Booking pitches

[MadMike]

Hi there,
I was wondering wether you have to book touring pitches in advance or wether you can just rock up and get a pitch. I realise its better to book, to assure yourself a spot but sometimes I like to do things on the spur of the moment. I'm not sure how busy campsites get or if its not the done thing!
Any thoughts
Cheers Mike

 

[ValA.]

I'd say in this country you generally have to book.
In France and most of Europe you don't have to book, except at the very big sites, in peak French holiday season, which is mid-July to mid-August. Smaller sites don't need booking even in high season.

 

[otherclive]

We always book ahead particularly if it's a popular area and a site we are keen on. Also weekends can see some sites fully booked months ahead. For quick breaks too we always ring ahead to check availability. Cannot think of anything more likely to cause marital grief than having 1.5 tonnes and 7+ metres of aluminium in tow and nowhere to park it for the night.

 

[birdman101]

We always book .Had an experience many years ago when i had a choice of three sites in mind and could not get on any of them.After sitting looking at sites directory found one after about two hours,never again.

 

[Parksy]

Both the Caravan Club and the Camping and Caravanning Club have in addition to their main sites lots of small certified sites which often have minimal facilities and are much less expensive than the larger sites or commercially owned holiday parks.
If you become a member of either club you have access to these certified sites and are able to look at the weather forecast, have a look online for certified sites in an area that you want to visit and a quick phone call either the day before or on the morning that you travel will often secure a pitch, so some level of spontaneity is possible.
To be really spontaneous and just 'rock up' with no prior booking on the spur of the moment you need to join the C&CC where you will automatically become a member of your local district association.
DA's usually hold rallies each weekend from around March - November, these rallies are a very inexpensive way to get the most out of your caravan and youngsters love them.
The rally sites often (but not always) have very few facilities apart from a tap for drinking water and a place to empty your elsan but for making your mind up on the spur of the moment they are hard to beat.

 

[MadMike]

Thanks everyone. Feedback excellent as usual. First pitch booked for next weekend at steeple bay in Essex. Wish me luck.I may need it!

 

[PlumbersWife]

Parksy - We have joined the C&CC and would like to join a rally next weekend, but I have tried phoning the person organising the meet 3 times and also phoned the C&CC booking line but to no avail.
Can we really just turn up unannounce, and do we have to comply with the coffe mornings and things- or can we just do our own thing.?

 

[PlumbersWife]

Duplicate Post

 

[lauramumof3]

keep trying to phone as they have a limited number of caravans although some will take 70 caravans. We went on our first this year and have since been on 3 and really enjoyed them the kids love em as there are kids activities. And its nice for us to feel like we are going out too!!! (even if its to the quiz in the social tent lol) but they definatly dont put pressure on you joining in so you can just use the rallies as a base to do your own thing. Ours is the caravan club and you can go with any centre not just your own, so if we are planning to go out of the area i check first to see if there are any rallies around-they are so cheap!! only downside is we had to get to grips with no electric but hey we survived!!

 

[joeby]

with this weather you wont have any trouble getting in any where ,

 

[PlumbersWife]

Hi Laura, thanks for that advise, I have found last months mag and there was more info. in that one, but there was a Adv.bkg ess by 8th June, so it looks like we might be a be too late. However, there was an email address so I have emailed to see if any vacancies.
We will try another meet if no places, so will let you know how we get on. Carol.

 

[Parksy]

Parksy - We have joined the C&CC and would like to join a rally next weekend, but I have tried phoning the person organising the meet 3 times and also phoned the C&CC booking line but to no avail.
Can we really just turn up unannounce, and do we have to comply with the coffe mornings and things- or can we just do our own thing.?

Apologies for my late reply Mrs Plumber, we were on a rally over the weekend.............
No need to telephone anybody in advance, have a look to see if there is a specified time when the rally is open (often mid Friday afternoon) and just turn up - completely and absolutely 100% unnanounced!
( Caravan Club rallies usually need to be pre booked, usually C&CC rallies require no pre booking unless otherwise stated in the Out and About magazine feature)
If you are rallying for the very first time look for the little printed (or sometimes written) road signs which will show the entrance to the rally field and the stewards caravan will be close to the site entrance, so pull up outside the stewards caravan.
Have your C&CC membership card ready so that the steward can copy the number, your car reg. number and the number of campers ( including dogs, cats & gerbills) This formality breaks the ice but it's simply for insurance purposes, and the rally steward is usually pleased to see you because there's nothing worse than being a steward if nobody turns up

The rally steward is normally a friendly pleasant type and if you mention that you are on your very first rally the steward will let you know where to fill your aqaroll, where to empty tho casette toilet and anything else that you ought to know so that you can enjoy the rally. When you've been a few times these things seem to drop into place but if in doubt just ask somebody, they will always be happy to help.
Don't worry about 'coffee mornings and things', take time to find out whether or not rallying might be for you because there is absolutely no compunction whatsoever to attend coffee mornings, local walks, kids disco's, quiz nights, evening entertainment in a village hall or to whether to have a go on the raffle....your weekend, you decide.
On your first couple of rallies no one knows you and of couse no one will talk about you if you swerve the coffee morning and no one will try to persuade you to 'take part' in anything, it's up to you and no one will bother you.
Obviously, as you get to know people and they get to know you, you and your family might enjoy spending more time with them, you don't need to be an extrovert or a joiner in, just be yourselves, and give it a go to see what you think......

 

[Parksy]

Hi Laura, thanks for that advise, I have found last months mag and there was more info. in that one, but there was a Adv.bkg ess by 8th June, so it looks like we might be a be too late. However, there was an email address so I have emailed to see if any vacancies.
We will try another meet if no places, so will let you know how we get on. Carol.

I've just noticed that the rally that you wanted to attend was shown as advanced booking so you may not be in time for that one.
Advanced bookings are sometimes required if a rally site is popular but has limited space, or restricted access which could cause caravans queuing to enter the site to disrupt local road traffic.
If there is no 'Adv Bkg' shown in the Out and About secton then you can simply turn up, and C&CC members are welcome at all d.a. meets throughout the country and it's often very convenient to decide shortly before setting off according to the weather forecast for the weekend.

 

[PlumbersWife]

The meet was in fact on a commercial site and therefore pre-booked pitches, but a very nice lady emailed me back and said that we could still come if we wanted as they had a couple of spare pitches. But as we were a bit green we had booked another site, we are going to try our 1st. C.S. Site. We won't given up and will try again if another site that takes our fancy comes up. will keep you posted how we get on. Thanks again Parksy - that was excellent advise and has really put our minds at ease. and look forward to trying a meet soon.

 

[Parksy]

I'm sure that you'll enjoy your first rally meet Plumbers wife, it takes time to get to know the regulars but before you know it you will be stewarding a rally!
Enjoy the CS, apart from rallies we rarely stay on anything other than the quieter 5 van sites and have one or two favourites.
Before you set off it might be best to place a courtesy call to make sure that there is an available pitch and this allows you a good opportunity to ask how much you will pay per night including electric hook up.
This saves any embarrassment later when the site owner comes to collect their fee and there is a discrepancy between the price shown in the book or on the website and the actual price being asked, as can sometimes happen.
This can sometimes work in your favour, our regular CS near to Bedford where we stay just before August Bank Holiday when we attend a music festival in the area was advertised at £19 per night including ehu.
When I remarked during a phone conversation that the fee had gone up the site owner pointed out that the price was the same as always but there was an error on the website.