Cost of sites has gone mad

We have booked a CL close to sons for £40/night so we can attend his birthday weekend.  Expensive, but we consider it good value for money

Club sites do not seem good value to us any more, this is the second year that we will not be using any.

Prices almost  everywhere are up this year.   Using  mainly CLs, last year we came in at under £20 per night on average.  Our current trip, 19 nights, 4 CLs and 1 CCC site is averaging £22.92 per night.  2 sites have serviced pitches, all have hard standings.

And strangely, now we have just finalised our June/July trip of 36 nights.....2 commercials, 3 CCC sites, and 3 CLs.....that will also average £22.92 per night.   4 sites have serviced pitches, 6 are hard standings, on the other 2 only grass was available.

We would rather find small sites with serviced pitches than pay for facilities we would rarely use.

We've just booked an 18 night tour, a mix of CAMC sites and CCC sites.  All club sites (no CLs).  Two adults; basic, non-serviced, EHU pitches throughout. 

The average CCC night has cost £27.60, which we consider fair.  The average CAMC night turns out to be £43.71, which we consider a rip-off. 

I was truly shocked how costly CAMC sites have become now.  For one particular CAMC night, 6th May, we've had to stump up £56.50.  

A couple of years ago, we felt £30 a night was veering on the expensive side and suddenly the same sites have leapt beyond £50. 

Sadly, we're seriously questioning whether to renew our membership this year. 

For, one particular CAMC night, 6th May, we've had to stump up £56.50.

I was surprised to learn that the CAMC have resorted to forcing members to part with their money.😉 

One of the problems with booking late for a popular date / site  I’m afraid. I assume you really wanted to go to the particular site, as others CAMC sites are available  at ten or even twenty pounds less for the 6th May.

The average CAMC night turns out to be £43.71, which we consider a rip-off.

If i was paying for something that I considered to be a rip-off I just wouldn't pay it and go somewhere else.

Two CLs have been our only forays so far. £18 for HS, hook up, a nice clean loo and fantastic views, close to Harrogate earlier this week. We have another booked, again £18 per night, again with HS, hook up, great views, and this time a lovely eatery (with a loo, not that we need it). There’s still great value out there and it doesn’t take much effort to find it if you aren’t happy with Club Sites. No deposits, no up front payments. We booked the Harrogate one the night before going as well, so no need to worry about finding a pitch at short notice. There will be lots of others out there👍

There's an awful lot of emotive words knocking around with regard to club site prices.

In my view the only ones that count are Value for Money. We've just stayed at Wirral CP site, about £35 per night. Normally I'd be happy enough on a CL but there are no alternatives in the area so the price of the site was Value for Money.

I agree with both CS's and Ttda's comments, both valid and both that we follow. If members don't want to pay £60 and pitches remain unused then someone at EG is going to get a rocket. 

Unless we particularly needed, or wanted, to be in a very specific area, I would not want to pay over £30 for a site.

In June we want to meet up  with friends who are holidaying in the Cotswolds, which seems to be an expensive area for sites, very few CLs  with EHU for under £20, certainly none with serviced pitches and HS.   So we have had to up the budget there, though not to £30,  so instead of a CL we will be paying £23 on a CCC site on grass as HS sold out.  At least there are facilities, which will save on water fetching and disposal.

Our first site of the trip is the most expensive, £32,  a commercial with swimming pool and various other facilities, chosen as DD and the boys will be with us for that week.  They particularly wanted to go back to that site, so will be contributing to the cost, and will be in charge of waste water disposal as, strangely, there is a tap on the pitch but no drain.

Least expensive site is a no facilities CCC site, though we do get a HS, £16 per night .  
Best value CL is £18 for serviced HS, toilet and shower also available if desired, one we use every year to visit friends.

Exactly CS, and that's why we have no plans to use CAMC sites in the future. We would much rather be somewhere else.

We're off to Poole next month - to get our Omnistor roof awning fixed by a company who specialises in fitting them.  Our dealer made an absolute bog of it and so - after a "frank exchange of views", they have agreed to pay our travelling costs plus the cost of putting it right by this other company.  We are staying at a commercial site that's five minutes away from the company's HQ - and it's costing an eye-watering £49 per night - so it's not just this Club's prices that are through the roof. If it wasn't so convenient, I'd have been looking elsewhere - so I can't complain - it's my choice.

Added to which, when I started to plan our trip back home, I suddenly realised it coincided with yet another Bank Holiday and couldn't find anywhere with vacancies - so we're having to stay there even longer.

I've just been looking at the spreadsheet I have been running since we came back to caravanning in 2015.  Then, our average nightly pitch price was just over £16 - now it's £29!!