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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.

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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.

Here at Vacation Rentals Intl we are always looking for making booking vacation rentals easier. Whether you are a first time vacation home renter, or if you have been renting the same cabin in Lake Tahoe for 10 years you can always learn something.

Here are a few links to some vacation rental tip articles that can come in handy.

- 5 Tips: Booking vacation rentals

- Vacation Rental 101

- The Independent Traveler Travel Resource

If you have an great vacation rental tips leave us a comment and share your vacation tips with the world!

When winter’s cold hand grips my face and freezes my nose the first thing I think of is that it’stime to head south to warmer climates. Every winter people like to migrate to these warm climates to wait for spring’s warm glow. Maybe you are thinking about being one of those people, maybe you are already an avid winter vacationer, but do you know how to ensure that you’re home is safe while you are away for more than a few days?

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Summer is typically the season that everyone thinks of when planning their vacations. But why not dare to be different and take a winter vacation getaway instead? If you are a skier, snowboarder, or just someone who enjoys the winter months, a winter vacation may be just what you have been looking for. There are plenty of spots around the world that make spectacular winter getaways.

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Renting a vacation home in hawaii can be a lot more cost effective than staying at a hotel in Hawaii, it can also put you closer to what you want to do on your vacation. Just be careful you are renting a legal vacation home.

In Oahu alone there are only 1,000 homeowners who are certified to rent rooms for less than 30 days. However, you can find more than 2,000 online ads for rentals all over the island. Most of the Bed & Breakfast’s in Hawaii are not run through all legal channels, be careful.

We’ve spoken in length about how challenging owning a vacation rental can be and the best ways for you to promote your vacation rental home. Today I read a short but sweet article about how important word of mouth is to the Vacation Rental industry. It really can apply to all sorts of businesses of course, but we like to focus of the vacation rental aspect.

Basically if you leave a good impression on your customers, they will tell one person, that person will tell a person, etc. At the same time, if you leave your vacation rental home in shambles and do not treat your customers with respect they will let everyone know that your rental is not recommendedJust remember every little bit counts.

Read the full Word of Mouth Article

You want your honeymoon to be a very special time. So why should you choose a Honeymoon Vacation Rental instead of a Big Resort? Here are some of the reasons we hear:

Honeymoon Rentals are more unique, individual, and intimate. While its true that some ultra high priced resorts have unique accommodations, most offer a choice between three or four floor plans and decor, that are repeated 100 times. So you wind up with a box just like 20 other boxes or more at the same property, right down to the same placement of the TV and the same bedspread. To be sure, some of them are very nice boxes, but what if you want to Honeymoon outside the box?
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Vacation Rentals are an ideal choice for those who plan an extended vacation and like to eat self cooked food or food of their own liking not depending on the fixed menus of hotels and Vacation rentals, an alternative to hotel, where one can rent a furnished apartment or a house on temporary basis, have an advantage in as much as they have fewer rules and regulations to bind you during your vacation.

At the most, the owner may insist:

That you do not incur any damage to his property.
A minimum stay of two to three days, especially on weekends and during holidays.
A refundable deposit

If you are traveling with your family or in a group, a vacation rental is the ideal choice. South Lake Tahoe has a wide range of vacation rentals where you can pick and choose for yourself according to your needs. South Lake Tahoe offers a variety of choices of Vacation Rentals for small groups/families in which have two to three bedrooms and can sleep 6 to 10 persons. These vacation rentals are economical and provide reasonable amenities.

Rates for smaller properties start from as low as US $ 116 and go up to US $300 depending mostly on the living space area and the timing of your visit. Weekends and holidays, most often than, not attract slightly higher than normal charges. However, the charges per week/monthly are discounted to encourage longer stays. Most of the vacation rentals have an extra charge of a cleaning fee that may be as much as 90/100 US dollars.

2336 Sky Meadows is a typical South Tahoe-style home with its three bedrooms decorated in three different styles. Charming Log Cabin is a three bedroom log-cabin-styled property located in the forested neighborhood of South Lake Tahoe. The Nash Cabin, Lake Tahoe, is a three bedroom house built in Swiss style and from its balcony and deck you can have a view of the Heavenly Ski Resort’ Gun Barrel Run. The name of Cozy Retreat with Hot Tub says it all and has an excellent view of the forest from either side. Spectacular Lake View Lake Tahoe Vacation Rental is a secluded log exterior home with magnificent views of the Lake Tahoe. Located amidst pines in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, Holly’s Place, which charges $ 150 per night for its two bedroom house, is an excellent place for fresh air and a grand view of the Lake.

Though small in size, these vacation rentals are economical and at the same time provide amenities that are comparable to high end high properties. Amenities like Jacuzzi/hot tub, BBQ, Utensils, stoves, refrigerator, microwave and other utilities are common to almost all the properties with some of them having added items like fire place, electronic equipments and cable and satellite TV. Such amenities ensure that you never have a dull moment even when you are indoors on your vacation.

To help you choose a suitable property without leaving the comfort of your home before venturing out on a vacation to South Lake Tahoe, you may access http://rentalo.com/d/southlaketahoe/vacation_rentals.htm which provides detailed information of vacation rentals, with pictures of the general surroundings and interiors, and the facility of booking online. You may also view the comments and testimonials pertaining to different properties, posted on the site by earlier guests. To simplify booking, the site has allotted identification numbers to the properties registered with it and sends newsletters on request.

I read this article today about how vacations are on the out. Apparently 43% of people do work on their holiday. I know, I know, I’ve written about this before, but I cannot stress enough the fact that if I didn’t have holidays my head with explode, and I think, when you really get down to it, and look at yourself in the mirror, you will want to put your blackberry, palm pilots, laptops, and cell phones in a small locked boxes and hide them under 2 1/2 years of movies you haven’t seen yet because you’ve been working. So do me a favor, and try and get yourself a long weekend at least for 2 weeks from now. On that Monday off, sleep in, eat breakfast in your PJs, and go enjoy what is left of our quickly fading summer! Please!