Except for short breaks, all bookings run weekly from Saturday to Saturday, unless otherwise stated. When you have paid for your holiday in full, you will be sent details of how to find your property and where to collect the keys on arrival. Please advise the owner or caretaker of your estimated arrival time, which should normally be after 3pm (any variance to this will be advised at the time of booking).

On your departure day, you are required to leave your property by 10am. This is to allow the owner or caretaker sufficient time to prepare the property for the next arrivals.

Many properties have gardens where you can enjoy peace and privacy. Most properties also offer space for off-road parking; details are stated in the property description.

If a property has on-road parking, please note that we cannot guarantee availability of such parking. If you require an enclosed garden suitable for children and pets, please check with your holiday adviser when you book, or use the search facility on our website. You must not leave children or pets unsupervised in the garden.

Property descriptions show the “ideal” number that a property will sleep, based on a maximum of one or two people in a room. If a property also shows a higher capacity (shown by “4+2” or “4-6”), this means extra people can be accommodated in additional sleeping arrangements (for example extra beds in a bedroom or sofa beds). Under no circumstances may more than the maximum number of persons indicated occupy a property.

Most property owners provide linen at no extra charge, and this is stated in the brochure description. If linen is supplied at the property, this does not include cot linen - you should bring linen for cots in all cases (including pillows and blankets or duvets).

Some property owners prefer to hire their bed linen and/or towels. Bed linen can be hired at £4 per person per week. Towels can be hired at £2 per person per week. If bed linen and towels are hired together then a charge of £4 per person per week will apply. If you want to hire bed linen or towels, you must remember to request this at the time of booking. Charges made overseas in Euros may be in excess of these rates.

If you choose to holiday in an older property, remember that much of its character and charm is due to its age. Many of the properties featured are over 100 years old and were built before the days of damp-proof courses and cavity insulation.

Bear this in mind if you're planning to take an elderly person or very young children on your holiday, especially if it's going to be between October and April. Also, please remember that should traditional cottage features (steep stairs or low beams, for example) be a problem for any member of your party, you must mention this when you call to book.

In rural locations, people around you will often be earning their living and country hours can run into the late evening and very early morning. So be tolerant when it comes to sounds and scents - it's all part of being in the country! It's also worth remembering that because all the properties in our brochure are privately owned, they are decorated and furnished according to the individual owner's tastes.

We'll do everything we can to help those in your party with special requirements by suggesting properties that are especially suitable - just let us have all relevant information at the time of booking.

Many property owners offer cots free of charge, but please note, property owners who provide cot and high chair facilities may not necessarily offer other infant equipment. Please check with your holiday adviser when booking.

Easy walking access: A visitor using a walking aid should have no difficulty in gaining access to the principal rooms (sitting room, dining room, kitchen, one of the bedrooms, a toilet and a bathroom or shower room) and the garden of a property described in this way.

We feature a number of properties which have no internal stairs or steps or have at least one bedroom and one bathroom on the ground floor. Please ensure at the time of booking that the property matches your individual needs, particularly relating to access to the property and garden. Simply call us and we'll be happy to give you further details.

Look out for the no stairs symbol which will help you select suitable properties, or you can use the online search facility at our website.

Some properties participate in the VisitBritain National Accessible Scheme, reflecting the practical needs of wheelchair users, and are graded from levels 1 to 4.

Level 1
typically suitable for a person with sufficient mobility to climb a flight of steps but would benefit from points of fixtures and fittings to aid balance

Level 2
typically suitable for a person with restricted walking ability and for those that may need to use a wheelchair some of the time.

Level 3
typically suitable for a person who depends on the use of a wheelchair and transfers unaided to and from the wheelchair in a seated position.

Level 4
typically suitable for a person who depends on the use of a wheelchair in a seated position. They can require personal/mechanical assistance to aid transfer (eg: carer, hoist).

Unless otherwise indicated in the property description, outdoor swimming pools are not usually available outside the main summer period (normally end-May to mid-September for properties in France and Italy, end-March to early October for properties in Spain and Portugal, and mid-June to mid-September for properties in Croatia).

If your holiday is before June or after August, please check opening times before booking. Outdoor pools are not usually heated, unless indicated in the property description. Pools are regularly maintained but unusual climatic changes can affect the chemical balance, which often results in the water becoming discoloured or cloudy. The owner or caretaker should be contacted in these circumstances and a period of time - at least 24 hours in most cases - allowed for rectification.

Please also follow the safety information below -

• Swimming pools are used at your own risk and there are no lifeguards on duty.
• Do not dive into the pool.
• Check which end is shallow and which end is deep.
• Check the location of life belts and other buoyancy equipment and read the instructions on how to use them.
• Do not swim or go into the pool under the influence of alcohol or immediately after eating a meal.
• Do not take breakable glasses or other utensils into the pool area. Do not swim at night or when the pool is closed.
• Always supervise children or anyone who may be at risk.

• Gas appliances in UK properties, by law, have to be installed and maintained by CORGI registered engineers, and the owner should be able to provide a copy of the service certificate on request. If you have any doubts about the efficient operation of any gas appliance, particularly boilers or hot water heaters, in your property, alert the owner immediately
• Gas cookers and fires - as you would at home, ensure that gas cookers and fires are turned off after use, and in particular, check this before you go to bed. When a gas fire is on, children should be supervised at all times.

If you have any concerns about the safety of your property, whether it be the garden, the equipment or the facilities, then please tell the owner or caretaker immediately.

We want you to have a safe and happy holiday - a few minutes taking some simple precautions could make the difference between a holiday enjoyed and a holiday spoiled.

Some properties may have use of a boat or other activity equipment such as trampolines, swings, climbing frames and sporting equipment. You will find details of such equipment in the brochure description. Please note that any activity equipment is provided directly to you by the owner and does not form part of your contract with us. Use of such equipment is at the property owner's discretion, and liability for availability and condition rests solely with the owner. It is your responsibility to (i) ensure that you are familiar with the operation of the equipment, (ii) satisfy yourself that the equipment is safe to use, (iii) to use the equipment responsibly, and (iv) to supervise children using the equipment at all times.

Laws, licensing requirements and age limits vary overseas. Please make sure you are familiar with the driving requirements of the country you are visiting.

We work very hard with all property owners to ensure that you will have an enjoyable holiday. However, in the unlikely event that you are dissatisfied with your accommodation, then it is very important that you register this straight away with the owner or caretaker and do not wait until you return home, when the chance of actively helping you has passed. Even if you think nothing could be done to make your situation better, you must say something while you are on holiday. Please see our Booking Conditions for further information on our complaints procedure.

The properties featured on our website or in our brochure are set in some of the loveliest parts of the country, so naturally we are interested in anything we can do to help preserve the environment.

Even our brochures are printed on paper made from trees which are grown commercially as a renewable resource - and two trees are planted for every one felled. You can help too, by respecting the area you visit and remember the following points:

• Don't litter.
• Don't waste energy and water.
• Guard against fire.
• Respect the rights of land and property owners.
• Protect local wildlife.
• Follow the Countryside Code.

When you book your holiday the last thing you want to think about is what would happen if you found yourself unable to go. But mishaps do happen, and that's why having cancellation protection is so important.

For holidays in the UK, our commitment to giving you the very best service means our standard Booking Conditions now allow you to cancel your holiday for a wide range of unavoidable reasons and obtain a full refund - and you don't even need to take out additional cancellation insurance. You'll find full details in our Booking Conditions - a policy which few other holiday cottage companies can match.

For holidays overseas, it is a condition of booking that you must have personal travel insurance. You can choose the cover we recommend (which includes cancellation protection) or you can provide details of your own policy which must provide at least equal benefits.

We are committed to providing quality holidays and that's why we ask our holidaymakers to complete a customer satisfaction questionnaire on their return. Your comments and suggestions provide valuable information on how we can further improve our holidays. Please take the time to fill in your questionnaire - we value your opinions.