What Would a UK Club Type Aire Look Like

I did not say that, GE. 

Did you also miss the smiley in my post of 11.59? 

If it wasn’t for the CL network, I think campers like us would be leaving in droves.

If it wasn't for the fact we won't be touring for much longer I would leave now. May as well hang on for the final couple of years just for the convenience of having Club sites and CLs available just in case we need them. Ditto the C&CC although I am coming up for veteran membership there so worth keeping it for our final few years.

peedee

We can’t tour at the moment for personal reasons, but have actually stayed at more Club Sites in last six months than we have in last 20 years. Purely for events close by, and only for a couple of nights each. Much prefer the CL/CS networks, and we have made good use of pub stops/MH stopovers recently and have really enjoyed them. Once we are back out and touring properly, I think our Club days might be over. Times have changed, they aren’t what we want or need now. Found some very nice CS sites, so if we did stay in a Club, I think it would be C&CC.

Steamer Quay are all service pitches and I am guessing the pitch prices don't include electricity in which case prices are definitely a bit steep?

Some Continental sites do incude an Aire separate to their main site and I think there is one in Wales which has copied this model? The Club has recently or intends to expand some sites where land is available e.g. Sandringham so the opportunity is there at these sites if the Club was so inclined.

I'll throw another alternative into the pot, "Quickstops" These are operated by some Scandinavian sites, notably in Denmark, whereby for a dicounted pitch price for the night you have to arrive after a set time and leave the next day before a set time. This is used by motorhomeres and caravaners alike. I have used it but didn't much care for the long days it made on the road. If i recall correctly, arrival was after 9pm and departure before 10am. better for me and I suspect most would be arrival after 4pm departure before 10am.

peedee

Peedee

On sites where the Club is expanding the site, you mentioned Sandringham and I would add Lady Margaret's Park. I think on both the extra space is being used for Experience Freedom rather than extra pitches? Having recently retired from motorhoming I am gradually becoming a convert to having static accommodation on sites and perhaps the Club think this would have a more worthwhile return on investment than changing sites to accommodate short term motorhome stays. The Club could argue that they already provide perfectly good facilities for motorhomes within the current sites?

David

Exactly PD it has risen from 50% to over 70% in a few short years, highest membership ever (480,000 household was it?) and these new members with the MHs keep re-joining.

I think that the actual statement was that New members had increased from 50% to 70% over the last couple of years. There has been no breakdown of the actual percentage of current members between Caravan, Motorhomes and others.

No there was, it was given in a club official meeting in April of this year as 65% motorhome ownership.

You are not alone in finding smaller non facility sites more attractive.

Modern vans have everything in them that you have at home, why do we need big fancy facility blocks. I'm more than happy using my own thank you, at least I know who used the toilet last. 

Carparks I must draw the line at but I'm more than happy for a nice CCP aire, especially on my way back from Spain in winter when most of the campsites have closed and the ones that are open are soggy grass. 

We haven't use one single CMC site this year and I very much doubt we will. We have kept the membership on for the house insurance as we like the 90 days out of house cover. We like CLs but rarely use them now we are back in a MH. Wet soft grass and MHs do not go together and this year sadly we've all seen enough rain to last us for a long time.

On our travel down to the south coast for the ferry port we always used to book CAMC sites but not any longer they are just not cost effective. We now look for small private sites or we use the other club. Time I think to find another home insurer and let this club membership go. 

David, going by what we see over there more and more sites are putting cabins of some sort on. In fact yet another one of our go to sites this year has gone over to cabins completely.

Mind you on the other hand we have seen more and more aires opening up, to cope with the thousands of extra MHs on the roads. All looking for a 1 or 2  night stopover.

We became full converts to them this spring with the weather so  wet in France we abandoned the campsites that were of little use due to churned up grass and soggy pitches. We sought out the aires that had stabilised pitches, many ex municipal sites, some had facilities some not. we discovered lots of new to us places to visit. They are very popular over there, open 24/7 365 days a year. Arrive at what ever time you ,leave whenever you like. 

When we first moved from a caravan to a MH I didn't see the benefits of them, I do know. I'm still not keen on the over ,cramped car park type aires that so many seem to love but that's me. They do have a place in this hobby for many folk though.

Sorry to hear you have given up touring, enjoy what ever you do going forward.

The majority of responses so far are as expected, however I did like the suggestion of partnering with local councils to use Park and Rides. The main concern expressed so far is that such an offering would be against the club ethos and would exclude some members. I think this could be overcome by the model the club already uses for Experience Freedom where there is a separate membership and fee. An Aire membership would also have a separate fee and the members who chose to join would only have access to the club Aires and not the main club sites and CL network, if they wanted access to those they would have to pay the additional main membership fee.