Book early! There is no reward for delaying your booking. Unlike foreign
holidays, there are virtually no discounts for late booking. Owners of cottages tend to not let them rather than offer them for less than the normal price. And the best cottages tend to have repeat customers who snap up the weeks they want. Which means the ones that are available nearer the holiday dates will tend to be the ones other people didn’t want …

Ask an expert. Individual cottage owners can only talk about their own place, but a local agency will work with you to find the best property for you. Work out what is most important, and ask them to give you three cottages to look at that are, for example, quiet and secluded, but walking distance from a nice pub.

Asking questions is generally a very good idea before you book. Asking questions on the phone is not. You want answers that mean you have evidence if you are disappointed, which means answers in writing. So email the questions.