Have been a member of CC but sometimes it is difficult to get bookings at our fav sites - SO have been thinking about joining the C&CC
So what are the differences?
Cheers
Nic
So what are the differences?
Cheers
Nic
Caravan Club or Camping and caravan club
- Thread starter nicholas_374570249
- Start date
I'm a member of both as the cost is not a lot for a year, both have there own little differences but as regards to camp sites I would say that Caravan Club sites are of a better standard. Camping and Caravan Sites in my experience have been a little bit tired buts till good though.
A few more details - we are a young family with 2 boys of 6 and 8. we have been to and have enjoyed a few CC sites and they are great quality but sometimes the kids are not as welcome. Now after reading some of the posts re kids I NEVER let my kids play out of my site, play ball games by vans or cars. So from what I have read the C&CC seems a bit more family orientated - is this a fair view?
Without a doubt the C & CC sites are much more family orientated than the CC sites.
Stayed at West Runton C & CC site last year (near Cromer) and a CC site is located right next door. The CC site was like a morgue in comparison to the C & CC site.
Stayed at West Runton C & CC site last year (near Cromer) and a CC site is located right next door. The CC site was like a morgue in comparison to the C & CC site.
Quote Big S ... "The CC site was like a morgue in comparison to the C & CC site".
If you mean quiet and peaceful, sheer bliss ;O)
If you mean quiet and peaceful, sheer bliss ;O)
Well in that case Big S I'm sorry that nicholas feels that he has to stop his kids from playing ball games by caravans on CC sites but I would have thought by doing so he's acting as a responsible parent. I've obviously missed the point :O)
many sites provide play areas ,or football pitches ,yet on a lot of the sites the play areas are empty ,and the kids are kicking balls or throwing frisbees around the caravans , i take my grandchildren away sometimes but i get off my behind and take them to the play area and play with them ,people are getting to lazy you see them driving around to the toilet block ,and to the waste bins ,you only have to visit the local supermarket and watch them all trying to park near the door , whats happened to walking, you can see why we are the fattest nation in Europe ,and that includes me ,but at least i can see it
Parksy
Moderator
Hi Nicholas
The most obvious difference between the two clubs is that the C&CC allow tent campers to use their sites and certified sites.
The tents are usually located in a separate area to caravans but on small certified sites this is not always the case.
I'm not a members of the CC but the main club sites that I have used have been of a standard equal to any Caravan Club site that I've visited and the Camping and Caravanning Club have recently announced a
The most obvious difference between the two clubs is that the C&CC allow tent campers to use their sites and certified sites.
The tents are usually located in a separate area to caravans but on small certified sites this is not always the case.
I'm not a members of the CC but the main club sites that I have used have been of a standard equal to any Caravan Club site that I've visited and the Camping and Caravanning Club have recently announced a
Parksy,
Having tried a few C. andC.C. sites the hard standings are not a patch on the Caravan Club ones. Take Blackmore as an example, a bit of plastic set into the grass.
Also from my experience the loo blocks are not upto the standard of Caravan Club ones.Some are not even heated, and the heating systems are well below the standard of the Caravan Club.
I left the C andCC club due to the lower standards. This is evident from the fact that they have to spend
Having tried a few C. andC.C. sites the hard standings are not a patch on the Caravan Club ones. Take Blackmore as an example, a bit of plastic set into the grass.
Also from my experience the loo blocks are not upto the standard of Caravan Club ones.Some are not even heated, and the heating systems are well below the standard of the Caravan Club.
I left the C andCC club due to the lower standards. This is evident from the fact that they have to spend
Parksy
Moderator
Each to their own Hamer
It's funny that there are very few if any forum complaints about the availability of pitches for C&CC sites which suggests that there is some difference between the booking habits of members of the C&CC and the CC.
There are relatively less forum complaints in general from members of the C&CC in comparison to those posted by CC members.
This could suggest that
A)The C&CC members are an uncomplaining lot and the Camping and Caravanning Club lives up to it's motto of 'The friendly club'.
B)CC members complain about their club and the behaviour of it's members on internet forums rather a lot and are therefore dissatisfied in one way or another despite the supposed higher standards.
Before CC members become up in arms and start to complain about my comments a browse around any caravan related internet forum will show that the majority of posts or comments which express dissatisfaction with their club or it's members originates from CC members so high standards or not so high the C&CC must be doing something right because relatively fewer complaints originate from it's members :0)
Nicholas the o.p.is already a CC member, both clubs have their merits so the best thing for him would be to either try a C&CC site as a non member or join the C&CC for one year initially to find out for himself whether or not the atmosphere of the C&CC which generates so few forum complaints would suit him and his young family.
It's funny that there are very few if any forum complaints about the availability of pitches for C&CC sites which suggests that there is some difference between the booking habits of members of the C&CC and the CC.
There are relatively less forum complaints in general from members of the C&CC in comparison to those posted by CC members.
This could suggest that
A)The C&CC members are an uncomplaining lot and the Camping and Caravanning Club lives up to it's motto of 'The friendly club'.
B)CC members complain about their club and the behaviour of it's members on internet forums rather a lot and are therefore dissatisfied in one way or another despite the supposed higher standards.
Before CC members become up in arms and start to complain about my comments a browse around any caravan related internet forum will show that the majority of posts or comments which express dissatisfaction with their club or it's members originates from CC members so high standards or not so high the C&CC must be doing something right because relatively fewer complaints originate from it's members :0)
Nicholas the o.p.is already a CC member, both clubs have their merits so the best thing for him would be to either try a C&CC site as a non member or join the C&CC for one year initially to find out for himself whether or not the atmosphere of the C&CC which generates so few forum complaints would suit him and his young family.
Parksy
Moderator
Further to my post Steve wrote in the comments ''Good description!
The only other point i would like to raise is; C&CC rallies, you just turn up and pay, no pre book.CC Rallies are pre book and pre pay? Totally opposite from the main sites policies? Why?'
That's true Steve which means that if the weather is too bad as C&CC members we can decide on the Friday morning whether to go on a weekend rally without inconvenience or loss.
There are however some exceptions because some district associations occasionally host large events with entertainment and pitches marked out to avoid overcrowding.
One such event held annually by the West Midlands d.a. is the 60s, 70s & 80s Weekend held at Hyde Farm, Pinvin, Worcs which due to it's popularity has to be booked in advance. (Richard, if you see this mine's a pint!)
The only other point i would like to raise is; C&CC rallies, you just turn up and pay, no pre book.CC Rallies are pre book and pre pay? Totally opposite from the main sites policies? Why?'
That's true Steve which means that if the weather is too bad as C&CC members we can decide on the Friday morning whether to go on a weekend rally without inconvenience or loss.
There are however some exceptions because some district associations occasionally host large events with entertainment and pitches marked out to avoid overcrowding.
One such event held annually by the West Midlands d.a. is the 60s, 70s & 80s Weekend held at Hyde Farm, Pinvin, Worcs which due to it's popularity has to be booked in advance. (Richard, if you see this mine's a pint!)
Parksy,
In compareing the two clubs i was compareing the facilities, not on site behaveour.The standard of Caravan Cub on site facilities is higher than the Camping Club. Hopefully with the new investment the on site facilities of the C andCC club will improve.However this may not be to the agreement of all members of the C and CC club.
To say that because the majority of post complaints means the standards on Caravan Club sites is not so high is misleading.It is due to the high standards set by the Caravan Club, set too high for some people, that we get so many complaints when members find standards below what they expect.
I have heard some members say that the Caravan Club spend too much money on "luxury" loo blocks like Chatsworth and Troutbeck Head but at the end of the the day it is a matter of personal choice.
There is a place for both clubs.
Hamer
In compareing the two clubs i was compareing the facilities, not on site behaveour.The standard of Caravan Cub on site facilities is higher than the Camping Club. Hopefully with the new investment the on site facilities of the C andCC club will improve.However this may not be to the agreement of all members of the C and CC club.
To say that because the majority of post complaints means the standards on Caravan Club sites is not so high is misleading.It is due to the high standards set by the Caravan Club, set too high for some people, that we get so many complaints when members find standards below what they expect.
I have heard some members say that the Caravan Club spend too much money on "luxury" loo blocks like Chatsworth and Troutbeck Head but at the end of the the day it is a matter of personal choice.
There is a place for both clubs.
Hamer
Interesting point you make Hamer.
Whilst there are good and bad points in both clubs, the standards of the facilities in both clubs are generally very good.
Interesting to note also that the C & C C are regular winners in various categories in the Loo of the Year awards.
In fact in 2009 the winner in the Caravan and Camping category for England was the C & C C site at Taversal in Nottinghamshire. They also won the award for a site in Scotland but I cannot remeber the name of the site at present.
Whilst winning this award isn't the be all and end all it does show that the facilities in many C & CC sites are as good as if not better than in the CC.
Whilst there are good and bad points in both clubs, the standards of the facilities in both clubs are generally very good.
Interesting to note also that the C & C C are regular winners in various categories in the Loo of the Year awards.
In fact in 2009 the winner in the Caravan and Camping category for England was the C & C C site at Taversal in Nottinghamshire. They also won the award for a site in Scotland but I cannot remeber the name of the site at present.
Whilst winning this award isn't the be all and end all it does show that the facilities in many C & CC sites are as good as if not better than in the CC.
i was thinking of not joing the CC again this year due to the booking issues, but what really becomes apparant is the total negativity towards kids.
I am not sure if i even want to go caravaning with my kids incase they make a noise or god forbid start laughing and giggling, and having a really good time.
I am not sure if i even want to go caravaning with my kids incase they make a noise or god forbid start laughing and giggling, and having a really good time.
Parksy
Moderator
Hi Hamer
I agree entirely that there is a place for both clubs but while the standards of the facilities on offer by both clubs may differ some of this is due in part to the differences between the wider body of the membership of the respective clubs i.m.h.o.
The C&CC embraces an environmentally friendly policy which is sometimes reflected in on site facilities.Because many C&CC members are campers the club is committed to adhering to it's green credentials because the tenters quite rightly have an equal voice in the running of the C&CC as caravan and motorhome owners.
It's a fact that the CC hard standings may be regarded as being superior by CC members but many C&CC members would argue that the 'bit of plastic set in grass' that you mentioned earlier has less impact on the surrounding environment because grass is allowed to grow through the plastic mesh creating a much greener overall impression on sites.
As Big S mentioned facilities in many of the C&CC sites is equal to those offered by the CC and the overall standard of both clubs is generally high.
Behavioural standards of members is in the lap of the gods but the impression that I have gained is that there appears to be less of a 'windbreak fortress' mentality prevalent amongst C&CC members.
I've never seen really unacceptable behaviour by families or dog owners on the mainstream C&CC sites that I've stayed on over the past ten years such as ball games, bikes and frisbees near to caravans or dog fouling and I don't see many posts or comments by C&CC members complaining about this sort of thing so maybe C&CC members are prepared to put up with slightly less than luxurious facilities in exchange for relatively trouble free holidays if this is indeed the case and the forum complaints by CC members reflect reality.
Nicholas who opened this topic obviously feels that standards set by the CC are too high otherwise he wouldn't be asking if the C&CC is more family friendly.
I have the greatest admiration and respect for the CC and it's members but as a C&CC member my points are intended as an honest appraisal of things that appear on an almost daily basis on this and other caravan forums.
I don't know how 'family friendly' the CC is, perhaps the members who are not given to complaining about the behaviour of children on sites would care to enlighten us but as a C&CC member I'd recommend to Nicholas that he gives the C&CC a try, I don't think that he will be too disappointed by the 'tired appearance' or the 'lower standards'.
I agree entirely that there is a place for both clubs but while the standards of the facilities on offer by both clubs may differ some of this is due in part to the differences between the wider body of the membership of the respective clubs i.m.h.o.
The C&CC embraces an environmentally friendly policy which is sometimes reflected in on site facilities.Because many C&CC members are campers the club is committed to adhering to it's green credentials because the tenters quite rightly have an equal voice in the running of the C&CC as caravan and motorhome owners.
It's a fact that the CC hard standings may be regarded as being superior by CC members but many C&CC members would argue that the 'bit of plastic set in grass' that you mentioned earlier has less impact on the surrounding environment because grass is allowed to grow through the plastic mesh creating a much greener overall impression on sites.
As Big S mentioned facilities in many of the C&CC sites is equal to those offered by the CC and the overall standard of both clubs is generally high.
Behavioural standards of members is in the lap of the gods but the impression that I have gained is that there appears to be less of a 'windbreak fortress' mentality prevalent amongst C&CC members.
I've never seen really unacceptable behaviour by families or dog owners on the mainstream C&CC sites that I've stayed on over the past ten years such as ball games, bikes and frisbees near to caravans or dog fouling and I don't see many posts or comments by C&CC members complaining about this sort of thing so maybe C&CC members are prepared to put up with slightly less than luxurious facilities in exchange for relatively trouble free holidays if this is indeed the case and the forum complaints by CC members reflect reality.
Nicholas who opened this topic obviously feels that standards set by the CC are too high otherwise he wouldn't be asking if the C&CC is more family friendly.
I have the greatest admiration and respect for the CC and it's members but as a C&CC member my points are intended as an honest appraisal of things that appear on an almost daily basis on this and other caravan forums.
I don't know how 'family friendly' the CC is, perhaps the members who are not given to complaining about the behaviour of children on sites would care to enlighten us but as a C&CC member I'd recommend to Nicholas that he gives the C&CC a try, I don't think that he will be too disappointed by the 'tired appearance' or the 'lower standards'.
On may Cls and CC sites i use , as soon as the kids climb out of the car you can see the curtains twitching and you get the distinct impression that children are not wanted,and not really welcome, especially on some of the CL's.
Next year we may try the CCC
Next year we may try the CCC
As a childless couple and members of the CC, we generally used Club sites during school term time and out of season, simply because we prefer less crowded places. But even during term time, there are generally children on site at weekends, and I can't say we ever particularly noticed any 'anti-children' behaviour by those without children. Didn't bother us if there were children on site, so long as they're reasonably well behaved (and before anyone says anything, I'm not talking about normal childish behaviour and kids having fun, there's nothing wrong with that, and we were all kids once...in fact, some kids never grow up!! lol).
I think it's probably more to do with each person's perception of how others see us (and/or our kids/dogs).
I think it's probably more to do with each person's perception of how others see us (and/or our kids/dogs).
Parksy
Moderator
The Camping and Caravanning Club sites were once described on this forum in another topic as being 'slightly unkempt', 'rough round the edges' and with 'areas of long grass' so if manicured bowling green type sites is your bag then you might be better off staying away from the C&CC who intentionally leave untended areas on the margins of their sites for wild flowers and insect life to flourish.
The certified sites which I use mainly (these are equivalent to CC certified locations) are fairly relaxed, obviously consideration for fellow site users is needed and expected but the only 'twitchers' are watching the birds.
The certified sites which I use mainly (these are equivalent to CC certified locations) are fairly relaxed, obviously consideration for fellow site users is needed and expected but the only 'twitchers' are watching the birds.
For working families, one big downside to the c&cc is that you can't pre book an electric pitch for a 1 night Saturday stay. With effort (& cost) we now have a setup that should allow hook up free touring.
Parksy
If I understand things correctly you are not a member of the CC. I don't wish to sound rude but you are in danger of showing a bias towards the C&CC in your comments. I am not a member of the C&CC but could appreciate that it has to deal with a broader church in the sense that it covers all aspects of camping where as the CC only has to concern itself with caravans and motorhoms. I would say that 95% of complaints about the CC are to do with the booking systems, however the reverse of that is that there are many members perfectly happy with the system. The Club have recently undertaken a survey of Club Members and despite quite wide publicity it only attracted comments from a tiny minority of total members so what conclusion can be drawn from that? We will have to wait and see until or if they make changes when the new booking season starts.
As to quality of campsites, again I am not in a position to judge between the two but as a CC member I am very happy with the direction the CC use in the design of their sites. Going back to my point about only accepting wheeled camping (!) the hardstanding the Club used are far superior for all year round use. Personally I would avoid a site with grass hardstandings as I think you get the worse of both options. On the point about Loo of the Year its more to do with the CC not putting themself forward fo the award. I don't belong to the C&CC because I don't like several of their policies like deposits, not chosing your own pitch and being unable to book for one night. Obviously others live quite happily with those restrictions. In some ways it is pointless try to compare the two Clubs as they clearly have different approaches which will appeal to different people. They both have pretty big memberships so neither of them can be going that far wrong!
David
If I understand things correctly you are not a member of the CC. I don't wish to sound rude but you are in danger of showing a bias towards the C&CC in your comments. I am not a member of the C&CC but could appreciate that it has to deal with a broader church in the sense that it covers all aspects of camping where as the CC only has to concern itself with caravans and motorhoms. I would say that 95% of complaints about the CC are to do with the booking systems, however the reverse of that is that there are many members perfectly happy with the system. The Club have recently undertaken a survey of Club Members and despite quite wide publicity it only attracted comments from a tiny minority of total members so what conclusion can be drawn from that? We will have to wait and see until or if they make changes when the new booking season starts.
As to quality of campsites, again I am not in a position to judge between the two but as a CC member I am very happy with the direction the CC use in the design of their sites. Going back to my point about only accepting wheeled camping (!) the hardstanding the Club used are far superior for all year round use. Personally I would avoid a site with grass hardstandings as I think you get the worse of both options. On the point about Loo of the Year its more to do with the CC not putting themself forward fo the award. I don't belong to the C&CC because I don't like several of their policies like deposits, not chosing your own pitch and being unable to book for one night. Obviously others live quite happily with those restrictions. In some ways it is pointless try to compare the two Clubs as they clearly have different approaches which will appeal to different people. They both have pretty big memberships so neither of them can be going that far wrong!
David
We are members of both clubs but from our experience I've not noticed any major differences when it comes to the sites themselves. The facilities are more or less the same and so are the pitches.
The only major differences is the booking system and the fact the CC don't accept campers. The C&CC booking system is a problem for us as we don't have the money to pay all the deposits out at the start of the season but if you leave it until too late we often find the sites we like going to are fully booked.
The restriction on single night bookings at weekends is a pain. We both work full time and cannot always book two nights together. In fact there have been times when I've noticed that only the Saturday night is available but the system still wont let you book it because you must book a minimum of two nights!
Sarah
The only major differences is the booking system and the fact the CC don't accept campers. The C&CC booking system is a problem for us as we don't have the money to pay all the deposits out at the start of the season but if you leave it until too late we often find the sites we like going to are fully booked.
The restriction on single night bookings at weekends is a pain. We both work full time and cannot always book two nights together. In fact there have been times when I've noticed that only the Saturday night is available but the system still wont let you book it because you must book a minimum of two nights!
Sarah
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