Self-catering holiday cottage

Some people opt for self catering cottage holidays due to group size. Very often if you are travelling as part of a family group or just as a group of friends, booking a self catering cottage can be the most economical choice for a holiday. When you divide the cost of cottage accommodation up as part of a group you very often find that the nightly rate is very competitive compared to similar hotel accommodation.

Another reason that self catering appeals to people can be personal circumstances. Holidaymakers with food allergies may prefer to go self catering where they can dine in and cook for themselves. On the flip side ...... more about self caterinng cottage breaks

Booking holiday cottages

Self-catering rentals are a cost-effective way of enjoying a good quality holiday in a holiday cottage, pine lodge, chalet, house or apartment. Holiday rentals are advertised by private owners, agencies and large holiday companies and can be found worldwide. Terms and conditions for each company advertising holiday cottages varies considerably. Certain companies such as Country Cottages Online feature both independent owners and agencies.

There is no commission or booking fee to be paid when booking an independent holiday cottage directly

Agencies charge the property owner commission but some also charge the holidaymaker a percentage commission based on the cost of the holiday.

Read more about booking a holiday cottage.

Essentially, the precedure for booking any holiday home is the same.

1. Identify a suitable holiday home
2. Make contact to book by email or fill in an online booking form. (Check any booking fees payable in advance before you reach the final stage).
3. Pay a deposit which can be anything from a small fee to 100% of the rental depending on when you book. A smaller deposit is usual for advance bookings, and full payment required for last minute bookings.
4. Because the self-catering cottage industry is run by a huge number of independent parties, the terms and conditions for each holiday rental will vary. Please note that in some cases the deposit is non-refundable so that you lose it if you cancel. For this reason, suitable cancellation insurance should be taken out, especially if you are interested in booking a large luxurious property where the rental rate can run to thousands of pounds.

Take a look at a collection of self-catering holiday cottages in Britain and Ireland.