Relaxing Reasons to Rent a Holiday Cottage

Caroline Smith

Sykes Holiday Cottages is an established company where you can book privately-owned holiday cottages and self-catering accommodation across the UK and Wales. Choose from over 20,000 cottages to suit all budgets and needs .

Some cottages include a Starter Pack with tea, coffee, sugar and milk. So remember to let them know if you don’t require these (say you don’t drink dairy) to save on waste.

An advantage of holiday cottages is that you can also make your own food. It’s often far cheaper to visit the local shops and then cook at home, then keep eating out each night.

Always follow the Countryside Code to keep all creatures safe. Keep dogs away from steep banks, mushrooms (and toxic plants/trees) and on leads near birds, barnyard friends and wild ponies.

If at the coast, keep away from nesting birds and never walk on sand dunes. Learn how to keep dogs safe by the seaside (check beach bans before travel).

The site has plenty of special offers and you can also search for:

Pet-Friendly (some with enclosed gardens)
Lodges & Log Cabins
Coastal Properties
Last Minute Breaks

The company’s own Bloom app reward scheme is free to join, giving access to exclusive discounts. You earn rewards on stays and move up each level:

Level 1 gives first notice of promotions, an automatic £10 off all bookings and a monthly chance to win £2000.
Level 2 gives all the above, plus £20 off all bookings.
Level 3 gives the above, and £25 off all bookings.

The most popular destinations for this company’s holiday cottages are:

The Peak District
The Yorkshire Dales & North York Moors
The Lake District & Cumbria
The Cotswolds
East Anglia
The Heart of England
North Wales
Scotland

Some cottages include a Starter Pack with tea, coffee, sugar and milk. Let them know if you don’t require these (say you don’t drink dairy).

Taking dogs on holiday?

Many holiday homes rent dog-friendly properties (some with enclosed gardens). If you are taking dogs on holiday, read our posts on:

Renting out a holiday cottage?

If you rent out holiday cottages, read about pet-friendly gardens to know plants to avoid for visitors with dogs. Also avoid facing indoor plants to outdoor gardens, to prevent birds flying into windows.

Devon Hideaways

The Somewhere Shack

Devon Hideaways is the website to visit, if you wish to discover beautiful holiday cottages at some of this county’s most popular and beautiful locations. Perfectly located to make the most of everything that Devon has to offer, if you are travelling in a larger group, renting by cottage can work out more affordable than renting holiday rooms.

And for solo travellers and couples, there are often bargains to be had. From coastline cottages to holidays near Devon’s two small National Parks of Dartmoor and Exmoor, to the Jurassic coast on East Devon’s beaches to the balmy English Riviera, there is something to suit everyone.

Types of Devon holiday cottages

All the holiday cottages at Devon Hideaways are hand-picked, and cared for by a team who know the area and can help you before and after your stay, to ensure a fantastic experience from arrival to departure.

The properties are also filtered by area:

South Devon has some of England’s most beautiful beaches, ideal for surfers and those who like to be close to the sailing resorts (and just up the road is the quirky town of Totnes, on the River Dart).
North Devon is less busy than the south and known for its golden beaches and clear waters, and is home also to beautiful moors and countryside, dotted with towns and villages.
Mid and West Devon again are less touristy, near to the National Parks, with winding rivers, rolling hills, lush woodland, bustling market towns, quaint villages and miles of footpaths.
East Devon is heading towards Dorset on the Jurassic Coast, home to pretty towns like Exmouth and Sidmouth, and Budleigh Salterton.
Border Areas – ideal if you fancy exploring neighbouring counties like Cornwall, Dorset or Somerset. All very different in their own ways, but accessible from the large county of Devon.

Long term holiday lets

The long-term lets are ideal if you are planning a longer stay. At first glance, the prices look expensive. But if you are a big family or group of friends planning to stay say for a month or more, it actually works out an affordable way to take a long holiday, if you’re all a bit frazzled. As the properties are rented by property, not person.

So some cottages work out around £20 a person, which means a month’s holiday at a luxury cottage for £700 a month, which is less than the typical price of a conventional rental home in Devon!

Norfolk Hideaways

Tulip House Studio

Norfolk Hideaways is the website to visit, if you wish to discover beautiful holiday cottages at some of this county’s most popular and beautiful locations. Perfectly located to make the most of everything that Norfolk has to offer, if you are travelling in a larger group, renting by cottage can work out more affordable than renting holiday rooms.

And for solo travellers and couples, there are often bargains to be had. From coastline cottages to holidays near the Norfolk Broads, to homes near inland villages with windmills, or even to the less touristy North and West Norfolk.

Types of Norfolk holiday cottages

All the holiday cottages at Norfolk Hideaways are hand-picked, and cared for by a team who know the area and can help you before and after your stay, to ensure a fantastic experience from arrival to departure.

The properties are also filtered by area:

Blakeney is home to England’s prettiest harbour, and one of the busiest places for native seals (always keep well away, avoid playing with flying rings, read more on helping native seals).
Holt is a very swanky town (even the Budgens supermarket is posh!) where you will find no end of indie shops to browse.
Cromer & Sheringham have lovely beaches, the first more affordable and the latter a bit more swanky with many independent shops and eateries.
Norfolk Broads and surrounding villages are ideal for those who prefer to be more inland, all wetlands and sustainable boating.
Wells-next-the-Sea is known for its local pine woods and sandy beaches with pretty beach huts.
Border areas if you fancy popping over the border to Suffolk (or Lincolnshire, in north Norfolk)

Yorkshire Hideaways (rent a holiday cottage)

Ava Lily

Yorkshire Hideaways is the website to visit, if you wish to discover beautiful holiday cottages at some of this county’s most popular and beautiful locations. Perfectly located to make the most of everything that Yorkshire has to offer, if you are travelling in a larger group, renting by cottage can work out more affordable than renting holiday rooms.

And for solo travellers and couples, there are often bargains to be had. From coastline cottages to holidays near Yorkshire’s two National Parks (the Dales and Moors) or the nearby Peak District. Or explore the east coast.

The properties are also filtered by area:

North York Moors is one of England’s most beautiful National Parks. You won’t go short of walking past ancient trees and heather moorland.
Yorkshire Dales (more walking land, all stone villages and waterfalls – keep clear and watch from afar!)
Yorkshire Wolds (chalk hills in east and north Yorkshire)
East Yorkshire Coast (Scarborough and other seaside resorts)
York, Harrogate and Leeds (three very different cities)
Bordering Counties (hop over the border to Cumbria or Northumberland.

Isle of Wight Hideaways (rent a holiday cottage)

Image

Isle of Wight Hideaways is the website to visit, if you wish to discover beautiful holiday cottages at some of this county’s most popular and beautiful locations. Perfectly located to make the most of everything that Isle of Wight has to offer, if you are travelling in a larger group, renting by cottage can work out more affordable than renting holiday rooms.

And for solo travellers and couples, there are often bargains to be had. From coastline cottages to holidays near the inland pretty villages, or just explore the entire island, with its amazing views.

The properties are also filtered by area:

Ryde (opposite Portsmouth, an easy hovercraft trip)
Shanklin (a southern resort with sandy beaches)
Ventnor (steep slopes leading down to the sea)
Brook (more remote, on the southwest coast)
Niton (a pretty village with a small population)
Freshwater (a large village on the south island)