Club prices getting silly

Substantially!

We had two nights there at the beginning of September £38 total for HS with EHU.

The classic was "Alicante South" nearly 50 miles away from Alicante.

You keep repeating the bit about pensioners JVB, do you really think pensioners are not aware that prices are rising faster than pensions?

Do members really want a lot more facilities?  The Club does not promote its sites as "holiday parks" , if that is what people want, would they not book such a site to start with?

If by a lot more facilities you mean more hard standings and more serviced pitches, then that is a reasonable request.    However, serviced  pitches are already more expensive, and if we are finally to be able to book pitch surface, I fully expect that there will be a price differential between grass and HS, and it is only fair that the same should apply to awning and non-awning.

It is unrealistic to expect enhanced facilities without paying a bit extra, but many sites have not changed significantly over the years, yet fees are rising well beyond inflation.

Does the calculation of the UK inflation rate not take the minimum wage into account, as well as a lot of other factors?  I don't know!

Yes, we find site fees very high these days, but we did realise that my pension,  possibly unlike some, would never keep up with inflation generally, we are not stupid.  We have savings, and use them when required, but this does not mean we cannot have an opinion on site fees, and express it.

Much of what we have saved by not being able to go away as much, or at all, recently, due to covid, will no doubt be swallowed up by increased  fuel costs and higher prices and taxes all round.  The rest we are spending on some upgrades to the house to make it more suitable for our future needs.

We do have a "holiday budget" in our overall budget.  This is however being eroded much faster than expected due to extended peak periods and higher site fees,  so something has to give.

Those still working may well have the possibility to make a bit extra by doing overtime, or getting a promotion, pensioners would need to go back to work to increase their income.  The only other choices are to cut back on other things, use less expensive sites, or go away less often.  

We are choosing to vote with our wheels and use less expensive sites.

It seems by your post you have reinforced exactly what I posted

I fail to see how, would you like to elaborate on that?

Our last ten day trip, six sites, up to the NE and back from the SW, two of us on club sites (one C&CC site) averaged £24 per night. This took in part of half term too. Although we've paid less using CLs in the summer etc I feel we were able to put this rather hurried holiday together with relative ease and except for a sudden site closure we felt it was reasonable. We're off for a 3 day break in a holiday cottage soon, that works out around £130 per night!

We have spent 35 nights away this year so far and our average price per night is £22. All but two of those nights were on main Club sites including July/August peak times. The average price was lower because we stayed 7 nights at a no facility site and of course the VAT reduction which we won't have next year. Our first decision point is the location we want to be at, price is secondary. OK if there is a choice of site we might opt for the cheaper one providing what it provides is the same. Especially during the last two years going away in the motorhome has been our only type of holiday so the £800 we have spent on sites is hardly a lot of money. We have been eyeing up the possibility of a two week cruise in 2023 which is likely to be six or seven times what we have spent this year on campsites!!!

David 

Pretty much the same as our average, though actual prices paid have ranged from £15 per night to £30..serviced Club site, too late to book an alternative in July!

The VAT reduction certainly made a good difference this year, but next year the costs will be considerably higher.   We have enjoyed using more CLs and smaller, no facility  commercials this year, as caravanners their possible remoteness does not matter, and they have all been serviced, so we feel this is the way we will go in the future.

Like you, we mainly use our on board facilities, so see little point in paying for facilities we do not need.

Cottages are not under consideration at present, OH finds it very difficult to sleep well in a "strange" bed, which is why we returned to caravanning in 1998.   And having spent over 40 years working on ships, a cruise does not really appeal to me!

Apart from one long stay on a club site in Cornwall in June this year all our sites have been at no facility Club sites or CLs.  Next year we have decided it will be just (mainly) CLs,  We don’t use site facilities so why pay for them!  I know we will use a few club sites but it will only be for a day or two whilst in transit.  We have already booked 3 CLs next year for May, June and September - still working on anything else.  We are finding sites expensive as others have said.  Our son and daughter-in-law always laugh when we complain about £35+ a night stays but they are both lucky enough to be in well paid jobs!

Supply and demand, like any business the club will increase costs until demand plateaus, if demand drops we might see a different approach. It's been a freak year so who can guess what happens next. Will all the newcomers who don't see the price's as a problem when compared to other UK accommodation continue with LVs or migrate back to their original holidaying modes?