Campsite prices

random man

I've just spent the weekend riding round the Lincolnshire Wolds, down the coast and back.
I headed for a campsite at West Ashby, just north of Horncastle on Saturday evening and when I got there was told it would be £20 for the night! It was only me, my bike and a two man tent.
I thought she was joking but no, that's the price, she said. So I looked at my map and decided to head for Woodhall Spa, about 12 miles away.

I rode into a very nice looking site in Woodhall Spa, went to reception and was told it would be £20! I got the price down but nowhere near enough. She even asked if I wanted electric hook up! The site was nowhere near full and if the big family tents paid £20 they got a good deal.

Last year I was paying £3 - £8 a night in the Southwest. Is it just that Lincs is expensive or have prices gone up this year?

AllezGaz

Unfortunately that seems about the norm around Lincs, especially Woodhall....was it Jubillee or Bainland maybe?

random man

It was Bainland, the first was Ashby Park.

alancash100

Total rip off!

I stayed in a bunkhouse in North Yorks last week, has the whole place to myself, open fire, dry logs and firelighters provided, free hot shower, £16!

Some campsite take the P**s and should be boycotted. It makes me laugh when you take a car any they make you pay to park it.

I feel your pain!

andrew_s

You should have gone to the Woodhall Spa Camping and Caravan Club site.
As a cycle camper, you would have been charged the backpacker rate (£8.05 in this case). They also guarantee that backpackers & cycle campers are never turned away because of a full site.
I've come across C&CC receptionists that don't know the club rules so occasionally you might get asked for more, but if you know the rules you can argue successfully.

lpretro1

Problem with campsites nowadays is that they are biased towards the caravanning fraternity where so many folk now expect to have electric hookups for their tellys, cooking, hard-standing, special disposal points for their loos etc, etc that the prices of running the places have rocketed :roll: . Unfortunately this has affected those of us who cycle camp in one or two-man tents. If you can seek out those sites that are camping only - though there aren't too many of them, or those with more 'basic' facilities which the caravanners won't use! :roll:

dylanfernley

Is it time for a collated list of camping only/ cheap campsites for those who wish to avoid motorhome /caravan hell, as well as the inflated prices

Bodhbh

Boycott the campsite. Go to the nearest pub with a beer garden, insted spend on the money on a good noshup and a couple of pints and ask to camp in the garden after closing. IMO !

andymiller

andrew_s wrote:

You should have gone to the Woodhall Spa Camping and Caravan Club site.
As a cycle camper, you would have been charged the backpacker rate (£8.05 in this case). They also guarantee that backpackers & cycle campers are never turned away because of a full site.
I've come across C&CC receptionists that don't know the club rules so occasionally you might get asked for more, but if you know the rules you can argue successfully.

Travelling in the West Country last summer I came across quite a few of the little Camping and Caravanning Club sites. I forget what they call them - franchised sites? They looked quite attractive - farms with half a dozen pitches. Only problem is that C&CC club membership is quite expensive (30 odd quid if I remember rightly) - or is there a cheaper membership for backpackers?

andrew_s

Certificated Sites.
As a non-member, you can always try asking anyway, but don't count on staying there. I'd guess that the site owner may depend on the C&CC insurance, which would only be valid for members.

I don't believe that there is a cheaper membership option, but I'm not a member myself and never have been.
[edit]
Looking at the site,it seems that it's £40, plus £10 joining fee (which is waived if you direct debit), for what is effectively family membership. If you car camp or caravan you are quite likely to recoup the cost through member discounts at many sites, but the difference for cycle camping or backpacking is only £1 to £1.50 a night.

jibberjim

andrew_s wrote:

Certificated Sites.
As a non-member, you can always try asking anyway, but don't count on staying there. I'd guess that the site owner may depend on the C&CC insurance, which would only be valid for members.

I don't believe that there is a cheaper membership option, but I'm not a member myself and never have been.

'twas many years ago when I last did it, but the ones I used always had a seperate price - 50p more if you weren't a member?

andrew_s

jibberjim wrote:

'twas many years ago when I last did it, but the ones I used always had a seperate price - 50p more if you weren't a member?

The C&CC have 2 sorts of sites.
a) Regular decent sized campsites with shower blocks and everything, which are open to all and sundry, but with members being charged less. The discount is modest for cycle campers or backpackers, but if you were in a car or caravan there could be a reasonably large difference.
b) Certificated Sites. These are generally small, and tend to have not a great deal in the way of facilities. They are officially open to members only, probably because of insurance.

It sounds like you used the regular sites.