FAQs

Building on the success of our new overseas online booking experience launched in 2019, we’ve continued to listen to your feedback and are introducing a new, easier way for everyone to plan and book their UK holidays with us. We are going to introduce deposits to make it easier for all members to find a pitch, a prepayment option to speed up arrival, the ability to pre-book all pitch types, a new interactive map on our website and the ability to book multiple campsites for different dates in one go.

We're always looking at ways we can improve the services we provide you. Over the past few years we've been gathering your feedback all with the aim of understanding how you feel the current booking system could be improved. In October 2019 we launched our new overseas online booking experience and these next changes for UK campsites are happening as part of the next phase of the project.

Members, Site Staff and Committee Members have all been involved in providing feedback:

• Over 100,000 new and longer-standing members were invited to share their views over recent years
• 5 Focus Groups and 22 User Experience testing sessions have been held with members
• All Site Staff (900) were surveyed and all Committee Members were consulted and approved the new approach
  
  

Back in 2018, to improve availability for all members, we changed the way we put pitches on sale to enable you to always book at least a year ahead, all year round. This new system has proven very popular, with over one million nights already booked for stays in 2022!

The next step to improving availability is the introduction of deposits coupled with cancellation terms and conditions. This will help address the rise in cancellations, which has been a growing problem that has increased in recent years.

In a normal year, we often see over 25% of all bookings being cancelled (that’s over 950,000 cancelled nights...every year!)

Of those cancelled nights, over 25% are made within four days of arrival, so it’s very difficult for other members to take advantage of the newly vacant pitches.

And it’s not just a small minority of ‘block bookers’ who are cancelling, almost half of all members who make a booking each year make at least one amendment or cancellation too. As you can imagine, a lot of members all cancelling a few times a year soon adds up! After reviewing the market, speaking to members and looking at other campsite providers the best solution to reduce speculative bookings is to introduce a deposit system. This will reduce the number of speculative bookings and create more availability for members.

We know plans sometimes do have to change, so if you cancel or amend your booking at least 21 days before arrival, your deposit will be fully refunded. This will give other members enough time to make a new booking and take advantage of the newly available pitch.

Club members and staff have worked together to create this new approach, and we’re all confident it will provide all members with more availability and an easier booking experience.

A deposit will be calculated for each individual campsite stay within a booking and will usually be 20% of the total value of each stay. If several different campsite stays are booked together within one booking, one payment will be taken at the time of booking to cover all the applicable deposits of all the stays combined. There is a minimum deposit value of £25 per stay. However, if the total price of the stay is less than £25, then the total price will be paid as the deposit.

The new deposit system will only be applicable to Club campsites. Affiliated Sites and Certificated Locations will continue to be booked directly with the individual owners.

Deposits are fully refundable if the booking is cancelled more than 21 days before arrival. This will give other members enough time to make a new booking and take advantage of the available pitch.

The Club will sensitively manage cancellations due to exceptional circumstances.

Yes, if you have had COVID, or have to self isolate from being in contact with someone who has COVID, we will refund your deposit, or any amount paid toward your stay.

Yes, you will be able to amend and cancel bookings online. Simply enter the 'manage my booking' area on the website or in the app.

We will not be refunding any paid amounts for any members who do not turn up. If you cannot take up your pitch, we ask that you amend or cancel to help ensure there is availability for a fellow member to enjoy rather than let it go empty.

Deposits will only apply from when the new UK booking experience is launched (sometime in 2022) and will only affect new bookings made after the launch. Up to then continue to make bookings on the existing system (which do not include deposit payments).

Existing bookings will be moved onto the new system, meaning no deposit is payable and payment before arrival is not an option.

Existing bookings will be moved onto the new system when the new system goes live. We recommend that you cancel your original booking and make a new booking for the new longer duration, adopting the new booking process and payment conditions. Alternatively, you could create a separate new booking for the additional dates required, however this would mean that you would need to check in on both your arrival days and would have two bookings and payments to manage. Hence, it's simpler for you to fully cancel and rebook.

No, deposits will not apply until the new UK booking experience is launched and will only affect new bookings made after the launch.

Initially, Gift Vouchers or Site Night Vouchers will be redeemable on arrival at site.

A deposit system is the fairest way to enable as many members as possible to enjoy staying at our campsites. It will reduce speculative bookings and ensure lower cancellation rates which both in turn mean more pitches available for all members who have a genuine commitment to their trips.

Yes, all guests including non-members will pay the deposit.

No, deposits will increase the pitch night availability for all members, therefore allowing you all more freedom to book Club campsites. The new website and App booking journey will also allow you to book multiple campsites in one go, giving you more freedom to explore.

No. Dogs will continue to be able to stay for free.

Yes. When the new booking system is introduced it will be set up to automatically take your balance the night before arrival, unless you opt out. If you opt out, the balance will be paid on arrival at the campsite, however this will increase the time it takes for you to 'check in' on arrival.

Once the new system is introduced, if you opt for payment before arrival, you will have your balance taken automatically the night before arrival.

Yes, the new booking system will allow you to make a payment toward your balance at any point as part of the 'manage my booking' screens within the new website booking system. This is designed to help you spread the payments over a period of time.

You will have to pay the deposit when booking. You will be able to opt out of the automatic balance payment before arrival (and choose to pay the balance of your stay when you arrive at the campsite), however by paying before arrival you'll experience a faster check in process at the campsite enabling you to start enjoying your holiday sooner!

Yes, when you arrive on site you will still need to check in, pay any outstanding balance and collect site specific information, then return once you have pitched up to confirm your pitch number

Yes. When the new system is introduced all guests will be able to pre-book all types of pitch as part of their new booking.

Your existing booking(s) will be automatically migrated over to the new booking system prior to it going live to ensure you are allocated a pitch type at your booked Club campsite. 

Grass pitches will be £1 less per night than hardstanding pitches. Charging different fees for awning and non-awning pitches is currently under review.

Not at the moment, but grass pitches will be £1 less per night than hardstanding pitches. Charging different fees for awning and non-awning pitches is currently under review.

The possibility of you not being able to be accommodated on your booked pitch type will continue to be managed on a case by case basis by our site staff. If pitches are taken off sale by us due to adverse weather conditions or other operational reasons, you will be offered a refund or an amendment to either another pitch type or an alternative Club campsite.

No. The new booking system will not allow you to book specific pitch numbers, only pitch types. Though as we do now, there may be times when we need to allocate you a pitch number on arrival.

The vast majority of bookings take place on the Club’s website or booking app. However, some bookings still do take place within the contact centre and also over the phone or in-person directly at one of our Club campsites. For those members without website access, they will still be able to book in the same manner, however, they will be asked to pay a deposit by card.

For members without a credit or debit card (or those without a traditional bank account) there are many ‘pre-payment card’ solutions available to them within the UK. These solutions are designed specifically for customers without bank accounts and therefore without access to traditional credit and debit cards. 

Alternatively, for members living nearby one of our Club campsites, they will be able to directly visit the campsite and pay a deposit in cash.

Yes, you’ll be able to search for and book multiple campsites across different dates at the same time within one 'basket booking'. For example, you can book a stay at campsite A for 3 days in June, plus a stay at campsite B for 3 days in September, at the same time, all within one 'basket'. You could also book multiple stays at the same campsite over different date periods.

There is no limit on the number of individual stays that can be booked and added to your basket/booking. You will pay a deposit that covers all of the stays at the time of booking.

No, stays within the same booking don't have to be over consecutive dates, and therefore could be for different periods across the year.

A deposit will be calculated for each individual campsite stay within a booking and will usually be 20% of the total value of the stay. There is a minimum deposit value of £25 for each stay so if the total value of a stay is less than £25, the deposit due at the point of booking will be the full amount. If several stays are booked together, one payment will be taken to cover the sum of all deposits. Balance payments for stays on UK campsites are taken automatically on the evening before arrival at each campsite.

If you are looking to extend the duration of an existing stay, you can amend that existing stay by entering the 'Manage my booking' section of the website (rather than create an additional stay) - this will speed up your arrival time at site. Any additional stays will require a new booking to be made within a new 'basket' (ie: you cannot add additional stays within an existing booking).

The deposit value due is recalculated each time an amendment is made.
1) If you are adding or changing a component (eg: a campsite or crossing) - you could be asked to pay an additional deposit, in line with the minimum deposit amount required (eg: if extending the duration of a stay)
2) If you are removing a component - if the recalculated deposit is lower than the deposit that has already been collected, the balance due will be reduced (eg: if reducing the duration of a stay)
3) If a non-member becomes a member - the non-member supplement will be removed from the unused nights, and will either reduce the balance due for the stay(s), or will be refunded if there is no more balance due

No. Multiple stays at UK campsites can be booked together, and multiple stays at overseas campsites combined with ferry/train crossings can be booked together. But the system will not yet allow UK and overseas stays to be booked together. Therefore, users will have to make one booking for UK campsites, and a separate booking for overseas campsites and ferry/train crossings.

Yes the basket will 'expire' after a short period, however the expiry period extends each time a new product type, or component (eg: a campsite or crossing) is added to the basket. When the basket expires, the components will be released back for other members to then book.

Seasonal pitches, Seasonal Storage and Experience Freedom glamping accommodation will be bookable through the new system in the future. But this functionality will not be part of the new system at launch.

The interactive map will offer you a quicker and easier way to browse, find and compare multiple campsites. You'll be able to search your preferred geographical areas, compare up to three campsites and find your perfect campsites and book your holiday more easily.

Club campsites will be bookable in the new system. Certificated Locations and Affiliated Sites will be visible and searchable, but you will not be able to book them within the new booking system (however links to each Certificated Location / Affiliated Site website and phone number will be provided).

The Club is exploring a future phase whereby Certificated Locations and Affiliated Sites will be bookable directly within the new system, but this will not be in place for launch.