It's true that the Internet has made finding vacation rentals in regions you don't already know a whole lot easier. But it can still be a tricky business and, if you don't know what kinds of vacation rental websites to avoid you could waste your time and a lot of hard earned vacation cash on accommodation that is just not what you want or expect.
Vacation Rental Websites to Avoid
I have a few pet peeves about the way some vacation rental websites are organised and run. Sites I recommend will never include these irritating features:- Too much info required upfront - I simply hate it when I have to indicate location, dates, price ranges, number in my party before I get a chance to look at a selection of cottages. Even worse, having entered all of that it is even worse to be told that no properties match my requirements. Maybe if I could look through the properties, I might adapt my requirements for an appealing property.
- Poor pictures Some websites don't even bother with pictures, or use general pictures - you notice that some of the cottages begin to look alike after the first page of listings. If you can't really see what's on offer, how can you decide?
- Slow or hard to navigate sites.
- Key details witheld until after you give your credit card or billing information Does the cottage sleep 6 in six separate beds or three double beds? Do you have to bring your own linens? If you are planning to cross an ocean for this vacation, you need to know exactly what facilities are included. Yet some websites expect you jump through a lot of hoops before they let on that toilets are at the bottom of the garden, there's only hot water for two hours a day and there's a huge deposit in case of blowing out the electrics.
- Little variety I try to recommend sites that offer a good range in terms of price, size and location. There is as little point in suggesting websites where all the cottages are too cheap as there is in recommending those where all the prices are astronomical.
- Too suburban This is a personal prejudice of mine. If I'm on vacation I want to stay somewhere that has bags of country charm or a very good, city center location. I try to avoid websites with offerings that look too mundane.
