How do I book my holiday?
You can book either online through this website or by phone (T: 01865 820019 or M: 07787 517344). Each week can be booked via the individual property pages or from the “Prices and Booking” page. Due to the nature of our breaks, the online booking system may occasionally advise you to contact us directly about a booking where availability is relatively low.
How do I book more than one week on the website?
You make your online bookings through a normal “shopping cart” system. When you have added your first week, simply locate the subsequent week in the same way and add that to your shopping cart. Then you can checkout in one go.
Are there any discounts for breaks longer than one week?
A second consecutive week typically costs around 10% less than the one week price while a third week would be about 20% less than the one week price
How can I pay?
We take most major debit and credit cards
Why is there an additional charge of 1.5% for paying by credit card?
This occurs because of the charges made to us by the credit card companies. These typically average 3% on each transaction.
How do I get there?
There are all sorts of possible ways to get to us. Most people travel by air and then hire a car. Details of a selection of air services to our breaks are given on the individual property pages and on the page “Getting to us”. If you don’t wish to travel by air, there are other ways to get to us such as train or ferry / own car. These are also discussed on our travel pages. We regret that we are not able to arrange air flights or other transport for you.
Should I hire a car?
All our properties are located in quiet rural areas that are relatively hard to access without a car, and in some cases there is a reasonable drive from the major airport to us, which could be quite expensive to go by taxi. The more independent you want to be, the more we would advise you to hire a car.
Are you able to collect me from the airport?
In general, it is not possible for us to arrange to collect you from the airport. Our changeover days are very busy and we wouldn’t usually have the time free to collect you.
Do I need holiday insurance?
We strongly recommend that all guests obtain appropriate travel and personal insurance cover against possible cancellation of your holiday due to unforeseen circumstances. Our holidays all take place within the EU and all EU citizens are strongly advised to bring their European Health Insurance Card (“EHIC”) with them. Guests from outside the EU should arrange their own medical insurance for their holiday
What are the arrival and leaving times?
Arrival times are generally 5:00pm and departure times are 10:00am. There are some weeks where there is some flexibility in this and you are advised to contact us if your travel arrangements do not fit in with the above times.
What will the weather be like?
Generally hot and sunny, but we can’t make any promises!
How easy are the properties to access?
All our holidays are in rural areas and, at worse, in some cases this might involve a short drive on an untarmaced road. But generally they are not too far off the beaten track
Are there always shops nearby?
Typically, there will be at least a small village with shops quite close by and there will be larger shopping centres within a short drive
How many people will typically be there?
Our smallest break can accommodate 8 guests while the largest can have about 16 guests. The actual number attending will vary but will usually be at least 6.
What is the normal mix of guests?
We operate virtually exclusively in English and the majority of our guests come from the UK and the USA. About three quarters of our guests are female, typically ranging in age from early twenties to mid sixties. Each week we may get a number of couples, groups of friends travelling together or mostly singles. There is no set pattern.
Can I bring my children?
Generally we operate our breaks for adults and we aim for an atmosphere of peace and quiet – which might not be available to all if children attended. Also, none of the properties have any specific facilities for children. However we are able to take a limited number of older children of 14 and over e.g. a mother/daughter holiday. Please contact us to discuss this further.
Is it ok to come if I am on my own?
Yes of course. About half our guests are typically single people travelling alone and you are sure to make some new friends. Most of the activities are communal but there are also plenty of opportunities to be on your own if you wish
What facilities can I expect at the breaks?
Our breaks are based on two people sharing a room – a double or single as appropriate. All the rooms are decorated to a high standard and most have en suite facilities. In a few cases, two rooms might share one bathroom. Several of the properties have air conditioning. There are typically a number of reception rooms in which you can relax, and plenty of outdoor facilities for sunbathing. All the properties have large swimming pools. All the properties have TVs with DVD players and we have a selection of books and DVDs available for our guests
Is there internet access available on the breaks?
The properties generally do not have internet access available. In many cases there are internet cafes or wi-fi locations in the bigger towns nearby. For emergencies, you may access emails, etc, via Jonathan and Linda’s laptop.
Can I book a single room?
Few of our properties have single rooms so generally we are not able to offer them. In some cases it will be possible to have a room on your own but we can’t guarantee this.
Can I book for less than a week?
We are sometimes able to accept bookings for periods slightly shorter than a week, for instance four days. Please contact us for availability and costs.
Can I book for non-standard periods, e.g. 10 days?
Yes, please contact us for availability and cost.
Do all your holidays start and finish on a Saturday?
Yes, our standard weekly breaks all run from Saturday to Saturday
Can I book two consecutive weeks at different properties?
Yes, but you may have a long drive to travel from one to the next on the changeover day
What are the weekly themes like?
These take place for 90 minutes on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays and they are aimed at being informative but also informal and fun. Your guide will have a rough plan for each session but this is not kept to rigidly. In some cases you might be asked to fill in some short questionnaires or jot down a few ideas and you will be encouraged to think about certain issues between sessions. The aim is to be thought provoking but not too extreme.
Do I have to attend the weekly themes or classes?
No, they are included in the price of your break but are entirely optional.
Do I have to be experienced at yoga or Pilates?
No, our classes are able to accommodate a range of fitness levels and modifications of the harder postures will be given for beginners.
What style of yoga do you offer?
We offer a general hatha yoga practice with some elements of vinyasa flow yoga - not as strict on alignment as Iyengar, not as hard work as Ashtanga.
Do I need to bring my own yoga mat, towels, etc
No, yoga and Pilates mats, together with head pads, blocks, bricks and straps are all provided as necessary. If you would prefer to bring your own, that is fine too.
Can I still do the classes if I have a specific medical condition?
That depends on the condition of course. While your teachers have sufficient experience to deal with a range of medical conditions, not every condition can be accommodated within a general class. It would be possible for you to arrange one-on-one sessions with the teachers however.
What happens to the classes if it rains?
Usually we can hold the classes indoors if it rains, though sometimes that might mean we have to split the class into two groups and have separate classes
Can I just stay at the property all week rather than travel around?
Yes, of course. We do encourage guests to get out and about as we think there is lots of interesting stuff to see in the areas we have picked for our breaks. But you can stay at the properties if you want.
Are Jonathan and Linda around throughout the week?
Jonathan and Linda are on hand every day of the break but may be away from the property at specific times. This includes trips to buy food and drink for the house as well as times they visit local sights, etc.
How to I book one-on-one sessions during my break?
Either contact us before your break to say what you’d like to have or you can wait till you get there. Please note that some notice will usually be required for each session so we can make the necessary arrangements.
Are there any beauty treatments I could have while on my break?
In some cases we are aware of local beauticians or spas that you can visit during the stay (or which might be able to arrange visits to the property). Please contact us before your break if this is something you’d like to find out more about.
Can you arrange other trips out for me while I’m on my break?
Generally we aim to point you in the right direction rather than actually arrange trips for you. We have a wealth of local information available to you to help you find some good trips to do and we will have tested some of the more unusual items ourselves before your break.
Are you able to provide life coaching after my holiday?
Eve, our “reinvent yourself” teacher, is able to provide a full life coaching service at other times of the year. Jonathan and Linda can provide full life coaching on a range of issues but generally only between September and April. At other times we are able to supply some smaller scale life coaching services (typically at quite cheap rates). This mainly depends on what you wish to cover.
Is the food suitable for vegetarians?
Yes, there will be a full range of vegetarian choices each day
Is the food suitable for non-vegetarians?
Yes, most days there will be a selection of meat dishes
What if I have other dietary requirements?
We have some ability to accommodate other dietary requirements but we can’t always guarantee that every meal is suitable for every dietary requirement
Can I buy food for myself?
There is usually a separate guest fridge available if you wish to buy food for yourself during the week. Your break is full board, so we do make enough food available, but if you want something different, by all means get your own things
Are the breaks similar to austere yoga holidays?
No, quite the opposite. We aim to offer you the very best food and drink from the local area we are staying in. And unlike some retreats, we don’t ban coffee (all that leads to are grumpy guests with headaches!)
Is there a ready supply of drinks throughout the day?
Yes, bottled water, fruit juices, tea, coffee and a selection of snacks are available at any time during the day
How much wine is included with each evening meal?
We provide a selection of wine with each evening meal working out at half a bottle of wine per person and usually some sort of aperitif before the meal. You are welcome to buy yourself extra wine to have with the meals, either from us or that you find on your travels. If you plan to visit vineyards, we might even ask you to buy some wine for the house!
Can I eat out instead of with the group?
Yes, if you want. Full board is included with your break but a lot of guests eat out at lunchtime and occasionally they will have a meal out in the evening away from the property. This is especially true of Wednesdays when we have a day free of classes and people are encouraged to travel further a field for sight seeing. We would ask that you let us know if you don’t require an evening meal so we don’t overcook.
Do we always eat in during the break?
Not necessarily. On some breaks we arrange a meal or two out at a local restaurant. The cost of this is included in the holiday. In other cases, we might have a local cook come and cook for us at the property.
Do we eat outside or inside?
Usually outside, weather permitting.
What if I have limited mobility?
People with serious disabilities might find it difficult or uncomfortable to get to the properties as they are quite isolated in rural locations. Some breaks do have easy access for disabled people, but others are less suitable. Please contact us to discuss any queries in more detail.
Do I have to eat with the other guests?
Generally we all eat together in the evenings. The other meals are taken as and when you want them.
Can I bring a pet?
Generally the owners of the properties do not permit pets. This is not always the case, so please contact us to find out if pets are allowed
Are there any dangerous insects or animals I should protect against?
Nothing too unusual. We would recommend that you bring mosquito coils if you wish to have your bedroom windows open at night. We will have cream available if you are bitten by anything. Europe does have a number of insects and animals that you might not come across in the UK but usually these are not a problem
Can I smoke?
Generally you are not able to smoke in the properties but can do outside. You should be very careful how you dispose of cigarettes as they have been known to start fires in the hot dry summers!
