General Holiday Enquiries, Hints and Tips

General Holiday Enquiries? Got General Hints & Tips? Post Them Here.
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I also provide clocks in the bedrooms


Think that's a great idea. We could have done with an alarm clock this year on two occasions:
1. To wake us up for an early morning trip we'd booked
2. To wake us at 3.30 am for our return trip to the airport.
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we have provided smaller things in the past which you find essentials but they get pinched

also provide clocks in the bedrooms, hairdryer, adapter plugs, sewing kit, first aid kit, beach chairs and parasols etc etc

we provide hairdryers but the other items you have mentioned I would automatically put in my suitcase anyway
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I would not say Iron and Ironing Board are essentials I have never been in an apartment yet that provides them, but I know what you mean these little extras will come in handy especially if you have a washing machine in the apartment like we do
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I am surprised that you say an iron and board are not usually provided.
Do you think this varies depending on location?

I'm on mainland Spain and we do have a villa so maybe have more space but I've just done a quick skim through a few adverts for apartments on the Costa del Sol on Owners Direct and they all provided irons.

I take your point about things going missing. We have been lucky. In 4 years we've had very few items go astray. Usually it's the adapter plugs that get packed in error but guests have been know to return them when they arrive back in the UK which is kind of them but not much use to the next guests!!
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I have been going Self catering in Turkey for 10 years and not had an ironing board and iron provided, been to Bulgaria for many years, greece, cyprus and not come accross them. I suppose being a villa there is plenty of room for these items. Its not the guests who takes things out the apartments in our complex its the cleaners who are the guilty ones :)
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We have had quite a few privately owned apartments and they have all had irons and ironing boards. Quite important I would think, especially if the apartment also has a washing machine.

Haven't always had a hairdryer though. I have a travel one so always take that anyway.

Pippa
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I remember that back in the days when I booked my holidays through TO's the aprtments I stayed in were very basic, usually not even a kettle but once I started booking privately owned accommodation, things got alot better.

It probably does depend on where you are and also who it's owned by. I know for instance that the Spanish don't use kettles but would have a milk warmer and the Germans think a coffee maker is an essential.

Me? I just begrudge paying Ryanair's extortionate excess baggage fees and so have hairdryers etc for myself and just leave them out for others to use!!
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I think S/c has improved alot of the last few years as many are privately owned so they put their personal touches to their apartment.

Some apartments which you book through a travel agent are probably owned by one company and do not think about putting extras in there
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we have used 2 privately owned apartments now, one in tenerife and one in southern spain and both were fantastically equipped for self catering.
one big bonus this time was a shopping trolley to lug your wine and beer back from the supermarket ! genius !
board games are good too and a selection of dvd's.
washing machine is a big plus for us too.
both kitchens had everything you could need at home, even washing up liquid.
we did buy a big pack of toilet rolls to leave for the next guests though, as thats only fair.
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Just a quickie - I was in B&M the other day and they had ex-Woolworths irons for £2.99. Cheaper than hiring an iron at your accomodation and for that price you wouldn't mind leaving it behind!
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cyberspacekadette

That's what we always do buy a cheap iron and leave it there, I just can't get away with those travel irons,I normally put the iron in my hand luggage to save more weight in my hold
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My son and his wife have been in Portugal this week staying at a privately owned apartment with their baby of 9 months. They've taken out a stair gate and are leaving it there for future guests.
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I've never been SC and found a sharp knife or a chopping board I would want to use so I take my own trusty knife and one of those flexible plastic chopping sheets, in fact I even take them when on HB so we can make sandwiches for lunch to keep the cost down a bit.
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