How to rent a holiday cottage

A home from home

places to stay,UK travel woman smiles opening a cottage door Do you dream of a place of your own – temporarily – while you\'re away? Renting a holiday property means you can come and go as you please, and enjoy all the comforts of home. It\'s a great option for Christmas and New Year, as well as all year round – whether for your family holiday, a gathering for a special birthday, or a romantic rural retreat. There are properties to suit everyone: from city-centre bases for lively groups of friends, to romantic built-for-two hideaway. And with last-minute deals often available, it\'s not as expensive as you might imagine.
By Adrienne Wyper

English Country Cottages

places to stay,UK travel a lovely thatched english cottage Despite the name, they offer over 3,000 properties in England, Scotland and Wales, from converted farmhouses to medieval castles. They\'ve been in business for over 20 years and two-thirds of customers rebook with them The availability search allows you to select by region, dates, size of property, number of people and preferences including pets, cots, open fire, pool and pub nearby. Now booking in 2008 for a £25 deposit. A week\'s stay in Cornwall for six people from March 1 2008 costs £558 in Rosemullion Cottage in Helston. For information visit www.english-country-cottages.co.uk or call 0870 078 1100.

Imagine Ireland

places to stay,UK travel a pale yellow irish cottage Reputedly very good value for money, www.imagineireland.com (0870 220 2697) has searchable flight and ferry options and gives discounts when you book. You search by county, and the properties appear on a map. On this map you can click on the camera icons for a panoramic, moving picture of the area. A week in Connemara for four people from March 1 2008 costs £375 including ferry crossing for one car and its passengers.

Youth Hostel Association

places to stay,UK travel a cottage youth hostel sitting in some lush hills If you\'re planning a big gathering, you can hire properties sleeping from 10 up to 96 people –from the Youth Hostel Association. The YHA\'s properties – like Caldbeck in the Lake District (left), which sleeps 38 - are in stunning locations, with sea views, mountain vistas, bustling towns and forest retreats. Prices start from £8 per person per night. Visit www.escape-to.co.uk to see the mansions, lodges and cottages, then call 0870 770 8868 or email escapeto@yha.org.uk to discuss your stay.

Landmark Trust

places to stay,UK travel AAY bath house A charity founded in 1965, the Landmark Trust gives over 180 historic buildings which are at risk a new lease of life by turning them into holiday homes. Some of the buildings are quirky, like The Bath House (left) near Stratford-upon-Avon, which sleeps two, and was designed in 1748 to enable people to reap the health benefits of a cold bath. It costs from around £483 for a week. To book one of these historic properties, you need the Landmark Trust Handbook (£11.50), which has property details and history. You can check property availability online at www.landmarktrust.org.uk but you need to phone 01628 825925 to book. Some properties also have open days, when you can visit. For details, click here.

English Heritage

places to stay,UK travel a gorgeous english heritage cottage With 12 properties, English Heritage is the government\'s advisory body on the historic environment now has an online availability check. Despite the historic exteriors, the interiors are contemporary in style, and on your arrival you\'ll find a hamper of essentials including milk, tea, coffee, local produce and a bottle of wine, along with English Heritage toiletries. A week\'s stay in The Bowling Green Apartment at Carisbrooke Castle, which sleeps two adults and two children, costs from £455 to £1,275 depending on time of year. Click here to download a brochure. Call 0870 333 1187 to book.

Cottages.co.uk

places to stay,UK travel a thatched cottage This is the \'search engine\' for holiday cottage sites, at www.cottages.co.uk, giving you the choice of over 10,000 holiday cottages from over 100 quality independent agencies. There\'s a long menu on the left, with choices including cottages near London, designer holiday cottages, log cabins, and much more. Clicking on one of these brings up the companies that offer these, then you click through to the company website to look for what you want. The \'Cottage Supersearch\' button on this site allows you to be very, very specific about what you want. For example, we found a selection of properties that sleep 20, have an open fire, and are near a beach and moorland.

National Trust Cottages

places to stay,UK travel A national trust farmhouse cottage A unique collection of over 350 properties in outstanding locations in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In the \'last minute\' section at www.nationaltrustcottages.co.uk you can find properties available within the next two weeks. A week at Bwthyn Mai Cottage in the beautiful Craflwyn estate at the foot of Mount Snowdon, which sleeps three adults (plus one cot), costs from £281 to £808, depending on time of year. One entry in the visitors\' book sums it up: \'Cosy cottage - well equipped. Lovely village nearby and lots of places to visit. \' To book, fill in the online booking form or email cottages@nationaltrust.org.uk.

Top tips

places to stay,UK travel a welcoming food hamper On arrival, you may find some supplies; or you may not. What\'s in the welcome pack can vary from bread and milk to a more luxurious selection including a bottle of wine. So take some food with you. Our suggestions: tea, coffee, milk, bread, cheese, cake, eggs, crisps, fruit, wine and/or beer. That way, when you arrive you can have a cup of tea and slice of cake or a sandwich, and take a little time to unpack and explore your surroundings without having to rush out to the village shop for emergency rations. And you\'ll have the makings of breakfast the next day.

Loading.. please wait

Thanks! Your comment has been added to this topic.