Sometimes, the most difficult part of figuring
out your vacation plans is picking the place at which you want to stay.
In the past, you may have jumped right to the closest chain hotel and
called it a day. These days, however, vacation rentals are becoming a
popular alternative to checking into the latest big name hotel near your
tourist destination. Specialty sites, such as Airbnb and the vacation
rentals section on Craigslist, make it easy to find other options
outside of hotels and motels. Vacation rentals give you several
advantages, such as generally lower prices, more unique room options and
a strong immersion into the local culture.
Vacations are great for relaxation, but they're not as great for your wallet. Your two biggest expenses for vacations outside of your airplane tickets are your accommodations and your food. A vacation rental helps you save in both of those aspects, giving you more money to spend on attractions and memorabilia. Most vacation rentals are in single family houses, apartments and condo buildings. Pick up basic groceries when you arrive at your location so you can cook your own meals, instead of eating out every day of your vacation. Ask the vacation rental owner whether pots, pans, and cookware are included in the property before you rent it. Some property owners also provide you with pantry staples such as basic spices.
Look up average hotel costs for your vacation spot to get a baseline idea of the pricing for the area. Websites such as Priceline, Expedia, and Trip Advisor provide you with comparison costs of hotel rooms, as well as the amenities provided by each hotel. Create a list of amenities that are necessary for you to enjoy your vacation, as well as amenities that you would like to have. Vacation rentals have unconventional amenities to keep in mind as well, such as entertainment systems, video game consoles and sound systems.
Search for pet friendly properties to take your furry friend along with you and save money on pet boarding costs. Bringfido.com is a great site for finding out what properties are known for being pet friendly, as well as pet friendly vacation destination spots. General vacation rental listing and search sites such as Airbnb also allow you to filter out properties for pet friendliness. It's hard to bring pets along to hotels, especially dogs, which you have to take out frequently for walks. In a vacation rental, you have access to a yard or quick access to the outside so you aren't rushing through a hotel lobby hoping your furry friend can hold it until you get outside.
See a Different Side of Popular Tourist Destinations
Many hotels tend to congregate around tourist trap areas, with the same chain restaurants and stores that you have back home. Instead of having an experience divorced from local culture, take a look at vacation rentals. AirBnB.com, Vacationrentals.com, and VRBO.com all provide vacation rental listings off the beaten path.You may be farther away from the economic centers of the tourist areas, but you get to see how the local residents live and where they go. Ask the vacation rental owner and the neighbors where they go to eat, play, and enjoy the local nightlife. A hotel concierge might try to meet your every request, but when you talk to residents who have been living in the area for years, you get a true taste of the local community. This is particularly important if you are visiting foreign countries, as the English-speaking hotels may direct you to standard tourist attractions, but making friends with your neighbors gets you access to a true local immersion experience.
Unique Accommodations
One of the biggest benefits of vacation rentals is the sheer amount of variety you have access to. Look through listings to find full homes, Victorian mansions, castles, luxury condos and apartments in the heart of a cultural district. Use search terms such as Victorian, medieval, or single family homes to find the type of unique property you're looking for on vacation rental sites such as AirBnB.com. The unique interior decorating is more comfortable and home-like than identical hotel furnishings. You get more privacy than hotels or motels, a variety of pricing options, and an overall larger area to spread out in when you're relaxing during your vacation. Instead of using a vacation rental as a place to sleep, it can become one of the highlights of your entire vacation.