8 Tips for Finding the Best Vacation Rentals

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Vacation Rentals are hot right now! Like super hot! With them filling up quickly, it can be hard to find a great vacation rental. And for the first-timer, there are so many unknowns and the fear of ending up finding out your vacation rental is a dump. So today I am sharing tips for finding great vacation rentals, so you can get out and enjoy time with your family.

family unloading car in front of vacation home

Tips for finding Vacation Rentals You Will Love

Looking forward to going on a fun-filled vacation where you can make memories, relax, and ultimately have the time of your life? If so, you need to make sure you are finding the best vacation rentals to visit while you are traveling. Going to the wrong place could easily ruin the trip and make you feel like you had wasted money when you genuinely wanted to have a good time. Check out the following tips on how to find the best vacation rentals with ease.

#1. Figure Out Where You Would Like to Go in Advance

You should try to have an idea of where you would like to go in advance to make the search for the right vacation rental a bit easier. While you do not necessarily need to have everything figured out, such as the specific state, city, or country you would like to visit, you should know if you want to visit an area with oceans, warm weather, and palm trees, or an area with plenty of snow and ski slopes. Think about what it is that you would like to do during your vacation to help you come up with a few different places that you would not mind visiting.

If you need some suggestions, I always love to visit the Oregon Coast, possibly touring Oregon Coast Lighthouses, or hiking with your kids in the Humboldt County Redwoods. My family thinks Yellowstone is a great weekend trip, and there are some other great National Parks to visit with Kids.

beach front home with wood steps leading down to beach
Image by Paul Brennan from Pixabay

#2. Keep Open Availablity When It Comes to the Dates

Try to keep an open availability when selecting a date for your vacation rental. The reason it is good to have open availability is that you will have an easier time finding fantastic rentals listed at affordable prices. If you are trying to book a vacation at a popular place during peak time, you may end up spending a bit more than you would like to. 

If you are willing to go during the week or even on an offseason, you could end up saving hundreds of dollars. Of course, this is entirely up to you, and it does depend on when you would like to go on your vacation with loved ones.

#3. Use Legitimate Vacation Rental Sites to Make Comparisons

You should know that there are dozens of different vacation rental sites available for you to visit and look through. Make sure you are visiting legitimate sites, such as Hotels.com, VRBO, and TripAdvisor to start your search for different rentals. 

You can use these sites to make comparisons on the available offers while looking for a rental that offers just the right amount of space for you and your loved ones. You might also want to look for specific amenities, such as a private balcony, hot tub, access to an in-ground pool, and more while you are visiting these sites to see what is offered to guests.

Bonus tip for vacation rentals on these sites: These sites make reviews easy to read, will often note if the vacation rental uses professional cleaning services, and will give you ideas of activities in the area.

3 adults shocked faces looking at computer while one holds map

#4. Read Reviews on Different Rentals Beforehand

Always, always, always read the reviews left from other guests when looking into different types of vacation rentals. You want to find out what other people are saying about these places, whether they have had good experiences or bad ones. 

The reviews are often telling of the type of experience you can expect to have when you are visiting a rental. If you see that people have positive experiences at a location that looks good to you, there is a good chance that you will have a great experience, too. However, if you are reading a lot of bad reviews on one specific rental, it is best to avoid staying there just to be on the safe side.

Pay particular attention to reviews mentioning communication with the owners, cleanliness, and if the amenities listed were actually available.

#5. Ask For Recommendations From Friends and Family

You can always go for the more traditional route of asking your friends and family for recommendations. If you have loved ones who happen to travel quite often, they might have had great experiences while staying at specific rentals over the year. When you trust the opinions of certain loved ones, such as your parents, siblings, aunts, and uncles, you might want to stay at a place that they have visited and enjoyed in the past.

Extra day free Disneyland ticket deal. Click to book
family standing in backyard of rental home by pool

I had a friend who just came back from a great vacation near Florence, Oregon with her family, and they couldn’t stop raving about the home they rented. So you know that I asked her for a link to the home and have it bookmarked for future travel planning.

#6. Take Virtual Tours When Available

This tip has helped me avoid the dreaded, the pictures were amazing, the vacation rental was not scenario. Did you know that many of the best vacation rental spots provide virtual tours for individuals to view before they book their vacations? These virtual tours give you the chance to see what the rentals are like without being there in person. You can see the size of the rooms, the types of decorations on the walls, the layout of each rental, and more. While not all vacation rentals offer this service, many do, so it is worth it to look for any virtual tour videos you can find.

family at back of car looking at map

#7. Do Research on the Area Surrounding Different Vacation Rentals

Once you have a few vacation rentals in mind, do some additional research on the areas that surround these rentals. You need to find out about the amenities they have available, the attractions you can visit that are within a short distance from these rentals, and more. You may also want to find out about crime in and around the area. After all, you are going on a vacation and want to have the best time possible.

#8. Look on Social Media to Find Additional Information on Vacation Rentals

Make use of social media sites to search for additional information on vacation rentals. Many of the places that provide rentals to tourists will have professional business pages on sites like Instagram and Facebook. 

It is there that you can interact with these professionals, view photos of the rentals, and see what others are saying about these places. You might also quickly find out about exclusive deals and discounts that are available when you are following some of these spots on social media.

When you want to have the best vacation possible, you need to find the perfect vacation rental. A good rental will have everything you could wish to while providing more than enough space for you and your guests. You want to find the perfect spot that is in an area you would like to visit. By following the tips mentioned above, planning the ideal trip to a new place should be quite simple because you will have found the perfect rental to stay in for the duration of your vacation.

1 thought on “8 Tips for Finding the Best Vacation Rentals”

  1. Thanks for reminding me that I need to do additional research on the area surrounding the rental property. My sister and I are thinking of taking a break from our daily activities and spending the weekend away in a quiet cabin. I’ll be sure to check if the place is safe and is close to a lot of tourist spots before booking.

    Reply

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