How much on average do you pay per night?

[rubynoodles37]

Hi all-we are new to touring, we have had our caravan now for two months and we are loving it!!

We have been away 4 times so far and have liked each site. We are paying on average £20 per night for our pitches. The sites have been nice and tidy, usually with toilet/shower blocks, electric hook-up and a small play area for our 7 and 9 year old.

Just wondering what is the average price per night and is it possible to find anywhere cheaper than this?

Although we like the look of the all singing, all dancing sites some of these seem to be coming up at around £50 per night in the school holidays which kind of defeats the object for us as we are on a quest to have cheaper family trips away.

Ideally, we would like an electric hook up and water but as we have the on-board tank and gas its not really a problem and we aren't really too bothered about swimming pools, clubs houses etc as we like to explore the local areas instead.

So really the answer is - is it possible to find pitches which are cheaper than £20 per night? Thanks

 

[WoodlandsCamper]

If you join one or other of the two big clubs they each have a network of 5-van sites (about 2,000 each). These sites can vary from very basic with no hookup to very 'posh' sites. Prices can be from about £7 per night up to about £20. Ones with hookup would be about £12 per night. If they charge more than £20 per night then you might as well go for a main site.

Enjoy.

 

[colin-yorkshire]

So really the answer is - is it possible to find pitches which are cheaper than £20 per night? Thanks

hi, yes it is !!! I suspect being new to caravanning you have not yet found your feet and decided what type of sites suit you best, as WC says the main clubs have a range of sites that suit most of us, some are very basic some are all singing and dancing as a rule the more the site offers the dearer it is, and nearer it is to some popular place the more the price rises.
try them all at least once, start a book noting which sites you use what they have and the price, it will become very valuable in the years to come, dont forget modern vans are quite capable of being used without EHU and the battery should last at least a few days without recharge, ideal for short stays.
the sheer joy of being in the middle of the countryside on your own on a site that cost £5 a night is what vans were made for. :cheer:

 

[Craigyoung]

We stay in Yorkshire a lot , on one or two CL sites , its only an hours drive but great for weekends away , we pay £12 a night on one site , EHU and there's a single toilet and a shower , loads off room for kids to run about to . Already booked for next Easter ! The other is £7 a night , EHU only , large field and peaceful , great , (featured in this months cc mag) , enjoy .

 

[Raywood]

The cost of sites temds to be based on the facilites they have and quality. You can find Caravan Club sites with no toilet block and these will cost far less. We find a wide range of prices from about £15 to 25 with a bit more in August but we do not use sites with pools, bars etc.

 

[Craigyoung]

I agree with raywood , don't go for pools and bars , it doesn't make it a cheap weekend , take a few bottles of wine to chill , & find a local for good food .

 

[Mel]

The C&CC run Temporary holiday sites which vary in facilities but should mean a cheaper pitch and other families so the kids can find friends.
Mel

 

[paws]

there's a caravan club site midway between London and Brighton that has a fixed charge of £12.50 per night (includes electric) and it applies at any time of the year (at the height of the season as well!)
regards
paws
PS don't tell anyone..as we are trying to keep it a secret!

 

[rubynoodles37]

Thanks everyone - I notice a couple of you mentioned the Caravan Club - Is it worth joining? Which is better Caravan Club or Camping and Caravan Club?

 

[WoodlandsCamper]

Which is better Caravan Club or Camping and Caravan Club?

Don't start World War 3.

It's down to personal choice. At the C&CC caravans are interspersed with frame tents and the wardens tell you where to pitch. No frame tents are allowed at CC sites, but some sites do have a small area for the odd tent and the vans can pitch on any main pitch that is available, depending on whether they want an awning up or not.

 

[Parksy]

Both clubs offer similar things like insurance, breakdown services etc and there are many who say that the toilet blocks on CC sites are superior to those on C&CC sites which is fine if you spend your holidays in the toilet :lol:
If you are eldrely and looking for top quality I'd recommend the CC and if you are younger and have children I'd recommend the C&CC, but as a C&CC member some would say I'm biased.
There are the termporary holiday sites already mentioned, the C&CC allows tents so your children can enjoy a tenting adventure while you are close at hand with all the comforts of a caravan and many district associations (which you automatically belong to as members) have thriving youth sections.
If you don't mind ditching the tv, socialising with other families and using your caravan to it's fullest potential (including the loo) C&CC weekend rallies enable you to use your caravan most weekends, if you have children they soon make friends and can play together safely, the rallies are often less than £10 per night for the caravan, kids, dogs and yourselves included and you don't need to pre-book for most rallies, just turn up with your membership card. Some rallies have very good entertainment, Click Here to have a look at the West Midlands rally calender, most DA's have something similar.

 

[Parksy]

p.s. On C&CC main sites the frame tents are normally in a separate area although on some small certified sites tents can use pitches adjacent to caravan pitches.
Some see this as a drawback but small sites which allow tenters are more likely to have toilet and washing facilities and we've never felt troubled or crowded by people in tents.
Caravans on C&CC sites are normally escorted to pitches to prevent the sort of accident in which a child was tragically killed by a car on an CC site where drivers are allowed to drive around the site unsupervised.
The choice is yours however, you could always join both to find out which you prefer.

 

[rubynoodles37]

Thanks Parksy I like the sound of the rallies I will look into that

 

[colin-yorkshire]

hi, while Parksy is right, both clubs offer much the same for their members. the C&CC do allow non members to use club and affiliated sites and some CS's [but charge a small fee] the CC does not as you need a membership no to book.
the good point about this is you can use their sites, to try them out before joining B).
which club to join is really down to personal choice, but it is worth it IMHO as the insurance and breakdown cover is second to none and the discount more than covers the membership fee.
both clubs have pluses and minuses it depends what you want from your caravanning experience,
we had a motorhome for a few years and found the C&CC better because of the pitch allocation [less chance of someone nicking you pitch while out for the day], but prefered the CC when we changed to the caravan.

 

[JTQ]

hi, while Parksy is right, both clubs offer much the same for their members. the C&CC do allow non members to use club and affiliated sites and some CS's [but charge a small fee] the CC does not as you need a membership no to book.
the good point about this is you can use their sites, to try them out before joining B).
which club to join is really down to personal choice, but it is worth it IMHO as the insurance and breakdown cover is second to none and the discount more than covers the membership fee.
both clubs have pluses and minuses it depends what you want from your caravanning experience,
we had a motorhome for a few years and found the C&CC better because of the pitch allocation [less chance of someone nicking you pitch while out for the day], but prefered the CC when we changed to the caravan.

Neither Club by law of the UK can allow non members to use their 5 van networks, ie CLs and CSs. That certain 5 van site owners break the law is not limited to either club, both have their own rouges who are prepared to exploit and abuse the exemption certification system for extra money.
Also it is not right that only the C&CC has sites [main sites] allowing non members, both they and the CC have selected sites that allow non members. But note in both cases it is only selected sites, it is untrue to imply because it is a C&CC site non members can necessarily use it; that all depends on the covernats the clubs have with the actual land owners.

 

[JTQ]

For the younger family the C&CC does offer a benefit over the CC in the way it operates its rallying and temporary holiday sites.
It uniquely allows you to turn up without pre-booking into the event. [With very few exceptions]
The CC operates on a booking basis, though if a meet is not already fully booked even a phone call on the day of intended arrival can get you a place.

Which Club or sub group is best for a younger family is wholly dependent on the clients attending and general ethos of the individual group; experience or inquiring will help find the more suitable ones for your needs.
The C&CC's Temporary Holiday Sits THSs, running in school holidays really by definition will have the child element, that we with our children and later our grandchildren found a brilliant camping provsion; they quickly found "friends" and had some great holidays, as did we.

We are 35 plus year members of both Clubs and use each for their individual strengths as needed. A real current weakness with the CC is that availability of main site pitches in school holidays and week ends is very stretched, so you are unlikely to find an available pitch without being pro active in very early booking or monitoring for cancellation slots. The C&CC operate on a significant booking deposit basis which evidence shows that pitch availability is generally "better". But as said the THS require no pre planning, IMO a great bonus.

 

[rubynoodles37]

Thanks JTQ - I've decided as this is our first year I will become a member of both