Are you getting VALUE, or what you pay for?

In my travels through outback NSW and QLD this past year, I was really encouraged by the work that many parks had done to add more value for their guests. We came across many parks that went beyond just offering clean, friendly and well maintained parks and went the extra mile to give their guests an experience that made them stay longer. Many parks are now offering happy hour, tours, campfires, entertainment, damper, meals and much more.

Value Add - does it make a difference?

It's great that as travellers we have choices as to where we want to park the rig for the night. I was really impressed with how the enjoyment of the experiences that people had, in the many caravan parks we visited. So is it all about getting a site for a cheap $, or is there more? Sometimes these sites were a few $'s more. I guess we all need to manage budgets but we also do not mind paying for a great experience and extra value. It's great to see that many of our parks are going the extra mile to add greater value for their guests. Often its also just the small things that can make a big difference - a camp fire at night, happy hour, local entertainment from fellow travellers and so much more.

Getting what you pay for!

All travellers want to save money. Sometimes we may find ourselves in a less than pleasant camping location, with dirty facilities, dust, noise etc, and tolerate it because its a few $'s cheaper than a caravan park. Is that always worth it? It's about 'getting what you pay for'! This is the key. My preference is finding that balance between value and price. I enjoy a comfortable clean and friendly location over a cheap, dirty and noisy spot any day. I am a strong believer in leaving a place with that 'I will be back' feeling. 

France vs Switzerland?

To make some sense of this thought, I would like to share my experiences when I lived in the Netherlands some years back. We loved taking our caravan south to France, but were always frustrated by the crouch toilets, unclean facilities and poorly maintained sites. We decided one year to head over the mountains into Switzerland - a stunning location in summer as well. Only challenge we had was the much higher rates at the caravan parks and camping sites. However everything was spotless, clean and immaculately maintained. To be honest I had a better SHORTER holiday than a LONGER dissatisfied one. Our budget also stretched so far, but we have fond memories of an amazing time in Switzerland, even though our stay was a bit shorter than what we had planned. I guess, its what you are looking for!

What are your thoughts? What are looking for? Is it just about cheap, or experiencing value for the money you spend?