Why are site fees so much more in uk than europe

[MikenPauline]

We have just spent 5 weeks in France on sites. The typical cost for a pitch on a site with ehu water and drainage, swimming pool, shop, restaurant and takeaway, some entertainment, has been 18euros or just over £15. Highest price was 25euros or £21 in July. I know we (as in the british) have the cost of a ferry on top, but my point is that a French family would pay £15 for excellent site and facilities, compared to an english family on a Uk site paying £30 to £45 usually with next to no facilities. How can the two major clubs justify taking a membership fee and still charging the high prices they do? The C&MC and C&CC provide nothing apart from consistency and clean toilets, accompanied by an extensive rule book and often officious staff, and you’re lucky if you can find a pitch that isn’t besieged by yappy dogs. Why are we Brits being ripped off? Even a basic CL or CS site charges £15 plus usually with no facilities.
we prefer to use sites but surely this is a bubble that is going to burst.

 

[AndyPK]

Not whilst people are willing (and able!) to pay the prices…….

 

[dazandandrea]

More than enough people seem happy to pay these silly prices. I suppose whilst people are happy and willing the sites will continue to charge.

 

[Just smiffy]

We have just spent 5 weeks in France on sites. The typical cost for a pitch on a site with ehu water and drainage, swimming pool, shop, restaurant and takeaway, some entertainment, has been 18euros or just over £15. Highest price was 25euros or £21 in July. I know we (as in the british) have the cost of a ferry on top, but my point is that a French family would pay £15 for excellent site and facilities, compared to an english family on a Uk site paying £30 to £45 usually with next to no facilities. How can the two major clubs justify taking a membership fee and still charging the high prices they do? The C&MC and C&CC provide nothing apart from consistency and clean toilets, accompanied by an extensive rule book and often officious staff, and you’re lucky if you can find a pitch that isn’t besieged by yappy dogs. Why are we Brits being ripped off? Even a basic CL or CS site charges £15 plus usually with no facilities.
we prefer to use sites but surely this is a bubble that is going to burst.

Don’t tell everyone or they’ll all be packed full of brits next year….

 

[Bart]

One reason could be they are just to greedy .

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[Beltie]

We have just returned from a site on the Gulf of Morbihan where we were paying €18 per night. Nice site and fabulous location but with slightly 'tired' facilities. Meanwhile up the road is an 'all singing, all dancing' site where the high season rate for a premium pitch is €137 per night. Yes, that's not a misprint, €137 per night. So I think the comparison is not quite as simplistic as you suggest.

 

[Badknee]

Not whilst people are willing (and able!) to pay the prices…….

Very true, vote with your feet wheels people and refuse to pay the inflated prices.

 

[Manic]

We walked past the Camping and caravan site in St.Neots and it was pretty for so I looked at price, for Tuesday 12th just to see and it would be £26.30 for 2 adults on a grass pitch without ehu or )31 with or £33.10 for hard standing with ehu.
Guess where I’m not going

 

[dazandandrea]

When i joined i was under the impression there was a discount for joining

 

[Barryh]

Or it could be that to run a site in the UK costs the owners a lot more than it does in some other countries. Greedy site owners this, greedy site owners that. I’m so glad I’m not involved in the industry now. I’ve posted this below a few times now.

It’s always difficult to understand any industry you only see from one side and then further comparing it with other countries. On another thread I did a high level breakdown about how much it cost my wife and I to run our UK campsite in our last year of ownership, which was 2012. So ten years ago we needed to make around £13.33 per occupied pitch per night just to break even.

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[Coolcats]

We have just spent 5 weeks in France on sites. The typical cost for a pitch on a site with ehu water and drainage, swimming pool, shop, restaurant and takeaway, some entertainment, has been 18euros or just over £15. Highest price was 25euros or £21 in July. I know we (as in the british) have the cost of a ferry on top, but my point is that a French family would pay £15 for excellent site and facilities, compared to an english family on a Uk site paying £30 to £45 usually with next to no facilities. How can the two major clubs justify taking a membership fee and still charging the high prices they do? The C&MC and C&CC provide nothing apart from consistency and clean toilets, accompanied by an extensive rule book and often officious staff, and you’re lucky if you can find a pitch that isn’t besieged by yappy dogs. Why are we Brits being ripped off? Even a basic CL or CS site charges £15 plus usually with no facilities.
we prefer to use sites but surely this is a bubble that is going to burst.

In context I would suggest campsites in the U.K. are reasonably priced. Firstly consider the cost of land ( let alone housing). Far from being greedy I suspect some sites do not make as much money as you may think they do recently Jim mentioned that his mower had struck something hard and would cost x or y to repair I suspect that would cost him 10 nights of a pitch rental. When you grumble about the cost of a nights stay you can stay on a farmers field with limited facilities in the U.K. from around £8-£12 per night some sites with good facilities in the U.K. can be had for around £25.

If you order a 13” Dominoes pizza it will cost about £20 so in context of a nights stay on a campsite with the facilities available to you it doesn’t seem over the top.

Go to a restaurant your not just paying for the food, your paying for rent rates wages energy costs and dare I say it a profit margin which will be a small % of the over all bill same for campsites if they didn’t exist we would probably moan.

We are fortunate to have some great sites with good facilities long May they stay in business

 

[MikenPauline]

Or it could be that to run a site in the UK costs the owners a lot more than it does in some other countries. Greedy site owners this, greedy site owners that. I’m so glad I’m not involved in the industry now. I’ve posted this below a few times now.

But why?

 

[MikenPauline]

In context I would suggest campsites in the U.K. are reasonably priced. Firstly consider the cost of land ( let alone housing). Far from being greedy I suspect some sites do not make as much money as you may think they do recently Jim mentioned that his mower had struck something hard and would cost x or y to repair I suspect that would cost him 10 nights of a pitch rental. When you grumble about the cost of a nights stay you can stay on a farmers field with limited facilities in the U.K. from around £8-£12 per night some sites with good facilities in the U.K. can be had for around £25.

If you order a 13” Dominoes pizza it will cost about £20 so in context of a nights stay on a campsite with the facilities available to you it doesn’t seem over the top.

Go to a restaurant your not just paying for the food, your paying for rent rates wages energy costs and dare I say it a profit margin which will be a small % of the over all bill same for campsites if they didn’t exist we would probably pitch fees is enormous and you get so much more. moan.

We are fortunate to have some great sites with good facilities long May they stay in business

But all this applies equally to France. I am not in a position to know whether site owners are profiteering. I simply ask why it is so much cheaper in France. A takeaway pizza in France is about the same price as domino’s. Electricity is slightly more expensive in France. Eating out has got more expensive in France this year as in Uk, but the difference in pitch fees is enormous and you get so much more

 

[MikenPauline]

In context I would suggest campsites in the U.K. are reasonably priced. Firstly consider the cost of land ( let alone housing). Far from being greedy I suspect some sites do not make as much money as you may think they do recently Jim mentioned that his mower had struck something hard and would cost x or y to repair I suspect that would cost him 10 nights of a pitch rental. When you grumble about the cost of a nights stay you can stay on a farmers field with limited facilities in the U.K. from around £8-£12 per night some sites with good facilities in the U.K. can be had for around £25.

If you order a 13” Dominoes pizza it will cost about £20 so in context of a nights stay on a campsite with the facilities available to you it doesn’t seem over the top.

Go to a restaurant your not just paying for the food, your paying for rent rates wages energy costs and dare I say it a profit margin which will be a small % of the over all bill same for campsites if they didn’t exist we would probably moan.

We are fortunate to have some great sites with good facilities long May they stay in business

I’ve been waiting for you. All this applies in Europe

 

[bridgedino]

not everyone is close to the south coast with easy access to France and beyond. 500 miles driving before I can get to the the tunnel or ferries. Thats 1000 additional miles on top of any continental driving. Sadly theres a distinct lack of options up north for crossings. So £30 per night isn't so bad compared to my other options

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[maison]

More than enough people seem happy to pay these silly prices. I suppose whilst people are happy and willing the sites will continue to charge.

We recently found a site in Wales advertising at £17 pn. We rang to book and were told that the price was now £24 pn, “was that OK”.

We simply replied “no” and went elsewhere.

 

[MikenPauline]

One reason could be they are just to greedy .

Don’t think so necessarily. With the clubs it’s the overpaid CEOs and directors taking a greater proportion of revenue I suspect. That and websites that don’t work effectively and magazines few members read and surveys they don’t act on cos it doesn’t suit their agenda

 

[Barryh]

But why?

But why what? I’ve no idea what it costs to run a French or any other non uk site, I don’t know why things are more expensive here. What I do know are the facts about my now sold business.

 

[MikenPauline]

not everyone is close to the south coast with easy access to France and in Francebeyond. 500 miles driving before I can get to the the tunnel or ferries. Thats 1000 additional miles on top of any continental driving. Sadly theres a distinct lack of options up north for crossings. So £30 per night isn't so bad compared to my other options

That’s not my point. If you were living in France you wouldn’t have ferry costs. I’m comparing like with like

 

[MikenPauline]

We have just returned from a site on the Gulf of Morbihan where we were paying €18 per night. Nice site and fabulous location but with slightly 'tired' facilities. Meanwhile up the road is an 'all singing, all dancing' site where the high season rate for a premium pitch is €137 per night. Yes, that's not a misprint, €137 per night. So I think the comparison is not quite as simplistic as you suggest.

The exception doesn’t prove a rule

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[Burgo]

Not whilst people are willing (and able!) to pay the prices…….

Exactly. If you're daft enough to pay it, they're daft enough to charge it.

 

[Coolcats]

I’ve been waiting for you. All this applies in Europe

Maybe maybe not but the cost of land maintenance wages investment all need to be paid for. A delivered Pizza can cost you £35. Oh and have you seen the price of fish and chips

 

[bobandjanie]

We have been in the UK since the 27th May I will add not by choice the cheapest campsite and none including electric and some charged for the dog was in Derby £10 a night all the others have been £14 / £20 none have been busy even at the weekend, the ones that were it was tents.
So where all these motorhomes and caravans are that flooded the market is anyone's guess, we have a ferry booking for the end of August, but hopefully we can leave before then, and use Aires and have more choice without being held to ransom. Bob.

 

[Tea Bag]

Hi.
They have a longer season in France ( early Daffs/potato's etc. Channel islands) MORE passing trade,rest of the EU passing through France to get to Spain/Portugal. Don't know about pay in France,but check out the average hourly wage in Portugal.
Then comes services. The installation of E.H.U. The electrical chaps on here will know they have vigerous checking systems annually i think,fresh water taps,waste water and Loo waste points......and mow the grass. Despite these big charges,there are some " CL " sites
ooooooooops FAT FINGERS + Conde Noble vinho Tinto.
that are booked up 3 years in advance and they are not all singing all dancing sites. What is the saying.....Oh... " BUY LAND..Gods stopped making land,but he is still making people " Do they making " Tipex " for Computors ?.......
Tea Bag.

 

[rod_vw]

I too would like an answer to the question that MikenPauline pose. WHY are British prices soo much more than our European counterparts?

Sorry but those that have commented that they don't see British prices being too high are some of the cause. You are too content with being fleeced!

If the UK had hundreds of small communities with 2,3 or 4 van Aires that were charged at no more than £8 per night with a maximum of 48hr stays maybe the competition would bring down the price of other sites. Oops we are talking about competition and the big 'clubs' wouldn't have that would they?
European countries can do it why can't we?

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[Nirvanauk]

We walked past the Camping and caravan site in St.Neots and it was pretty for so I looked at price, for Tuesday 12th just to see and it would be £26.30 for 2 adults on a grass pitch without ehu or )31 with or £33.10 for hard standing with ehu.
Guess where I’m not going

Seems to be the norm these days unfortunately.

 

[maison]

Hi.
They have a longer season in France ( early Daffs/potato's etc. Channel islands) MORE passing trade,rest of the EU passing through France to get to Spain/Portugal. Don't know about pay in France,but check out the average hourly wage in Portugal.
Then comes services. The installation of E.H.U. The electrical chaps on here will know they have vigerous checking systems annually i think,fresh water taps,waste water and Loo waste points......and mow the grass. Despite these big charges,there are some " CL " sites
ooooooooops FAT FINGERS + Conde Noble vinho Tinto. .
Tea Bag.

Not necessarily so.

Having lived in France for 16 years we found many French sites were only open for July and August, or until the middle of September.

 

[Southdowners]

I too would like an answer to the question that MikenPauline pose. WHY are British prices soo much more than our European counterparts?

Sorry but those that have commented that they don't see British prices being too high are some of the cause. You are too content with being fleeced!

If the UK had hundreds of small communities with 2,3 or 4 van Aires that were charged at no more than £8 per night with a maximum of 48hr stays maybe the competition would bring down the price of other sites. Oops we are talking about competition and the big 'clubs' wouldn't have that would they?
European countries can do it why can't we?

France is more than twice the size of the UK. The United Kingdom has a population of 68 million, and France has 65.47 million. So their country is far less populated than ours and has a vast country. Of course they can have aires and the like because they have the land. In the UK land is scarce and expensive. You simply cannot do a straight comparison between the two countries.

 

[bridgedino]

That’s not my point. If you were living in France you wouldn’t have ferry costs. I’m comparing like with like

As you asked why do UK sites charge more? Uk sites can charge more due to their captive audience. Only a couple of departure points onto the continent and they're only easily accessible for the minority of the UK. So the UK sites have a captive audience. Far more exit points spread accross the UK would open up access onto the continent and would instantly impact on the amount of people paying over the odds to use UK sites. They’d have to adjust their prices accordingly to encourage campers to chose them.

 

[Langtoftlad]

No great mystery...
Property prices
Simple.

No great conspiracy or profiteering.

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