ACSI: Not the great deal it originally was?

[Parrot Face]

Been a subscriber to ACSI card since it was introduced but have noticed gradual increases in nightly rates over the years. Fair enough the pound to euro rate doesn't help us Brits but another factor that makes it not as good as it was is the increasing tendency for sites to add 'tourist taxes'. In the first 3 years of using the card I only paid tourist tax on one site. Having just returned from a tour of France, Belgium, Germany, Austria and Italy we were being charged tourist taxes on virtually every site. Most sites were charging us an additional 3 euros tourist tax on a 19 euro nightly charge. One site did this and even expected us to pay for showers (doesn't ACSI rates include a shower each?) The strange thing in Germany was that we were charged 3 euros tourist tax but when we stayed on a Stellplatz close to an ACSI site the tourist tax was only 0.5 euros? I will probably continue to use ACSI card but would welcome an alternative scheme to be introduced to give ACSI a bit of competition.

 

[Welsh girl]

Dogs being charged for will be next, I remember electric being included butnow just includes 4 kilowatts and afterwards charged around 40cents a kilowatt.
Sometimes the sites own charges are cheaper than using acsi, I won't be buying it this year.

 

[BreweryDave]

The last site I stayed on gave me a bill for €290 until I produced my ACSI card, whereupon it reduced to €209. Still a great deal imho !

Tourist taxes are levied by local councils, and out of the control of the site.

Still one of the best bits of kit in the armoury I reckon if you want to use a site.

 

[DC4JC]

We to have just returned from Germany and I noticed that an Acsi site we stayed on charged us €1.50 a day environmental tax!
Suddenly the €17 a night site becomes €18.50!

 

[mikebeaches]

Yes, we also came across the 'environmental' tax, in addition to 'tourist' tax added to our ACSI bill in Austria.

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[Stealaway]

Why stay on German sites at all. Wilding is king in Germany. Been here 10 days and never been near a site. Priced one at €10 including hook up.

 

[iandsm]

Who is making the tax charge, is it the ACSI sites themselves who then keep the money and use this as a way increasing charges, or is the tax imposed by the local authorities meaning the sites have no option but to charge it on their behalf and hand the money to them. Either way I still think ACSI is a great scheme.

 

[Parrot Face]

I don't know who is making the tax charges, as Brewery Dave points out it should be local councils but this doesn't explain the discrepancies between taxes charged on stellplatz and those on ACSI sites.

 

[chaser]

We are not members anymore but still have the books from 2015 when we were and still use them for finding sites if we need washing machines and stuff, we have used three sites on this trip and found the cost little different whether with acsi or without.
Won't be joining again but for anyone who hasn't got them the books are well worth the first years subs alone

 

[Larrynwin]

Do UK sites charge a tourist tax on foreign visitors , not so sure, and the EU want equal rights for their subjects

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[clanjones]

We have used ACSI quite a bit along with a few aires and municipal sites in France. I think for the 14/15 Euros annual subscription it is a bargain, especially when you compare the prices to UK prices I think it is still good value.

It is about time the UK/ introduced a tourist tax IMO provided it was used to improve tourist facilities.

Not been to Germany yet but looking forward to using Stelplatzs. Spain is next on the list!

 

[iandsm]

I don't know who is making the tax charges, as Brewery Dave points out it should be local councils but this doesn't explain the discrepancies between taxes charged on stellplatz and those on ACSI sites.

I suppose if one could be bothered an enquiry at the local town hall would confirm what tourist taxes were payable but the site could always argue admin fees etc no doubt.

When I have stayed ACSI sites they have always given me a bill with a breakdown of charges so I don’t think they are trying to hide anything as they know a customer could easily check.

 

[Alistair33]

We have used ACSI quite a bit along with a few aires and municipal sites in France. I think for the 14/15 Euros annual subscription it is a bargain, especially when you compare the prices to UK prices I think it is still good value.

It is about time the UK/ introduced a tourist tax IMO provided it was used to improve tourist facilities.

Not been to Germany yet but looking forward to using Stelplatzs. Spain is next on the list!

After France, we are finding Spain a whole more difficult proposition to find free places, campsites are by far the norm, with Acsi prices are low, and unlike a poster above we’ve found electric and showers included everywhere, even at a lot of free places in France ! (Although toilet seats are a whole other question j

 

[Lenny HB]

A couple of years ago in Greece we wilded apart from two sites for the odd night they were same price with or without ACSI. Last year only managed 2 wild nights in Croatia had to use sites, it was cheaper to use non ACSI the smaller ones were £10 a night compared to £20 on an ACSI and the bigger non ACSI sites gave you a discount if you had a camping card.

 

[clanjones]

@Lenny HB raises a good point and we always check ACSI and non ACSI prices and go with what ever suits us. As we have to pay for leccy on Municipal sites we tend not to pay for it.

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[maison]

Having used ACSI in France and Spain this year we have found savings as high as 9.00€ per night and as little as 1.50€ per night.

In either case it is a saving. In the first case two nights more than recovers the membership cost.

If the cost is the only criteria then Aires, car parks and wilding are the ways forward.

If you want to use sites then ACSI is a valuable tool.

Each to their own.

 

[2657]

I don't know who is making the tax charges, as Brewery Dave points out it should be local councils but this doesn't explain the discrepancies between taxes charged on stellplatz and those on ACSI sites.

Don't know about other countries but in France the 'Taxe de Sejour' is a local authority tax and varies from site to site within the same area depending on the category of the site, 2*, 3* etc.

 

[Crazylegs]

There is an alternative it's called Camping cheques. The Acsi card is still our most valuable holiday resource, it has saved us a lot of money over the years, this year for example a cracking site on the coast in the south of France normal rate was 34€ per night in September, we paid 18€ per night. That's a fantastic saving of more than 100 € per week.

 

[Littlewheels]

After France, we are finding Spain a whole more difficult proposition to find free places, campsites are by far the norm, with Acsi prices are low, and unlike a poster above we’ve found electric and showers included everywhere, even at a lot of free places in France ! (Although toilet seats are a whole other question j

Well,Well Well,Slightly off topic and almost under the Radar but from my observations you have formally named "Wilding" as "Free Places" and not before time.

 

[jollyrodger]

Traveling solo I will ring ahead or ask at the reception what's the better price site or acsi ,most times get a better deal some as low as €12.50 use the app more than the book to find sites .

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[jongood]

I totally agree with the OP. We have used acsi as a backstop for years but have noticed the 'extras' accumulating.

Every ACSI site we used in Croatia this year had 'extras'. The one in Trogir added about 10 euros/night, cash only and it was worth insisting on paying in Euros as the exchange rate they used was terrible.

Have never used it in France or Germany because there is no need. But do find it useful in Spain if you need shade ( solar won't work) as it tends to tip the balance on the ehu.

Jon

 

[LesW]

Just back from five weeks in France using ACSI sites (and aires), saved a lot on the tarifs shown outside the sites, tax was never more than 30 cents per person per night, everything included except washing machines.

Will definitely subscribe next year.

 

[johnp10]

Dogs being charged for will be next, I remember electric being included butnow just includes 4 kilowatts and afterwards charged around 40cents a kilowatt.
Sometimes the sites own charges are cheaper than using acsi, I won't be buying it this year.

All sites should charge extra for dogs to cover the cost of clearing up the dog shit.
Non dog owners should get reductions for being parked next to vans with small, yapping dogs in them.
Bloody nuisance.

 

[TerryL]

All sites should charge extra for dogs to cover the cost of clearing up the dog shit.
Non dog owners should get reductions for being parked next to vans with small, yapping dogs in them.
Bloody nuisance.

Not like dogs then John? You could always use dog-free sites - there are a few of them as dog owners will testify. Motorhoming is an ideal way to take your pet on holiday with you, that's why there's a proportionately higher rate of dog-owners using motorhomes. But I do sympathise and make sure our little monster doesn't upset the neighbours.

BUT on the subject of ACSI, we tend to use aires etc. most of the time and sites occasionally when we need things like washing, proper showers etc and then the ACSI book comes in handy. But it's always worth checking if the site rate is any better, especially for longer stays, Portugal is good at this although generally you always save a few euros per night, if only for the free electricity and showers with ACSI. A word of caution though, we found a couple of sites in Switzerland that only had a limited number of "ACSI" pitches which of course were full despite there being plenty of unoccupied spaces elsewhere at considerable extra cost.

Finally surcharges - we've come across them a lot and they seem to be more numerous. It's the local council of course and varies depending on the site, although it's usually less than a euro - be a bit suspicious of anything higher.

 

[Oscar]

We got a quote on a site in Portugal for December - we were quoted 19 euros if we paid via ACSI, the book says that the ACSI rate is 17 euros!

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[johnp10]

@TerryL,
I don't dislike dogs at all, just the owners who always profess to pick their shit up but don't and the yapping from some of them.
Larger dogs seem to be quieter than small ones.
Also I don't agree with those who think they should be at liberty to impose their dogs on the rest of us with this "he's only being friendly" crap.
I don't want to be his friend, nor do I want to smell like him.


That being said, there are sites within and without the ACSI scheme who will charge for anything they can get away with.
Simple answer to that is turn around, leave, go somewhere else.
I did that once, but asked for directions to the other site first. Rates changed magically.

 

[TerryL]

We got a quote on a site in Portugal for December - we were quoted 19 euros if we paid via ACSI, the book says that the ACSI rate is 17 euros!

Probably be €19 in the new book, due out mid-December.

 

[ramsthom]

Just got the pre order email for 2018. Price has increased from £15.50 last year to £17.99.

 

[iandsm]

All sites should charge extra for dogs to cover the cost of clearing up the dog shit.
Non dog owners should get reductions for being parked next to vans with small, yapping dogs in them.
Bloody nuisance.

Would the poster like to see the same charges and discounts applied to people with small children making a noise playing and leaving their bikes or toys for people to trip over, just wondering.

 

[johnp10]

Would the poster like to see the same charges and discounts applied to people with small children making a noise playing and leaving their bikes or toys for people to trip over, just wondering.

Took a while for someone to bite, but a dog owner always will at some point.
Seems to be dog in, sense of humour out.

Even so....
No, I wouldn't apply the same charges and discounts to children.
What a ridiculous concept.
Children are people they are family members, dogs are just animals.
How even the most miserable git can have a problem with children playing is beyond me. Camping of any kind is a family pastime. (There are adult only sites)
Children generally don't yap incessantly, don't threaten anyone near enough to be seen, don't slobber all over folk
...being friendly? don't shit all over the place.
Children's "owners" don't leave kid shit about the place as most dog owners do.
I'd sooner trip over a toy than step in dog shit, then spread it in in the van

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