Business

How to decide which vacation rental site to use

Posted May 18, 2015 11:00 pm

Talia Avakian

Whether you're looking for a small apartment or an entire island, vacation rentals are a great alternative to staying in hotels when traveling.

But with so many places to book a rental, it can be tough knowing where to look.

To make things easier, we've put together a list of some of the top vacation rental websites and broken down what you'll find in each one.

<h2>Airbnb</h2>

With over a million properties around the world, Airbnb.com is probably the largest rental site out there. It offers everything from a couch in someone's apartment to an entire castle or yacht.

While some properties are exclusively vacation rentals, the majority of listings are actually people's homes, which they rent out. Travelers can select whether they want to rent an entire place, a private room, or a shared room. There are tons of options for shared rooms, which makes it great for travelers who are on a budget and don't mind roommates.

Airbnb also has a social component, where guests can review hosts and vice-versa, which makes it easier to feel comfortable with the exchange. You can also link your account to Facebook to see if anyone you know has stayed in a particular listing.

Airbnb doesn't pay the host until 24 hours after guests have checked in to ensure that everything runs smoothly, and there's also a 24-hour emergency line in case of trouble.

<h2 class="p1">AlltheRooms.com</h2>

<img class="float_left" src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/555a5b2469bedd391135eb69-1044-783/all-the-rooms.png" border="0" alt="all the rooms ">Short on time? Search Airbnb, FlipKey, HomeAway, and VRBO simultaneously on this aggregated meta search engine.

The website offers 695,000 hotels, 2,400,000 houses or apartments, 51,000 rooms or hostels, 42,000 bed and breakfasts, and 12,000 cabins or boats for rent across the globe.

<h2 class="p1">Campinmygarden.com</h2>

This website is for the outdoor enthusiast, offering private backyards mostly in the United States, United Kingdom, France, and Belgium, where you can pitch a tent.

Considering the low maintenance of the accommodations, stays are extremely cheap and start as low as 2 euros a night. The site also lists any events taking place closeby.

Some listings will provide tents with beds at a charge, typically anywhere from 10 to 15 euros. Each listing will specify whether it includes showers, bathrooms, BBQs, and space for caravans. Listers will also include when facilities have cafe, pubs, restaurants, and supermarkets nearby, as well as whether there is access to internet either outdoors or in the house.

There is a chat service on the website if you'd like to ask posters any questions, and once you choose a listing you apply with your arrival and departure dates, group size, gender, age, and any information you'd like to provide so that the poster can make a decision on whether or not it works to allow you to rent the campsite.

<h2>Couchsurfing.com</h2>

Are you looking to meet locals who can show you their favorite places in town? Then couchsurfing is the right website for you.

The online community offers host accommodations where guests can stay for free but of course they'll likely be staying on someone's couch or spare air mattress. The idea is that you get to meet and explore new cities with your hosts, making it a good option for backpackers.

Plus, many people who use the website end up hosting properties down the line, allowing you to build friendships with people from all over the world.

<h2>FlipKey.com</h2>

Each property on this TripAdvisor-owned site is ranked with TripAdvisor's five-star review system by real travelers who have stayed there. Travelers list the pros and cons of each property, and write about their experiences with each property.

The site features over 300,000 vacation homes located in over 11,000 cities throughout the world. Because each property has such detailed reviews, travelers can feel at ease since they'll know exactly what to expect from their accommodations.

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