ACSI or Camping Cheques

[DeliDave_]

We usually use 3 sites in France,Les Brunelles,La Garangeoir and Val D'Authie,both take ACSI cards and camping cheques.Was thinking of just using ACSI card next year,is it better money wise.I was told sites like ACSI more as they get paid straight away.
Thanks

 

[ValA.]

Generally, if sites accept both, they tend to prefer ACSI - as you say, they get paid up front. If you're paying £14.95 for a Camping Cheque, then the exchange rate would equal 17.80 euros, so an ACSI Card site at 16 euros is a bargain . However, as we sometimes get 'discount' Camping Cheques (usually from people who buy them as part of a ferry crossing, and then sell them for much less than the face value) we often choose to use Camping Cheques instead.
There are some ACSI Card sites which are 10 euros - including one near the beaches on the Mediterranean. More than ever it makes sense to look at both schemes and see which suits you as for 2014 there are quite a few sites which are accepting both Camping Cheques, and the ACSI Card. I've also noticed that dates can be different between the two - with some sites offering longer acceptance periods with one scheme or the other!

You can access the list of sites accepting both on 'Archie's Campings' - click the button at the top which says: download the list with the campsites associated in 2014 as well with Camping Cheque as with CampingCard Acsi here (I wasn't involved with the translation of this bit of the website!)

The download is only available until 20th December, when a new version of Archie's will be available.

 

[JohnGriffiths]

For many years we just had ACSI but the last year tried Camping Cheques as well. However I am going back to ACSI only as Cheques are more fiddly to use with the preordering, and trying to predict how many you need in advance. I ended up with a couple on my card that I didn't use and I believe they expire next year which is another cost to bear in mind.

 

[BedfordGeorge]

HI,
When we stayed at a campsite last year, with English hosts, they told us that with Camping Cheques they only got paid at the end of the season, and that the figure they got was under £9-00 per cheque. They had joined ACSI, where they make an up front payment, to be included in the directory, but retain all the amount you pay them on site.
We have used ACSI since we started 3 years ago, and it works extremely well, the directory is worth the joining fee, particularly when planning a route in advance.
Regards
George

 

[DeliDave_]

Thanks for a helpful reply Val,have been on website and can't access the campingsites along the European highway link



Is it me or is there work still being done on site

And thanks to the other posters,think I'll get a card and site book.

 

[JohnGriffiths]

Just noticed that you use La Garangoire. Just check the Caravan Club prices before you use ACSI or Cheques there. Last year we found booking ahead with the Caravan Club was dramatically cheaper as they do a 21 nights for 14, so it worked out about £11 per night in June.

 

[DeliDave_]

Thanks Val,got it now probably me being thick

 

[carper2]

I have both so can choose to use either. So have the best of both worlds.

Les

 

[ValA.]

Whilst it may be cheaper to book a site through the Caravan Club, surely one of the main advantages of using Camping Cheques, or the ACSI Card is that you can just go as you please, staying where you want, when you want. You don't need to book in advance, and therefore if you were planning on heading to Camping, Absolutely Lovely but see the weather forecast looks awful for that area, you can just head for 'Camping Just as Nice' somewhere else and spend your time in the sun, where the bookers are sitting in the middle of 'The Worst Storms of the Century'.
We've been known to be heading for Italy and seen just that -- storms forecast, so just turned right instead of left at the bottom of the Rhone Valley and ended up in Spain instead!

 

[ValA.]

Here's the link to 'Campingsites along the major routes'. It's being almost continually worked on, but it generally doesn't affect access.
Don't forget 'Archies Campings' too, which gives POIs for 30,000 campsites in Britain and Europe.

 

[DianneT]

We have been using ACSI since 2004 the first year it started. We did one year buy a few CC 's for just one campsite in Italy but ended up throwing the rest away as sites we used that year and the one after did not take them. Never again ACSI suits us fine and the sites have increased from 200 to 2739 and I believe 3 more have been added since the books were printed.
DianneT

 

[DeliDave_]

We are giving ACSI a go this year we have a few camping cheques to use up,its a lot easier not having to decide how many cheques to get and not having to find them the next year.Thanks for all the advice everyone

 

[DeliDave_]

Help Val,
Received card and books today and looking through,can't find Les Brunelles although it comes up on a website search.Is there a reason or am I not looking in the right place.It only shows le Petit Rocher for Longeville sur Mere

 

[carper2]

Les Brunelles comes up on the website as ACSI inspected so it does not accept ACSI. I have come across this both with ACSI and Camping Cheque although the sites have given me the ACSI or Camping Cheque price.

Les

 

[DeliDave_]

Thanks for clearing that up Les,much appreciated

 

[ValA.]

Rather than usng the 'ACSI' website, you have to use www.campingcard.co.uk to see just those sites which accept the ACSI Card. This is just one part of the website, and in another part you can find all the ACSI inspected sites, which include a lot which don't accept the ACSI Card.
You might just find that a site which accepts Camping Cheques may offer you the same nightly cost for a cash payment in euros. We've seen that happen at one site in the Auvergne - where another British visitor told us that he always asks Camping Cheque sites if they will match the rate for a cash payment and apparently many do!

 

[emmitdb]

Greetings,

Just to add another dimension to this thread, there will be people who, in the past, have bought Camping Cheques in tandem with buying a crossing via the Caravan Club website. In the past (and I have been guilty of checking and double checking?) the C.C. have given very sharp deals and have usually beaten other Ferry Providers in the price they offer, discounting of course the price of Camping Cheques in the equation. However, this year the Camping and Caravan Club have been matching the C.C. when it comes to ferry fares and this means that it is no longer an incentive to buy the Camping Cheque inclusive fares. (Sorry Val. I know you like the 'Second Hand' Cheques!)

This message is purely for information and I would suggest that any potential ferry goer checks the prices before making the above assumption a cast ironed guarantee.

 

[ValA.]

I have had quite a few offers this year, Emmit, so someone must be getting a cheap deal! I'm trying to find one of the posts - but reportedly taking the cheques as part of the package brought the total cost down by twice as much as the cheques cost - saving around £90 on the ferry, and effectively giving him seven free cheques. I bought those so his saving was £90 plus what I paid him for the cheques.

 

[ValA.]

Here's another saver: My April ferry Portsmouth/ Caen would have been £323 without the cheques but cost me £303 including 7 cheques worth £92.45! So they are free and the deal saves me £20.

And another: Our August trip would have cost us £528.14 for the ferry alone but including 7 CCs it is £435.92. I can't use the CCs on the site we are visiting but I have a buyer who is willing to pay £12 per cheque so I can knock another £84 off the cost of the ferry, bringing it down to £351.92. And another: We are travelling with P&O Hull - Rotterdam, if we had booked direct £433, through the club £343 and thats includes the 7 cheques. Works for me, cheques will be used when in France later in the year.

Sorry can't get paragraphs to work - they are showing in my word document but disappear when pasting it in here!

 

[madeleine]

Good morning
We have used camping cheques in the past but I think I will give acsi a go this year, can you tell me how do i purchas and use it please.
regards

 

[BedfordGeorge]

Hello Madeleine,
You can do it on the web, here is a link to the ACSI site. Do be aware that this works only in the off peak periods, however the directory gives you a large choice of sites you can use at any time. In my opinion it is worth the cost of joining, and is very helpful when planning your jouneys.
http://www.campingcard.co.uk/
Enjoy your touring.

Regards,
George

 

[madeleine]

thanks george its ordered!