10 Tips for Finding the Cheapest Rental for Vacation
When you’re going on vacation, you don’t want to pay a lot of money for lodgings. Here are 10 tips for finding the cheapest rental for vacation so that you can spend more money on activities, food and drink, and souvenirs!
While the main reason people take vacations is to get away and unwind, there are other benefits. It’s an opportunity to visit another location and learn about the culture.
You can visit family and friends and reconnect with one another. It’s also an opportunity to explore and go on adventures.
But vacations aren’t cheap. The average vacation costs $1,145 per person or $4,580 for a family of four.
Accommodations are always the most expensive portion of your trip. But you shouldn’t have to decide between a dingy motel or five-star hotel.
Since things can add up quickly if you’re not careful, to help you save some money, here are 10 tips for finding the cheapest rental for vacation.
1. Ask Friends & Family If They Know Of A Rental For Vacation
One way to find affordable accommodations is to ask your friends and family if they know of anyone who is renting out their home. It’s not unusual for people to either own a second home somewhere or a time-share they’re willing to let you use.
Most of the time, they are usually willing to let you stay there for free or at least offer you more affordable travel lodgings than a hotel will.
2. Do As Much Research As You Can
Whether you’re looking for cheap alternatives to hotels or cheap hotels, one way to find them is to do as much research as you can. There are plenty of sites out there featuring vacation housing options.
Just make sure to find a legitimate site. Also, while the photos will always look great, take them with a grain of salt. They might not reflect what you end up seeing.
If you need more rentals to find, click here. These sites should help you get started.
3. Share The Costs With Others
There are other travel accommodations than hotels like houses to rent. Unfortunately, houses are usually expensive.
But not if you’re sharing the expenses with others. Try to plan your vacation with one or more other families or friends and share the costs.
It’s a great way to enjoy better accommodations without incurring extra expenses. Beach and ski home rentals usually have multiple rooms and bathrooms making it convenient for multiple people to stay in one place easily.
4. Switch Accommodations With Someone Else
Forget staying at a cheap hotel, just make a switch with someone else. A movie called, “The Holiday” starring Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet had them swapping homes during the Christmas holiday.
One lived in a sprawling home in Los Angeles while the other in a cute cottage outside of London. This way, both parties get to stay somewhere they loved without spending a ton of money to do it.
Finding new love while on your vacation is not a guarantee, however.
5. Stay In A Hostel
Hostels are cheap alternatives to hotels. And while many people believe hostels are only for young people, it’s not true.
Depending on your preference, you can either book a private room or share a room with others in a dorm-like space. Hostels are great if you’re on an outdoor adventure where you don’t want to schedule anything in advance.
They often also come with communal kitchens where you’re free to cook your own meals. Just make sure you do research to make sure the hostel is safe and clean before you book a room.
6. Try A Farmstay
In the movie “City Slickers” Billy Crystal’s character drove cattle from one state to another and slept under the stars. At a farmstay, you’ll not only find affordable accommodations, you can actually work at a ranch or cattle farm.
But you don’t have to.
Farmstays have become increasingly popular in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. They’re perfect for people looking to connect and interact with nature.
You can learn how to make cheese or spin wool. And it’s also incredibly quiet.
However, travel accommodations will vary depending on where you stay. If that bothers you, this isn’t a good choice.
7. Go Camping
If you love the outdoors, camping is at the top of our list for affordable accommodations. It’s always much cheaper to rent at a campground than at any hotel or motel.
If you have an RV, find campsites that can handle your needs ahead of time. Otherwise, just grab your camping gear and find a campsite that has everything you need like trees, forests, and a lake or river nearby.
For those who aren’t into roughing it, try glamping instead. It has the fun of camping with the benefits of a hotel.
8. Look Into Religious Housing
You don’t have to be religious to try religious housing rather than a cheap hotel. You’ll probably find it’s much quieter.
And much more spartan. You’ll probably find when staying at a monastery that you have a bed, a desk, and your meals are prepared by monks or nuns in a very simple way.
It’s a great way to get away from everything and hear yourself. The best part? At most you’ll spend $50 per night per person. Many places just ask for a donation or are completely free.
9. Make Reservations During The Off Season
Many travel accommodations change prices during the year. During the high season hotels often charge double or triple their rates.
One way to save big is to simply go during the off-season. You’ll find fewer people and much better prices.
If you’ve always wanted to go to the Carribean, summertime offers great rates for rentals for vacation. Ski resorts also now cater to travelers in their off-season and offer a wide variety of activities to enjoy.
10. Book A Bed & Breakfast
Bed and Breakfasts are known for being a cozier alternative with more affordable alternatives. It’s even less expensive if you’re willing to share a bathroom with others.
And yes, sharing a bathroom with strangers is a bit weird, but there’s no guarantee that other room will even be booked. It’s also possible that even if it is, you never run into your bathroom-mates.
Even better, meals are included which will help you save even more money.
How To Save Even More
Once you’ve found a rental for vacation, there are some other steps you can take to save even more money.
Cooking your own meals, making your own cocktails, and limiting how many souvenirs you bring back can help.
We want you to have fun while you travel. Keep reading our blog to learn how to stretch your vacation dollars even further.
