05/16/2016
Surfing for a Vacation Rental
By MICHELLE HIGGINS
With hotel rates on the rise, vacation rentals are looking attractive, often providing more space and amenities for less than you would spend on a hotel. But finding that apartment in Paris or seaside cottage in Florida can be a daunting task.
The Internet has made it possible for just about anyone with a spare room to post a listing. And travelers can spend hours searching online. Currently, there is no one-stop shopping site, but each option has nuances, and some are better than others, depending on where you are going and what you’re looking for. Most offer a broad range of prices. Here’s an overview of several online vacation rental sites to help simplify your search. Airbnb.com
A pioneer in the couch-surfing tradition, Airbnb.com is the go-to site for the budget traveler set. It allows users to post a free listing — whether it’s a pull-out sofa in the living room or a private apartment. So far, there are 100,000 listings in 192 countries, with a good chunk in cities like New York, San Francisco, London and Paris. You can narrow your search to spare rooms or entire homes, among other filters.
Linking your Facebook account to Airbnb will let you see places your friends have rented as well as any connections to hosts through mutual friendships or school affiliations.
Find something you like? You pay Airbnb by credit card or PayPal, with a booking fee of 6 to 12 percent added on. To help ensure that guests are treated well and accommodations are as described, the money isn’t released to the host until 24 hours after you check in. Recently, after one San Francisco host’s rental fiasco, in which guests vandalized and burglarized her home, Airbnb beefed up its support measures, including adding a 24-hour hot line and e-mail address for emergencies.
Bottom line: Airbnb may offer a wide range of accommodations, including luxury homes and yachts, but it stands out for budget travelers who don’t mind having a roommate. While more than 57 percent of listings are entire houses or apartments, 43 percent are spare rooms or shared rooms, including a sofa bed in a flat in the Marais neighborhood of Paris for $59. There are also the occasional quirky places. How about a treehouse overlooking San Francisco Bay for $150? HomeAway.com
With more than 290,000 listings in 145 countries, HomeAway.com is among the largest vacation rental sites out there, and it will appeal to those looking for a traditional private vacation home. About 100,000 of the listings are concentrated in the United States and a hefty number are in Europe, especially France and Spain. Travelers can whittle those figures down to a manageable list by choosing the features they want, like a pool or pet-friendly accommodations.
