I tried booking a self catering cottage yesterday for four nights starting in 10 days time. The week preceeding when we wanted to go was £329 for the week, but the week we wanted was £425 for the week. We were told we could have the four nights for £320!!

I said I thought that was a bit steep for a two person cottage and was told it was the start of Easter and its about supply and demand. I pointed out that there was little demand as it wasn't booked 9 days before a start date. They told me I could take it or leave it, so I left it.

Does anyone else thing this is an unreasonable price or is it just par for the course in the Lakes.

£105 off?

But pro rata it would be £240, I'd have been happy upto £270 but I thought they were trying it on.

Sounds about right for the time of year

Camp?

call them back 2 days before & make them an offer

Whether the price is reasonable depends a lot on quality/location/amenities etc of the cottage. But £320 isn't extortionate for 4 nights accommodation in a cottage.

Lakes, par for the course.

THis is the place we stayed infor the marmotte last year look what happens to their prices.

05 June 2010 – 25 June 2010 €945 – – 1 Week
La Marmotte 26 June 2010 – 03 July 2010 €1,795 – – 1 Week
04 July 2010 – 13 August 2010 €1,145 – – 1 Week

Generally if you want to go in the holidays you have to pay
more!My son starts school after the summer and looking to go
away during the October holidays, some places are 60% dearer!

they have to budget for the possibility they won't be able to fill it for another short break too…

Oh I am a Yorkshireman, so maybe that accounts for it.

mrs and I own a cottage that we let out… by the time we've paid the letting agent, the cleaning lady, the oil, the electrics( for lights that the punters leave on 24×7 )there is little enuf left over for making deals ( yes I know, poor me )…so I would have told also take it or leave it.

The Phone two days before suggestion seems reasonable. If you really believe there is no demand it will still be empty.

However lots of people like to do things last minute so it will be interesting to see if it is.

you might be surprised at their ability to rent it out this late in the day – lots of people don't even book stuff beforehand, they just drive around asking for spare rooms.

I'm not sure any of it really matters, if it was good enough and you thought it worthy you would have paid, you don't, you're not, job done. Someone else might, maybe they're richer than you, maybe they view that cottage and that location as more important than you do. There's no right and wrong, this isn't mass murder.

you might be surprised at their ability to rent it out this late in the day – lots of people don't even book stuff beforehand, they just drive around asking for spare rooms.

Indeed, I@ve done this before – not had plans to do anything but decided last minute. Even when camping its rare to find a site that isn't rammed to the limits despite being bookingless 2 days before.

Generally if you want to go in the holidays you have to pay
more!My son starts school after the summer and looking to go
away during the October holidays, some places are 60% dearer!

Or a more reasonable way of looking at it is "if you want to go when the place is quiet there are massive discounts"

My son starts school after the summer and looking to go
away during the October holidays, some places are 60% dearer!

Take your son out of school in the weeks they have inset days (which seem to be every other week!!). This is what we are doing this year – were going in late June rather than summer holidays.