VacationRentalsIntl.com | 2006 November International Vacation Rentals, Vacation Cabin Rentals, Vacation Home Rentals

Bill Spencer / WXYZ Channel 7 Action News

Have you ever watched a fantastic movie and said to yourself, “I’ve just got to go there”? For me, the movie was “Summer of ‘42″ and the place was Mendocino, Calif. I was so caught up by the romance in that film and the hauntingly beautiful scenes shot along the rugged California coastline that at 15 years old, I vowed to myself that I would one day visit Mendocino.

It took me 20 years to realize that dream, but when I finally made it, it was 200 times more beautiful than anything I remembered from the movie. Now, I go back every year.

A new poll by movie ticketing service, Fandango, confirms I’m not alone — 4 out of 5 moviegoers say they would like to visit a movie location while they travel. And that is spawning a whole new trend called Vacations on Location.

In fact, there are organized movie location tours available at many international travel destinations and dozens around the United States.

If you’ve always wanted to visit Austria, and you are a huge Rodgers and Hammerstein fan, why not take the “Sound of Music” tour where the hills are alive with the sound of music?

Is New York more your style? Then check out one of several tour companies that will gladly take you to the restaurant where Meg Ryan demonstrated what good actors women can be for Billy Crystal in “When Harry Met Sally,” where Will Smith first put a whoopin’ on that giant bug in “Men in Black” and where Tobey Maguire scrambled up the side of a building in “Spider-Man.”

If you’re one of those people who likes to plan ahead, rent your favorite movie on DVD before booking your trip. Some DVDs have actual location tour information on the DVD in the extra features section.

Would you believe it? This year, 20,000 tourists have come to little Preston, Idaho, population 4,035, just to walk the streets where “Napoleon Dynamite” was shot. And travel to New Zealand has skyrocketed every since a hobbit named “Mr. Frodo” made his home there.

David Fishman, who owns Cadillac Travel in Southfield, says “The DaVinci Code” has given birth to several tours aimed at art lovers. He also says it’s easy to find a tour within your particular budget.

“You can go the range on any of these tours. Really, it just depends on your comfort zone, the level of hotels you are willing to stay at, the restaurants you are willing to eat at.”

One of the tour sites you might check out online is: seeingstars. com. Movielocations.com is another, but there are many, many others. Just Google the words “movie location.”

Remember, you can pay to take a guided tour, or simply do what I did. My wife Veronica and I showed up in Mendocino without so much as a hotel reservation, and we had one of the best vacations ever.

Mancations is yet another fancy marketing catch phrase being thrown around by big hotels looking for all your money. Hotels like the Regent South Beach are offering everything from poker parties to hand-rolled cigars, buckets of beer to sports tickets, all in hopes of tapping a growing market.

Sure that sounds amazing right? Sounds like you’ll have the best time of your life? You and your buddies hanging out in the overpriced penthouse suite spending buckets of money for buckets of beer… beer you can get for less by just going to the beer store with a cooler!

Although we admit that the idea of a Mancation sounds cool, it just isn’t as cool as going out with your buddies, renting a cabin, and bringing your own beer.

Some of my favorite memories are of the road trips I’ve taken. I think everyone needs to take at least five road trips in their lifetime. I bet you were expecting me to say one right? Well one road trip is never enough. See, if it is everyone’s first road trip it will be a lot of fun, but the more road trips you take, the better they are. Maybe the first time you’ll forget to stop at every new city sign to take a picture. Maybe you won’t take any pictures - and that is just silly!

One of my favorite parts of the road trip is stopping at random diners for dinner. They are always a little greasier, a little cheaper, and a lot tastier than eating at Burger King or McDonalds. That is why when I came across DinerCity.com I jumped for joy. This website is completely devoted to roadside diner reviews! It has hundreds of them mapped out all over the United States. The website isn’t the prettiest but it has some of the best information you can get.

So everyone go check out DinerCity.com.

If you are into cool roadside attractions you might also want to click over to RoadsideAmerica.com.

Tricks of the trade

Today will be a brief but important lesson. We will go over a few important parts of a website that a lot of people who are building private vacation rental property websites overlook.

First and probably most important is your page title. A website without a page title is like a book without a cover. If you see two books on a shelf which are you most likely to pick up? The one that has the title on the spine and you know has what you want inside, or the blank book that might have what you want inside but could be a complete waste of time.

example:
<title>Untitled Document</title>

Not sure where to change your page title? It is pretty simple actually. Open up your website code in your html or text editor. Near the top of the page you will find something similar to the following:

Simply replace untitled document with the title you want. Preferably something very descriptive that will tell the view where they are and where you are located.

example:
<title>Beautiful Banff Vacation, Banff Alberta Canada - MyWebsiteUrl.com - Home Page</title>

Now the guest knows your rental is in Banff, what your website address is, and which page on your website they are view, whether it is the ‘Home Page’ or the ‘Contact Information’ page.

While having your page title right is important it can also help to make a list of similar keywords on your page. Keep in mind not to go overboard. DO NOT add hundreds of different variations and keywords to your website. This is a popular trend with a lot of shady spam websites out there right now, and it will not reflect well on your site. Some search engines may go as far as completely blacklisting your website. Try a maximum of 10 different keywords that describe your website.

example:
Banff Alberta Vacation Rental, banff national park, banff accommodation, banff springs, ski banff, banff lake louise, banff hot springs, banff lodging

By adding keywords like these to the bottom of your page you may get more visitors who are searching for these terms.

Finally try setting up a related links page or a resource. Find as many reliable links that relate to Banff as you can and post them on your website. I say reliable because you want to link to websites that are official and have reliable information on them. This will make your website seem more reliable and there is a chance your website will be found faster.

The Do’s and Don’ts of websites

You’ve got your content, you know exactly how you want it laid out and maybe you even know what crazy pattern you want the background to be. In fact, you may even know exactly how you want everything to look.
STOP RIGHT NOW.

Before you go any further let’s take a step back and think for a moment. We know content is key to a good website, but that is not the only element you need. The best way for beginners to learn is through visual aids, so today I’m going to show you an example of a good existing Vacation Rental website and break it down into two parts:

- What has been done well?

- What needs some work?

The website will be this Elegant Retreat in Calgary (http://calgaryvacationrental.homestead.com/)

What has been done well

I will start by pointing out what this website has done well and why that is important to a successful vacation rental website.

First, right off the hop you can see that all the important information is right in your face. The small introductory paragraph gives you a sense what you can expect, what sort of neighborhood the house is located in and what makes this rental property special. Next we jump right into a very nicely detailed description of all the rooms in the house. They even go as far as listing the backyard, something I have overlooked in the past. The prices are listed right on the main page underneath a very nice photo of the house.

There is also a nice photo gallery that displays some great pictures of the inside of the house. The photos also load quickly, which is very good. There is even a great section completely devoted to directions to the house as well as several different maps and the local weather.

What needs some work

Although this website is fairly in-depth and can answer most of the questions that a person has when you are renting a vacation rental, it could use a few improvements.

First, let’s take a look out the general layout. I think this is what most website new-comers have the most trouble with. The biggest problem here is that the text is overlapping the picture of the house, making it hard to read. If text is hard to read you can bet at least half the people who find this website will hit the back button within 30 seconds. The same thing goes for the navigation bar. It looks like it was placed there by accident.

Another thing I noticed about the navigation was that it did not appear on the Contact Page, or the Photo Album page. You will want to have the navigation run on every page. This makes getting around your much easier.

Finally - and this one is a personal preference - I think the colors of this website are a little harsh on the eyes. The blue background might seem like a good idea, but it is so bright that it takes away from the quality information on the site. I would prefer a more tame background, and content that doesn’t overlap.

Our next lesson will be an important one. There are a few tricks of the trade you can use to help your website appear higher up on the search page when people are looking for a vacation rental.

If you have done some research into making your own vacation rental website then you will a notice a few things that all good owner-run vacation rentals use to entice guests into booking their property. Can you guess? There are really two answers that go hand in hand – pictures and words. The more detailed you can be without getting too long winded the better.

In this lesson we will look at the most important part of any website - CONTENT!
- Using words to paint a picture.

- Using pictures to paint…a picture.

- Organizing your content to paint a clear picture.

If you have a website full of pictures and a phone number you might get a few phone calls, but more often then not you will be left high and dry. At the same time if you vacation rental website that is all words and has no photos potential guests will have no reference point to what your cabin looks like, and if you are even describing what you have accurately. If you have a jumble of hard to read words and giant pictures that take up more than the whole screen, it could be displeasing to a person’s time - and internet connection - that they will hit the back button faster than you can say Vacations Rule! A good combination of these elements are essential in making your vacation rental website successful.

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Organizing your ideas on paper

If you are a new vacation rental owner you may have ideas of grandeur. Perhaps you see dollar signs dancing in your eyes? Well if you want to be the proud owner of a successful privately run vacation rental home you are going to need to have some goals in mind. Today we are going to talk about some the basics of owning and promoting your vacation home.

- What is your goal to owning a vacation rental?

- Why should people want to rent your vacation home?

- Are there any restrictions?

- What are you charging?

All of these points are important when starting your own vacation rental website. If you do not know why you are charging three times more than other rentals in your area then why is someone going to want to rent your property? Having a well-organized plan of attack is key to being successful in any business, and don’t be fooled – this is a business.

We are going to assume you’ve already put in time and thought into how you are going to maintain your rental. Keeping everything in working order is very important however it is not today’s focus. If you have not thought about who is going to cut the grass, how you are going to deal with cleaning up after guests, and who is going to come down to fix your A/C unit for a guest you may want to take a few minutes right now to think about that.

Okay?

Alright let’s get started.

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A guide for Vacation Rental By Owner Advertising

There are two ways to go about advertising your vacation rental cabin, cottage, or house online. You can take the obvious route and sign up online for one or more of the hundreds of vacation rental websites. This may be the easiest way to go, although each site can cost from $60.00 a year to $60.00 a month. Paying out $60.00 a month can leave you with far less money in your pocket, which is important especially if you are on a tight budget.

The other way you can advertise your vacation rental is by setting up your own website. We think this can be a very efficient way to promote a new vacation cabin. Our ‘by owner promotion guide’ will discuss the best and the worst ways to go about setting up a successful owner-run vacation rental website. We will go over everything from how to decide what to call your website, to organizing your content, and how to go about promoting your vacation rental website once it is up and running.

Planning your own website is hard enough for most people without the added stresses of making sure your property is successful as a vacation rental. That is why this guide will be split into three sections:

1. Getting Started - Organizing ideas, your vacation home, and making a plan.

2. Building a Foundation - Creating a well thought out vacation rental by owner website.

3. Promote! Promote! Promote! - Getting your website out there.

Please keep coming back to VacationRentalsIntl.com for regular updates on this guide. Please leave us a comment if you have any questions or comments.

Here are a few tips for cutting down the price of your next vacation and vacation rental.

1. Travel during the off-season. A lot of the best tourist destinations hike their prices during peak seasons. You can save a lot of money by researching when the peak seasons and holidays are and avoiding them.
2. Plan your vacation ahead of time. Look for early-bird discounts on flights and car rentals.
3. Purchase travel insurance from a third party for better coverage and/or a lower rate than through a travel agent.
4. Slip an easily compressed duffel bag into your suitcase. If you learn your luggage is too heavy when you check-in with your airline, you can quickly repack and avoid airline fines and hassles.
5. Fly on small, low-cost air carriers. You may not get luxurious leather seats but the price is often worth it.
6. If making flight connections in Europe, bypass major airport hubs such as Heathrow in London and Charles De Gaulle in Paris. Switch planes in less trafficked Dublin instead.
7. Shop around for the lowest airline fares and also check the airline’s own website before booking. Some offer special discounts available on their website only.
8. Stay overnight on a Saturday for a lower weekend airline fare.
9. Head off the beaten path to find small neighbourhood dining options. They are often less expensive and provide a more authentic dining experience.
10. Consider hopping on a shuttle or subway from the airport to the city center and then catch a cab from there. Many taxis are often required by their organization or local government to charge higher rates within airport boundaries.
11. Shop around before booking a car rental. Get an estimate from one company and then see if a competitor will beat it.
12. Hop on a bike for a fun and affordable way to tour a new area.
13. Purchase a prepaid cell phone before hitting the road to avoid roaming charges or purchase an international calling card for affordable calls via a pay phone.
14. Book your adventures after arriving at your vacation destination, not before you leave. Often local tour operators will offer better rates.
15. Buy theater tickets the day of the performance for substantial savings.
16. Purchase a multi-day subway pass if you plan on making several stops. It is well worth it.
17. Don’t wait until the last minute to get or renew your passport. The longer you wait, the more it costs. Routine applications generally take up to six weeks to process whereas an urgent rush on getting your application can cost you double.
18. Many art museums offer free times to visit. Investigate beforehand to find the savings.
19. Consider purchasing a yearly park pass instead of a daily one. Depending on how long you plan to stay in a park, it may lead to some great savings.
20. Visit small neighbourhood markets instead of big, flashy shopping venues. Shop where the locals shop.
21. Convert money at a local bank for the best exchange rates.
22. Pay with a credit card whenever possible. Most credit card companies offer the lowest possible exchange rate and you will have the added protection from unauthorized charges.
23. Instead of staying in a hotel, rent a condo or villa directly from owners through Owner Direct Vacation Rentals. All the comforts of home and savings galore!
24. If the food budget is tight, consider finding a hotel room that has a kitchen to cut costs.
25. Consider flying from an alternate airport. Often cities are near multiple airports and fares can vary dramatically from one to the next based on location and air carrier service.

ownerdirect.com

I came across an interesting concept in the ever-popular vacation theme trends that consistently sweep across North America.

Based on the popular “babymoon” travel packages, where newly pregnant couples are coddled and pampered and made to feel everything was going to be alright as they started down the road to family life, “the procreation vacation” has been born in Jackson Hole.

The Procreation Ski Vacation not only rhymes but it is suppose to get young couples who are thinking about starting a family ‘in the mood’. According to the article some “earnest OBGYN’s” believe time and place can aid in conception and are sending more fertility-challenged couples on vacations in hopes of increasing their chances.

One of these Procreation Ski Vacations can cost up to and beyond $950 per person for a four night stay depending on where you go. So what do we have to say about that?

Why not rent a nice private cabin for a week for half the price? You could use the extra money you have left over and buy a nice bottle of red wine, white wine, sparkling wine…you get the drift…and head out for your own romantic creation.

I think that taking the time to plan a romantic trip - as a guy - not only gets you some major brownie points, it will make the trip that much more special. Don’t rely on someone else to plan the romance, be a man, rent a cabin and buy some flowers.

She will love you even more for it.