I know this question has been asked before but we have just received a letter from the Caravan Club advertising their services and its started me thinking (thats quite an achievement!). The Caravan Club seems to be bigger than the Camping and Caravan Club and offers more sites and CLs but we were members many years ago and at the time I found all the rules a bit restricting. I know the C&CC is known as the friendly club but what are other peoples experiences? We dont have the kids now and we are quite attracted to the idea of CLs but we must be able to taake our dogs. Jim.
Which club (if any) ?
- Thread starter JandP
- Start date
I have been a member of the Caravan Club for around 27years and use their foreign travel service and caravan insurance.I joined the Camping and Caravan Club about 5 years ago for no other reason than being a member of both meant that I had obviously a greater number of sites to choose from.As far as CL type sites are concerned their is nothing to choose between the two but in my opinion when it comes to Club sites The Caravan Club wins hands down for quality,their magazine is better too,but you pays your money and take your choice.
Pauline and Jim
I to belong to both clubs but my wife and I run a Cl with the CC. I big plus for us as both caravaners and Cl owners is the comlete lack of rules for our Cl with one exception children and dogs on a lead . There are internet sites that give all the details of Cls ( 5van .co.uk) in most areas so you do not need to share your pitch with cows and sheep, unless you want to, and most cls have mains electric hook ups.
David from Suffolk
I to belong to both clubs but my wife and I run a Cl with the CC. I big plus for us as both caravaners and Cl owners is the comlete lack of rules for our Cl with one exception children and dogs on a lead . There are internet sites that give all the details of Cls ( 5van .co.uk) in most areas so you do not need to share your pitch with cows and sheep, unless you want to, and most cls have mains electric hook ups.
David from Suffolk
Hi Jim & Pauline,
My recommendations would be to join the CC. We have been members for about twenty years and have never been restricted by the rules, and only once had a bad experience with the warden. I think you will find it just as friendly as the C&CC, possibly more. We are members of both clubs as it gives us access to all CLs and CSs, and a vast choice of other sites.
My recommendations would be to join the CC. We have been members for about twenty years and have never been restricted by the rules, and only once had a bad experience with the warden. I think you will find it just as friendly as the C&CC, possibly more. We are members of both clubs as it gives us access to all CLs and CSs, and a vast choice of other sites.
I have to echo the above posts, to me theres no competition, but saying that some prefer the C&CC for whatever their own reasons. I do my breakdown and insurance with the C.C. also. I was in the C&CC but have already posted my personal reasons for leaving and why I think it's the inferior club so, not to stir up a hornets nest, I will refrain from posting again heheheh! (Omy, I must be feeling unwell). Oh, in the last thread on this topic I forgot to say that the C&CC magazine is like a comic compared to the CC one. Drat, there I go again, hope the C&CC supporters dont get offended. I will take this opportunity to apologise if they take humbrage. :OP
I've never been a member of C&CC so I can't compare.
The Caravan Club isn't really a club for caravanners, it's a financial and promotional organisation where commercial profit means everything.
I just use the CC for caravan insurance, car/caravan recovery and access to CL's. The membership fee is just part of our insurance cost as far as I'm concerned.
We used to use CC club sites but find them expensive and too stereotypical - we could have been parked in a line anywhere. The standard of facilities are uniform but just cramped.
To correct the info given by David, www.5van.co.uk only includes a small proportion of CL/CS sites and just over half of CLs have mains hook-up.
The CC&C magazine is at least about members, the CC one is just promotion from cover to cover - I don't need to be "encouraged" to go caravanning, I do it as much as I can anyway.
The Caravan Club isn't really a club for caravanners, it's a financial and promotional organisation where commercial profit means everything.
I just use the CC for caravan insurance, car/caravan recovery and access to CL's. The membership fee is just part of our insurance cost as far as I'm concerned.
We used to use CC club sites but find them expensive and too stereotypical - we could have been parked in a line anywhere. The standard of facilities are uniform but just cramped.
To correct the info given by David, www.5van.co.uk only includes a small proportion of CL/CS sites and just over half of CLs have mains hook-up.
The CC&C magazine is at least about members, the CC one is just promotion from cover to cover - I don't need to be "encouraged" to go caravanning, I do it as much as I can anyway.
We find that the C&CC suits us better - we like the ambience of the sites, think the RAC Arrivals scheme is the best breakdown and recovery service available for caravanners and find that the magazine still manages to convey the idea that our hobby may actually be fun! But I have no intention of getting into a tit-for-tat knocking of the Caravan Club - their style obviously is just what many people are looking for, and that's great.
Most of the services provided by the two clubs are of a similarly high standard - insurance, overseas travel etc. Just go for the one that suits you best.
Most of the services provided by the two clubs are of a similarly high standard - insurance, overseas travel etc. Just go for the one that suits you best.
Jim and Pauline, the best option is to use both for one year and choose your favourite, dropping one of them the following year. One point that I haven't seen mentioned is that the CC caters for caravans and motorhomes whereas the C&CC also caters for tents so not all of their sites are available to caravans, they are tents only.
Joined the c&c, last feb and as yet over a year later have not
been able to stay on a site i wanted,when i wanted it.
Ok, so i am new to this, but it seems that many of the better placed sites are pretty well booked well in advance, which is
ok i soppose, if you can book that far in advance..
been able to stay on a site i wanted,when i wanted it.
Ok, so i am new to this, but it seems that many of the better placed sites are pretty well booked well in advance, which is
ok i soppose, if you can book that far in advance..
hi guys we have been in both for about 17years and enjoy the benefits of both memberships. We use the caravan club sites and CL's mainly, their travel service and caravan insurance. I have been a member of the RAC for about 26years and in conjunction with the caravan and camping club i get a discount on my membership. Also they will reacue my caravan and it dosent matter how long it is. (some rescue organisations have length limits) I have european (i have the car abroad several times a year), at home, rescue and recovery which i get for a reasonable price. ive looked at greenflag thro the caravan club but just cant tear myself away from the RAC. Hence both memberships. The Caravan Club sites tend to be a bit quieter and the facilities are of a very high standared thats why we use them most, also the pitches on some of the caravan and camping club sites we've been on are a little less defined. I remember one easter at milarrocy bay at loch lomand felt quite claustrauphobic and the tents seemed to be far too close to us and each other.
Thanks for all your comments. The remark about "parked in a line" reminded me of some of the reasons why we gave up the Caravan Club but our requirements have changed now so I think we will give it a go. The annual membership is only
It would be a serious problem if all one million wanted to go to CLs at the same time,but in reality a large % of members never use CLs using club sites or commercial sites instead,equally many are members of both clubs like myself which increases the availability,and of course we never all hit the road at the same time obviously having said that Bank Holidays increase the demand and getting onto CLs in popular areas is always going to need early booking.
I've been a member of CC on and off since 1967 and have very few complaints and a lot of praise.
The magazine is going towards a lot of advertisments and not all that much content much as did Motoring and Leisure ( mag of the CSMA) a few years ago, but that's a small matter.
The overseas touring emergency service through the Red Pennant insurance is first class, as are the technical leaflets. The sites do have some variety - they are not all pitches in lines like a dealers - and in the time I have only found one which was not up to standard (and that was amanagement Arrangement site at a racecourse).
For CCC I believe the overseas insurance package is a bit more flexible giving 180 day multi-trip cover, but the recovery package may not be quite as good.
If you can afford it - join both.
The magazine is going towards a lot of advertisments and not all that much content much as did Motoring and Leisure ( mag of the CSMA) a few years ago, but that's a small matter.
The overseas touring emergency service through the Red Pennant insurance is first class, as are the technical leaflets. The sites do have some variety - they are not all pitches in lines like a dealers - and in the time I have only found one which was not up to standard (and that was amanagement Arrangement site at a racecourse).
For CCC I believe the overseas insurance package is a bit more flexible giving 180 day multi-trip cover, but the recovery package may not be quite as good.
If you can afford it - join both.
We have found the CC CL's are great. The only thing we have found is that at bank holidays when we get time off work it is worrying if we go to a site we have not been to before. Sometimes we have been the last caravan in and other caravaners have been inconsiderate and used all the space. Owners of sites don't always place people in the right way.
Sandra
Yes its a problem but one of the joys of a CL is the lack of rules and requirments, on our CL we alow within reason for you to park how you like, but it is on a first come principal.but again we have a reasonable amount of room.its difficult to please all ,all the time.
David from Suffolk
Yes its a problem but one of the joys of a CL is the lack of rules and requirments, on our CL we alow within reason for you to park how you like, but it is on a first come principal.but again we have a reasonable amount of room.its difficult to please all ,all the time.
David from Suffolk
im in both but i only use the cc sites.easy to book on line no deposit and great write ups.great facilities.
Thanks for all your replies. We joined the CC last week. They had a special offer of 1 nights free site fees if we joined by last friday and, as this can be worth up to
Roger L,
I'm puzzled to see you say that facilities on Club Sites are cramped......what on earth do you mean? We have been members for 10years and have never found anything that we could call cramped.Please explain.
)
I'm puzzled to see you say that facilities on Club Sites are cramped......what on earth do you mean? We have been members for 10years and have never found anything that we could call cramped.Please explain.
)I've got to agree with you Maureen, I can't say RogerL is wrong but I've now been to quite a few CC sites and have yet to find cramped facilities. Neither do you always find caravans lined up but hey, they can please some of us some of the time but they cant please all of us all of the time. There will always be a small % of people who are unhappy about the layouts just as I, as a dog owner, get pi**ed off with people who dont clean up after their dogs. I get fed up of being tarred with the same brush as those anti-social
Totally agree Lord B. Pauline met one this afternoon when she took our terrier out on her own after she had walked the shepherds. She is very friendly but not very well trained (the dog not Pauline) and she ran towards a woman walking her labrador to say hello to the dog and the woman. Most dog people are pleased to see her but this snooty old cow made a huge fuss of shooing the dog away so she could keep her Barbour clean then turned and walked off completely ignoring her dog which promtly cr**ped before running after her. The park is very popular with families and we try to keep it as clean as we can, even picking up other peoples crap when required so Pauline called after her, told her what had happened and offered her a bag to clean it up. The response was a quick glance over her shoulder then she just walked away! Some people just seem to think it doesnt apply to them. Jim.
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