Associations and Clubs

[California4x4]

Hi,

I’m doing some research and would love to hear your views and comments.

What associations and clubs relevant to campervaning and wider motorhoming and camping do you know off or are you a member of.

What kind of annual charges do they have and what are the benefits of them.

I hope this might be useful to other new California owners out there.

Cheers

Dave

I’m originally U.K. based but currently in Norway. The photograph is my partners 4x4 Sprinter with all the toys in the USA

 

[California4x4]

So I’ve done a trawl of the forum to try to find some more information and I’ll summarise it here. It appears there are two main options Options:

1. Camping and Caravaning Club (C&CC)
2. Caravan and Motorhome Club (C&MC) formerly Caravan Club (CC)

C&CC

• Approx 1/2 million members
• Over 1,550 certified sites (not owned by the club but commercial sites promoted by the club)
• Camping in the Forrest (CITF) partnership between the Forestry Commission and the C&CC - members of C&CC get 15% discount
• Offers Insurance
• Offers RAC Breakdown cover
• Escorted tours eg Iceland and Faroe Islands
• Sites (Generally considered to be superior)
• Website (generally considered to be superior)
• Discount offered for over-60s
• Wardens (often considered to be unhelpful)
• Two night minimum rule
• No choice of pitch
• Discount on ferries
• 50% discount on M6 Toll Road

C&MC

• Approx 1 million members
• 200 main sites across UK
• 2,500 third party 5-van sites certified locations (CL)
• Insurance discount
• Booking website (generally considered to be poor)
• No deposit required
• No minimum stay
• Facilities (generally considered to be good)
• Dates of stay can be specified
• Website allows users to see where there are vacancies
• Wardens (generally considered to be good)
• Members can select their own pitch
• Recover of vehicle and trailer is possible (doesn’t have to be a caravan) if member of C&MC and RAC
• Shell Fuel Card scheme (8p per litre discount)
• Discount on sanef toll tag for motorways in France.

Both

• Offer discounts
• Clean and orderly site secured at night with strict noise policies
• Member only sites

So what are other options please? I’ve found these. Do you know of any others or have any experience of these?

• UKCamspite.co.uk
  • Cheaper than both of the clubs?
• Britstops.com
• Aires de service (free Service Areas in France)
• Europe
  • ACSI
    • Book listing all site

 

[sapto]

Maybe not a club but membership:
- ADAC Camping (Germany, ~€5.-)
- TCS Camping (Switzerland, ~CHF 30.-)

Also a gread board full of helpful Cali owners (for free):

- caliboard.de
- txboard.de

 

[WelshGas]

C & MC also offer some Foreign Campsites with booking facilities.

If their website is considered poor then heaven help us.

 

[jeff]

C & MC also offer some Foreign Campsites with booking facilities.

If their website is considered poor then heaven help us.

The ccc also offer booking for foreign campsites and travel discounts on ferries.

 

[Meoncoast]

We are members of both clubs. I use the CMC quite a lot more than the camping club. I find the CMC booking online simple and works well so I not sure why some people say its booking is an issue.