Vacation Rental by Owner

A google search for vacation rentals in Paris turns up thousands of results, many of them useful. A similar search, such as vacation rentals Berlin, will turn up a significant number of results. Unfortunately, the majority of them have little to offer- especially little if you're attempting to travel on a budget.

Luckily, there's Vacation Rental by Owner from Home Away (another rental website, to be discussed in a later post.) This extensive web site was recently recommended to me by a fellow traveller. I have only begun to explore it, but I can already say that it is an excellent resource for all travellers, even those with limited financial resources. Like Ah Paris, VRBO acts as a representative rental agency for individual owners. There are no additional agency fees for travellers to pay on top of the rental price. (The agency seems to make most of its money through charges to property owners.) However, rental prices are set by individual owners and vary widely, so be sure to research thoroughly before making any bookings. There are many beautiful properties listed at positively bargain prices, but you will have to spend some time hunting for them.

The best part of VRBO is that you can search for rental properties in almost any city in the world. North America, Europe, South America... it doesn't matter where you're going, VRBO offers accommodation options for when you get there. If you're travelling as a family or in a large group, never fear; they rent out houses as well as apartments.

If anyone has made bookings with VRBO or Home Away, do let me know about your experiences- positive or negative.