Caravan Club or the Camping and Caravan Club

Happy_saver_4

These two clubs seem to be directly competative. Both having campsites, insurance etc. etc

Being a new caravanner, can anybody please tell me which is the better club to join. I'm planning perhaps to go to S Spain for a couple of the winter months and spending a few months each summer touring the UK.

Opinions and advice appreciated.

carolbee

we used to belong to C & C club. used to go for weekends, THS (temporary holiday sites) and their own sites. excellent value for money,we found by using their sites we more than saved what we paid for membership. always found very friendly wardens on all sorts of sites. can remember at one point paying more per night for the dogs in kennels than we paid for a wonderful site in north cornwall! might be worth phoning them to see if you could get a copy of a few of their monthly magazines, ask to see an example of a summer magazine. Know nothing of C club though

chrissiesurfergirl123

Been a member of the Caravan Club for over 10 years. All the sites we have stayed on have been of exceptional quality with excellent clean facilities. I think the main difference between the two clubs is that the Caravan Club do not allow tents unless they are trailer tents.

Happy_saver_4

Which of the Clubs has the registered sites for just 5 caravans - often rural farm cheaper sites?

chrissiesurfergirl123

I think the small sites of up to 5 units you are referring to are called Certified Locations. Caravan Club has over 2000 of these and I think the camping and Caravanning club also has these.

carolbee

if you havn't caravanned before, the C & C club used to do manoevuring (sp?) courses, we never attended one, but meant to be really good according to others.

always found people very friendly and helpful, if you admit to being a new caravanner, lots of help - and cups of tea - on offer, especially when putting up that new awning that the instructions made look so simple .....

we found that you could join in or keep yourself to yourself if you wanted to. some places are more geared to children at certain times of the year obviously.

have you caravanned before?

chatty123

my advice will be to join both. the cc club's certified sites are excellent and the c&c club have rallies that you don't have to prebook. so you can decide where to go at the last minute depending what the weather is like

Happy_saver_4

carolbee wrote:

if you havn't caravanned before, ...................

...............have you caravanned before?

Not in the UK. We RV'd with a 5th wheel in USA for 3 years. I think 5th wheels are easier to handle than a caravan - so, we'll have a steep learning curve.

I need to get van insurance and both clubs seem to offer similar services so trying to decide which to join - seems like both?? I don't want to waste money being an MSE member

peterbaker

If you have ever worked for the government in any capacity, whether as a postman perhaps, (as I did as a teenager), or for a company which did work that the government used to do (heaps of those abound) and I worked for one too! ...then you probably qualify for Civil Service Motoring Association membership (CSMA).

They have excellent competitive insurance schemes for vans arranged by Frizzells. Frizzells were insurance brokers for Noah's Ark I think, so even if you haven't heard of them, you may take it that they are excellent! They talk my kind of insurance customer service (I was in insurance myself for 20 years).

I have my van, my car, my home insurance and very good breakdown insurance (tailored for motorhomes of most lengths with no questions unlike AA) all with them now. And I didn't become a caravanner myself until February 06! I have used it every other week since then and still have had no need to join either of the clubs mentioned.

I found one major campsite operator (Haven) who offer a discount to one of the two clubs mentioned. However, the discount is no greater than what you get anyway from Haven once you have stayed three times in a season. It's only 10% or something like that.

I am sure both main caravan clubs offer good benefits, but I have stayed on sites recommended by both, and despite a full season having passed I can't see the point of joining either.

CSMA get ferry discounts too. Last time I took my 7m motorhome to Germany for a long weekend just before the World Cup, I only paid £64 return!

One last thing you might want if you intend going abroad is an International Camping Card which is basically just a flimsy card that suffices as ID and saves you having to leave your passport at the campsite office on many European campsites. It is mandatory in a few countries I think.

The main Caravan clubs issue them as a service a bit like the AA used to issue International Drivers Licences. The AA used to do the Camping Card too, but now they pass their members to one of the two main caravan outfits (forget which one) ... you give your AA number and you get your ICC!

That was the last thing I did with my AA membership before I changed to CSMA Full European breakdown cover:D

Edit: Just noticed you were not talking motorcaravan this time around so not sure how the caravan insurance is with CSMA and Frizzells but I am sure it is well worth a look.

ManAtHome

Thanks Peter - will have a look although over 30 years since I was in the CS. Not sure how I'd prove it though, seem to have mislaid my payslips... (too young to join the pension scheme at the time).

Cumbrian_Male

I'm in both but use The Camping and Caravanning Club more. They have 5 'van sites known as certified sites CS's, (Caravan Club call them certified locations CL's)

Both have their different merits and rallies, while I camp more with C&CC my breakdown cover is with Greenflag through the Caravan Club's Mayday service.

Carefree is the International travel service from the C&CC and offer just a booking service right up to full itinary escorted tours. Also do Freedom camping cheques which can work out cheaper for off season touring.

Give them a call and ask lots of questions, they won't mind, just explain that you are considering membership.

BTW The Caravan Club use Frizzel's for most of their insurance deals.