Clubsite bookings 2021

This is a very regular topic aired on this forum. The Club aim to be fair to everyone by making the sites available at predetermined times so all members have a fair opportunity to make a booking. The problem with booking system that allows such advanced booking is that the later you book the more likely you will find sites with weekends already booked. Personally I would not want to adjudicate between those who feel a two week break is more important than a weekend booking, there will be plenty of reasons why both are important.

You do have choices. What about a different site? If you really want to be on a specific site do as I often do, book the days that are available and keep going back to the booking page to check for cancellations which invariably will occur as the date of arrival nears. I appreciate this does not give you immediate results but I have found it works for me.

David

Personally, I don’t begrudge the working folk their weekend breaks.

To segregate pitches into long/short stay could complicate matters and potentially result in people looking elsewhere.

You say "so many club sites are fully booked.....for weekends" but can you be a bit more specific, please? Is that 5 sites, 25, 100? Is it all areas?

As ever, the answer is to book early or be flexible in your choice of sites.👍🏻

Your OP has been discussed many times on here,with many replies including what you have suggested , all without any clear ideas to it being resolved

I will say in all the 50+years i have been a member ,i can probably count on one hand any negative response when contacting a site direct ,if a longer period is required when it shows all weekends booked 

The problem has got worse and IMHO will not improve in the forceable future with the increase in "staycations"   means it is more important to book as early as possible,there is not Yet any deposits required, or any cancelation fees

We all pay the same membership fee so why should any one have a particular advantage in booking?

Also don't blame it all on the weekenders, yes they will be there, but longer stayers will, to maximise their stay, arrive on a Saturday and leave on a Sunday. I certainty did that.

Club sites are popular, that is the real problem and the only answer is to book early, after all there are no up front costs or deposits or harsh change of plan fees. 

But as said other sites are available and for some some reason always have plenty of space we are often told compared to club sites.

I must admit I have some sympathy with the OP. Some folks/families  might only the one opportunity to take a two week (for instance) holiday each year, and as members of the ‘club’, reasonably expect to be able to get a pitch for the duration. That said, there’s no denying that club sites are very popular and that no matter what system is in place, it won’t suit everyone. As it is, it suits me, but then I’m retired, so I can be flexible in my choices. We visited St David’s club site back in July but could only get a pitch for 3 nights, we wanted 6. As each day passed, we kept checking for additional nights, and it worked out fine as the inevitable cancellations came in. Not something I’d consider with a family in tow though, I’d need certainty.

It’s simple, just book the sites that you think you might want and then if you find you don’t want them ,just cancel at least 72 hours before that date , and all within the rules .

I think this year is going to be a tad different to normal years, given how so many folks have realised that camping in all its varied forms has been seen as a safer alternative to other forms of holidaying. There will be a lot who usually venture overseas giving things a bit longer to settle down, there are thousands of folks who have bought vans, tents, campers, motorhomes with a view to self catering, and we know the Club saw a surge in Membership this year.

So Members who primarily use Club Sites are going to have to get very organised if they want a specific Site at a specific time of the year for a long stay. Book as early as possible, or compromise on dates and locations. 

I would still book dates and try to fill them in, we have done it many times and got what we needed. But we always had a Plan B.

Good luck👍

I've just done a quick trawl through of my usual sites, and sites I have used over the last few summers and apart from very popular places like Seacroft and York (RP) there appears to be plenty of pitches throughout the summer and for as long as you want (subject to the max).

What sites are you interested in OP?

The maths side of me wants to know what's happening here though at York with all Thursdays free? In October it's all Wednesdays! (August free pitches were more random and those free pitches are all 5 pitches or less)

To a certain extent, I too sympathise with the OP, Freddy, but we all need to realise the ways around a situation are often in our own hands.

You worked out a solution to your issue at St David’s and it's just one example of how being proactive brings the desired result. What I find unpalatable is people not accepting it is their own circumstances or actions which create difficulties and then expecting the club to change its ways in order to accommodate their situation. I'm not saying that's necessarily the case with the OP, btw.

The Vikings invade on Thursdays in September Corners, it gets a bit messy😉 Romans have a go in October on a Wednesday, mind they are a bit tidier.......

Seriously though, it pays to get organised. Here’s a heads up for any Rugby League fans...........

https://www.visityork.org/whats-on/rugby-league-world-cup-2021