FAQS; Answers to Your Questions

How do I find a cottage?

Country Cottages Online sets out cottages by categories such as romantic holiday cottages that sleep two people, coastal, family cottages and dog-friendly cottages to help you find the type of property you are looking for. We also set out holiday cottages by counties for area specific searches. You can find these categories on our homepage.

Our Search Assistant

Use our specially designed Search Assistant for help with your search.

Using the search assistant you can specify your criteria and will be presented with search results of properties matching what you are looking for.

How do I book?

Bookings are made between you and independent owners or cottage agencies. Country Cottages Online can help you find a suitable property if required - email us for assistance or make an appointment to come in and see us.

Each independent owner or agency will have their own terms and conditions of booking. You should ask whoever you are booking with to see terms and conditions of booking before paying any deposit or balance and should carefully read through these to ensure that they are acceptable to you. It’s important that you keep a copy of these terms and conditions on file for your reference.

It’s important to consider holiday insurance when booking a cottage, see our ‘Do I need insurance’ section for more information.

Do I need insurance?

It is recommended that you find suitable travel insurance for your cottage holiday to cover any losses caused because of illness, bereavement etc that could prevent you from taking up your holiday.

What Should I Check Before Booking a Cottage?

We recommend that you obtain as much information as possible about your selected cottages before placing a booking. We very occasionally receive complaints and they are generally related to the location of the cottage; traffic noise, noise from other sources, proximity of buildings, caravans, dog kennels or other objects that are close to cottages but not shown in photographs.

We suggest that before making that booking you ask:

•    how close the cottage is to a main road and is there traffic noise?

•    are there other sources of noise?

•    is the cottage overlooked by other properties?

•    what other buildings are in the vicinity?

•    the terms and conditions of cancellation should you be forced to cancel your booking
 

Can I bring a pet dog?

Do you have pet-free cottages?

Do you have disabled friendly cottages?

How do I find holiday cottages with internet access?

Many cottages feature internet access nowadays. See our page of Internet Accessible Cottages.

WiFi cottages...coming soon.

How do I find a child-friendly holiday cottage?

For those holidaying with children, it’s essential to find a family-friendly holiday home. It’s advisable to have a checklist of features that you’re looking for and to check that your chose family cottage meets your criteria before booking.

Things to look out for include:

Cottages with Enclosed Gardens

Cottages with a High Chair and Cot

Cottages with Play Parks for Children

To search for a number of criteria we recommend using our search assistant which will help you find the right family-friendly holiday home for you.

How do I find a cottage for a special event or party?

Some holiday cottages and large country houses are party houses which specialise in large group breaks or party weekends. When it comes to special events such as Weddings, it’s important to find suitable accommodation where there is sufficient space and facilities for your event. Some holiday homes permit marquees to be erected in gardens for example but this is not the same for all holiday properties.

When it comes to Parties or Special Celebrations, Party Houses which welcome large group bookings for special events should be ideal.

For Hen Parties and Stag Parties, only certain holiday homes welcome these types of parties. See our specialist hen parties and stag parties page to find a suitable place for your group.

Top Tip: Always make contact with owners or agencies before making a firm booking and clearly set out your needs and ask specific questions about whether the property of interest meets your needs before booking.

How well-equipped is the cottage?

Holiday cottages vary in terms of how well equipped they are. As a basic guests should expect sufficient crockery and cutlery to be available for them during their stay. Most holiday homes nowadays supply bed linen and towels, however some don’t or make additional charges for this. When it comes to bedding for cots, it is standard for guests to bring this with them.

How well equipped a cottage is, can depend on the price as some owners provide just the basics to keep costs down for those who prefer to bring their own bed linen and towels for example. At luxury standard properties it is expected that bed linen and towels are provided. This rules does not always follow however.

Some owners will ensure that each loo has toilet roll supplied for your arrival whereas others don’t. It is advisable therefore to ensure that you arrive with a stock of toilet roll. Similarly some owners will

If you have any queries or questions about how well equipped a cottage is, feel free to ask owners or agencies direct before booking.

If you stay at a property and feel that the cottage should have been better equipped then tell the agency or independent owner. It is only by providing feedback that people get a clear idea about customer’s expectations and can therefore improve in future.
 

Are holiday cottages listed rated?

Many of the cottages featured on Country Cottages Online have been rated by the relevant tourist board. Not all properties choose to be rated though and this can be for a variety of different reasons. Although the rating process can help assure customers’ about quality standards, costs apply for owners which they are obliged to pass on to customers so not all owners opt to  be rated for this and other reasons.

When looking for self catering accommodation some people prefer to opt for cottages that have been inspected and assessed.  Some agencies operate their own assessment schemes and there are also national star rating schemes within the UK and Ireland.  Star ratings given on this website are those declared by the cottage owner's as having been awarded by the relevant Tourist Board or assessment scheme.  For Sykes Cottages ads the star rating given is that from the company's own quality assessment process.  Click for more information on quality rating schemes for cottages.

If you would like more information about the rating of a particular cottage, get in touch with independent owners or agencies and ask for more details.

Do you charge a booking fee?

Country Cottages Online is an advertising portal and although we facilitate the booking process we don’t get involved in actual bookings. We don’t make a charge to holidaymakers for bookings made via our site and instead we charge those advertising on this site a set low fee for a year’s advertising.

Most independent owners do not charge a booking fee. Some individual agencies and owners though may charge a booking fee, if in doubt, ask owners or agencies for more information.

Can I give feedback on a holiday cottage?

If you have positive feedback and or constructive criticism that you’d like to share re a cottage, it’s possible to leave feedback. Get in touch with us.

Similarly if you have negative feedback about a holiday home, please let us know. We do monitor complaints and if it is clear that a property does not meet holidaymaker’s expectations we do reserve the right to remove it from our website. We recognise how important holidays are and want people to be happy and satisfied with properties found via Country Cottages Online.

What are the terms and conditions of my booking?

Your booking will be with an independent owner or agency. Prior to booking you should be provided with terms and conditions by the agency or owner. These terms and conditions vary from cottage to cottage. If you don’t believe that you have received these, get in touch with the owner or agency direct to request these.

Problems getting hold of terms and conditions?

If you experience any problems getting hold of terms and conditions of booking from owners or agencies listed on Country Cottages Online then please let us know.

How are Prices Set?

Prices vary for each cottage - there is no price banding. As a guide you will see a price range displayed for each cottage. Expect the highest price to apply to all school holidays but double check to ensure that prices have been updated. Surcharges may be applied for dogs or additional services such as meal or grocery deliveries.

You will find email links and phone numbers for cottage owners on individual cottage ads. Please contact them to make a provisional booking or click on web links at the foot of the page to check prices per week and availability.

How do I Pay?

Payment for your holiday is arranged with cottage owners, some of which will have credit card facilities for instant payment, others will arrange a deposit to be taken by cheque or bank transfer with the balance to be paid a few weeks prior to taking up the holiday. This period for payment of the complete balance generally varies from 2 to 8 weeks before arrival.

What happens if I want to cancel?

Please check Terms and Conditions of booking supplied by the cottage owner or agency before placing your booking.

Cancellation with little notice close to your arrival date is likely to result in loss of monies unless the owner is able to rebook. We make every effort to help owners re-book last minute cancellations but alternative bookings cannot be guaranteed.

You should have travel insurance to cover any losses caused because of illness, bereavement etc that prevent you from taking up your holiday.
 

How do I Complain?

When you book a holiday cottage you enter into a contractual agreement with the cottage owner involved. Any complaints should in the first instance be brought to the attention of the cottage owner or agency that you booked with as soon you are aware of them. Cottage owners rely on repeat business and will want to make every effort to ensure that you have an enjoyable self-catering holiday.

If the cottage owner or agency does not resolve your complaint to your satisfaction, please feel free to let us have your feedback.