handful of favourites that we have been using for years, and the owners have become friends of ours. We never pay more than £12 a night including EHU, and much prefare them to the main CC sites, especially after our last couple of experiances on one, they have become far to regimented for our liking.

There are some nice commercial sites with all top facilities, swim pool ect, but the prices are often rediculously high especially during school holidays. If we do fancy trying one of these, we often go early or late season when the place is quieter and prices more reasonable for the same service and better value. Another little trick we have is is to check out other sites whist away in an area and compile our own sites direcory of the good ones for the following season.

Julia

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Just love to be out amoungst Nature and Wildlife

Celebrating 37 years of Caravanning in 2019, Recently Considered Retiring, but Totally Addicted for Life!

cugsy

09/1/2014 at 7:17pm
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The best thing about the caravan is the loo. Getting up at x o'clock (usually in the rain) to trudge to the toilet block was a nightmare. I lay there worrying if she would find her way back...or went with her. now,its just a short journey and a tinkle - done in 2 minutes. No shower in the 'van as I took it out. So, sites with showers are a bonus. I'm getting mixed responses from a slightly stuck up section of the caravan world and the down to earth,'it can be fixed' type. I am a little less gregarious than the wife and I can live without seeing a soul all week. I'll give it a wee while without joining anything yet. If we get grief from sites about CC or C&CC membership we'll have a rethink.

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Too old to put up a tent but still like waking up to skies and grass...not a cold hotel

doit

09/1/2014 at 7:44pm
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I am a CC member. Usually use them to book European holidays on non CC sites (!) but fair to say they are really helpful and have organised many happy holidays for us. Their UK sites are second to almost none. Not the cheapest but I argue they offer great quality camping at a reasonable price. Many many private non club sites exist but some are nasty and some are lovely. I have never stayed on a CC site or European recommended site that I would class as nasty,and 90%+ of the time they are lovely. For that reason alone I am happy to pay to be a member. And as a bonus they post me 12 magazines a year which make an interesting read and if you can be bothered there is a monthly crossword that can win you £50 if you are lucky (which I never am). C&CC is probably just as good. I cannot comment about them as I have never been a member with them. Go private and do your research (this site is a great place to start) and you can bag a bargain. Go 'Club', no real need to research and your site will almost certainly be lovely and reasonably priced, but not a real bargain. That's the choice I suppose... And remember, if you do decide to join one of the big clubs, you can still go private camping too - maybe that mix would be the best compromise??

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Why am i doing this instead of camping??!!

JTQU

10/1/2014 at 7:32am
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Quote: Originally posted by cugsy on 09/1/2014
I'll give it a wee while without joining anything yet. If we get grief from sites about CC or C&CC membership we'll have a rethink.

Hopefully you will encounter a great deal of "grief" if you try as a non-member of the two clubs to use their 5 van exemption certificated sites.
It is just this sort of illegally practice afforded by some site owners that loses the fee-paying member's sites. Doing so gives ammo to those who want to undermine the legal privilege we enjoy under UK law of have the planning exemption system, without which camping in the UK will be ruined for a great number of us.
If you want to use our sites then be honest and “play the game” not abuse the system please.

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