Posted on 23/01/2018 12:31
Hi, I'm just wondering if any of you solo travelers find the ACSI discount Campingcard still gives good value when visiting Spain, Portugal and France. I can see that a couple travelling together would make good savings but I'm not so sure if it's worth having as a solo camper. Any thoughts much appreciated!
Posted on 25/01/2018 10:44
There are some ACSI sites where you will still save by having the camping card, even as a single person, but there are also 8000 French campsites which are not even members of that scheme, and there are motorhome Aires almost everywhere if you really want to be economical.
Posted on 25/01/2018 11:42
Thanks for that euro(r?)traveller! I prefer and mostly use aires in France but I found aires less plentiful in Spain last year (my first Spanish adventure) so I used campsites mostly. I've not ventured into Portugal yet but I'm guessing, like Spain, the aires there are equally scarce?
Posted on 25/01/2018 21:35
I think Deleted User's advice is spot on. Check out sites you might want to visit, price a stay for one person, pitch, electricity, dog, shower on their own website, then check the ACSI rate. Calculate the difference in costs, and add up how many nights you might spend there (check out special offers such as 7 nights for 6, 14 nights for 11). We have saved up to 26 euros on one site for just a few days but definitely worth while. And the price on that site would have been exactly the same for one person - and it was a 'pitch plus electric price' with more than two people being charged extra.
Posted on 28/01/2018 11:50
It is going to be different for different people and the sites they would accept. However, if traveling as far as Portugal the inference is it is not a three or four day trip, so the potential to take advantage of the discount on a number of occasions is quite favourable.
It only costs £20 therefore £2 a night gain on 10 nights makes it a cheap and extensive guide.
As an example I am using it for two nights at a UK site, saving albeit as a couple £10.50 per night, so for our French trip it is effectively free.
As a motorhome user you have a lot more options, but it is hard to see ACSI not bringing some advantage.
Posted on 28/01/2018 11:50 by ocsidIt is going to be different for different people and the sites they would accept. However, if traveling as far as Portugal the inference is it is not a three or four day trip, so the potential to take advantage of the discount on a number of occasions is quite favourable.
It only costs £20 therefore £2 a night gain on 10 nights makes it a cheap and extensive guide.
As an example I am using it for two nights at a UK site, saving albeit as a couple £10.50 per night, so for our French trip it is effectively free.
As a motorhome user you have a lot more options, but it is hard to see ACSI not bringing some advantage.
Posted on 28/01/2018 16:41
You can buy the ACSI Guide from the C&MC for £10.49, plus postage of £2.50.
Posted on 28/01/2018 12:14 byocsid
I have just received the bill for mine (on subscription) and even with 40p charge for non sterling transaction it was only £15.02, where is it £20?
Posted on 28/01/2018 19:22
If buying direct from ACSI as a non-member it is 16.95 Euros plus 3.5 Euro P&P, so 20.45 Euros, therefore with exchange commission my £20 is of the right order. However, via the CMC it is cheaper as Val states.
The argument I made is even more supportive of making the modest investment if not paying out £20.
Posted on 06/05/2018 15:31
You have raised an interesting point! I have always bought the guide to find campsites but have always felt - perhaps wrongly - that it was still cheaper as a Solo. It has worked well when some sites have counted the dog as discounted second human! Notably it was a Brit owned site that wouldn't do that and charged for both dogs!
The ID card that they sell separately was definitely a waste of money. I had trouble buying direct from ACSI as they couldn't get their heads round a change of address so I now get from Vicarious Books.
Have fun!
Barrygary