How to be the perfect cottage guest -- and get invited back

Help yourself
Your hosts probably go to their cottage to relax, so be a low-maintenance guest. "I don't want to cater to people, it's my weekend, too," says Linda Wiseman, who owns a cottage in the Laurentians. "Company has to take out food and drinks from the refrigerator when they want them, put their dishes in the dishwasher. If they're here for a meal, they should help in the kitchen, before and after."

Respect your surroundings
If you're looking for a vacation with maid service, go to a hotel, not a friend's cottage. Clean up after pets, use coasters for drinks, keep tidy, and throw out garbage. Guests of Elda Reppin, a cottager in Prince Edward County, two and a half hours east of Toronto, tossed cigarette butts on the ground, which is not only a mess to clean but also a fire hazard in the middle of the woods. "They were very good friends and I didn't want to tell them to stop smoking, so I picked up the butts."

Whistle while you work
If you're a regular guest and your host has some projects on the go, roll up your sleeves and pitch in. "We had a guest who built us some new stairs," says Caldwell. "Another year he helped put in a solar system. The couple will definitely be invited back and we offer them the cottage for a week of their own."

Be independent
Don't expect a planned itinerary for your trip. "We have friends who come to the cottage, but what they really want to do is vacation and sightsee," says Sawatzky. If there's something you'd like to do -- like hit a hiking trail -- go for it. Invite your hosts along, but don't be offended it they turn you down; caring for a cottage is hard work and sometimes, fun excursions have to take a back seat to chopping firewood or waterproofing the deck.

Select the right gift
If you'd like to show your appreciation for your host with a gift, choose useful items like a new game, says Caldwell; or a bottle of wine that can be shared on the deck, suggests Reppin.

In short, the key to being the perfect cottage guest is to enjoy the great outdoors and to let your hosts enjoy it, too.