Caravan Club or Camping and Caravaning Club

[MadMike]

Hi all
Im not a member of either club yet and was wondering if its worth joining i.e. what are the benefits and if so which is best. They both look so similar.
Cheers Mike

 

[Raywood]

Both clubs give you a choice of well run and maintained sites, the C&CC has less sites and they are probably maintained to a lower standard than the CC which are probably over maintained. Having said that there is very little wrong with C&CC sites. On site the C&CC allocate you a pitch but the CC let you choose your own. You pay a £25 deposit to book on the C&CC sites but nothing on CC sites. Costs are similar for both but the C&CC gives a small discount to over 55s except in high season. In poor reception areas the CC tends to have TV hookups but the C&CC does not if that is relevant.
Both clubs have good foreign touring booking services and having used both there is very little in it and many of the sites are the same any way.
Both clubs offer practical and legal advice and other services including insurance and breakdown cover. The CC caravan insurance policy is more expensive but the cover and service is superb as is their breakdown service. I have not tried the C&CC insurance service so cannot comment on this.
With both clubs you get a monthly magazine, I prefer the CC one which has fewer more in depth articles but it is a matter of opinion.
Hopethis helps.

 

[Tukums]

Will second what Raywood has already said. I am a member of both and it is very difficult to say who is best, they both provide what I want. If you like to meet others and socialise, both clubs offer rallies, C&CC have special interest sections i.e. if you like walking, then the Mountain Activity Section or maybe the Folk Group! and both clubs have 5 van sites if you like the basics of caravanning.

 

[otherclive]

I have been in both for several years but now tend to use CC&C as their sites have a more informal layout and far more grass so you actually feel you're in the country wheras many CC sites seem to have lots of hard standings ( good in winter) but precious little grass around them. As someone remarked "I feel as if I have pitched up in a quarry". Also CCC have many more local District Association meets. Join both for a year and give them a good try out you'll save your membership quite quickly with the deals on offer for off peak visits.

 

[Parksy]

As Ray mentioned, both clubs offer well maintained sites although I've heard it said that the C&CC is more welcoming to children than the CC which is reported on various caravan forums by some to be more regimented and less child friendly.
The C&CC has 110 award winning friendly club sites and a network of 1500 member only certificated (5 van) sites for quiter more relaxing getaways. The certificated sites often have amenities such as showers and toilets because the C&CC allows tent campers which the CC does not. Many C&CC members with families use their caravan for the adults and allow their children to sleep in pup tents during warmer weather, and the C&CC has a thriving youth network which means that the children can go camping without you.
C&CC district association rallies are open to all members and unlike CC rallies they do not normally have to be pre-booked, you just turn up on the day.
It's true that on C&CC main club sites (not certified sites) you are offered one of a number of available pitches and escorted to the pitch by a C&CC employee. This is done in order to prevent members racing around campsites in their cars, sometimes the wrong way around one way systems, trying to get to a choice pitch before anyone else does, as has been reported often on this and other caravan forums by CC members where the 'freedom of choice' can lead to competition for more popular pitches.
To ensure the fairness of pitch availability the C&CC, in common with most holiday sites, ask for a deposit (not on certified sites) at the time that a booking is made. It's true that the CC do not require a deposit but they are said by their own members to have the problem of selfish people who book several pitches in advance at once , allowing others no chance of booking a pitch at popular sites.
I'm not sure about the tv hook ups, we don't go on holiday to watch the telly but you can buy a portable sattelite dish kit from Aldi for £29.99 if tv is essential.
In addition to the C&CC age related discount the club also offer 4 nights for the price of 3 or 7 nights for the price of 5 to all C&CC members at selected club sites.
Both clubs offer breakdown recovery services, legal advice and caravan insurance.
As a C&CC member I use the C&CC club care insurance and when our brand new caravan was written off in the 2007 floods the C&CC insurance paid the insured new for old sum insured with no fuss or hassle whatsoever, I would strongly recommend C&CC caravan insurance but compare the cost of the premium with other insurers and check the T&C's for yourself.
C&CC membership is £40 a year for 2 adults and up to 4 children if paid by direct debit, both clubs offer smilarities so why not try both for the first year to find out which you prefer?

 

[TonyG]

I'm a member of both clubs, hardly ever use their sites, hate being in a regimented line like a load of tin boxes all stacked neatly. but the CS/CL's are great

 

[Gagakev]

Am member of C&CC mainly for the insurance (do use there sites a couple of times a year) and after searching the web for caravan insurance last year found they were the best buy and cheaper than most quotes I got.
The saving on the insurance saved me more than double the membership fee!! And this years cover was £10.00 cheaper than last year.

 

[Martin24]

We belong to both, we don't use the sites provided by either but instead use CL's and CS's. We benefit from Mayday breakdown cover on both cars (considerably cheaper than the AA and RAC) and the service provided over the years has been excellent. We use CC for van insurance at the moment but that varies some years. I have to say that we're considering dropping the CCC membership as we've only used a CS once in the last two years and that was not the most successful of holidays because of noisy, rude and drunken tent dwelling people over a long weekend. I have to say the owners did all they could to sort the issues out coming out to the site late at night and banning the people from the site in the future but the memory lingers. Having said that it's handy to have a back up network when you want to be staying in a specific area and the CL's are full or closed out of season.
I would probably say try joining both for a couple of years and then see which you use most or all the time and which offers benefits that suit your needs best!!

 

[Surfer]

One of the mods on here highlighted the C & CC to us and against our better judgement we rejoined thinking things had changed. Sadly this was not the case as we found out when using the C & CC site at Blackmore earlier this year. I related our experience in another thread which you should be able to find if you do a search. Our treatment by the wardens was absolutely disgusting.
In October last year we went on a rally in Deby organised by another forum. The site appeared to be newish and was very nice, but again the warden was rather abrupt and rude and we got crapped on for arriving a day earlier. We thought the rally organiser had missed our email, but she went and had a word with the warden and the list was found. The warden had been looking at an outdated list! Apparently we weren't th only ones to get this treatment.
Lastly we went to a site a St Neots which is a very nice site and was our first visit to a & CC site. I went to use the disabled toilet, but it was locked so went to the warden who spoke to me as if I was a child and then demanded a £5 deposit. I thought this was very discriminatory as other people never had to pay a deposit for using the regular toilets. Again the attitude of the warden could have been better. The most annoying part was when leaving, was standing in a queue to get back your £5!
So here we have three occasions where the attitude of the wardens left a lot to be desired. I have never attended a DA so cannot comment, but the mod in question assures me that they are nice people and I assume he is correct because he is a nice woosie!
My suggestion is to join both and then to make up your own mind. After all, why must we be the only ones to suffer the wrath of C & CC wardens for no apparent reason or fault of ours!

 

[MadMike]

Well thanks everyone for your input. Lots to take in there so I'll probably join both and take it from there.
Cheers Mike

 

[MadMike]

Sorry for being dim but can someone let me know what CS and CL 's are.
Thanks Mike

 

[Raywood]

CS and CL's are small sites certified by the clubs for use by members and limited to five units. They are anything from a farmers field to a country pub or sports club and there is even at least one National Trust property in the list. Facilities vary from water and toilet disposal through electric hook ups to high quality showers and toilets. You will find them almost everywhere and they are usually far cheaper than full sites and you will get the personal touch from the owners. If that appeals to you then join one of the clubs.

 

[Parksy]

One of the mods on here highlighted the C & CC to us and against our better judgement we rejoined thinking things had changed. Sadly this was not the case as we found out when using the C & CC site at Blackmore earlier this year. I related our experience in another thread which you should be able to find if you do a search.

T'was me that highlighted the C&CC, sorry it didn't work out for you Surfer

Sorry for being dim but can someone let me know what CS and CL 's are.
Thanks Mike

Don't worry Mike, the only silly question is the one that you didn't ask - but should have.
Besides the main club sites which can be of varying sizes. local councils issue licences or certificates for sites which are (in theory anyway) limited to 5 units (caravans or motorhomes)
Most of these small 5 unit sites are affilliated to one or the other of the two main clubs and you have to be a member to use a 5 unit site affilliated to the respective club.
The C&CC call the 5 unit sites certified sites (CS's) and the CC describe them as certified locations (CL's)
The facilities on these small sites can be minimal, sometimes just a drinking water supply and an elsam point to empty the toilet, some have more facilities such as a washroom or shower, toilet and ehu ( electric hook up) so it's best to check before turning up if you want more facilities.
These small sites are less expensive than main club sites, are usually nice and quiet and in some great locations, we prefer certified sites mainly rather than the larger club sites.

 

[hortimech]

CS = certified site, Camping & caravanning club 5 pitch site.
CL = certified location, Caravan club 5 pitch site.

Also, what is that in the picture on your posts?

 

[Connie1]

Hi CL's are certified locations with the C&CC club they are normally 5 van sites, and CS's are certified sites with the CC which are also five van sites, both club have these in their hand books, prices are cheaper, these are for members only

 

[MadMike]

Thanks everyone.
Makes sense now.

Hortimech, the picture on my posts is a photo I took of the Armadillo 'moon buggy' from the film Armageddon.
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We saw it when we went to Disneylandparis earlier this year.