Holidaying at home

[GD485]

Is it just me or have campsites got busier in the last couple of years?
In the past booking on one of our favourite sites for mid September has become far more difficult due to the increased numbers of caravans.
It was reported in one of the caravan magazines that new caravan sales have been increasing over the last couple of years. This means more used caravans are available to first time Caravanners.
Increased numbers does mean a healthier future for the campsites but if numbers increase so booking becomes a real hassle it could have a detrimental effect over time by frustrating regular caravanners.

 

[Dustydog]

Can you tell us the site you like?
It all depends where and what type of site you choose.
A number of C&MHC sites tend to get fully booked very early on but then as the old dogs on here know there are other far better places nearby

 

[GD485]

Hi Dustydog

It was more of a general statement regarding the increase in caravanners.
Have you notice sites are getting harder to book?
The sites we often go to for a September break are C&CC at Dartmouth or Charmouth and sometimes the fantastic Looe Country Park at Bucklawren.

 

[Lynnybobs]

[/quote]Increased numbers does mean a healthier future for the campsites but if numbers increase so booking becomes a real hassle it could have a detrimental effect over time by frustrating regular caravanners

Surely the increasing popularity of caravanning is a good thing - sites, manufacturers and the UK economy in general benefit from 'staycations'
Everyone has the same opportunity to book sites.....newbies or 'regular' caravanners .....

 

[Kiveton]

I'm surprised that the two clubs aren't doing anything to allow for their increasing memberships.
More members need more club sites surely.

 

[GD485]

You're right.
I think more sites could be a better way to increase capacity.
Increasing the size of existing sites will spoil the attraction of some locations.

 

[DrZhivago]

I think someone's BBCode has gone a bit awry, but I think this is what was said :-

Surely the increasing popularity of caravanning is a good thing - sites, manufacturers and the UK economy in general benefit from 'staycations'

Good for some, but no good for you or me if we cannot go caravanning because the sites are full up

Everyone has the same opportunity to book sites.....newbies or 'regular' caravanners .....

Depends on your circumstances. I don't like to book very far ahead because there always seems to be some family crisis or other circumstance that spoils the plan.

I wonder if the increased caravan sales are mainly going to static installations. I used a large site last year with about 50% static vans, and returned this year to find it had increased to about 75% static. Another site I was intending to go to shortly has gone 100% static in the last year, as I discovered from first checking their website.

 

[GD485]

Dr Z
I hope the move towards static or seasonal pitches is not going to develope across the country.
Us tourers could run out of good places to stay

 

[Dustydog]

The likes of Dorset Cornwall and Chatsworth Park Derbyshire are always going to be heavily booked in peak times. There is a lot of good news on the horizon :cheer:
Both Clubs are carrying out refurbs and further developing their CLs and CSs.
A lot of excellent commercial sites are also expanding and investing in 21st Century infrastructures . Only because their turnovers have increased due to the rising popularity of caravanning.
As an example Wheathill Touring Park near Ludlow has this year doubled its capacity of fully serviced pitches from 25 to 50. No tents, no statics but it is an Adult Only.
So it's not doom and gloom but excellent all round. We often choose long weekends away at short notice and have not experienced much difficulty in getting what we want excluding the sites mentioned above. In fact even Dorset and Cornwall are fairly quiet outside the July August school holiday period.

 

[WoodlandsCamper]

I've just reminded the OH about Wheathill and she has said we must go back there some time. Not likely to be this year though, perhaps Spring next year.

 

[Raywood]

I think the problem is twofold. There are more caravans being sold and the exchange rate against the Euro has dropped meaning more people are looking for pitches in the UK. At the same time we seem to be losing sites to developers wanting to build on the land which is far more profitable than selling pitches and other operators adding statics and reducing the number of touring pitches. There was still plenty of choice for us this year and we only had to pick an alternative site on one occasion.

 

[Mel]

Dr Z
I hope the move towards static or seasonal pitches is not going to develope across the country.
Us tourers could run out of good places to stay

I think that the increase in popularity of seasonal pitches will increase the availability of touring pitches as seasonal pitches give site owners a stable income, allowing them to open new sites or pitches.
Mel

 

[Martin24]

We are restricted to school holidays for a few more years and despite this have never had an issue of pitches not being available. Perhaps it depends on the type of pitch we are looking for? The only one we book early is our August 28 night stretch near to home so that we don't find ourselves having to come home for a couple of nights.