Caravan Club prices question

Many of us on here know or in my case think I know quite a lot about France and understand this pricing difference . However France is a special case it has had a long tradition of camping and the  provisions of many sites for quite short seasons but if you widen the question to look at site fees in the rest of Europe there does not seem to be any one answer to why they almost invariably provide better facilities at lower cost.  Lower wages could be a factor in Spain and Portugal but how are high cost countries like Austria and Germany explained away? 

BTW Welcome to the forum and your  overseas touring interest particularly welcome

Perhaps it is just that we are such a captive market, literally. If we want to go outside of our small island it involves a ferry, or the tunnel, and expense. This is not an issue for longer stays but is for  2 / 3 weeks, which for the majority would be at the higher priced time of the year in any event.

other than a six (or so) week period from mid July to end August (approx), french sites are off-peak....with ACSI you can get a pitch on a wonderfully equipped site (pools, bar, restaurant, kids play area, sports area, fully staffed etc, etc) for €11 upwards.....

in the uk, peak periods have been continually extended to 'catch' (exploit) folk so that finding a period that isnt (distantly) related to some holiday somewhere (and therefore commensutately more expensive) is increasingly difficult.

witness the introduction of 'shoulder' seasons (peak in disguise) and upto six (yes, six) price bands at a number of CC sites, some varying by a few pence but there just to squeeze the last drop from an unsuspecting wallet.....

the culture is different....the french just wont stand for being ripped off, we make a career out of it....

Write your comments here... BB, I would say you have summed the situation up exactly. 

steve, one could probably get away with this sort of 'generalisation' to a degree but how does it explain the myriad methods employed to extract every last penny from the customer...

six price bands....'shoulder' seasons (no one had ever heard of these a few years ago)....more peak/shoulder/high periods than non peak...

steve, one could probably get away with this sort of 'generalisation' to a degree but how does it explain the myriad methods employed to extract every last penny from the customer...

six price bands....'shoulder' seasons (no one had ever heard of these a few years ago)....more peak/shoulder/high periods than non peak...

I did not say we were not paying over the odds. Just trying to find a reason for it. Short of huge numbers deciding not to use campsites in the UK things are unlikely to change. Where as the Germans, living in any of the large downs close to the French border can just nip across for a long weekend, if they reckon there sites are getting too expensive.

When it comes to out of season/ mid-week discounts, the CC do not seem to have grasped the concept that half a loaf is better than no bread.

Well put, CY.  Only yesterday I was checking a few CC sites out for the end of February, beginning of March.  Considering a stay at York Rowntree for a few nights followed by 3 or 4 at Wharfedale, Grassington.  York works out at £19.60 per night for 2, Wharfedale at £20.10.  Admittedly, they offer MWD, but Fri, Sat and Sun it's £20.10.  I could understand York being the more expensive site, as it's one of the "honeypot sites".  Wharfedale, in fact, has gone up by £3 per night compared to the same period last year.

I appreciate that it's a few weeks off yet but don't forget that the A59 is still closed around Blubberhouses as this will probably affect your route.  

steve, one could probably get away with this sort of 'generalisation' to a degree but how does it explain the myriad methods employed to extract every last penny from the customer...

six price bands....'shoulder' seasons (no one had ever heard of these a few years ago)....more peak/shoulder/high periods than non peak...

I did not say we were not paying over the odds. Just trying to find a reason for it. Short of huge numbers deciding not to use campsites in the UK things are unlikely to change. Where as the Germans, living in any of the large downs close to the French border can just nip across for a long weekend, if they reckon there sites are getting too expensive.

....but, as AD was saying, even 'high price' Germany has 'cheap' camping.....at full facilities sites....

 

steve, one could probably get away with this sort of 'generalisation' to a degree but how does it explain the myriad methods employed to extract every last penny from the customer...

six price bands....'shoulder' seasons (no one had ever heard of these a few years ago)....more peak/shoulder/high periods than non peak...

I did not say we were not paying over the odds. Just trying to find a reason for it. Short of huge numbers deciding not to use campsites in the UK things are unlikely to change. Where as the Germans, living in any of the large downs close to the French border can just nip across for a long weekend, if they reckon there sites are getting too expensive.

....but, as AD was saying, even 'high price' Germany has 'cheap' camping.....at full facilities sites....

 

The point I was trying to make is that there is more competition. If French sites are cheaper Germans can easily get to them. We on the other hand have to get on a ferry.

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Never going to happen, but it would be interesting to see if German site prices would increase, if they were charged an amount similar to our ferry fares for leaving the country with their caravan. I think they might.

[quote] six price bands....'shoulder' seasons (no one had ever heard of these a few years ago)....more peak/shoulder/high periods than non peak.. [/quote]

The C&CC introduced the 'shoulder season' concept back in 2013 for the 2014 season.  Caused quite a stir at the time but obviously the CC have adopted it seeing as there seems to be so much support on here for the way the other club do things