CC and overseas bookings

Jan 25, 2010
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First year of caravanning and we have taken the plunge to take our holiday villa on wheels over sea's already...

We got ourselves a bargain ferry crossing at the Caravan Show in Birmingham in October and set about choosing where in France we wanted to stay chose the site but at the point of booking the Caravan Club States..."You cannot book a site without a ferry or tunnel crossing, this can be done by our contact centre but you will be charged an admin charge."

I might be being a bit thick does this mean I CAN book a site without a ferry or tunnel crossing or that I definitely CANT!?!

Also do you have to pay up front for overseas bookings or can you rock up and pay on the day like you can with UK bookings?

Many Thanks in advance for sharing your wisdom

Steve
 
Jan 25, 2010
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I'll answer my own question partly as i have just stumbled across this:

"You cannot book an overseas site without a ferry or Eurotunnel using our online booking service. To discuss these requirements and book an overseas site only please contact our Travel Service on 01342 316 101"

My one remaining question then is... do you have to pay up front for overseas bookings or can you rock up and pay on the day like you can with UK bookings?

 
Mar 14, 2005
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I have booked campsites via the Caravan Club without a crossing but I do always book Red Pennant Insurance which I think makes a difference. As far as paying you do have to pay a deposit and full payment about 6/8 weeks before the date of travel.
David
 
Dec 14, 2006
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Whatever date you're going, I'd always check prices directly with the campsite website as well before checking through the Caravan Club. Sometimes one is cheaper, sometimes the other, and most campsites are now very easy to book on-line. Normally in France you may pay a reservation fee up front, and then pay at the end of your stay.
However, like David (above) we go in May/June and then again the last two weeks in August and into September, and we never book a site - and we've never not been able to find a pitch on a site we wanted. Believe it or not it is still possible to 'tour' in most of Europe outside four weeks from mid-July to mid-August without advance booking - you can just 'up-sticks' and move as and when the weather or your mood dictates!
 
G

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To those that feel booking a European site with the CC is the way to go, just be thoughtful. Firstly, booking through the CC gives no guarantees that the site is either, up to CC standards (whatever they may be) or will give you a preferred pitch. All they have actually done is come to an agreement with a private site to confirm a booking from them, something you could easily do yourself. In fact in many cases your pitch is located in not what one could describe as ‘the A section’. All you actually have is a confirmed pitch somewhere on that site, and you have paid up front for the whole shebang. If for any reason the site is not what you expected, then I am afraid there is no reimbursement. Having been in that situation I can speak from personal experience and all I received back from the CC was a ‘sorry, we will drop that site next year.’ No compensation for the replacement sites we had to find at short notice in high season.

Many of the ‘wiser campers’ know that if you find a good site then book direct as they will be more accommodating to what you wish. In addition, if you use Camping Cheque or ACSI then you can leave as and when you wish. Many sites run what one could describe as a ‘unofficial loyalty programme’ in that repeat visitors are often assisted in their requirements. Computers tell them everything. For example one well known site in the south west of France ( also a well known CC Advance booking site) has a book at reception where you can book direct for the following year stating the pitch you wish, and it is well subscribed, so the pitches allocated to CC Advance Bookings etc, and other Clubs for that matter are often what is left over. I am not saying they are all the bad ones, but you do see the pitches where you think ‘I wish etc, and how did they get that?’ As with many things in life, you live and learn.
 
Mar 14, 2005
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Unless you are going high season and really need a site with all the 'extras' for the kids, just use CC for ferry bookings and Red Pennant.

As others have said, unless you really want to be on a particular site at a particular time- just go, have a couple of sites in mind and get to the first one mid afternoon, so you have time to go to the other if first choce does not appeal.

I've been going to France for some 40 years (admittedly off-peak) but have never pre-booked a site and have never had to sleep in a lay-by. Some of the 'second choices' have not been totally wonderful but it's only for one night and it's more secure than wild camping.

Do some homework from the CC book, look at the sites on Google Earth and don't try to do too many miles in a day - it's a holiday, not a competition.

Bonne route !
 

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