which campsite? C&CC or CCC

Teutone

Guest
getting a little bit confused. IF I need / want to stay on a camp site, which one would you recommend?

CC, C&CC, CCC or whatever?

Do I need to be a member of any caravan club or camping club? would prefer not to.
Can I just turn up with a call ahead?

Please enlighten me. All help appreciated.
 
You don't have to be a member of any of the clubs to use their main sites, you will pay extra as a non member to use their sites, as a member you can reap lots of extra benefits, look at their web sites, as a member you can use all their five van sites called CS or CL sites dependant on which club you join.As a member of the clubs you will receive magazines and info on all the weekend and holiday meets available, my favourite club is the CCC of which I have been a member for 25 years , there are lots of Continental rallies to attend too if you wish.
 
Teutone said:
getting a little bit confused. IF I need / want to stay on a camp site, which one would you recommend?

CC, C&CC, CCC or whatever?

Do I need to be a member of any caravan club or camping club? would prefer not to.
Can I just turn up with a call ahead?

Please enlighten me. All help appreciated.
Click to expand...

You don't have to be a member of some sites but financially they will convince you it is worth joining but none of them are cheap really. there are some concessions for over 55s out of the high season in the cc club which is worth considering.
 
We are members of both clubs, and we prefer different things about both of them.

Caravan Club: You tend to get sites with hardstandings and EHU. We prefer hardstanding. Their Motor Vehicle Service Points are always accessible and convenient to use. All the popular sites are always full at weekends, but if you are retired, you can generally get in from Sunday/Monday to Friday. We always get a feeling of peace when we arrive on a CC site.

Camping & Caravan Club: This club does very nice Rallies both in the UK and Europe. We have been on many of them. Their sites tend to have more grass pitches than hard standings which is OK when its dry but not so good if you are camping in the wet. They also do an Over 50 rate that is cheaper than the CC, but we don't find the sites quite as nice and they can be noisey as campers tend to forget there is only a sheet of fabric between them and the rest of the site. Booking sites with C&CC can be easier than CC but the website is not as good.

The showers of both clubs are first class. You need to decide what you want from a club and then you can make an informed decision and hopefully get it right first time. We have been members of the CC for nearly 20 years and been members of C&CC for just 4. We are actually staying on one of their sites for the first time in the 4 years - wish us luck - LOL!
 
Camping and Caravanning club win hands down!!
"Caravan Club: You tend to get sites with hardstandings and EHU. We prefer hardstanding. Their Motor Vehicle Service Points are always accessible and convenient to use. All the popular sites are always full at weekends, but if you are retired, you can generally get in from Sunday/Monday to Friday. We always get a feeling of peace when we arrive on a CC site." The CC site we were at over Christmas did not eally want MH's. The waste water dump point had a cover that needed to be removed after positioning your van as it had no grid over it !!! I asked head office why, and they said so that the ladies did not catch their high heels in the grid!!

CCC also have local District Association meets ever weekend and holiday meets that you can go to.
 
which campsite? C&CC or CCC

Save your money, don't join either
 
Membership of either club will give you access to the enormous network of CLs and CSs, some of which are very inexpensive and are as near to wild camping as you get, but with the added advantage of never having to search for water.

You get waste and grey water disposal as well of course and the whole concept is geared to those who are more self-contained. Like many members of this site I mix wild camping with sites and I prefer the CC. As has been said they are very peaceful and the shower and toilet facilities are the best that I've come across anywhere in Europe, and consistently so. The pitches are large with no crowding and EHU is always within a short distance.

Some sites do not admit non-members and those that do charge more. You could probably pay your annual subscription with the money you'd save over seven nights and membership then gives you the magazine, which can have some useful articles, admittance to all the CLs, and deals with ferries and insurance companies. I insure my motorhome through the CC and found it offered by far the best deal for me, and I did look hard.

Ignore all the the people who talk about rules and regulations. It's nonsense. As long as you behave sensibly, and as you'd expect others to behave, you'll have no problem. My wife loves CC sites because of the shower and laundry facilities and my occasional stays on them usually go like this: I roll up without booking (see below) and ask if there are any pitches. It's usually 'yes there are'. An invariably friendly warden takes my membership number and, if I pay there and then, which I sometimes want to so that we can leave without returning to the office, gives me a receipt and invites me to walk or drive around and choose a pitch. We select a pitch that we like and later I pop back to the office to tell them the number that we've chosen. That's it!

Rolling up - we never book but to be fair we avoid high season and bank holidays and even on busy sites, such as the one at Bristol, they often seem to have had a cancellation. Finally, I have never come across any difference in the welcome because I have a motorhome. In fact in the off-season there are usually more motorhomes on a site than caravans, as motorhomers are often retired folk who can go away in term time.
 
If you want more small 5 van sites (CL/CS) join the CC. They have twice as many.

The C and CC has a better rallying structure via it's DA's and the CC has quite a lot of poseurs on it's main sites who like showing off the size of their tackle (caravans that is!).

Otherwise they are much of a muchness.
 
Horses for courses, really, depends what you are after. We belong to both, but only rally with the C&CC as you don't have to book for most of their rallies, whereas with the CC you have to book, and pay a deposit. I have never been on a CC rally, although have been camping right next to some, and there is some truth in what Firefox says about them. Although we were obviously members of the CC, as we were on one of their CLs, the Rally members that we encountered felt that we were the peasants, and THEY had the right to use the Elsan first, rather than joining the queue. Hopefully, this attitude is rare amongst their members; perhaps we just came across the exceptions rather than the rule!!

We do like the CC sites, but only stay on the £11 per night ones, and the cheaper ones like Stover near Newton Abbott; the rest are far too expensive!! Being over 55 makes the C&CC sites cheaper for us because of the age concession, but this doesn't usually apply in Peak Season.

We prefer Cls and Wildcamping because we are not fans of large sites, and it makes our motorhoming cheaper. Both Clubs run Holiday Rallies for their members, which can make camping in peak season a lot cheaper.

Whatever you choose to do, have fun!!
 
I belong to both. The CC mainly because of the CLs, while the CCC has the DA meets.

These are my impressions of the main sites of each organisation, having first booked a site:

CC - turn up, go to reception, meet stony-faced site manager or staff, book in and be told to go round site to find a pitch and return to office for key to toilets etc. Be told that I MUST park with certain part of van on peg (despite having neither awning or car). Hardly ever see the site staff again and never see a smiling face.

CCC - turn up, given a warm welcome, book in, given advice on where pitches are available, choose likely looking pitch and get directed there by member of staff, who will also help if needed. If pitch not suitable, be directed to another. During stay, regularly see staff out and about on the site, always with a greeting and a smile.

These comparisons are not exaggerations, this is exactly how I have found the two organisations
 
Cc or ccc

Been members of both for many years.A couple of years ago on an economy cut I stopped ccc.

CC better sites, but that is not saying CCC are poor, because they are not.
Always get a better insurance and travel deals with CC which is why I stayed with them

Attitude to us with our own conversion van has always been good from both clubs.

The best thing about ccc is their temporary sites which are good prices in places where there is not normally a site.

CL and CS are good with both clubs

CC magazine slightly better,up to date news.

We rarely use sites, but find it handy to be a member.

If in doubt join one of them this year and the other next and then decide
 
I am not planning to use camp sites regulary. But for the odd occasion or if I want to stay a few days at a place I like.

thanks for all the input, much appreciated.

I am just fed up with fees, memberships etc. Starts to add up.
 
While we are at it....

Is there anything required for staying on a Campsite in europe? I remember vaguely seeing some "card" which gives you cheaper rates.

We are planning a 3 week trip in July --UK--Germany/Bavaria-- Italy
 
Just the opposite!

Somelier said:
I belong to both. The CC mainly because of the CLs, while the CCC has the DA meets.

These are my impressions of the main sites of each organisation, having first booked a site:

CC - turn up, go to reception, meet stony-faced site manager or staff, book in and be told to go round site to find a pitch and return to office for key to toilets etc. Be told that I MUST park with certain part of van on peg (despite having neither awning or car). Hardly ever see the site staff again and never see a smiling face.

CCC - turn up, given a warm welcome, book in, given advice on where pitches are available, choose likely looking pitch and get directed there by member of staff, who will also help if needed. If pitch not suitable, be directed to another. During stay, regularly see staff out and about on the site, always with a greeting and a smile.

These comparisons are not exaggerations, this is exactly how I have found the two organisations
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I agree with what most other folks said about the clubs - but not this one! I find:

CC - turn up and very friendly wardens take your money, give you a lowdown on the site & which pitches are free and you can go and choose where you like & let them know later.
CCC - turn up and usually friendly wardens (but not always) tell you just where you've got to pitch, even if you prefer somewhere else. I suppose you could go back and ask to change but I admit I've never tried it.

CCC does have the age concession for most sites but CC has mid-week discounts for some sites however old you are - so swings and roundabouts.

Also -as a single I find it cheaper to go on the club sites (both clubs) because they charge a pitch fee then per person. The CLs/CSs are usually a flat charge. In November I went from a CL, which was supposed to have toilets & hot water but the mucky toilets had no lights & the hot water wasn't, and paid £10 a night then on to a club site (CC) all facilities, nice and clean, £7.50.

Anyway, both worth trying, I reckon, if only for the odd night to get a shower, charge everything up etc.
 
Wardens I find do depend on the individual site a lot. They are humans and human nature varies a lot. It's unfair to pin a particular type down against a particular club.

For example I went to Strid Wood Caravan Club Main site recently and the wardens are excellent. Very friendly, own choice of pitch, they smiled and said hello whenever you met them. We were offered loads of free drinks and food at xmas buffet. Everything was totally spotless and manicured, steaming hot water and shining surfaces... and the wardens were working super hard even over xmas and new year.
 
Teutone said:
While we are at it....

Is there anything required for staying on a Campsite in europe? I remember vaguely seeing some "card" which gives you cheaper rates.

We are planning a 3 week trip in July --UK--Germany/Bavaria-- Italy
Click to expand...

You may be thinking of the ACSI card available from Vicarious Books with a book of sites & maps, this is only of use in the off-peak season, which means not during August & maybe the last week in July.
I have an ACSI card but hardly use it & will not bother to subscribe again, only having it as an insurance policy in case of not finding anywhere to stay, but this doesn't happen in Europe, with plenty of aires, wilding spots, harbour quays & beaches etc.
On a recent 8 week tour I stayed only 2 nights at a campsite & this was only because the camp at Santa Pola has a fantastic Van Wash, I used my ACSI card but only saved 2 euros.
I will not subscribe to the C.C. or C.& C.C. mafia, I'm of the age to have endured National Service & most english campsites remind me of army barracks with their rules & regulations, regimented rows etc.
Also, the people you meet wild camping or on aires seem more genuine & much friendlier than campsite types, many times we have been invited into larger vans for drinks etc., we have been given clams, mussels, fish & fruit & recently pulling in to the aire at Barre-de-Monts, we found it was full up, we were about to drive off, but two Frenchmen called us back & moved their vans to give us enough space. Can you imagine this happening in the UK?
Anyway whatever you do, enjoy your trip.
Best wishes,
spigot
 
spigot said:
You may be thinking of the ACSI card available from Vicarious Books with a book of sites & maps, this is only of use in the off-peak season, which means not during August & maybe the last week in July.
I have an ACSI card but hardly use it & will not bother to subscribe again, only having it as an insurance policy in case of not finding anywhere to stay, but this doesn't happen in Europe, with plenty of aires, wilding spots, harbour quays & beaches etc.
On a recent 8 week tour I stayed only 2 nights at a campsite & this was only because the camp at Santa Pola has a fantastic Van Wash, I used my ACSI card but only saved 2 euros.
I will not subscribe to the C.C. or C.& C.C. mafia, I'm of the age to have endured National Service & most english campsites remind me of army barracks with their rules & regulations, regimented rows etc.
Also, the people you meet wild camping or on aires seem more genuine & much friendlier than campsite types, many times we have been invited into larger vans for drinks etc., we have been given clams, mussels, fish & fruit & recently pulling in to the aire at Barre-de-Monts, we found it was full up, we were about to drive off, but two Frenchmen called us back & moved their vans to give us enough space. Can you imagine this happening in the UK?
Anyway whatever you do, enjoy your trip.
Best wishes,
spigot
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The sites in question are CC or C&CC. I have seen very few with 'regimented rows' and the only 'rules and regulations' that I can remember are signs asking me not do drive too fast when on the site. You're very much behind the times. And as for selfish behaviour, I have had to endure far more of this in Europe where motorhomes and caravanners have squeezed their outfit into a space that hardly lets me open my door.

Your description of the CC and C&CC 'Mafia', does demonstrate a rather strange and bitter attitude! Both clubs are the finest examples of co-operatives. There are no shareholders, every penny goes back into extra sites and facilities and all major decisions are made by committees of members who give their time free. Why do you feel the need to denigrate those of us who mix wild camping with sites, by suggesting that we're some kind of sheep who enjoy being institutionalised? Surely, if you've thread this thread properly you will realise that very many members of this forum enjoy club sites and use them occasionally, as well as wild camping when circumstances permit? A bit more tolerance would be nice.

Finally you claim to use aires and then complain about regimented rows! Go figure, as our American cousins would say!
 
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