Tip 1: When you check dates with us - if you have flexibility of a day or two as to when you arrive and/or when you depart and if the apartment of your choice is also available for these wider dates, this can help you find the best value flights - there are flights from the UK to the local airports every day of the week now - Almeria is the closest airport (85 kms), Murcia (San Javier) is next (around 130kms by new toll motorway) and Alicante is furthest, but still only about two and a half hours drive (210 kms). The past 10 years has seen the flights scene transformed - there is now a profusion of flights by the budget airlines as well as "seat-only" flights with the package holiday companies' charter airlines.
Tip 2: It is definitely worth checking the budget airlines such as Easyjet , BMIbaby , Ryanair , FlyBE, FlyMonarch and Jet2 especially if you are booking well ahead of your holiday. Budget airlines flying to Almeria, which is the nearest airport, include Ryanair (from Stansted), Easyjet (from London Gatwick) and FlyMonarch (from Birmingham & Manchester - but not in winter)). Most of the budget airlines fly to Alicante and several to Murcia (San Javier) - both these airports are within two and a half hours drive of Vera Playa. ThomsonFly.com fly to Alicante and/or Alicante from a number of UK airports.
Also check the availability of charter flights such as MyTravel, Monarch, Britannia etc (try www.flightline.co.uk) as they can sometimes be cheaper than budget airlines, especially if you are making a late booking (Budget airlines tend to be cheapest if you are booking a long way ahead).
Tip 3: Flights with the charter airlines generally have to be complete weeks, i.e. 1, 2 or 3 weeks (sometimes 10 or 11 days is also possible). However if you book flights with a scheduled airline, such as the budget/no-frills airlines you can go on any day and come back on any day. We rent our apartments for whatever period you want, not just complete weeks. Sometimes by slightly juggling your flight dates (ouwards, return or both) you can save a lot on the costs - perhaps even halving the costs of the flights.

2. Book your flights and once these are confirmed please telephone or e-mail us immediately to confirm your reservation - you can use the Enquiry Form again if you wish (If you haven't contacted us within two days of asking us to provisionally reserve an apartment, that reservation will lapse). We will then hold the reservation for up to 5 days whilst you send us the Booking Form and payment.

3. Print out our Booking Conditions and Form (Click here). Read it, complete it and send it to us together with your cheque for the deposit or full payment for the apartment rental (depending how imminent your holiday is).
Why do we charge a Key/Security Deposit and require a signed Booking Form? When you book with us, if it is more than two months beforte your holiday you pay a booking deposit of £100 at the time of booking and then the full rental not less than two months beforehand (If you book two months or less beforehand, you pay the full rental + £100 Key/Security deposit when you book). We hold the £100 booking deposit as a Key/Security Deposit until after your holiday and then, provided the keys have been returned and there has been no loss or damage at the apartment - we don't worry about the odd glass or plate - we refund the deposit in full. We do this to protect us and maintain the high standards of our apartments. We find it works well - our visitors are invariably nice, responsible people who look after our apartments as they would their own home - and we have never, yet, had to withold or deduct anything from the Deposit. So it works well for us and for our visitors who benefit from the care exercised by previous visitors.

4. We will acknowledge receipt of your booking and confirm its acceptance. About two weeks before your departure we will send you directions to help you find your way from your arrival airport in Spain to Vera Playa/Bahia de Vera. The journey is pleasant and straightforward - by motorway - from all the airports - from Almeria it is about 50 minutes (85 kms), from Murcia, about 1 hours 20 minutes ( 130 kms by new toll motorway) and from Alicante about 2 hours 15 minutes (215 kms). (If you are coming from Murcia airport you can also use non-motorway roads closer to the coast - which is very scenic but longer in time as it includes very tortuous roads over mountain passes). There will also be details of how to gain admission to the Bahia de Vera urbanizacion - depending on when you are arriving you may be admitted by us or by our caretakers, or we may send you a key.

Tip 4: Car Hire - Book your car on the internet, don't wait till you arrive - that will be much more expensive. We recommend www.doyouspain.com - you can get an on-line quote, then book the car of your choice, and you don't pay for it until you pick it up.Also check out www.drivespain.com or www.allinclusivecarhire.com or www.carjet.com - all 3 are the same brokers really we believe but these websites have slightly different offers. Car rental rates increased considerably in 2009, due it is believed to the Credit Crunch, and availability was limited in the prime summer months - an unprecedented event. For UK visitors the fall in the value of the £ has also made car rental more expensive. There is an alternative - if you don't need to have a car for the whole of your stay ad you are arriving at Almeria airport it is possible to arrange reasonably priced transfers. The cost is around €50 - €60 per couple each way, so €100 to €120 per couple per holiday. A week's car hire in summer may cost around €150 - €170 per week in 2010, so for a two or three week holiday transfers may be much cheaper and you can always rent a car locally when you need it for trips out etc.

5. Once you are at Bahia de Vera: In your apartment you will find a folder of useful information about the apartment and its equipment, about Bahia de Vera and its facilities and about local shopping, restaurants, places to visit etc. It also explains what to do with the keys etc when you leave at the end of your holiday. If we are at Bahia de Vera ourselves at the time of your visit you can, of course, ask us for any information or about any problems which arise - if we are not there ourselves our caretakers normally are. We shall also give you contact numbers to use in emergencies if neither we or our caretakers are available on-site - as does inevitably happen sometimes!

6. Lie back and enjoy the sun and freedom of naturist Bahia de Vera!

Next step? Send us the Enquiry Form or telephone us
on (UK landline) 02476 679322 or (UK mobile) 07710 730 450

Most recent update: 22 November 2009