Essential Holiday Information
We act as agents
Vintage Spain Ltd (trading as Vintage Travel) acts only as agent for the owners/ managers of the properties and providers of the other services (except flights) featured in our brochure and on our website. Except for flights, your contract will be with such third parties. Please see our booking conditions for details. References to "we" and "our" below means Vintage Travel acting as agent.
Season dates
Our houses are normally available for letting from April until October, although this varies from area to area. Early and late season can be chilly and it is for this reason that we recommend houses with heating at these times. Swimming pools are generally open from April to October.
Small party rates
Where a lower rental price is shown in a house description this will apply to the weeks specified, for couples or smaller groups. It is normal that not all bedrooms will be prepared or available. If you have paid a small party rate and have a preference for specific bedrooms to be prepared please let us know well in advance.
One week holidays
At times, certain properties may not be available to book for one week only; our reservations staff can advise on this.
Security deposit and security deposit waiver (SDW)
To safeguard the high standards of the properties that we offer, a refundable Security Deposit will be added to your confirmation invoice. The Security Deposit is usually an amount of £150, however on larger houses, for example those sleeping 12 or more people, it may be up to £500. At some properties the security deposit may be payable locally. A deduction may be made for breakages and excessive use of energy. If the amount of damage/excessive use is in excess of the Security Deposit held we reserve the right to invoice you, for immediate payment, for the difference.
As an alternative we now offer the option to 'waive' the Security Deposit by paying a non-refundable SDW of £4.00 per person. The Security Deposit Waiver will insure you against accidental damage to the property up to the value of £250. The waiver excludes negligence and vandalism. For any damage that exceeds this amount we reserve the right to invoice you for immediate payment.
Amendments
Please consider your requirements for travel arrangements, car hire and additional items such as cots at the time of booking your holiday. Should you wish to make an addition to your reservation after your original invoice has been sent, no administration charge will be made for up to two amendments but we then reserve the right to impose a £15 fee to cover the administration costs involved in re-invoicing for any subsequent changes. Any amendment made within ten weeks of departure will incur a £20 admin fee and within seven days of departure £35 (plus any charges imposed by the owner/other service provider) where the amendment can be made.
Amendments to travel arrangements
When we book flights, ferries or car hire on your behalf, you are bound by the operator's own booking conditions.
See Amendments to travel arrangements.
House locations
The majority of our properties are in rural locations, a little off the beaten track and without close neighbours. However, we appreciate that some of our guests may wish to be closer to amenities - perhaps within walking distance. To help with this selection, the checklist on the line immediately under the name of the property may indicate that it is considered a 'Town House' or 'Village House'. This would be the case if the property is in the heart of a town or village, probably in close proximity to other houses, and within walking distance of at least one shop and restaurant. Our staff will always be happy to discuss this aspect with you to ensure that your holiday property meets your expectations in every way.
Tenancy changeover times
Tenancies normally commence at 4pm. However, cleaners may still be working at this time and we ask that guests show understanding in allowing them to finish preparing the property. In a few cases, the arrival time may not be until 6pm and this will be detailed in your final travel documents.
Tenancies end at 10am although cleaners and pool technicians may arrive as early as 9am. We therefore recommend that you book your travel to fit in with these timings.
Rural life
Given the rural situation of many of our houses it is likely that owners or caretakers may visit their properties from time to time during your stay, to tend and water plants, crops and animals (some are part of or close to working farms). You may also be aware of unaccustomed noise such as dogs barking, cockerels crowing, sheep bleating and although sometimes offensive to our British sensibility, it is commonplace to see dogs tied up.
As in Britain, farm smells from animals and crop manure are normal in the countryside, as are insects such as flies, mosquitoes, wasps, bees and ants. Rodents may also come in from the fields.
Local representation
The services we offer are flexibly tailored for the more independent and experienced traveller, but we are still mindful that on-the-spot contact is essential. Should an everyday problem or breakdown arise in your property it is essential that you report it immediately to the house owner/agent or Vintage Travel representative in order for it to be rectified. Failure to follow this procedure will mean that we cannot entertain claims in respect of these items on your return.
Privacy and noise
Because our properties are individual, the degree of privacy and seclusion varies greatly from one to another. Many houses do have neighbours and during the course of a holiday, pool cleaners and gardeners will visit regularly. Although rural houses should enjoy relative quiet, please remember that there will always be noise of some sort, be it from tractors, delivery lorries, ebullient locals playing their radios, or simply increased traffic on local roads in the summer months.
At fiesta time music and bells will play from church towers, and fireworks are the norm in village streets. We urge clients to discuss this aspect with our staff when considering suitable properties.
Building work
Even though you are on holiday, the locals are not and on rare occasions building work might commence without any prior warning near to a property. Whilst we have no control over this, if advised, we will endeavour to intervene to halt it. Naturally, if we are made aware of any nearby building work we would always try to advise you in advance of your holiday.
Travel insurance
It is essential that you have travel insurance, both to protect you against liability in the event of cancellation, third party damage to the holiday property, and also to cover medical expenses and other losses whilst on holiday. Our insurance cover is summarised here. If you do not purchase insurance from us, we will require you to provide us with details of alternative cover arranged, which must be to a similar or higher level.
In addition, all UK residents should carry the new European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), which replaces the E111. This enables you to get free or reduced cost medical treatment if you fall ill or have an accident on holiday
Your health
Whilst we are not aware of any requirements for inoculations in any of the countries in which we operate, we would urge clients to check on any specific health concerns with their GP before booking a holiday.
Passport and visa requirements
If you are a British citizen and hold a valid UK passport, you do not generally require a visa to travel to any of the destinations in this brochure. However, your own particular circumstances (which will not be evident to us from your booking form) may mean that a visa is required for you or another member of your party. We would strongly urge you therefore to contact the Consulate of the country/ies that you will be visiting to obtain the most up-to-date information before making your booking through us.
It should be noted that if you are travelling with children and they are not on your passport, they will need their own.
Travel advice
For information on the area in which you are spending your holiday which may affect your stay e.g. any terrorist activity or epidemics, please refer to new updates on Ceefax page 470 or visit www.fco.gov.uk.
Booking conditions
When you confirm your booking with us you are entering into a binding contract with the owner of your chosen property and (where applicable) the provider(s) of any other services you book through us (except flights - please see our booking conditions). The information on these pages on How to book your holiday together with our Booking Conditions constitute the basis of your above contract(s). Please read all of these carefully.
Your holiday property House standards
All our properties are individually owned and range from large converted farmhouses to smaller modern villas. Standards vary enormously from basic but serviceable furnishings and equipment, to the more sophisticated and comfortable. Access to the houses may be by a steep or unmade track. Our staff will be pleased to assist with any queries about suitability of your chosen property.
Capacity
Only those persons named on your booking are entitled to stay in the property that we have booked on your behalf. Any additional persons will be charged for at the pro rata full rental rate.
Property owners do not allow overloading of properties and the maximum house capacity stated in the description cannot be exceeded. However, if an extra folding bed can be accommodated for a child under two, and only with the owner's permission, a minimum charge of £50 per week (but may cost up to £150 per week), will be payable to cover extra rental and laundry costs.
A few properties have double beds in every room; we can usually supply one or two folding single beds for convenience of sharing parties, so long as the house capacity is not exceeded. 'Continental double' beds also feature in some property descriptions. These are usually two single mattresses on a large base and cannot be separated.
Cots and highchairs
A cot, for babies under two years, and a highchair, is in most cases provided free of charge at our properties if requested at the same time as booking the property. If there is a charge for a cot or highchair then you will be advised of this at the time of booking. Cots may be a travel cot or of a more traditional style. We cannot guarantee that they will comply with British Standards, and if in doubt it is best to take your own.
Additional cots and highchairs can sometimes be provided and where this is the case cots will be charged at £30 each and highchairs at £15 each. All Cots and highchairs added after the holiday booking has been confirmed will be charged at £30 each.
Laundry/linen
Bedlinen and towels are provided and laundered weekly (normally one bath towel and one hand towel per person). In most of our properties we provide Vintage Travel pool/beach towels for each guest. We request that at the end of your stay all towels are left at your property, as missing towels will be charged for.
Kitchens
All kitchens have a refrigerator and cooking facilities, although these do vary enormously (from full split level ovens to simple hobs and local equipment). If you intend to extensively self-cater, or if a specific kitchen item is important to you please consult a member of staff before confirming your booking. If there is a dishwasher, microwave or washing machine it will be mentioned in the house description.
Bathrooms
The checklist shown on the line immediately under the name of each property indicates the capacity of the house, the number of bedrooms and the number of bathroom facilities within the house. The term 'bathroom' here implies a room with either bath or shower. Within the description of each
property we define these facilities in the following way:
- Cloakroom: a WC and usually a basin.
- Bathroom: a bath (usually with a hand held shower attachment to taps), basin and WC (there may also be a bidet). Sometimes the bath may be smaller than full size, which we indicate by the term 'half bath'. If there is also a separate shower cubicle in a bathroom, this will be indicated as 'Bathroom with shower'.
- Shower Room: a shower (cubicle or walk-in), basin and WC (there may also be a bidet).
Cleaning
The accommodation is properly prepared for your arrival. Depending on the house and the area, the cleaning service will vary from a minimum preparation clean, to two or three times weekly. In some cases extra cleaning can be arranged during your stay (payable locally).You are always requested to leave the property clean and tidy at the end of your stay, with dishes washed and rubbish cleared. It will be cleaned after you leave and if found to be in a dirty state extra cleaning charges may be deducted from your security deposit.
Fuel and water supplies
Normal summer usage of water, gas and electricity is included in your rental. There is sometimes an extra charge for heating and air conditioning, which must be paid locally; if this is the case, it will be mentioned in the brochure description.
Telephone/Internet
If a property has a telephone and/or internet connection, this will be indicated in the description. Usage may be restricted to incoming calls or local calls only. Outgoing calls are payable locally where phones are metered. In other cases, billing is administered by us and charged to your credit card (at cost + £15 admin fee). Please note that that we cannot guarantee the reliability of any Internet/Wi-Fi
facility in any of our properties. If taking a mobile phone you should ensure that it is set up for use abroad.
Welcome packs
At most properties we offer a complimentary pack of food and drink to provide a snack on arrival. In some properties we can offer an enhanced service whereby the local owner or agent will do some minor shopping on your behalf. We will be happy to arrange this (with at least 2 weeks notice before your holiday); the cost of the items (plus any service charge) should be paid in local currency on arrival.
Swimming pools
Pools are generally open from April to October, although in some areas they are opened later. Most are not heated and may be cold in early season. However where a heated pool is available, this is considered an ancillary service. In any event, pool heating is payable as extra, must be pre-arranged and is normally only possible in low season months. We show the length and width of each pool in metres and we endeavour to be as accurate as possible with these. However, some measurements may be approximate, especially in the case of an unusual shaped pool. Most pools have shallow and deeper ends, although there are some which are of a uniform depth throughout. Our staff can usually advise of approximate depths.
If a pool is fenced off or enclosed by some other means this will be mentioned in the house description. However, we stress that this feature should not be relied upon and is not to be considered a substitute for parental supervision of children near pools.
Pets
Property owners do not allow pets in any property.
Ancillary services
Whilst we are happy to assist clients, when possible, with certain additional services arranged (payable locally), please note that we do so as your agent and do not enter into any contract with you for these. We cannot guarantee that any such service will be provided (even where confirmed) and will not be liable if it isn't. Your contract will be with the supplier of the service concerned, which will be subject to the supplier's own terms and conditions. Such services include the provision of rented telephones, televisions, videos/DVDs, pool heating, extra cleaning or cooking services, bicycle or boat hire etc.
If things go wrong, our local agent or representative or the house owner will intervene with the supplier to try to find a solution. We cannot guarantee the reception of specific channels on television, which may not be in English language.