Which camping club should we join in 2024?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 2 ม.ค. 2024
- We've been wondering for a while about joining a camping club and here in the UK there are two big ones. In our latest vlog we explore the key high level details of both and ask for YOUR feedback on if they're worth it!
Keep a look out for our other new videos coming to the channel soon and a BIG thank you to all of our wonderful subscribers.
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We were members of the Camping and Caravan Club first, but when we bought our California we didn’t renew and joined the CAMC instead. We found the CAMC was a bit snooty and too regimented. And also was more expensive per night than we expected. Also, sites were quieter. The pitch markings meant Californias either had to park the wrong way round our step out straight on the the grass. So we rejoined the Camping and Caravan Club which we found much friendlier and cheaper. However, we have stayed members of both. To get the best of both worlds and get access to more site options. Sometimes we like a bit of quiet and rules (also if you always book a pitch with awning with CAMC, you have the space to be the right way round) We saved the cost of the CAMC membership with the discounted travel on the EuroTunnel. We have been on some independent sites but unless we’ve visited beforehand, wouldn’t do that again. At least with the official club sites, you know what you’re going to get, even if you do pay a bit more.
Great tips, thank you!
I found this true too.
CAMC for my money , used to be a member many years ago , when we had a caravan, tend to use CLs , but more recently doing pub stop overs which we enjoy
Happy New Year both, just what we need, watching the comments with interest, something we have considered having picked our van up in November.
I would suggest you definitely join both for the first year that way you can decide at a relatively low cost whether you need both or which you prefer. With all of the eagerness to catch up on the previous year it will give you the most options for weeks, long and short weekends and overnights. Especially for those reasonable distance weekends. We are members of CAMC and have found the sites adjacent to or within National Trust sites to be particularly nice. We may join the Caravan and Camping Club next year.
Great tip and we are members of NT too so that sounds really great!
@@CampervanTime I think there is a difference in the way they handle dogs on bookings as well but not 100% on that. Other thing is in six months or so you can do a review and comparison vlog.
Britstops has some fab places to stay too now you have your own facilities :)
We are members of the C&CC club because it includes tents as well as caravans and motorhomes. This has given us the chance to camp with our son and daughter and their families in their tents while we are in our campervan. Obviously we couldn’t do that with the C&MC.
I have been a meber of CAMC for over 20 years. Their facilities are scrupulously clean and modern. The wardens are always cheerful and very helpful. As mentioned by other contributors the sites are peaceful. I have stayed on Caravan and Camping Club sites in the past, which I have found to be noisy and dated.
Much more relaxed and very friendly, I am with both but for me caravan andcamping suits me fre wifi and over 60s dicount
I’m in both and enjoy the sites of the CAMC. I have the CAMC breakdown cover which is fab and I insure with the C&CC. I also benefit from associated discounts from both clubs. I would suggest joining both and see which you prefer after a year. I get my membership cost back through the benefits- savings obtained.
We are members of both. We think the C&CC are the friendlier club and their sites are OK but not as well managed as the C&MC. However we have noticed in the last 12 months that the C&MC are trying out new rules on how you park your campervan and are easier to work with. The big advantage of the C&MC is if you travel to Europe. We did a trip to Denmark last summer and booked all the ferries and campsites in Germany through the club. Just did the same for this years holiday to Croatia. Love their website. However if travelling in Europe there are very good online sites that list where they are, the rates and in some cases let you book on line.
We was in the CCC for 2 years but cancelled when the only pitch offered was a Euro pitch due to a drive away awning size, even though car, caravan & awning takes up more space. Been in CAMC for 3 years. Bought a VW crafter last year and had it converted, stopped on farms, wild camping and club sites and CLs. Was contemplating not renewing CAMC but decided it’s worth it the CLs are excellent. I have also noted many private sites are now charging the same or more than CAMC sites. Also the CAMC will give I think it’s a £6.50 a night discount if you don’t use the electric hook up. Hope you get your new van soon and happy travels. 😉
Coming from a camping background the CACC seemed the natural choice and we joined three years ago after acquiring the Cali. We had used CACC for many years to obtain discount channel ferry bookings and they were always well organised.
The camping slant will tend to attract younger families and a number of sites have playparks, ideal for the granddaughter. Camping accessories are also reflected in the monthly magazine.
The age concession discount and midweek offers have enabled us obtain some really good deals and the sites have always been clean and well managed if sometimes a little dated.
We also use independent sites but CACC continue to serve us well
Happy new year guys join both they can be worlds apart both in price and formality tend to go towards Cls or Cs main sites getting to expensive and get booked up to quick Enjoy your van
We joined both 2023😢..Didn’t use C&MHC found it more expensive..Definitely go for the CCC very friendly 😊 been with them for a number of years with tent pre Cali Ocean..
Hi both - interesting video. Over the last 10yrs I’ve had memberships with both Groups. Have a slight preference for Camping & Caravanning Club. The friendliness of either depends very much on the staff involved in running the specific sites. I’ve had awful experiences of Jobsworth individuals within both groups.
I originally joined both to have accessibility to all sites but I’ve actually found independent sites (The Quiet Site in Penrith being a particular favourite) much nicer places to stay and I also do a lot of wilding/Council/Water Company run car parks. I still think U.K. lags massively behind Europe on acceptance and facilitating motorhoming and given the chance I’d head to France or Germany before the U.K. but acknowledge that’s not always possible. Getting excited for you about the imminent arrival of the van. Well done - longest I’ve lasted without one is 9months and that was tough. Once they’re in your blood, they’re difficult to be without.
Happy New year to you all
We joined CCC and have used a few of their sites. They are fairly reliable and you kind of know what you'll get, but not usually our first choice as rows of white boxes isn't really our thing. We did renew though but primarily as they a couple of sites we really need to use on a couple of trips, so the cost saving was worth doing it. We did go to look at a CAMC site just to preview it for a future trip and found the staff really unhelpful so its put me off them, although thats just 1 experience. We much prefer small independant sites but its helpful to have a club membership in the back pocket for when the other options are limited IMHO.
Member of both. The membership cost is low relative to pitch fees and diesel, I value having access to both CL and CS. For clubs sites I generally favour C&CC for the age discount and greater flexibility in pitching a California with “offside” sliding door. Both clubs need to better embrace pitches without EHU - not always an option. Join both - at least for year one!
From our experience the CAMC is much more expensive than your estimate. E.g. we paid over £50 / night in the New Forest last week.
Thanks for the feedback - we'd have to watch that if we do go with CAMC..
It's the fee per person, which I totally disagree with. You a basically renting a pitch, and the number of persons should not be aa factor, or a least not such a big factor.@@CampervanTime
Thanks for all the videos. Lots of great information. I've had VWs since the 'split' windscreen days and am a long time C&CC member. They genuinely are a friendly lot - just one grumpy guy in all that time. They do take deposits when booking and you can settle the balance on arrival. They also do quite a variety of cheap deals throughout the year. I'm over 60 so enjoy the discount as well. And I've never had a problem playing my squeezebox of an evening as long as I'm parked up in a corner away from everyone else. Very occasionally you'll come across a site that's a bit scruffy but most are perfect. I've stopped at C&MC sites a few times and they seem to be immaculate - but for me, too organised - and I hate to say it but they do seem a little snooty. I wouldn't think of playing the squeezebox there. Can't believe how much I paid at one C&MC site (admittedly as a non-member) - I could have stopped at a hotel.
We joined both at the Manchester show last Jan and got free nights vouchers that paid the annual fee when saved for high season jaunts. If spending £90k on a van, £50 to get the best use out of it doesn't feel much.
That's true - we've been keen to see what everyone thinks to the clubs as they have a big presence at the shows and in terms of number of sites, so feedback is great!
For 2 years we were members of both but then switched to CAMC only we mainly only use it for the CL sites of which i beleive they have more. My observations are as follows: The prices you stated for CAMC club sites is way out, the initial price the site brings up is only for one adult adding another adult will increase the price by around £11.00 per night which soon adds up, many of the CLs are now charging more than £20.00 per night those with facilities are more like £25.00 that said we love the club, as other people have said their sites are much quieter and yes there may be more rules but that is not always a bad thing. The CACC obviously allow tents which can sometimes provide for a more..lets say lively clientele which may be why they consider themself the friendly club we like peace and quiet so CAMC suits us. In a nutshell, if you are mainly going to use basic CL sites CACC will be cheaper and probably provide you with all you need, if you are likely to want to regularly use club sites and value peace and quite go for CAMC. Good luck with your new van.
Thanks for sharing your experiences, we obviously don't know without being members yet what they're really like. Great info.
Don’t forget, now you’ll have your own facilities Brit Stops are always a good shout
Oh yes, we're not forgetting those :)
If you have children, C&CC, it's more lively and seems more family-focused. We tried both, for me personally, C&MC club, suited us and then the private sites, which are also excellent. I think you pay more on the C&MC, but the extra for us is worth it. Also of course it matters where you like going to. For us, we like to go to Cirencester, to the C&MC, where you can just walk into Cirencester. It's good that they are different, therefore giving you the choice of which suits you best.
No kids here so not worried about family focussed stuff, but we do love a campsite we can walk to a town or city from though! Have just been to Cromer and stayed at Seacroft site there, was excellent.
Hi, great video with lots of information thanks. We’ve been member of the CAMC for the past 2 years. I’m not convinced we’ve got our money’s worth but happy to remain with them. My father is a member of both clubs and uses CL sites a lot. HNY to you both, enjoy your new van when you have it, what you getting btw?
C&CC , are good for me, 1 I am over 60 years young 2 always friendly 3 free WiFi. I have also found that the CL are slightly cheaper. But I like both clubs for different reasons. ATB
The CCC will let you change sites without penalty. We’ve done this on the day a couple of times and generally found them very accommodating when the switchboard is open. If out of hours they will try and help on site so in my experience they have lived up to the ‘friendly' tag! I’m not a member of the CAMC as I was put off by reports of over officious wardens and regimented pitching rules but I understand that the majority certified sites on the CCC do have at least basic facilities which makes sense given there is less of an emphasis on motorhomes.
Thanks for your video….Where can you find the best of the best campsites, i.e cleaning, modern and heated bathroom/showers. Even if you’re willing to pay over and above but are able to drive to the campsite knowing you’re not going to arrive at a filthy, damp and tired campsite?
Good question! The best one we've ever been to is Concierge Camping but I honestly can't remember how we found out about it. Maybe just search for luxury campsites perhaps ?
camping and caravan club for about 7 years never stayed on a site but booked our European crossing with them every year with the club discount so worth while,hope the van comes soon our sven is 3 yrs old in March 🤢
Happy new year guys. We went with just the one to start -CAMC , based on our lack of time off -perhaps join both to compare in the future, but mostly to access the CL’s ( the Cali gone) so nice & quiet and not bothered about facilities, just seemed more options for us. Very happy with our choice thus far. Do you have an actual van date yet?
No date, but we know it's been in build so is likely just on a transporter coming over here as we speak! Not long now hopefully
Hi guys,
We are members of both, CCC because of discount on insurance and RAC Arrival in preference to the CAMC offerings ... that said we aren't keen on the CCC deposit system as its a bit more difficult when plans change and the CCC sites always seem a bit scruffier in our opinion..... CAMC we find more flexible if plans change, generally tidier sites in our opinion and far less likely to get flying footballs or frizbies anywhere near your nice new Sven H....but rather regimented ... the real gain for us is access to CL & CS networks...
Good luck getting your new van soon!
Thanks! Great feedback on the two clubs, good differences between them
We are members of both. Motorhome & Caravan have bigger pitches at their club sites. Camping & Caravan club is cheaper especially for us as they give over 60's a good discount.
We are members of CAMC, we find their club sites brilliant however are generally more than avg £25 per night, probably more like £30-35.
The affiliated sites are brilliant also & generally cheaper.
Sounds good, will take a look at the affiliated sites too
We've been members of the CAMC for the past 4 years and for us.
We joined just before C19 hit (when we got our current California Ocean) and they were exceptional before, during and after. For us, the facilities are always high quality, the locations are always in good spots and we've never had any problems. It's always good to check the amenities on offer, as they do vary from site to site, including some not having toilet facilities (useful to know for VW/Transporter esque campervans). They also do some really good deals periodically as well as European sites. Also plenty of club discounts.
The downside? For us (young family with a 5 & 3 year old), the sites can be a bit too quiet. It's great for the time being whilst we go out each day, but once the kids know what street cred is, we're going to have to switch it up to more trendy sites like Wowo in Sussex.
Sounds good! Thanks for the detailed reply and happy travels !
@@CampervanTime You too! Getting excited about the Sven?! Getting closer and closer :D
We have been members of the Camping and caravanning Club for over 35 years and yes, they are very friendly. We have camped on their own sites and many, many Certified Sites and they have all been exellent. We have camped with tents, trailer tents, an Eriba caravan and in the last year with an electric campervan and have never had cause for complaint. W joined the Caravan Club in the past because we specifically wanted a particular campsite and we didn't rejoin because of their previous booking without deposit policy. We have just rejoined the Caravan and Motorhome Club this year, again to use a specific site and had no problems booking this time because of their changed booking deposit. We stayed at the Littlehampton Club site and the standard of the site was up to the quality of the CCC. Will we continue with our membership of the CMHC which is much more expensive than the CCC, we wait to see. As pensioners we get an excellent deal with the CCC. The other difference is you cannot usually get a non-electric pitch with the CMHC which also makes it more expensive as we get a really good deal on a non-electric CCC pitch in the summer, half the cost of the CMHC.
Been a member of the CMC for over 40 years and the C&CC for about 12. In my view the CMC sites are a better quality generally but that does come at a cost, although on a few of their newer site the C&CC are catching up. We are able to take advantage of the age discount with the C&CC which makes them slightly better value. The "Friendly Club" thing is just a publicity thing, never really noticed any difference between the two. For us it is site location which is important and both Clubs have sites that are conveniently near to towns and villages. Tend not to use CL's/CS's as they are often too remote for our needs. In my view the CMC has the better website, tend not to use Apps. I think many people belong to both and I think you would have to use several sites from both Clubs to get and impression for yourself.
It may be worth mentioning your age group too as to which your a member off?
Also which has more child friendly sites?
Since the pandemic prices have increased a great deal. Also makes a difference because the prices shown are for 1 adult. When you add another it goes up. We tend to use the cls but have come across many that charging £26 to £30 pounds for some times just the basics.Also all are a lot more in the summer. So much more for your money in France lol.
£30 for a CL!? Wow! We were hoping it might be an easy and cheap way of being more care free about touring around but that is expensive!
Member of both for 7 years (CCC only for an additional 4 years prior to that as we had a trailer tent). I think the prices you quote are way off typical, probably because low season and none, or only 1 person included and possibly a non hook up pitch ie I’m sure you’ve read them correctly but I doubt that would be what you were charged once you logged in… As I travel mainly as a solo adult with 2 children, I used to find CMC much, much cheaper I believe because CCC used to include 2 adults in the base price and I think had higher child prices. However over the past few years maybe that has changed as I recently stayed on a ccc club site which was significantly cheaper, with comparable facilities to the nearby cmc site… Weirdly my experience has been that the staff on cmc sites were much friendlier, I don’t know why I just got the sense that when I turned up as a solo woman towing a caravan and accompanied by 2 kids and the cmc wardens assumed that meant I knew what I was doing to be that brave so they treated me dare I say even a slight reverence (too strong a word, but you get the idea, I was assumed competent), whereas the ccc wardens on the sites we happened to visit gave me long lectures about not parking on the grass (the gravel of their hard standing pitches tends to be much narrower as you’re expected to park your car (if towing a a caravan) across the front not to the side as you would on a cmc site), all the other rules, and how to park, etc. and showed me exactly which pitch I had to use with no room to request any different as they were busy. It may just be of course that I happened to encounter ccc wardens having a bad day because at the last ccc site I stayed at (no kids this time, just me), the warden was the warmest I’ve ever been welcomed by, asked me what sort of pitch I’d like and suggested the ideal few to choose from. Really lovely welcome that time! Or maybe it was the kids putting the wardens off previously ;-) Honestly they’re mostly quiet and nerdy so I doubt it! For club sites I prefer the look/feel of ccc sites because you get a mix of vehicle types and much, much more grass between pitches (because the pitches are narrower though, which could be a problem for those with enormous awnings…) whereas cmc sites can unfortunately resemble gravel car parks sometimes. But as mentioned ccc pitches tend to be smaller all round. CCC toilet block quality seems to vary much more whereas in cmc blocks you even get the same shower curtain fabric (or you did pre Covid, I think most have been removed now) but all blocks in both clubs are kept spotless despite the “efforts” of some campers… the wardens do a marvellous job. CLs & CSs vary enormously (and prices have shot up, I’m mostly asked for £20-£30 a night now because of the electric costs the owners face), as you’d expect but you’re much more likely to find a loo/shower/washing up spot on a CS because in addition to the 5 “units” they can take tents too. I’ve kept our membership of both up as I just look for a good site well placed for wherever it is we want to visit, compared to the per night cost of a trip the membership isn’t too bad and sometimes can be made back on member discounts, although check those they aren’t always as good as they seem ie another retailer might be offering something at the same price anyway without having to use a member discount… a lot of people manage just fine using private sites and prices aren’t very different (I’ve heard quite a few folks say private sites are now often cheaper), so club membership doesn’t have the benefits it once had. I wouldn’t join for only club site access unless that works economically, but CLs/CSs and rallies/temporary holiday sites are the jewels that aren’t accessible otherwise if you’re into those alternatives to big sites :) Join both, see what you use/don’t use then decide in 12 months time?
What a brilliant comment, thank you for taking the time to share
Hi Roxy, love from Holly the Collie ❤.
10 years CAMC for us as much quieter sites, club sites are always really well catered for with great facilities, toilets/showers clean/good at least the sites we’ve visited.
Great to know, thanks
Damn - this was 24 hours too late ! - just joined the CACC without seeing your review of both - however, this was mainly due to wanting to book a particular site for later in the year and thinking 2-3 further bookings might cover the cost ... They were certainly helpful over the phone & via email, so will be interesting to see what we think after a year of membership
We're in both clubs & prefer CCC. The friendly does apply. Having said that, our favourite site is an independent one!
We are CAMC and I have heard both a bit much of a much. Sites are immaculate as are facilities. Bit of a negative for us is they are all just a bit soulless but saying that we have a young family that needs entertainment so it’s just our personal observation. With that in mind we are more inclined to go for the independent sites or holiday parks as there is a real mix of people and more of a community builds as the days pass. I don’t think campsites think out of the box enough but there are some independents doing things differently which is encouraging. The big plus for CAMC is their insurance service - imagine picking up your shiny new van only for someone to reverse into it while it was stationary a month later! Well that nightmare happened to us. Their services only use repairers that understand Motorhomes. The service and repair was 10/10 and swiftly turned that nightmare into something that never happened.
I’m in both clubs. They are both pretty good. CAMC can be a bit snooty. CCC have always been the most friendly.
Both clubs have good toilet and shower blocks.
Over 2023 we found CCC was half the price per night as CAMC on average assuming a fully off-grid pitch as we prefer. If you want electric it's a bit less of a saving but we don't want or need that in summer having solar.
Should add CAMC headline prices are for 1 person which is why your video is a bit misleading, CAMC start for 2 people at about 27 quid a night, but more commonly are 40-50, to 70 on some bank holidays. Where CCC was over 2023 as a whole average of 30 a night at club sites, and under this at THS. THS for CCC are a game changer, as THS nights were an average of 13 a night for us.
Didn't realise it was only for 1 person - that will make a big difference as you say
@@CampervanTime there’s usually discount codes for CCC too making it even cheaper too. grass no ehu pitch on a bank holiday was 75 quid for 3 nights for two of us with that code. CAMC in same city wanted 270 for that same 3 nights.
I agree with the comments that your price estimates are too low. We just stayed at CAMC Chatsworth (great site) after new year. 1st night was £51.80, 2nd night £34. Based on 2 people. Both clubs are "non profit" and member owned, so it must be that this is the cost of running a site these days. The staff on site work pretty hard, the sales staff at the shows seem to be volunteers, so if there is a big cost drain somewhere, it must be at head office, where they operate the dreadful websites and produce the dullest of magazines!
We have just paid £38 for 1st January with CMHC for a 5.3m campervan which is a lot more than quoted in the video.
Have been with camping and caravan club for the year but not renewing as our campervan and awning doesn't fit on their standard pitch.
Oh! Does that mean their pitches are small or you have a big setup?!
@CampervanTime standard pitch is 5m wide. We have a Renault trafic and a cayman combo driveaway awning so i dont tbink particularly big setup. But that makes us 5.5m wide so we don't fully fit the van and awning on the pitch
You won't fit on the CMHC pitches either@@huntert8c
I have but been member of the camping and caravanning club for 34 years and the CAMC fo r 25 years for value of money I would opt for the camping club being a vereran member I get a good discount but apart from that I find the staff at the camping club are friendlier and more helpful than the CAMC.
The following is not intended as a rant, but suggesting that neither CAMC or CACC are perfect. I am a member of both and owner of a 'winterised' camper van wanting to camp all year round.
We joined both to get wider access to sites in areas we like to visit - north of England and Scotland, where both clubs have a limited range of sites available compared to 'down south'. Currently I have three issues of concern: a) cost; b)availability; c)booking.
a) Cost. The cost for two people camping for one night with EHU is too high. Between Christmas and New Year, excluding NYE, the only sites we could book charged £45+ per night for our modest 6m outfit. A two person tent, on grass, no EHU and no vehicle in Crowden CACC site was over £30 in May '23. By comparison, I have just stayed in a decent, clean and friendly hotel this week at £55 a night for a double room (Ibis).
b) Availability. Irrespective of how many sites each organisation owns, be aware few of them are open when you want to camp in winter. Several were open until Jan 24, but now it is a fairly lean landscape until March. When in a more traditional camping season (Spring, Summer, Autumn) finding a site with availability at weekends is difficult unless booked well in advance. Much easier to find a site abroad than in UK if you want to stay a week or more, but are not prepared to commit weeks in advance of seeing the weather forecast for the area.
c) Booking. Both websites are poor and difficult to find available sites. Enter provisional dates in January and the CACC site presents you with a listing of sites, the majority of which are closed. Really frustrating. CAMC site is better as it has a 'late availability' function, but the default site booking tool on this site is frustrating. I do not like the app.
Little to choose between the quality of the sites once we manage to pitch up! And they are well managed, clean etc.
You better check your prices as they’re charging for electric separately.
Thanks - will check it out
CAMC app and website is dreadful. How in this day and age do you not have a live booking platform?
oh! Is it not then?
Greener Camping Club
YES! We stayed at their site in Over (did a vid I think) and it was brilliant, relaxed and we loved it!
Not really worth it imo. The best sites we've stayed on are smaller privately owned sites that are friendlier and offer more flexibility
When we got our second van we joined the CAMC and after two dreadful nights on their New Forest site we immediately regretted it and cancelled the membership. They don’t provide any form of customer service, pitches are overpriced and they seem totally stuck in the past. We now just find independent sites which tend to be better value and much friendlier.
Oh no! that sounds terrible! Hope you have found some decent Indi sites now
If you want club sites with full facilities don't bother with either save your subs
If you want well kept small sites on farm etc caravan and motorhome club
If you want social camping, camping and caravan club
We are members of both clubs
Did you not notice your nose was running? 😂
😆 yep, sorry about that, it's very annoying!
New subscriber 👋 ccc 100% access to affordable camping through DA's n its very friendly, we did the other club for years and there is a marked difference🫶🦓