Vacation home rentals are a popular type of family vacation: thanks to the internet, families can rent a vacation home directly from its owners, see photos online, ask questions by email, etc.
Vacation home rentals are most common in beach areas and ski areas, but can be found just about everywhere. Vacation home rentals can be a good option in Orlando when extended families want a large place to gather. Home rentals in Europe can be a practical choice for families, too (- see links, below.)
Advantages of Vacation Home Rentals include:
- spacious homes can accommodate a reunion of family and friends
- often homes have private pools, jacuzzis, large tv's, etc.
- convenient access to kitchen, laundry, is great for families
- price -- while higher than a hotel room- can be a good deal for families who can't fit into a single hotel room (compared to, say, the price of adjoining hotel rooms for a family with teens.) Price also gets attractive if shared among two families.
- friendly owners may give tips about what to enjoy in the area
- someone (could that be Mom?) will be probably spend time in the kitchen, cooking and cleaning up after meals.
- location of the vacation home may require a car rental.
- guests may need to pay a substantial deposit at the time a reservation is made.
- in some countries (Caribbean isles and Mexico, for instance), daily maid service may come with the vacation home; in others, not. Still, even in North America, service can probably be arranged for a fee.
- again depending on the country, smoking may be forbidden and can invoke a penalty.
And bad news for dog owners: even though more and more hotels welcome Fido these days, few vacation homes in North America allow pets.
See links below, for vacation home rentals in popular areas. But first, a few words about what you'll get.
Types of Vacation Homes for Rent
Vacation home rentals vary greatly by country. In England, for example, guests will typically find listings for cottages, "garden houses", and apartments. Whereas in France and Italy, you may find "farmhouses."
In North American, you might find private homes, townhouses, homes in gated communities, or "condos" (short for "condominiums" which are usually apartment-like dwellings in a multi-unit complex.)
In the Caribbean and Mexico, "villas" are stand-alone dwellings, either on a private lot or as part of a resort complex or resort community with shared facilities such as pool and semi-private beach. Condos are another choice, in complexes with shared pool etc.
Generally, rental takes place either directly from the property's owners (through sites like Vacation Rentals by Owner), or through a management agency. Some owners don't want to deal directly with guests and prefer to pay a third party to handle bookings. Don't expect that price will be much lower if renting directly from owners, though.
Some condos, while owned by a private individual, are in a hotel-like building or even an actual hotel, and may be booked through hotel reservations rather than through the condo owner. Guests may scarcely be aware that they're staying in a privately-owned unit. In other cases, condos are rented out privately, by owners, through sites like vrbo.com.
(By the way, if you're thinking of buying a vacation home or condo yourself, to rent out, see Vacation Homes and Time-Shares Guide.)
Caribbean & Mexico
Dozens of web sites offer vacation homes for rent. Vacation Rentals by Owner is a giant site that lets you zero in on particular areas within a country. A few clicks will get you to personal home rentals -- private villags, villas in resort complexes, condominiums -- by real-life owners offering a "home away from home", with photos, and links to comments from previous visitors. Often, maid service is available or even included; some villas come with staff; some places will arrange airport pick-up too.
The Dominican Republic has a large inventory of vacation homes for rent, some at a good price point.
Florida
Vacation Rental 101 has background about vacation home rental in the Sunshine State. See also, for Florida's most popular town, Orlando: Vacation Home Rental and Ownership, and a review of a great option (5 bedrooms, pool) by our Themeparks Guide (-- "Mouse House".)
New England
Vacation Rental in New England has resources for each state, including vacation home rentals.
Europe
Tips for a Self-Catered Vacation- how vacation home rentals work, in Europe. ("Self-catered" is a broad term for lodgings where guests can do their own cooking, and where maid service isn't provided.)
See also: Vacation Home Rentals or Self-Catering in the UK, explaining how to make yourself "at home" in Great Britain, and Self-Catering in the UK for what prices to expect.
Ways to Find a Vacation Home Rental
Hotpads.com is a nifty site: a map-based search site for vacation home rentals, that shows you exactly where individual vacation homes are located in a destination.
