How to spend a successful cottage holiday in Finland
Lomarengas Ltd offers more than 3,000 splendid cottages, making it easy to find just the one for you.
Finland is a lovely country offering plenty of unpolluted natural areas and lakes. But Finland is also a modern industrial country so that complete silence and the peace of the wilds may sometimes be hard to find. Consequently, some sounds from agriculture and traffic may be heard around rented cottages.
All our holiday locations are quality rated, making it easy to select the place answering your requirements.
Confirmation, route and payment
When you reserve a cottage, we will send you a confirmation/ invoice, together with written instructions for reaching the location, and the owner’s name and address.
Means of payment
Payment must be made as an EU payment (IBAN account number and SWIFT code). Sorry, we cannot accept cheques. We accept payment by VISA or Mastercard (but not Visa Electron). Please give us by phone, fax or letter (NOT email!) your card number, the 3-digit CVC/CVV number on the back of the card (where your signature is) and the expiry date (month and year).
Check-in and check-out during a week-long stay
The check-in/check-out day during the high season in the A, B and C price periods is generally Saturday and the minimum stay is one week. With a week-long stay, the cottage will be available to you from 16.00 on the day of your arrival until 12.00 on the day of your departure.
Prices
The prices of cottages vary according to the time of year and type of cottage. For lake- or seashore cottages summer is the high season (weeks 25-32) and holidaying at these locations is cheapest in the spring and autumn. The most expensive time for cottages at ski resorts is generally the late winter to early spring period (weeks 8-17), Christmas and New Year.
New Year and Easter
For some cottages, e.g. those at ski resorts, the shortest booking is one week. At Easter the shortest stay is 4 days. For some cottages, e.g. those at ski resorts, the shortest booking is one week. The fee of final cleaning (110-250 €) and bed linen (= sheets and towels) will be added to all bookings during 26.12.2012 - 12.01.2013.
Number of occupants
The maximum number of people using the cottage must not exceed the number of sleeping places indicated in the description. If the description says 4 + 2 pers., for example, then there are 4 beds for adults, plus two spare beds (e.g. a top bunk or a sofa bed).
Notification of arrival time - essential to ensure a successful start!
You yourself must notify the owner/caretaker of the cottage of your time of arrival, either by phone or e-mail.
What is included in the price
The rental includes unrestricted use of the cottage and sauna. Cottages have normal furnishings, as well as crockery, eating and cooking utensils. Fuel wood and electricity are also covered by the rental.
The running H&C water mentioned in the cottage descriptions most often comes from a nearby well. The running water quality is not as good as that of municipal (town) water. You often either fetch drinking water from the owner/caretaker yourself, or the owner brings drinking water to the cottage in canisters.
Many cottages also have a TV. Please remember, however, that there are no cable TV networks in the Finnish countryside and that picture quality may not be quite as good as in town.
What to take with you
Cottages have mattresses, pillows and blankets. You yourself must bring sheets, pillowcases and towels. In many cases, bed linen can be rented through Lomarengas or from the cottage owner (price from 10 € per person); this will include sheets, a pillowcase and hand and bath towels.
Washing up liquid, spices (pepper, salt, etc), toilet paper and kitchen rolls are not included in the rental.
Cleaning
Did you know that you can enjoy your holiday to the full right up to the last day without having to clean the cottage at the end of your stay? You can book the final cleaning either in advance from Lomarengas (price from € 45), or from the owner at your holiday location.
However, if you wish to carry out the final cleaning yourself, please remember the following rules at least: rugs or carpets should be taken outside and beaten, the cottage should be vacuum-cleaned, floors should be wiped over with a damp mop, bed linen should be aired outdoors, crockery and cooking utensils should be washed, the sauna and WC should be cleaned, and all waste should be taken to the collection point.
Sauna
Almost all cottage have a sauna. For introduction to sweat baths see the website of => The Finnish Sauna Society.
Fishing licences
Unless otherwise mentioned, every cottage has fishing rights. If you use anything more than a rod, line and worm bait, or fish through the ice in winter (basic "Everyman’s rights"), you will have to pay a so-called Fishing Management Fee (equivalent to a fishing licence) to the State.
For lure fishing you will also need either a fishing licence for the province where the cottage is situated, or a local fishing licence. Provincial fishing licence fees and the State Fishing Management Fee can be paid at post offices and banks. Keep your receipt when fishing to show to a fishing inspector, if necessary.
The owner of the cottage is there to help you!
If, during your holiday, you discover something is missing or the service needs improving, do not hesitate to contact the owner. Do not allow your holiday to be spoiled due to some fault or problem which your host will be able to put right immediately.
If the fault or problem is not properly attended to, you can call Lomarengas/ Finnish Country Holidays’ office, tel. +358 306 502 502 or, at high season weekends, our special service number +358 400 425 739.
Welcome to a successful cottage holiday!