VRBO

One of the big problems when traveling with kids is accommodations. Who wants to spend their holiday crammed in one small room, or worse... only having one bathroom! Plus, if you have small kids like I do, they generally go to bed much earlier than you do. Even though a 7:00 pm bedtime may sound nice some nights, when on vacation you really don't want to do it every night; or have crabby kids all week from having them up late.

In order to avoid these situations my family has opted for vacation rentals. (When we aren't spoiled by using my parents timeshare.) Vacation rental homes are fantastic! An entire home at your disposal complete with bedrooms, kitchens, and most importantly, multiple bathrooms! You might think this sounds out of your price range but really, I promise you, it is not. Often for the same price as a week in a decent hotel you can afford a complete house.

My current favorite site is www.vrbo.com. (Please note I am not a paid advertiser or in any way affiliated with VRBO. I am simply a happy and avid user.) VRBO stands for Vacation Rentals By Owner. You can search for a rental ranging in size from a 1 or 2 bedroom condo all the way up to multiple family cabins. They have listings all over the world and you can search by size of home, price, and date.  Rentals are generally made for a week, but can be longer or shorter if the individual owner is willing to work with you.

Some things to remember when using VRBO:
1. Prices are set by the owner, not the website and may vary significantly within the same region.
2. Owners may add a cleaning fee on to the rental price.
3. Check the reviews. Past renters can post a review of the rental home and the service they received. This is your best way of checking to make sure you are going to be happy with your stay.
4. Some rentals allow for pets.
5. Many rentals provide a Pack-N-Play or other portable crib so that you don't have to bring yours. Nice!
6. Remember that many rentals have stairs and if you have small children you may want to bring your own safety gates so you don't have to play goalie with the stairs all week.

I have always had good experiences when renting with VRBO and HIGHLY recommend it when traveling with children. Enjoy!