Country Cottages, which has been providing vacations in the British Isles for many years now, has come up with a neat idea--spending the quintessentially American holiday of Thanksgiving in England or Ireland. It's certainly different from the usual over-the-river-and-through-the-woods kind of family get together, but you can bring the whole family if you want to, at Country Cottage prices. They're keeping them to the same level they had back in 1999, $699 to $799 per person, including airfare and seven nights lodging, as well as a rental car!
For eight people sharing a four-bedroom cottage, the cost is $699 per person, out of New York, Newark or Boston. (Out of the 15 other British Airways gateways in the U.S., prices are slightly higher, see below.) For parties of six sharing a three-bedroom house, the cost per person is $769 per person; for four persons in a two-bedroom property, it's $789 per person. And for two persons in a 10-bedroom cottage, the cost is $799 each. The extra-person rate is $799 (some properties accommodate as many as 12 persons). The cost for infants under two is $99.
The add-on fares from British Airways' other departure cities range from $75 out of Washington DC and Baltimore to $210 out of Denver or Seattle. The size of the rental car or cars varies with the size of the group, but unlimited mileage, CDW and VAT (Value Added Tax) are included.
You can combine the packages with extra nights in a London or Dublin hotel, at $79 per person (sharing a double) per night, including breakfast and VAT. The Ireland package can be extended with a 3-day (2-night) stopover in London at a centrally located hotel for $219. Flights to Dublin are via London. Round-trip connections to Shannon and Cork cost $25 each.
The company, based in Florida, has an inventory of more than 500 privately owned homes available for rental in Ireland and more than 1,000 to choose from in England. That may be a cottage, a townhouse, a mansion or even a manor, but all are second homes for the owners. All come equipped with modern baths and kitchens, with linens, cooking utensils, tableware, dishes and cutlery provided. At each place, a caretaker is accessible for any information or assistance needed. The company uses a computer program to match you up with your preferences regarding location, number of bedrooms and other criteria you specify. You then get by fax or e-mail descriptions and photos of appropriate homes from which you can choose.
Reservations and more information can be obtained from Country Cottages at 800/674-8883 or 561-988-4000, fax 561-988-0016, e-mail cntrycot@bellsouth.net, Web site www.villacentral.com.