VacationRentalsIntl.com | Family Vacation Rentals International Vacation Rentals, Vacation Cabin Rentals, Vacation Home Rentals

1) Vacation home listings can be found in magazines, newspapers, online and through rental agencies and Realtors.
2) One of the best ways to find a vacation rental is to ask friends and neighbors. A recommendation from someone who has stayed in a particular home or used a particular rental agency or Realtor can offer great insight.
3) Official area convention and visitor bureau Web sites can be another source of rental listings.
4) Know who you’re dealing with. Some individual rental owners advertise on rental directory sites, so you will deal directly with the unit’s owner. Other rental owners hire a management company to handle rentals and maintenance.
Get the rental agreement in writing. Make sure it specifies dates, check-in and check-out times, specific deposit and payment requirements and clearly spells out your responsibilities.
5) Ask lots of questions.

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.

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.

If you are looking for a beautiful, quiet, out of the way vacation spot you should look no further than Osage Beach Missouri. Osage Beach is a little piece of heaven that has something for everyone. It offers amazing spas, such as the Body Solutions Spa, and some of the best golf courses in Missouri, if not the United States. Golf courses like Sycamore Creek Golf Course, or the Osage National Golf Club, both of which attract people every year for the perfect golf experience. If you are looking for something a little more family oriented on your trip to Osage Beach you should drop by the Main Street Music Hall. Its Main Street Opry is a live music show that is now in its 13th season at the Lake of the Ozarks in Osage Beach. And for all you shop-a-holics out there, and I know you are out there, you will have to go to the Osage Beach Premium Outlets! You can find everything from Calvin Klein to Reebok for great outlet prices, and I don’t think anyone can really say no to outlet prices.If you have need a pet friendly Osage Beach vacation home try this Affordable Lakeside Condo and Boat Slip. If you want a few more choices try some of these Osage Beach Vacation Rentals by Owner.

Several Kailua vacation rentals have been hit with robberies in the past month, so we here at Vacation Rentals International would like to remind everyone to stay safe while you are vacationing. The last thing anyone wants is to come back to an empty house.

A rash of burglaries have hit Kailua vacation rentals, many of which are operating illegally, KITV 4 News reported. Police believe many beach visitors are provided a false sense of security while settling into a vacation rental.” They’re perfect for the criminal,” said Honolulu Police Department Detective John McCarthy. “They’re here on vacation; they let their guard down. They have valuables. What more can a crook ask for?”

Try keeping all your valuables out of sight. Do not leave money, jewelry, watches, passports etc., out in plain sight. I keep an old holed out book on me when I travel. That way I have somewhere to keep valuables I don’t want to lose, but cannot take with me when I go to the beach.

Lock all your doors. This may seem obvious, but I’m sure we have all rushed out to the beach or out hiking and exploring without locking the doors. All it takes is an extra minute. That extra minute could save you thousands of dollars.

Keep your wits about you. If you are out walking around in a busy tourist heavy area make sure you are aware of your surroundings. You never know when there could be a pickpocketer around. And steer clear of card games, dice games, and any of the sort in the street. 95% of the time they are a con looking to steal your money from you.

There is a large group of us pet owners who are always keeping an eye open for anything pet friendly. From hotels, cabins, villas, to vacation rental homes, it can be a real challenge to find pet friendly accommodations. So to aid in your search for pet friendly vacation rentals we are setting you up with a nice list of good pet friendly accommodation resources.

Enjoy.

Pet Friendly.ca
http://www.petfriendly.ca/
Search through our list of hotels, motels, resorts, vacation rentals, cottages, cabins, bed & breakfasts, and other pet-friendly lodging from across Canada that your whole family can enjoy! (Pets are family, too!)

Vacation Homes.com
http://www.vacationhomes.com/pet-friendly-vacation-rentals/
To aid you in enjoying your next vacation with your whole family, vacationhomes.com have created the following section which highlights pet friendly vacation rentals on our site. All the vacation homes in this section report that they are pet friendly.

Pet Friendly Travel.com
http://www.petfriendlytravel.com/
PetFriendlyTravel.com gives you easy access to pet friendly accommodations in the US and Canada, including dog and pet friendly vacation rentals, hotels, cabins, motels, B&Bs, resorts, inns and spas.

Pets Welcome.com
http://www.petswelcome.com/
Listings for over 25,000 hotels, B&Bs, ski resorts, campgrounds, and beaches that are pet-friendly.

Five quick tips to booking your perfect vacation rental.

1. Start Early, by the end of January a lot of great properties will already be snatched up. If you wait until the last minute you will never get the vacation rental you want.

2. Avoid Rental Agents. There are a lot of hidden fees when you deal with rental agents. Renting directly from the owners generally include a few pictures of the property, a description of the house and what’s in the local area.

3. Get all the details. If you are expecting you vacation rental to be a home away from home you will be excepting a lot of the little things. Be sure to check if there is a highchair, or if there is wheelchair access.

4. Protect your investment.  Paying by cheque or cash can be make it harder for you to get your money back if your vacation rental isn’t what you thought it would be. Paying by credit card means you may be protected by the fair credit bill act.
5. Consider your timing. The most popular vacation months — July and August — are going to cost more. You can save a ton of dough if you skip the high season. You could save at least 30% to 50% if you book your rental in late May and early June.

Today we are following the same path we went yesterday. Everyone needs a vacation! Everyone darn it!

I came across yet another article with more vacation statistics that could just make you weep.

A survey by Info-Tech Research Group found 81 percent of employees feel obligated to some degree to be available to their employers at all times during their vacation.

When I go on vacation I unplug my email, make the office a special ring - so I know not to answer it - and try to get as far away from any sort of telephone or cell phone reception as possible. Unplugging is a good thing no matter what your Blackberry tells you.

You survived before you had it, you will survive the weeklong adventure without it!

Read about how working vacations are having a negative effect on employees.

The wonderful city of Venice Florida can be found in Southwest Florida on the Gulf of Mexico. It is tucked part way between Tampa and Ft. Myers, and may be the best kept secrets in Florida.

You can spend the day fishing, relaxing on the beach, exploring the great shops and restaurants that Venice Florida has to offer (we recommend Sharky’s on the Pier), and if you are in for more of an adventure you could try your hands at diving.

Venice Florida is famous for it’s an abundance of fossilized shark’s teeth and is known as the Shark’s Tooth Capital of The World. Take your kids to the beach and hunt for shark teeth on your own, or come during the Sharks Tooth Festival and celebrate with hundreds of other families.

If you are interested in a Venice Florida Vacation Home, then we would suggest you check out Vacation Rental Pros.com. It has a great listing of Venice FL Vacation rentals. It is easy to search and find the best vacation rental for you and you family.