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In all seriousness, one has to consider what one wants in relation to holidays. I used to live on the coast and hardly ever saw the sea...too busy doing other things and you become complacent regarding your surroundings.

I have lived in the cities but the thought of visiting museums and sites of public historical interest just doesn't seem like a good day out.

I now live in a particularly beautiful part of the Hampshire countryside but to me it's just fields.

My interests lie in visiting places I have never been to before and which hold something of interest or historical beauty, so the cheapest and easiest way to do that is to go camping.

To me, joining a club is like trying follow the status quo...to be part of something...one of the clan...when in actual fact I would rather discover things for myself than do what everyone else wants to do, because then, you only know what everyone else knows. You only do the things that everyone else wants to do...and there's no sense of freedom in that.

I have listened to caravan club members.

" We had a lovely holiday down in ***"

"Oh good...what did you do?"

"Well we met several other members of the Caravan Club...lovely people"

"Oh...that's nice...so what did you do?"

"Well, we invited them round for tea and we had a BBQ in the evening and had a wonderful time"

"Very nice too. What was the area like?"

"The area? Well...we were enjoying ouselves so much with all the other club members we didn't feel the need to leave the site"

"Oh...so you travelled 200 miles to have tea and a BBQ with other caravanners?"

"Yes...lovely holiday"

Isn't that the sort of thing a lot of people do when they go on package holidays abroad though? Spend all the time around the hotel or sitting by the pool? I like to get out and about - sitting round the campsite is a waste of time in my view.

Anyway, back to the subject.

We joined the C&CC a couple of years ago and the only advantage we have found is slightly cheaper sites because we get the over 55 discount because we don't go away in the peak season - we paid just under £10 a night for our holiday in July last year. We get a 15% discount off our RAC membership with the Arrival scheme. They give camping miles which can give you discounts or a free night's camping.

We joined the CC this year as well to see what that was like because it has a lot more sites. Their web site is better than the C&CC and the CLs are listed on there and you can do a search for them and see the facilities etc. Also you can get better details of their rallies than you can on the C&CC site.

We have stayed on both clubs' sites and we think that the CC's sites are more attractively laid out and the facilities better. The C&CC sites we've stayed on have been a bit bland and unimaginative. The advantage with using club sites, of course, is that you know you're going to get a certain standard of facilities - OK, you could probably get the same - or even better - standard on a commercial site but you can't guarantee it. The CC sites are generally quite a bit more expensive though.

We got quotes for car and caravan insurances from both clubs but they were more expensive than we could find elsewhere.

The CC magazine is definitely better.

At the end of the day, it's all a matter of personal preference but I'm not sure we'll bother with either of them next year.

Hope this helps.

Nora

Did you enjoy your chat with yourself Bob?

We're not all into tea and tiffin in each others units.  I'm in the CC because I use their CL sites and insurance services. I usually look in the book for the ones listed with possible sheep on site because it seems to keep everyone else away.

This question comes up regularly, but it really is a personal preference, so as a few of the original posters suggested, try both for a year and see which you prefer.

We got quotes for car and caravan insurances from both clubs but they were more expensive than we could find elsewhere.

A tip for anyone who has insurance with the CC or C&CC. Instead of going through the renewal hotline, ask for a requote.  I did that this year and paid £90 less for the same cover.

Did you enjoy your chat with yourself Bob?

At that time of the morning there was nobody else to chat to, Redtuts

Talking to oneself is quite normal...I'm a bit worried that I was answering myself though!

Join both, the magazines are worth the membership fee on their own. Alternative is to go to a site that takes non members & judge for yourself. I was in the C&CC for a few years & enjoyed their holiday sites, not been in for a few years though. 

I'll join both by the summer. The CL sites fr the odd weekend interest me a lot & the holiday sites if we decide to go at short notice are there from both clubs then. I've delivered to CC sites & I have to say the standards there were outstanding & I would tink the C&CC would be the same. I know a chap who runs a CL registered with the CC & it too is lovely so it'll be both sites for me & if I can find one like Redtuts that has sheep I'll be there too. The quiter the better for me.

BB