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I want to book NOW! How do I do that?
Simple...
CLICK HERE for INSTANT
BOOKINGS!
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Is there Air Conditioning?
Yes, from Spring 2007 the Villa is air conditioned in all
bedrooms, sitting area and dining area. Prices include the use of the air
conditioning if you wish - no extra payable.
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How can I pay?
By cheque (payable to "Graham and
Julie Smith"); or cash. Do not send cash in the post. Sterling or Euros are equally acceptable. If paying
by cheque, the villa will only be provisionally booked until the cheque
arrives and is cleared.
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What about Credit or Debit Card payments?
You can pay by Credit Card or Debit card if you book and pay (in
Sterling) through our online booking management system -
CLICK HERE to get to this feature
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How much is the deposit? When will my balance be
due?
The first payment consists of 25% of the total rental by way of
booking deposit. The balance, plus a security deposit of £200 / €300, is
due 8 weeks prior to departure and must be paid in the same currency (£ or
€) as the deposit. If you use the online booking system and pay online,
you may pay a non-refundable waiver instead - these deposits are
calculated and debited automatically.
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What happens to my Security deposit?
Your
security deposit will be held by us in a separate bank account until the keys are received back, and
our local representatives in Orba have checked the villa and its contents
for damage or losses. The costs of making good any losses will be deducted
from your security deposit and the balance returned to you.
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What about a late booking?
If your booking is
less than 8 weeks prior to departure, the total plus the security deposit
is payable with your booking.
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Are there Terms and Conditions that apply?
Yes,
please click here
to download them. You will need Acrobat Reader software on your computer
in order to be able to read this file. This page of FAQs also contain most of the same points.
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I don't want to book online - is there a booking form
I can send you?
Yes, of course! Click
here to download it, fill it in, sign and date it and post off
with your deposit cheque. You should contact us first to
double-check availability for your chosen weeks. If you prefer you can use
the online instant booking system - CLICK HERE
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Do you recommend Travel Insurance?
Yes - all
overseas travellers should have travel insurance. You will need to make
your own arrangements for this.
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What happens if my plans change?
If your plans
change and you need to cancel your holiday with us, the booking deposit is
non-refundable. In this case you would make a claim for this against your
travel insurance. If this occurs within eight weeks of departure and you
have paid the remaining balance, this will only be refunded as long as we
can re-let the property. If you cancel within two weeks, no refund is
payable. Your security deposit will be returned in full on
receipt of any keys issued.
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Are linen and towels provided?
All bedroom and
bathroom linen is provided plus tea towels in the kitchen. An additional
set of bedroom and bathroom linen and tea towels is provided for two-week
rentals. You will need to take your own beach towels to use around the
pool.
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Are pets allowed?
No.
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Are smokers allowed?
Smokers are welcome to stay
but you must not smoke in the house.
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How many people can stay?
A maximum of 6, plus one or more infants in cot(s).
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Do you provide cot linen?
No. If you wish to use a cot you will also need to provide your own
linen for your infant.
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What about cleaning?
The villa is fully cleaned
and prepared before your arrival and again on departure. If you are
staying for two weeks or longer we can arrange an additional clean if
you wish, mid-way through your stay. This will be charged separately and
added to your account.
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Can we use the villa before 4pm on the
day of arrival?
The official time for entry to your villa is 4pm. By previous arrangement,
if
you will be arriving after 12 noon and before 4pm you will be able to use the outside
facilities, e.g. pool and sun beds but will not be able to get into the
villa until it has been cleaned.
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Can we stay in the villa later than the confirmed
vacating time of 10am?
This is not generally possible as the villa will
need to be cleaned and prepared for the next guests, but please ask if
this is important to you.
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Do we need a hire car?
This is definitely
recommended. Public transport, or a taxi from the airport are not
ideal, and the taxi will cost more than a hire car will for a week. A car
is also very useful for getting around during your stay.
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Where will I park?
The villa has a sizable secure off-road
parking area with a lockable sliding gate, accessed directly off our
street (C/Penyes Roges). It's recommended
that you park there. Alternatively, there are no restrictions on parking on
the road.
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Where do I pick up my villa keys? How do I get
them back to you?
Keys will be sent to you or given to you in the UK
before you depart, and must be returned to us by post or hand delivery
immediately on
your return. If this is impractical for some reason please let us know and
we will make other arrangements, e.g. arranging for key collection in
Spain.
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What are the passport and driving licence
requirements in Spain?
All guests from the UK must carry a valid 10 year UK passport with
at least 6 months left before the expiry date. If you wish to rent a car,
the standard UK driving licence is required, either the old green type or
the new type with photo ID. Your licence must be a full (not learner)
licence, and cover you for the type of vehicle you are renting. You will
also need a valid credit card to hire a car (NOT Switch or debit cards
etc).
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Do you have Satellite TV?
Yes, we have a high quality 32" flat screen television, and we
have the Canal+ Satellite service. This is a Spanish digital service with
a variety of packages included. In peak season (July and August, the complete range of packages
(i.e. everything transmitted by Canal+) is
included. The system shows major European sporting events as
well as a wide selection of news, current affairs, entertainment, films,
children's channels etc. Some channels (e.g. CNN, Fox) are in English,
others (especially films) may be in English with Spanish subtitles. Many
channels offer the ability to choose the original language using the
remote control. Many of these are in English. All local
channels are in Spanish. Note that UK terrestrial channels and Sky TV are not legally available in
Spain.
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Is there a DVD player?
Yes. If you want to
take your own DVDs this is fine, the standard UK Region 2 DVDs are
compatible. We have also provided a selection of family DVDs and films.
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What is the mains voltage? Will my UK electrical
stuff work?
It's 220V, with European style 2-pin plus earth sockets. Your
equipment will work but you'll need a UK 13A to European plug adapter.
If you use an electric shaver you will also need a shaver adapter. These
adapters are widely available from UK and Spanish travel outlets, at the airport etc for a few
pounds.
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Is the house heated? Heating?
Yes - for
stays between October and March, heating is very useful. You will be
pleased to hear that full gas fired central heating is provided with
programmer / timer. For occasional heat you can also use the "heat"
feature of the air conditioning units. NO extra charge is made for use of the heating.
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Is there an iron and ironing board at the
villa?
Yes.
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Is there a washing machine?
Yes, it's a top
quality brand new high-speed-spin Bosch product.
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Is there a dishwasher?
Yes, top quality brand new Bosch
again.
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How about a hairdryer?
Yes, there's one of those too...
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What is the size of the pool? Is it heated?
The pool is about 8
metres by 4 metres and is kidney-shaped. The deep end is about 1.8 metres
deep, the shallow end about 0.9 metres. Steps are provided at the shallow
end. The pool is not heated, it's not required in the summer and pools are
rarely used over winter.
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What are the neighbours like?
Very friendly! The
villa is located in a small quiet community of both permanent residents and
holiday villas.
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You say it's quiet. Is there any building work
going on?
The urbanisation is complete but there may be small-scale
work under way occasionally. Work is
non-intrusive.
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What happens if I have a problem with the villa?
We have local specialists retained to provide management services in case
of problems. You will find their local contact numbers in the house manual (simple instructions for all of the main items
in the house), plus we keep a full set of the original instruction books for the appliances.
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Is there a doctor or dentist nearby?
Yes, Orba
has an excellent medical centre and dental practice. Contact details are
provided in the information pack in the villa.
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How do I get access to medical care whilst
abroad?
You will need to apply for the European Health Insurance Card, the
"EHIC" - this replaces the previous E111 forms. You can find full
details online at
www.dh.gov.uk/travellers which we recommend you read before
travelling. The EHIC is free of charge but is NOT a substitute for Travel
Insurance. You must include medical cover on your Travel
Insurance policy. If you are on prescribed medication please ensure that
you take an adequate supply with you as it may not be possible to acquire
identical drugs in Spain.
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Is there a telephone?
No. However, your UK mobile
will work provided you have "international roaming" enabled! This sets up
your mobile to make or receive calls overseas, and you'll need to speak to your
mobile provider BEFORE you leave the UK to get this set up. Call
charges vary but are usually more expensive than if using the phone in the
UK. Signal strength is very good for the mobile networks in the area
(Movistar, Vodafone, Orange)
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Is the villa suitable for a wheelchair user?
Not
really. The villa is built over two floors on a hillside location, and access is via steps.
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Is it suitable for children?
We believe that the interior and terrace areas are suitable for children,
assuming that as parents you would provide a normal level of supervision.
Extra care is of course required around the pool and on steps and stairs. If your children are prone to sleepwalking, you might want a stairgate at
the top of the stairs for peace of mind at night. We will happily provide
this for you if you wish. Please ask.
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Where is the nearest Supermarket?
There are three
smallish ones in Orba (short walk); a larger one at Benidoleig (3 miles);
a huge new hypermarket at the new shopping complex at Ondara (5 miles) and several
other hypermarkets at Pedreguer and Denia.
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Can you send me directions for how to find the
property?
You can download a document with detailed directions:
Download directions - Click Here
