I know this is a daft question but what is the best way to find a cheap cottage on the internet?

[FillydoraTonks]

I want 2 weeks, mid september, somewhere warm where there is a beach.

I don't want and also can't pay lots of money but it is my 30 bday and dp has a bday also and I'd like somewhere nice.

I don't really stretch to cottages most of the time-we just camp.

So. What do I do? I am worried that if I just google I will somehow pay extra.

I need a roof, enough beds for 4 people but not bunks (or else space to put out airbeds), somewhere to cook and somewhere to knit. And a beack to fly my kite on. Thats all.

Thoughts?

[JudgeyMcJudgeson]

www.latelet.com/ this site does last minute bargins.

[FillydoraTonks]

lol

no those are WAY outside my price range

I am actually not going to say what my price range is for fear of mockery or gentle "you cna't really get anything for that sort of money nowadays."

[JudgeyMcJudgeson]

never actually looked at that site lol.

Just remembered it from trying to find sites for my parents. Didn't try very hard tbh.

[FillydoraTonks]

lol

i think this may be a bit of a pipe dream

am finding lots of cottages for £700 pw

with tvs. Who on EARTH watches tv on holiday, fgs?

[portonovo]

No hints at all on budget? In the past few years we've found cottages for as little as £300-350 for a week for 5 people in the middle of August, so peak time. Mid-September should be lots cheaper.

For example, this one in Devon is £240 for a week from 15 September for a 3-bedroom cottage on a 450-acre estate. It's really lovely there.

Or this one in Gower Wales which is £160 for September 22 and £130 for September 29. It is £250 for September 8, but the following week is booked and I think you wanted 2 weeks.

I can find a few more about that price level for September, but if you want much cheaper I think you're probably looking at camping barns or youth hostels.

[tiredemma]

what is your budget? I have some links for cottage companies but no point me linking them if they ar too expe nsive. Give me an idea of approx price

[portonovo]

Keep looking - or tell me where you'd prefer to go and I'll keep looking for you!

I've never paid £700 for a week in the middle of the school summer holidays so don't despair!

[Mercy]

Budget?

Location? Dorset/Devon - Suffolk/Norfolk

There should be plenty available in September at reasonable prices.

[portonovo]

£300 per week for this bungalow in Tintagel

Or £320 for a chalet in Borth Mid Wales up to 22 Sep. From 22 Sep it drops to £199 a week. Really gorgeous setting.

[portonovo]

This one is in Tenby

It still has vacancies for Sep 1st at £309 and Sep 8th at £243.

Here there is a choice of two cottages in Wales £210 per week from Sep 15, £200 from Sep 22.

[FillydoraTonks]

ok ideally I'd like to do the whole 2 weeks for under £400. And thats stretching it tbh. I know this is possibly ambitious.

otoh all I want is to be dry and have enough space inside that if it pees down I can still have a decent birthday. Thats the sole reason why I'm not camping-I don't want to rely on the weather.

It doesn't actually HAVE to be a cottage. A nice yurt or summat would be fine, but I suspect they are rather expensive.

I live in wales and had planned on english south coast but, tbh, I just want reasonable sunshine.

Am wondering about camping though and having a contingency plan....

[FillydoraTonks]

thanks for links btw, am going through them now

[FillydoraTonks]

god really like that one portnovo

tintangel also a favourite, but a longish drive so on list. I do love the area though

god i am being vague, you are all very kind to help me

[portonovo]

£290 for this one in Pembrokeshire

[allgonebellyup]

Filly, i know you wanted mid september for 2 weeks, but i have 5 days in Torquay that i booked up and now realise we cant go..its only £100 for the week in the cottage!!
maybe you could do that then a week somewhere else too?

let me know if youre interested..wont be offended if youre not!

[FillydoraTonks]

I do like that one also, though its kind of out of budget

Part of the problem is that my mum is meant to come down for the weekend, from london. but she could prob get the train, esp if she booked now. she does like the train.

[allgonebellyup]

forgot to say dates! its 25-30th aug.

if anyone else is interested let me know, ive already paid (and will lose)the small deposit!

[FillydoraTonks]

oh ta agbu. I do need the two weeks I think because we have the birthdays. Also it takes dp about a week to settle into a holiday!

but it is most kind of you.

[Mercy]

Filly, do you mean £100 for a week is too much? If so, I very much doubt you will get anything cheaper tbh

Sorry

[FillydoraTonks]

no mercy thats a x post. God £100 for a week GREAT! But it DOES have to be those weeks, am only shelling out because its my 30th and dp's 37th.

[portonovo]

Does it really have to be 2 weeks? I mean I know you WANT 2 weeks, especially with your birthdays, but you could still celebrate both birthdays in one week. I'm a mid-Aug birthday and my husand is mid-Sep, and we often do one thing that does for both our birthdays as a treat, doesn't have to actually be the right week.

I just think instead of struggling to find somewhere for under £200 for a week, you could find somewhere for nearer £250 or £300 and have one great week, probably even with a bit of money to spare for eating out or day trips etc. It would still be for both your birthdays. I think that's what I would do. It is what we do really, we've never had a fortnight's holiday because we can't afford it, but we find one reasonably-priced week and use the rest of our budget to help make it a memorable week.

Hope you find something to suit you, anyway.

[portonovo]

Actually, I know what I would do in your situation. I would take up allgonebellyup's offer of 5 nights in Torquay for £100 in August. Then I would book a cheap weekend away for my birthday (Travelodge or similar, rooms usually about £50 a night but we often get their special deals at £10-25 a night, even in school holidays), and another cheap weekend for hubby's birthday.

One holiday plus 2 special weekends to celebrate birthdays - sorted!

[hex]

We've eventually booked a cottage ourselves last minute...one thing I would advise is to ring the agencies or owners direct instead of doing what I did which was waste hrs and hrs seeing which had availability on the internet...they all seem to be notorious bad on updating their websites..have their websites in front of you when you ring so you can immediately see the cottage

[FillydoraTonks]

oh lol, no I want to go away for the birthdays, it is important to me.

i have contingency plans, just wanted to see if a cottage was do-able really.

I want something incredibly basic, the more the better really. Am suprised at lack of gap in market.

[UnquietDad]

Some of those Latelet ones in France look pretty cheap. Under £300 for the week? How do they do it?