Using the site

1. Why book a holiday property direct?
2. When should I travel?
3. How do I search for a property?
4. How do I know if my preferred property is available?
5. How do I make reservation?
6. How do I pay for my holiday accommodation?
7. What if I have a problem whilst I am at the property?

1. Why book a holiday property direct?
Booking with Compass in Portugal can give you an extremely good deal. You can stay in a fully equipped home with your own private living space. Most properties have access to private gardens and many also have swimming pools.

You can decide when you want to eat, what and whether you want to cook for yourself or go out. Don't forget to ask the owner to recommend the best local places to eat and shop.

In short, you can please yourself which gives you the freedom to enjoy your well earned holiday as you want it and not around the more formal regimes of hotels and guesthouses.
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2. When should I travel?
This of course depends upon what type of holiday you want.

If you want the sun you don't have to go in July or August as the Portugese resorts have excellent weather in spring and autumn when it's not too hot and far less crowded.

If you can avoid the school holidays you will find that you will pay a lot less and have a great value holiday.
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3. How do I search for a property?
Finding your perfect holiday retreat can be tricky but at Compass in Portugal we have tried to help by providing a simple search method to narrow down the properties best suited to you.

Destination: Select your prefered area of the Algarve from the left hand menu.
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4. How do I know if my preferred property is available?
First check the built-in availability calendar which can be accessed from the top or bottom of each property page. Not all properties make full use of this so if the link is greyed out just use the online 'Send Enquiry' form.

If the dates you require are marked in green then the property may still be available. Then call or email us to confirm your dates. The preferred arrival day is specified in the Accommodation section of each property page (just above the Rental rates).
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5. How do I make reservation?
We suggest you follow these steps:

a) Research: Check your accommodation is available and ask us to hold it for you whilst you book your flights - we are happy to put a hold on their property for a short period, normally 24 hours.

b) Flights / Ferry: Book your flights or ferry crossing - both can be booked direct with the operators from links on this site.

c) Reserve your Accommodation: Confirm your accommodation booking with the us. If you have asked the us to hold a property for you please let us know if you decide not to proceed.

d) Travel Insurance: Book your travel insurance. It is very important to book your travel insurance soon after making your travel arrangements. This is because most policies activate as soon as you purchase them and therefore you are covered against cancellations subject to the terms of your insurance policy.

e) Transfer to Your Resort: If you are flying think about how you are going to transfer to your resort. If you don't want to hire a car we can book a return transfer for you from Faro airport.

f) Transfer to UK Airports: To ensure your holiday starts off smoothly always allow plenty of time to get to the airport. Most airports have restaurants, bars and TV lounges to help pass the time before your flight. We can also help as Holiday Extras can help you make significant savings on airport parking and airport hotels .

g) Taking Your Own Car: In addition to your travel insurance you may wish to consider breakdown cover .
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6. How do I Pay for my Holiday Accommodation?
We can accept payment by all major credit and debit cards, bank transfer or by UK cheque.

Your payment is placed in a secure account so that your holiday is protected.
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7. What if I have a Problem Whilst I am at the Property?
All properties have a local contact and we will provide you with full details of the location of the property plus local information along with local emergency contact information.

Often, the owners will have a managing agent on hand should there be a problem with your property, again we will supply this information to you.
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