Rent a home away from home

By Jennifer Merin
April 6, 2011

How would you like to stay in a six-bedroom, four-bathroom house that has everything you might need -- and more -- for less than it would cost you to stay in a hotel?

For most vacationers, the answer to that question is an unequivocal yes, followed quickly by the question, "How?"

It's really very easy. Simply search Google or Yahoo for "vacation rentals," and you'll find hundreds of options ranging from stand-apart homes to convenient condos dotting the domestic map from Florida to Alaska, and in many appealing foreign destinations, as well.

The first link on Google is www.vacationrentals.com, which claims to be the top-rated vacation rentals site, and currently features a six-bedroom, four-bathroom property at the "fabulous Windsor Hills resort community, located two miles from Disney's doorstep" in Florida. There are photos, and the place looks gorgeous. It even has an indoor pool, a 50-inch plasma TV, a pool table and a fully equipped kitchen. It can sleep 14 people, and all the bedrooms have cable TVs and PlayStations. Rates are variable, but from now until Feb. 22, the place will cost you $222 nightly, $1,555 weekly or $3,108 for two weeks.

Compare that to the cheapest rate ($215 per night per room) at the Disney resorts or even to a super cheap $39 per night motel room (if you can find one), and you'll see that the savings are enormous -- because you'd have to multiply those amounts by seven to accommodate 14 of you. You'll save even more by eating in.

But more than budget concerns, it's lifestyle considerations that attract tourists to vacation rentals -- especially if you're traveling with a group of friends or taking a multigenerational family trip. Staying together under one roof is a lot more fun. If there are young kids or teenagers along, it's easier to supervise them without stifling them.

You should all agree on how to give one another a certain amount of privacy and alone time, making sure everyone's able to do the one or two things they've been dreaming of -- like going to a particular museum or public garden or learning to snorkel.

Sure, choosing a vacation rental means you'll have to clean up after yourselves like you do at home. That can be fun, too, if you have a cooperative group. Just make a schedule of tasks that lets everyone pitch in, and let them know in advance that they're expected to do their part -- otherwise, there may be slackers, and that will cause tensions.

But the biggest benefit of choosing to stay in a vacation rental is that you get a real sense of what daily life is all about for those who reside at the destination you're visiting. It's kind of like walking in someone else's shoes for a short period of time and following their path -- whether it be along the Big Island of Hawaii's black sand beaches or beneath New York City's rooftop tar beaches. It's always an interesting trip.

Or, go even further and rent a sweet little (SET ITAL) Pied a Terre (END ITAL) near the Champs Elysees, say, and shop for your baguettes and brie at the nearest Monoprix and take daily constitutionals around the Arch de Triomphe, while also setting time aside to visit all the museums and must-see tourist sites of Paris.

There are charming studio apartments in the heart of Paris renting for as little as 350 Euro (about $450) per night (five-night minimum). That might seem high, but compared to nightly rates at most Paris hotels, it's cheap. Again, you have the convenience of a kitchen, so you can dine in -- although that might be expecting a bit too much from yourself while you're in Paris!

Most Web sites listing vacation rentals prominently post disclaimers that they're not responsible for negotiations that sour or if conditions at rentals are not as advertised. That's sufficient warning that you must check properties carefully before booking and paying deposits.

How can you check? Start with comment boards at vacation rental Web sites, continue with Internet travel chat rooms -- accessible through Google or Yahoo. At Expert Law, you'll find free legal advice about how to avoid vacation rental pitfalls.

Vacation rental news & reviews
2011, 2010

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