This is the bit I dont Like

[Ian.C.S]

This mid to end of March,drives me nuts! its the same every year!
Almost all the sites are closed including most of the cs & cl`s,the few that are open are booked solid.
The sun is shining,the flowers are out AND I CANT FIND A SITE
POOOOO!
All I wanted was one night,so I could get out and about,NO CHANCE!
Roll on April,life gets back to normal,away every weekend and meets and rallies galore.

I am very sensitive to cabin fever, five days stuck at home is ENOUGH!

Have wheels want to travel.

[RRH]

Why don't you wild camp somewhere. I do it all the time, or rather some of the time, actually just a few times. But I'll be doing it on Sunday eve nr Portsmouth.

[Ian.C.S]

Why don't you wild camp somewhere. I do it all the time, or rather some of the time, actually just a few times. But I'll be doing it on Sunday eve nr Portsmouth.

Beware of the Portsmouth Growlers!!

[karenw]

You need to try wilding!

Head off to an area you fancy aiming to arrive mid-afternoon so you can reccie a few spots, then return after dark and leave early in the morning. It's much more fun than using sites or even CLs - and it's free. You can also experience having an area and a view completely to yourself - bliss!

Failing that, there's always 'driveway wilding' if you have any friends/contacts/forum-pals in an attractive area with a little space and hook-up in return for a reciprocal arrangement. I'm just back from 3 days of 'garden-wilding' in Hertfordshire using this arrangement - and it works perfectly.

Enjoy!

[Southpaw]

Hi Ian,

I know a nice little site about 4 miles from Stourhead in Dorset, 1 mile from Gillingham. £10per night, ehu & toilet. Used to be a Caravan club but now unaffiliated.

If you're interested send me a PM and I'll give you the phone number.

My caravan used to be stored here so have escaped there for many a weekend.

Theresa

[anchorman]

Go on Ian, you know it makes sense, you are closer to France than the West Country. Plenty of sites and friendly to boot.

Tony Anchorman

[gasgas]

We went for two weeks last year to France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Not once did we stay on a commercial site or pay anybody anything for camping. The Europeans seem to think that if they let you stay free in their town, you will spend money there. Strange, that. We did. We even found one dedicated camper park with marked out pitches in a town, with free electricity at a post, free water, and free sanitation dump. On a tarmaced horizontal car park within walking distance of the local shops and cafes.
Catch us holidaying in England? I don't think so. It's cheaper to pay the ferry fee (£75 return) and go where the sun shines.
Actually we did pay for one site. On the August bank holiday each year there is a 'BIKE_UND_MUSIK WEEKEND' in Gieselwind, south east Germany. Google or youtube it and you'll see what I mean. It's like Glastonbury with 60,000 motorbikes. They had 15 goups playing, a drag strip with a jet engined motorbike and a jet engined car, all sorts of drag cars and bikes. It was £25 for 4 nights for 2 people including all the entertainment. We went because I found out that the Spencer Davis Group were playing, and I tell you they were absolutely magnificent.
You have to put up with a lot of beer, though, because after all they are Germans having a good time.. Wonderful holiday and we couldn't have done it without the camper.

[Vanderella]

I cant believe all the sites are fully booked! We can usually find a site at short notice, even on a bankholiday. Have to be a little flexible in where we go sometimes, but not often disappointed. There is only one site that we do not want to revisit.

Have you tried availablepitch.com - they are very good for finding out who has vacancies

But I do agree with you about it being a funny time of year. Want to get out and about more but the weather is not encouraging!

[jayjay]

I always use this month to get started on sowing seeds in my little outhouse, and taming the garden a bit on fair weather days.

If I'd still had my campervan however, I would probably have gone off for a few days out by now under normal conditions. With Mum and Dad needing help most every day however, I don't think I would have done that this year!

[Ian.C.S]

I cant believe all the sites are fully booked! We can usually find a site at short notice, even on a bankholiday. Have to be a little flexible in where we go sometimes, but not often disappointed. There is only one site that we do not want to revisit.

Have you tried availablepitch.com - they are very good for finding out who has vacancies

But I do agree with you about it being a funny time of year. Want to get out and about more but the weather is not encouraging!

Hello Mary,
I will give the website a go,but I meant that I was looking for weekend pitches,i.e one night.That rules out C & CC as they dont do one night,most cs & cl`s and forest sites. I dont usually travel far at weekends,eg kingsbury would mean 5 to 6 hours round trip on the motorway,its a bit too far just for an overnight.The problem only occurs at this time of year,in Jan and Feb there are more sites open,and they all open by 1st April.I can do day trips to the coast,or go for a walk round the RHS garden at Wisley,but its not the same.Apart from snow and ice the weather doesnt stop me.
Oh well,only one more weekend to sit through,Ive booked to have my eyes tested next weekend so I can see Snowdon when I get there

[Derek]

Hi Ian

How about Maynards Caravan & Camping Park, Crossbush, Arundel , about hour and a half travelling for you.

Reviews are erm, mixed shall we say, better than a layby though and a good position.

Walk into Arundel, look round the town, walk up to Swanbourne Lake, feed the ducks and then up to the bird reserve for some birding. Good pub up the road called the Black Rabbit, by the river.

[Ian.C.S]

Hi Ian

How about Maynards Caravan & Camping Park, Crossbush, Arundel , about hour and a half travelling for you.

Reviews are erm, mixed shall we say, better than a layby though and a good position.

Walk into Arundel, look round the town, walk up to Swanbourne Lake, feed the ducks and then up to the bird reserve for some birding. Good pub up the road called the Black Rabbit, by the river.

Thanks Derek,
Thats what I was looking for.
I will try for next weekend.
I like Arundel, lots of charm.
Ian

[andsally]

Hello Mary,
I will give the website a go,but I meant that I was looking for weekend pitches,i.e one night.That rules out C & CC as they dont do one night,most cs & cl`s and forest sites. I dont usually travel far at weekends,eg kingsbury would mean 5 to 6 hours round trip on the motorway,its a bit too far just for an overnight.The problem only occurs at this time of year,in Jan and Feb there are more sites open,and they all open by 1st April.I can do day trips to the coast,or go for a walk round the RHS garden at Wisley,but its not the same.Apart from snow and ice the weather doesnt stop me.
Oh well,only one more weekend to sit through,Ive booked to have my eyes tested next weekend so I can see Snowdon when I get there

Hi Ian

Should I infer from your post that most C&CC and CC CL sites don't do one-night stays?

[Ian.C.S]

Hi Ian

Should I infer from your post that most C&CC and CC CL sites don't do one-night stays?

Most Camping and caravan club certified sites do not accept one night bookings - most does not mean all. You have to phone the Cs and ask.
C & CC main sites do not usually accept one night bookings,but its at the discretion of the warden says head office.I have yet to find a C&CC site in the home counties that will accept one night.
Caravan Club main sites do accept one night bookings,but you need to phone the CL`s to see if they will,about 50% will, in my experience.
Thats why I am in both organisations,C&CC for meets and rallys,C.C for weekends away. Both for a huge network of small sites.I camp all year and its worth the money to me.You will quickly develop a group of favorite sites that you use at weekends and short breaks,we all do.
BTW whats your delivery date? exciting isnt it?

[andsally]

Thanks for that Ian, very interesting.

We do intend to follow your earlier advice and, like you, to join both clubs to avail ourselves of the largest possible selection of CL sites.

Rather than feeling miserable about not being away this weekend, think of it as an opportunity to research a few future weekends away.

Have you thought about getting friendly with a local farmer in an area you particularly like and come to some private arrangement (camping-wise, that is)?