Your Vacation Trip Planner

An easy-to-use vacation trip planner for first-time and veteran renters

Renting a vacation home is a very different experience than booking a hotel room or checking into a quaint B&B.

Do you know the unwritten etiquette for renters?

How to score a 50% discount?

Which five fine-print details could derail the perfect vacation you envision?

Follow the links in this vacation trip planner.

You’ll find answers to your questions about renting along with specific tips and guidance in these main categories.

-- When a Rental Beats a Hotel
-- Vacation Ideas Made for Vacation Rentals
-- How to Get the Best Vacation Values
-- How Personal Recommendations Help Your
Search
-- Trip-Planning Resources for Renters
-- Tips or Savvy Renters
-- Safety Tips

When a Rental Beats a Hotel

Hidden Hotel Fees
Before you’re taken in by rock-bottom hotel room rates,
find out how some hotels play “gotcha” with extra fees -- making vacation rentals some of the best beach vacation deals around.

The Personal Touch
A chocolate on your pillow is nice, but handmade, personalized gifts in vacation rentals made me feel like a visiting friend.

How Accommodations Can Change Your Experience
of a Destination
Five common qualities of beautiful beach houses that can fundamentally change the way you experience your vacation destination.

Vacation Ideas Made for Vacation Rentals

The Off-Season Bonanza
Traveling in the off-season tops of my list of great
vacation ideas. Here are five things I love the most (beginning with the whopper discounts).

Reunion Sites
Looking for family reunion ideas? Homes that comfortably accommodate 10 or more people make great reunion sites. Here's a mini vacation trip planner to help you scout large occupancy homes, with guidelines for planning group gatherings and special events in a vacation rental.

A Luxury Beach Vacation
What does “luxury” mean to you? Here are excerpts from five real-life wish lists and tips for finding the right fit for each scenario.

Pet Friendly Vacations
More vacation rentals are welcoming your furry companions with open arms. Check out some of my favorites -- along with resources for planning the perfect pet friendly beach vacations.

Family Beach Vacations
Family beach vacations are a lot more fun in a house than a cramped hotel room. Check out these five tips for scouting the perfect family friendly rental.


Best Vacation Values

Travel on a Budget
Spend less -- and have more fun? Absolutely do-able. Borrow some of these ideas.

Planning a Picnic
Planning a picnic on the beach is just one of a handful of creative and fun ways you’ll eat in a vacation rental.

Road Trip Fun
Rediscover the joys of driving to your destination. Hint: have you noticed you have better conversations in the car?

How Recommendations Help Your Search

Why a Scout?
A scout’s review is more objective than an owner-written listing and more detailed and consistent than a guest testimonial. Here’s why it matters.

Using Personal Recommendations
Personal recommendations from locals who know your chosen destination are like gold. Find out more about Owner’s (and Manager’s) Favorites included in each Beach Vacation Rental Scout review.

How Testimonials Fit in Your Vacation Trip Planning Research
Did you know testimonials are handpicked (and sometimes edited) on some websites? Weigh the differences between an owner-written listing, a great customer testimonial and an independent review.

Find the Perfect California Beach House
Check out the growing list of handpicked, personally-vetted vacation homes or find the right rental property manager in the best beach towns on the California coast.

Find the Perfect Florida Beach House
Check out the growing list of handpicked, personally-vetted vacation homes or find the right vacation rental property manager on the best Florida beaches.

Trip Planning Resources for Renters

Vacation Planning Resources
Here are three of the coolest free tools on the Web: an interactive vacation itinerary planner, a rental vs. hotel cost-comparison calculator and a detailed checklist to help you choose the best local vacation rental property manager.

Benefits of Using a Local Rental Property Manager
A good local vacation rental property manager takes pride in knowing each vacation rental in his or her inventory inside out. These folks are tremendous resources, ready to spend as much time as you need helping you find the perfect home.

Tips for Planning a Celebration or Event
Whether you're planning a wedding, graduation party or 40th birthday celebration, a beach house makes a truly memorable venue. Here are some tips to get you started.

Beach Vacation Rental Scout Custom Search
This evolving custom search engine will help narrow your search for beach vacation rentals to the best sources I know within this site or on web at large.

Tips for Savvy Renters

10 Questions to Ask Before You Rent
These 10 questions -- covering everything from establishing the purpose of your trip to recovering your deposit if you need to cancel -- will keep you on track as you search for and book your next vacation rental.

Potential Deal Breakers
Unexpected glitches -- like neighborhood parking edicts and lack of cell phone reception -- can be deal-breakers when you’re shopping for a vacation rental. Consult this short beach vacation checklist before you book a rental.

Etiquette Questions for Renters
Is there an etiquette for renters? Here are some guidelines (most, simply good manners).

Rental Scare Tactics and Property Scams
The media is abuzz with horror stories about vacation rental scams. So this vacation trip planner includes consumer safety tips to protect yourself from the most common scare tactics and property scams.

Vacation Trip Planner Safety Tips

Beach Safety Tips
Post this in your vacation rental. These 10 tips, guidelines and reminders will keep everyone safe and happy during your time at the beach.

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