BOOKING
1.) How to search for all available villas on My Istria’s webpage for a specific period?
When on the homepage of My Istria, first choose your preferred language (click on one of the small flags in the upper right corner). Click on the calendar section “When/Any dates” in the search panel. Select your preferred arrival and departure date. Please note that most of the villas in our offer can be booked only Saturday to Saturday (7 nights minimum). Once you have selected the preferred period, click on “Find”. On the next page you will get a list of available villas. You can change your preferences in search by clicking on “Filters” or by adding the number of bedrooms. You can also optimise your search by clicking on “Filters” (e.g. “Max. persons”, “Near the sea”, “Pet friendly” …) or choosing a price range per week. Submit your preferences. Once you get a list of available villas within your preferred criteria and in your requested period, take your time to read the description, check the prices and take a closer look at the pictures and location of each villa. If you will have any further questions, do not hesitate to contact us.
2.) How to search for a villa by name?
When on the homepage of My Istria, first choose your preferred language (click on one of the small flags in the upper right corner). If you are searching for a specific villa by name, you can enter the name in the “Where?” field: “Any location/villa”. Take your time to read the description, check the prices and take a closer look at the pictures and location. If you will have any further questions, do not hesitate to contact us, My Istria.
3.) How to search for a villa in a specific region or town by location?
When on the homepage of My Istria, first choose your preferred language (click on one of the small flags in the upper right corner). If you are searching for a specific area, you can enter it (e.g. Motovun, Opatija …) in the “Where?” section: Any location/villa. You can also click on the “Menu” in the left corner and choose “All villas in Croatia”. Areas, regions and towns will be listed. Once you click on the preferred location, choose the preferred period.
4.) We really like this villa. Could you please hold the period for us until we buy the plane tickets and discuss it with friends traveling with us?
Book the villa you like when you are ready. Unfortunately, options cannot be held because the booking system does not support this. In order to book a villa, a down payment of 25
% is required. Please note that we, My Istria, have an automatic booking system on our webpages so villas in our offer can be booked anytime by anyone. My Istria does not have influence on the bookings. We hope that the villa will still be available when you all make the final decision.
5.) It is listed on the villa’s webpage that the villa is for 12 guests. It is 13 of us. Is it possible to accommodate 13 guests?
Unfortunately, it is not. Each villa has a rental permit issued by the government that states the maximum number of guests allowed. For example, a particular villa is registered with the tourist board for a maximum of 12 guests. In case of an inspection and higher number of guests, the property license holder would risk a big fine, getting the house closed down and your vacation would be ruined. So, unfortunately in all our villas, it is legally not allowed to accept a number of guests higher than the listed maximum (children included, regardless of their age).
6.) On the villa’s webpage it is listed that the villa is for 10 guests. It is only 4 of us. Can we get some discount?
Unfortunately not. The villas are booked for a specific period and up to the maximum capacity of persons allowed in the villa. No matter if the villa is booked by one person or by the maximum number of guests, the price remains the same. My Istria is not selling the remaining capacity to other guests during your stay.
7.) How can I know if a villa allows pets?
If the villa is pet friendly, it will be indicated under “Suitability” that pets are welcome and under which conditions. If it is not indicated on the homepage of the villa that pets are considered, the villa is not pet friendly. Usually, this is explicitly indicated with the phrase “pets not allowed”.
8.) What is the maximum number of pets allowed in pet-friendly villas?
Generally, 2 well-behaved pets are the maximum number of pets allowed in almost all of our pet-friendly villas. In some pet-friendly villas only 1 pet is allowed,
Please enter the number of pets on the “Add your message” field. One well behaved pet is included in the rental rate of all pet-friendly villas. If guests intend to bring more than one pet, they must contact MY ISTRIA before the booking for additional approval. Without written permission, the accommodation of more than one pet in a villa is not allowed. Additional charges for extra pets (if allowed) may be applicable.
We advise that you check how many pets and any additional terms that apply in advance.
9.) What is the minimum stay in the villas?
On the webpage of each villa, underneath the booking calendar, you can click on “Show all rates”. Here the minimum nights’ stay, periods and prices are listed. The minimum nights’ stay depends on the villa and booking period.
10.) Is the booking calendar on My Istria’s website always updated?
Yes, the booking calendar on My Istria’s webpage is always updated. The villas in our offer can be booked anytime by anyone directly on the villa’s homepage. As soon as someone books a period, it is marked red, it is no longer available and the calendar is automatically updated.
11.) What does the yellow colour in the booking calendar mean?
If the periods are marked yellow in the booking calendar on the homepage of a particular villa, this means that the specific period has a special offer and reduced price.
12.) How to book a specific villa?
Once you are on the homepage of a particular villa, scroll down to the booking calendar. All periods marked white are available, all periods marked red are already booked. By clicking on “Show all rates” you can check the prices for each rental period.
When in the booking calendar, click on the preferred day of arrival. Once you choose the day of arrival, all possible departure days will be marked with a green dot. Once you choose the date of departure, the selected period will be marked dark green. A black window will appear underneath the booking calendar. Click on “Book now” in the black window. This will lead you to the next page.
Here you can check the following information one more time: arrival date, departure date, maximum number of guests, number of nights, and price. Enter the requested information. Make sure to leave a valid email address and a phone number. Check that there is no blank space before the email address.
Please indicate the number of adults, children and infants (babies) separately. If the villa is pet friendly, an additional charge may be added to the full amount if you are coming with your pet. You can also leave us a message. Do the whole booking procedure step by step (page by page) and do not skip the required information or go back and forth. Click on “Continue” in order to review all the details of your booking. Once you have secured your reservation, you will receive a booking confirmation to your email address. Read the booking confirmation carefully.
13.) What does an automatic booking system mean?
My Istria has an automatic online booking system on its website. This means that each villa can be booked anytime by anyone directly on the villa’s homepage, without any previous offer or contact with My Istria. Once the booking is successfully done, the guest receives a booking confirmation to the email address indicated in the booking procedure.
14.) In the offer that you sent me is stated that a down payment is required. What does this mean?
In order to book a villa, a down payment of 25 % is required. Just click on the link from the non-binding offer. In one of the steps you will be asked about your preferred payment method. Once the booking procedure is completed, you will receive an email with the booking confirmation and all details regarding your booking. Check your spam/junk folder.
15.) In the sent offer it is stated that a deposit is required. What does this mean?
You may have to pay a damage deposit at arrival. You will be notified if a damage deposit applies (and the amount) before you complete your booking.
16.) I have booked a villa and chosen bank transfer as payment method. I received an email stating that I have to confirm the booking but I did not do that. In the meantime, the villa was booked by someone else and the period is no longer available. How is this possible?
As soon as you have completed the booking procedure successfully, within a couple of moments you will receive a booking confirmation with all information regarding your booking. Please read this confirmation carefully. Check your spam/junk folder.
If you have chosen bank transfer as payment method, the booking procedure is completed as soon as you click on the blue “confirm booking” button, which you will find at the bottom of the email with the booking confirmation, containing all information regarding your booking. As a confirmation, you will receive our bank transfer data via email. This means your booking procedure is successfully completed. Until this is not done, the period you wanted to book will still be available to other guests.
17.) How can I be sure that I have booked the preferred villa in my requested period?
You can book a villa either directly on the villa’s webpage or via the link from the non-binding offer sent to you. As soon as you have completed the booking procedure successfully, a booking confirmation with all information regarding your booking will be sent to you by email within a couple of moments. Check your spam/junk folder. Please read this confirmation carefully. If you have chosen bank transfer as payment method, the booking procedure is completed as soon as you click on the blue “confirm booking” button at the bottom of the email with the booking confirmation, where all necessary data regarding your booking is listed. You will receive a confirmation by email. This means that your booking procedure is successfully completed.
18.) We have tried to book the villa, but during the booking procedure we could not continue. The period seems to be booked now. Was the booking successful?
Once the booking is successful, you receive a booking confirmation to your email address. If you could not continue with the booking procedure and the period seems to be unavailable, it was temporarily blocked by you. Wait for a couple of minutes until the period is available again. Do the whole booking procedure once again step by step (page by page) and do not skip the required information or go back and forth. Otherwise, the requested period will be blocked by you again, the system will freeze, and the booking will not be successful or completed for security reasons.
19.) When is the remaining payment due?
The remaining payment (75% of the agreed accommodation price) is due no later than 42 days before the arrival date and only if the booking is done 56 days or more in advance. If the booking is done 55 days or less before the arrival date, the entire amount (the whole accommodation price) will be due in one payment during the booking procedure.
20.) Can the date for the remaining payment be changed or postponed?
Unfortunately, it cannot, the due dates for payments must be respected.
21.) Since I made the down payment, I changed my credit card. Am I supposed to let you know the new credit card number?
No, you don’t have to let us know the new credit card number. The remaining payment is carried out through the link that we send per email as a reminder for the remaining payment and guests enter the credit card number themselves. The credit card does not need to be the same as used for the down payment.
22.) We are several families in the traveling group. Can we split costs so that each family pays separately?
Unfortunately, splitting either the down payment or the remaining payment is not accepted. If you decide to split the costs, please collect the money in advance from your parties and then pay the full amount to My Istria from just one account in just one payment.
23.) When will we get the villa’s address?
As soon as you have completed the booking procedure successfully, you will receive a booking confirmation via email within a couple of moments. There will be all information regarding your booking (the villa’s address will be listed, as well). On the webpage of each villa, you can click on the location. You can see where the villa is located and get an impression of the area via satellite view. For security reasons, it is not possible to provide the exact address details in advance, only once the villa is booked.
24.) I have booked one villa with My Istria. Is it possible to change this villa to another one?
We accept, to the extent it is possible, amendments to bookings up until the 42nd day before the commencement of the rental period for a fee of EUR95. Any change to the original booking on or after the 42nd day before the start of the rental period will be treated as a cancellation followed by a new booking.
ARRIVAL AND STAY IN THE VILLA
1.) It is stated that the earliest check-in is at 4 p.m. We are traveling with a small baby the whole night. Is an earlier check-in possible?
Unfortunately, it is not possible. The earliest check in is foreseen for 4 p.m. There is a cleaning and gardening service scheduled for the morning before your arrival so you cannot check in before 4 p.m. The house and the garden have to be cleaned and prepared for you, since the previous guests are leaving at 10 a.m. The properties are big and it takes time to do it properly.
2.) It is stated that the latest checkout is at 10 a.m. Our flight back home is late in the evening. Is it possible to stay longer in the villa?
Unfortunately, it is not possible. The latest checkout is foreseen for 10 a.m. There is a cleaning and gardening service scheduled between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., before the arrival of new guests. The properties are big and it takes time to prepare them properly so unfortunately you cannot stay longer in the villa.
3.) Although the earliest possible check-in is at 4 p.m., can I leave the luggage at the property before check-in?
Unfortunately, you cannot. Between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. cleaning and gardening service is scheduled, so you cannot leave your luggage in the villa before 4 p.m. Neither the villa host, nor My Istria, the agency, can take responsibility for it.
4.) Can I get the contact of the villa host?
Approximately 30 days before arrival you will receive an email called “Arrival information” from My Istria with contact details of your villa host.
5.) My Istria took note in my reservation regarding my approximate arrival time. There are problems on the road, I will arrive later than planned, whom should I inform?
In case of problems on the road or big delays, please call or text your villa host. Your villa host’s number can be found in the “arrival information” email. Although My Istria made a note of your approximate arrival time in your reservation, please contact your villa host one hour prior to your arrival so that the villa host can come to the villa, welcome you there, give you the key and show you around.
6.) Do I have to give my passport or my ID to the host at arrival at the villa?
Croatia is a member of the EU as well as part of the Schengen area since January 1, 2023, which means that there are no identity checks at the borders between Croatia and other member countries of the Schengen area.
However, for your stay in our villas, a valid passport or identification document for each guest is required. The host is obliged to collect your personal data at arrival in the villa, so please allow them to copy the required data from your identification document for registration purposes.
7.) I searched the villa’s address, but my navigation system does not find it. How is this possible?
Some of the villas are located in small villages and sometimes search engines or navigation systems do not recognize them. This is why coordinates are listed on the booking confirmation that was sent to you per email. Copy them in order to find the correct location of the villa.
8.) I checked the villa’s coordinates, but on this spot no villa is shown, only a meadow can be seen. How can I be sure that this villa exists?
The location of the villas on our website is exact and correct. My Istria is a local, legally licensed tourist agency and we have personally checked out and photographed the villas. Some of the villas in our offer are newly built villas. This is why it is possible that they still cannot be seen on the Google Map or Street View, since the Google shots are not up to date. The correct location of the villa can be seen on the webpage of each villa (zoom, satellite view). Once the villa is booked, coordinates will be sent per email. Copy them in order to find the correct location of the villa.
9.) I’m traveling with a baby and I will need a baby cot and a high chair. Can this be put at disposal?
In most of the villas in our offer one baby cot and one high chair can be put at disposal on request. We kindly ask you to let us know this in advance so that we take note in your reservation.
10.) My friends would like to join us. Can they pitch a tent in the garden or park a camp trailer on the property?
Unfortunately, they must not. It is forbidden to pitch tents or bring camp trailers or similar on the property of the villa, in order for additional guests to stay there. This is a matter of law and it will not be tolerated.
11.) Can friends come and visit us during our stay in the villa?
During your stay in the villa it is not allowed to have more guests than registered to the tourist office upon your arrival. Possible visits by friends for a lunch or similar have to be discussed with the villa host on arrival, as the villa host makes decisions on this subject.
12.) In which currency can I pay in Croatia?
Since 1.1.2023 the official currency in Croatia is Euro (EUR).
13.) I’m at the villa and I’m not sure how to use one of the devices. What can I do?
During your stay, your contact is the villa host. Since the villa hosts know the houses best, they can help you directly. Therefore, contact your villa host in a case like this. Your host’s number can be found in the “arrival information” email
