Across Europe there are a plethora of camping & caravan clubs, catering for the thousands of people who enjoy traveling and using campsites and RV, campervans and caravans. Choosing which one to join is not easy. There is no one organization covering all the various countries. Anyone traveling in Europe and wanting to take advantage of club membership does need to make careful choices.
Identifying the best ones to join depends a lot of where you are planning to go, and your linguistic capabilities. Every country in Europe has its own national specialist camping & caravan clubs tailored to their own national groups such as the FFCC (Federation des campers, caravaniers et camping-caristes in France), the Campers Association of Vojvodinia in Serbia, and the Caravaners League in Russia or the Federacion Espanola de Clubes Campistas in Spain. All of these clubs can be accessed through the F.I.C.C (Federation International Camping, Caravanning and Autocaravaning) website.
The F.I.C.C is a worldwide organization focusing on the interests of campers. Set up originally for European campers in 1933, it has since grown to cover 67 member clubs and federations in 38 different countries around the world. It is the ideal place to identify if a national club exists within the country you are proposing to visit and offers a direct link across to the individual club’s website. All the clubs offer a range of benefits to their members such as access to various camping sites, advice & recommendations on travel within their countries as well as product discounts and the opportunity to meet fellow campers at rallies and events.
One of the oldest Camping & Caravanning clubs worldwide is located in the UK. Founded in 1901, it began life as the Association of Cycle Campers. Interestingly, one of its founders Thomas Hiram Holding, has been described as the father of modern camping, publishing a book called The Campers Handbook just seven years later. The Association opened its first official campsite by 1906. Over the years, the various name changes have taken place resulting in its existing name of The Camping & Caravanning Club and membership has grown likewise. It is now one of the largest camping & caravanning clubs in the world, with around 750,000 members. The club’s activities have expanded outside the UK, to provide access to campsites all over Europe, from Finland to Slovenia. It has also developed links with other clubs throughout Europe and elsewhere allowing members to share facilities where necessary.
An aerial shot of Love2Stay park.
Joining the Camping & Caravanning Club provides a lot of benefits for members such as access to over 1,500 member exclusive campsites plus 3,000 temporary campsites often found close to special events and attractions. In addition to that, there are 104 Club sites within the UK, which the Club owns, maintains and manages, as well as special sites within woodlands resulting from a deal between the Camping & Caravanning Club and The Forestry Commission. Under the deal, the Camping & Caravanning Club manages 15 Camping in the Forest sites located within Forestry Commission woodlands. These sites are definitely very special as they are located in ancient forests such as the Forest of Dean and the New Forest and possess direct access to miles of trackways and ancient paths through some spectacular countryside.
Being a member of the Camping & Caravanning Club offers a lot of benefits. Members receive discounts when booking pitches at its UK and European campsites and discounts on ferry and Eurotunnel journeys. Members can enjoy price reductions on entry to places like Alnwick Castle (well known as one of the locations used for iconic scenes in the Harry Potter movies such as Harry’s first attempt to fly on a broomstick), discounts with retailers and dealers selling vehicles and equipment. You can join local groups and meet people with similar interests, and take part in the Club Forum where you can exchange experiences and get advice from other travelers.
Anyone wanting to travel outside the UK can use the club services to make all the necessary arrangements including booking suitable sites. There are numerous caravan club rallies both within the UK and overseas where you can pitch up in the company of other members. Typical events include rallies at Caravan and Motorhome Shows, County shows as well as summer rally sites perfect for family breaks close to water parks and beaches, or Winter Sun rallies in Spain or Portugal. A wide range of activities such as excursions, children’s activities are available at each rally, as well as simply being able to socialize with other members.
One option for RV travelers wanting to explore more than one European country and find suitable campsites is to consider organizations like ACSI, which operates the Eurocamping network. ACSI has been involved in the sector for over 50 years, and all sites within its network are assessed regularly by one of its inspectors. It provides a lot of information on campsites and extras such as an integrated route planner while its www.eurocamping.eu website is believed to be Europe’s most visited camping website.
Joining ACSI provides a lot of benefits such as a CampingCard providing discounts of up to 50% when booking pitches at various sites. Another advantage is the option of joining an ACSI Camping Tours holiday in which you tour with your own caravan or motorhome following various routes to campsites and taking advantage of guided excursions along the way. For example, in 2019, it is operating a guided tour of the Veneto and Istria region in northeast Italy. This offers an opportunity to explore the southern foothills of the Dolomites, and the cities of Trieste and Venice as well as coastal towns like Pula and Rovinj. Starting at a Eurocamping site in Caorle, there is a welcome dinner followed by a free day exploring the area.
During the holiday there are coach excursions to the Prosecco region, with a wine tasting and lunch and to Venice with a guided tour of the Doge’s Palace and Piazza San Marco. After several days at Caorle, the tour moves to another campsite giving access to other parts of the area with guided excursions to Pula, Motovun and Trieste. Taking part in a group tour of this kind means that you can meet other people, share experiences and visit places that you might not otherwise be able to visit. In all the tour covers 1,530 km over a 14-day period with costs starting at £895. Other guided tours cover Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Italy, Poland and Spain. Depending on the tour and location, it can last from 14 to 41 days.
Ownership of and touring with vintage or retro caravans is becoming one of the most popular activities within the European RV sector, which is why the Retro Caravan Club is growing rapidly. With over 1,200 members plus 15,000 internet followers, the UK based Retro Caravan Club is now the largest Classic, Vintage, Retro, Period and Historic Caravan Club in Europe. Members come from all over the world, not just the UK as the Retro Caravan Club has members in Ireland, France, Denmark, Finland, Australia and the USA. It is also a member of the ECCC (European Classic Caravan Clubs) organization and many of its members attend the ECCR Classic Caravan rally each year. In 2020, the Retro Caravan Club will be hosting the event and it is expected to attract at least 200 caravans.
Members of the Retro Caravan club are enthusiasts who like to restore, preserve and use vintage and retro caravans. Over 40 rallies are held throughout the UK enabling people to meet up and show their historic caravans, as well as two continental rallies. Some are purely social rallies, while others are display rallies where the vehicles are on display to the public such as the Great Dorset Steam Festival where there are numerous associated activities available such as traction engine displays, horse drawn ploughing, vintage fairgrounds, crafts and market stalls. Member benefits include quarterly magazines, access to technical help and advice as well as socializing at the rallies.
In addition to these national and cross border groups there are also a host of smaller groups, which may be linked to those national clubs, or operate totally separately within a specific area. For example, the 2000 Caravan Club Cymru is based in South Wales and comprises a small group of people who participate in low cost weekend rallies across south Wales and the rest of the UK often in farmer’s fields, National Trust properties or National Parks. It simply acts as a way of allowing people to meet others with similar interests. A google search of any national country will immediately identify numerous potential clubs in every European country.
Whatever your interest or reason for seeking out club membership while touring Europe, there is guaranteed to be a suitable club available. Memberships costs vary considerably, depending on the size and activities of the clubs like the benefits available.
Searching out a suitable club is definitely worth the effort. It is the perfect way to meet new friends, to socialize, find information and gain a lot of benefits to help you on your travels.
Camping, Camping Club, Features, Industry Edge, International, RV Lifestyle