mostly when i travel on my own an time again places will charge you the same price as 2 people staying even when its only you.. not fair..
like i have looked at a caravan park near the cbd of sydney,
and they dont have any rates for one person staying in a cabin etc , so bloody frustrating..
lilly31 said
01:09 PM Nov 2, 2011
Sure is frustration milo .... But if your asked them sometime they will give you a single rate just depened of manager or owner on the day i think.....
gordon_adl said
01:15 PM Nov 2, 2011
To be fair, this is not just a caravan park issue. It's the same with cruises, hotel rooms and many other adventures.
Vic said
01:22 PM Nov 2, 2011
Also, one person uses just as much power (microwave, fridge, aircon, stove, lights, TV, water, etc) so you can probably see their point. Some saving on the use of the toilet and shower though with only one.
Luckily some odd ones do only charge for one, but not many. Like some when you ask for pensioner or seniors discount, they say "most of our customers are seniors or pensioners, if we did that for everyone we would go broke"..........Luck of the draw and good will of the owners if they do only charge for one.
-- Edited by Vic on Wednesday 2nd of November 2011 01:23:24 PM
jimbo said
02:59 PM Nov 2, 2011
We have been asking the same question for Years Milo......... Just don't go there......I'm doing just fine with my very, very quite Gennie
woody said
05:19 PM Nov 2, 2011
I agree, when travelling Oz I found 2 or 3 parks who gave a discount for a solo traveller.
MIND YOU they are right onto charging for an extra person when 2 people book in and have a couple of kids, all a bit one sided , I reckon, and hey!!!!!!! one person doesn't have twice as many showers as a solo.CCIA really ought to be addressing these isues. that's my two bob's worth
Vic said
05:26 PM Nov 2, 2011
woody wrote:
one person doesn't have twice as many showers as a solo.
Or use the loo twice as often either as said in my previous post.....
jimricho said
06:56 PM Nov 2, 2011
woody wrote:
MIND YOU they are right onto charging for an extra person when 2 people book in and have a couple of kids, all a bit one sided , I reckon, and hey!!!!!!! one person doesn't have twice as many showers as a solo.CCIA really ought to be addressing these isues. that's my two bob's worth
Yep, but they don't often take the extra person rate off for one person.
Bit of a double standard, perhaps one should ask first why the extra for a third (or more) person and when they come up with the usual excuses then say "well if that's the case, how about reducing it by the same amount for a solo?" I haven't tried it but I think I know the answer!
That said, I should point out that I have found when checking in that some parks do have a single rate and others sometimes will "unofficially" give a discount. I have also found on a couple of occasions that I have been charged the unpowered rate for a powered site. This has been when the park's computer system has not been set up with a single rate.
In short.... It pays to ask.
PS: don't expect half price as you're still taking up a site (or cabin or hotel room or whatever)
-- Edited by jimricho on Wednesday 2nd of November 2011 07:00:35 PM
_wombat_ said
10:17 AM Nov 3, 2011
Vic wrote:
Also, one person uses just as much power (microwave, fridge, aircon, stove, lights, TV, water, etc) so you can probably see their point. Some saving on the use of the toilet and shower though with only one.
Luckily some odd ones do only charge for one, but not many. Like some when you ask for pensioner or seniors discount, they say "most of our customers are seniors or pensioners, if we did that for everyone we would go broke"..........Luck of the draw and good will of the owners if they do only charge for one.
we do not use CP much but when we do I always ask for a pensioner rate (Mrs W is a pensionar and cradle snatcher) if they so no, I just turn the van around and go to another CP or go bush.
Cruising Granny said
10:49 AM Nov 3, 2011
There are membership discounts such as Top Tourist, Oz Parks, Family Parks, Big 4. I found Top had the best base price of the member parks, before the discount applied. I always asked about single rates and usually had a little taken off. There is also Seniors Discount. Not pensioner rates directly. I have the Seniors Membership for which I pay, but the discounts I've been granted have well and truly paid for the membership. This is also available for so many other products and services. The Govt Seniors Card will get you consideration at the same places as the membership card. Just ask. The reason you won't get half of the standard "double" rate has been explained here, but always ask politely. If you don't get satisfaction, move on as you would from any other business. Caravan park business is a very slow turnover. At an average of $28 per site, bearing in mind some sites are only $12 and others are $50 (Broome) it's a slow income. While they grab the cream in the busy time, the rest of the year can be very slow.
aussietraveller said
09:06 PM Nov 4, 2011
I recently read an article regarding the costs associated with ownership of a caravan park and although there are a few owners making decent money on the coast, there are a significant number on the coast but not in prime locations and majority of country parks who only just survive, I have considered a couple of times the purchase of a caravan park and quickly come to my senses especially when you look at total year income and outgoings and that's without considering the opportunity cost and the incredible hours they have to work. I have decided there are easier ways to make a quid but I still politely always ask for a discount which is often given and much appreciated.
pauline said
09:24 PM Nov 4, 2011
I tend to agree with aussietraveller, if you forget about the tourist coastal parks and consider the parks in other places I don't think they would be earning a fortune, and the whole idea of a business is to make a profit, With the cost of power and land and water rates, maybe the solo traveller is the time they can make some profit. We are a couple and use them when it suits us, which is usually to wash, top up the batteries and have a really looong hot shower and was the hair, but we don't stay too long, that's why we got the solar panels, don't know what the answer is but we need them to stay in business...............
jonathan said
11:08 PM Nov 4, 2011
.. it's no wonder I just love free-camping ..
jimricho said
08:14 AM Nov 5, 2011
aussietraveller wrote:
I recently read an article regarding the costs associated with ownership of a caravan park and although there are a few owners making decent money on the coast, there are a significant number on the coast but not in prime locations and majority of country parks who only just survive, I have considered a couple of times the purchase of a caravan park and quickly come to my senses especially when you look at total year income and outgoings and that's without considering the opportunity cost and the incredible hours they have to work. I have decided there are easier ways to make a quid but I still politely always ask for a discount which is often given and much appreciated.
Many park owners in prime locations are "hanging in" hoping a developer will take the park off their hands. They wouldn't be doing that if park ownership were the "licence to print money" that some people think it is.
Business at many of the parks in prime tourist locations can be very seasonal, especially in places like Broome, Darwin and Nth Qld, and these operators have to cover their fixed costs in the off season by charging a premium in the peak season. Supply and Demand will determine the prices they charge in peak times. This applies to many other tourism related businesses too.
But that doesn't stop me from asking for the best rate either.
-- Edited by jimricho on Saturday 5th of November 2011 08:25:23 AM
jimricho said
08:22 AM Nov 5, 2011
jonathan wrote:
.. it's no wonder I just love free-camping ..
I enjoy bush camping, especially in the past with a few mates at a fishing spot, or when I was doing regular 4WD Tag-alongs, although I haven't done a lot of bush camping lately.
Free camping in a crowded rest area on the side of a noisy highway with often filthy toilets (I don't have an en-suite) has no appeal to me whatever.
pauline said
08:42 AM Nov 5, 2011
Me either
Ma said
10:31 AM Nov 5, 2011
jimricho wrote:
Free camping in a crowded rest area on the side of a noisy highway with often filthy toilets (I don't have an en-suite) has no appeal to me whatever.
We are fortunate these days Jim that we don't have to stay at noisy highway rest stops if we don't want to.
It's a matter of planning your day so that you can avail yourself of a quiet off the highway rest area, and there are quite a number of them these days as CAW6 shows.
jimricho said
06:12 PM Nov 5, 2011
Stayed at one such spot in Gunning (near Goulburn NSW) last year, very pretty spot, right in the village, clean toilet too, can think of a couple of others too, so yes, Elaine I agree with what you say.
I've stayed in caravan parks that are no better in regards to noise.
I've noticed this alot in my travels,
mostly when i travel on my own an time again places will charge you the same price as 2 people staying even when its only you.. not fair..
like i have looked at a caravan park near the cbd of sydney,
and they dont have any rates for one person staying in a cabin etc , so bloody frustrating..
Also, one person uses just as much power (microwave, fridge, aircon, stove, lights, TV, water, etc) so you can probably see their point. Some saving on the use of the toilet and shower though with only one.
Luckily some odd ones do only charge for one, but not many. Like some when you ask for pensioner or seniors discount, they say "most of our customers are seniors or pensioners, if we did that for everyone we would go broke"..........Luck of the draw and good will of the owners if they do only charge for one.
-- Edited by Vic on Wednesday 2nd of November 2011 01:23:24 PM
I agree, when travelling Oz I found 2 or 3 parks who gave a discount for a solo traveller.
MIND YOU they are right onto charging for an extra person when 2 people book in and have a couple of kids, all a bit one sided , I reckon, and hey!!!!!!! one person doesn't have twice as many showers as a solo.CCIA really ought to be addressing these isues. that's my two bob's worth
Or use the loo twice as often either as said in my previous post.....
Yep, but they don't often take the extra person rate off for one person.
Bit of a double standard, perhaps one should ask first why the extra for a third (or more) person and when they come up with the usual excuses then say "well if that's the case, how about reducing it by the same amount for a solo?" I haven't tried it but I think I know the answer!
That said, I should point out that I have found when checking in that some parks do have a single rate and others sometimes will "unofficially" give a discount. I have also found on a couple of occasions that I have been charged the unpowered rate for a powered site. This has been when the park's computer system has not been set up with a single rate.
In short.... It pays to ask.
PS: don't expect half price as you're still taking up a site (or cabin or hotel room or whatever)
-- Edited by jimricho on Wednesday 2nd of November 2011 07:00:35 PM
we do not use CP much but when we do I always ask for a pensioner rate (Mrs W is a pensionar and cradle snatcher) if they so no, I just turn the van around and go to another CP or go bush.
I found Top had the best base price of the member parks, before the discount applied.
I always asked about single rates and usually had a little taken off.
There is also Seniors Discount. Not pensioner rates directly.
I have the Seniors Membership for which I pay, but the discounts I've been granted have well and truly paid for the membership.
This is also available for so many other products and services.
The Govt Seniors Card will get you consideration at the same places as the membership card.
Just ask.
The reason you won't get half of the standard "double" rate has been explained here, but always ask politely. If you don't get satisfaction, move on as you would from any other business.
Caravan park business is a very slow turnover. At an average of $28 per site, bearing in mind some sites are only $12 and others are $50 (Broome) it's a slow income. While they grab the cream in the busy time, the rest of the year can be very slow.
.. it's no wonder I just love free-camping ..
Many park owners in prime locations are "hanging in" hoping a developer will take the park off their hands. They wouldn't be doing that if park ownership were the "licence to print money" that some people think it is.
Business at many of the parks in prime tourist locations can be very seasonal, especially in places like Broome, Darwin and Nth Qld, and these operators have to cover their fixed costs in the off season by charging a premium in the peak season. Supply and Demand will determine the prices they charge in peak times. This applies to many other tourism related businesses too.
But that doesn't stop me from asking for the best rate either.
-- Edited by jimricho on Saturday 5th of November 2011 08:25:23 AM
I enjoy bush camping, especially in the past with a few mates at a fishing spot, or when I was doing regular 4WD Tag-alongs, although I haven't done a lot of bush camping lately.
Free camping in a crowded rest area on the side of a noisy highway with often filthy toilets (I don't have an en-suite) has no appeal to me whatever.
We are fortunate these days Jim that we don't have to stay at noisy highway rest stops if we don't want to.
It's a matter of planning your day so that you can avail yourself of a quiet off the highway rest area, and there are quite a number of them these days as CAW6 shows.
I've stayed in caravan parks that are no better in regards to noise.