I’ve recently had Moms tell me their families were considering renting an Orlando vacation home, a Las Vegas vacation home and a San Diego vacation home respectively, but that after adding in the extra cost of a rental car to get their family to and from the places they wanted to see when they got to their destination, a hotel seemed to make more sense for them.

I, of course, disagreed. While the hotel might offer a “free” shuttle to some convenient places, the lines and the times between shuttles are often too long for most kids to wait. Plus, I argued, at least one rental car company understands the fiscal dilemma you are facing.

With Simply Wheelz by Hertz families can enjoy special rates designed specifically for vacations and other leisure travel. Simply Wheelz by Hertz speeds up the car rental process by utilizing automatic rental machines to give vacationers access to a rental car without spending time in line at the counter. It’s limited to certain cities, but worth checking out.

So in the end, families can save more by renting a car and choosing a vacation rental.

Posted: October 30th, 2008 under Family Vacation, Vacation Homes, Vacation Rentals.
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Today’s tighter budgets require parents with toddlers and teens to be more creative in their vacation planning. Some parents are choosing places closer to home, while others are opting for vacation rental homes over hotels or choosing to take trips partly or completely supported by grandparents or other family members.

Just as there are a wide variety of ways to get more for your money out of every trip, there are a wide variety of places families can choose to go on any given vacation. That’s where Joanne O’Sullivan’s book “101 Places You Gotta See Before You’re 12!” comes in handy.

For families with little ones up to pre-teens, this book offers a wide variety of ideas about how to spend precious days off. According to the author: “I came up with the idea for the book after reading a book for grown-ups with a similar title but a lot more places. While it would be nice if we could all get to the Taj Mahal and the Pyramids, I thought there was a need for an alternative for families who don’t let limited time and money dampen their spirit of adventure.

“There are so many other amazing places to explore, places you can reach on a quick trip, a weekend, or even after school or soccer practice: historic places, scientific places, fun places, kooky places, spooky places, places for art lovers, animal lovers, nature lovers, sports fans, and people who love to eat.

“I organized the book into 101 ‘types’ of places so there’s no pressure to try to see a specific place that won’t fit into your budget or schedule. For example: If you live on the East Coast and can’t quite make it to the Grand Canyon any time soon, you can check out some other cool canyons: Cloudland Canyon in northern Georgia and Alabama, Genessee Gorge in upstate New York, or Agawa Canyon in Ontario (which has the added distinction of being acessible only by steam train!).”

If you’ve got kids and are looking for some vacation inspiration that fits within your budget, I highly recommend it.

Posted: October 22nd, 2008 under Family Vacation, Vacation Homes, Vacation Rentals.
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Last night, in the National League Championship Series (NLCS), the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Los Angeles Dodgers, sending the Phillies to the World Series for the first time since 1993. In the American League Championship Series (ALCS), with a 3 to 1 lead over the Boston Red Sox heading into tonight’s Game 5, things are looking pretty good for Tampa Bay Rays fans.

Unlike the Super Bowl, where the teams always play the championship game in warm weather climates or indoor stadiums, baseball’s final games of the season are played in the stadiums of the team’s winning their respective championship series.

The good news for real baseball fans this season is that warm weather is looking highly likely for several World Series games. Whether you are a Rays fan or not, if you are a real baseball fan, isn’t this an ideal time to head south to sunny Florida to catch the greatest games of the season?

Sure, tickets to the game may be a little pricey, but staying there doesn’t have to be. There are still plenty of Tampa Bay vacation rental homes avaialble for much less than you’d pay to stay in a hotel. You can also save a little cash by eating in instead of dining out every night. Now, that’s a homerun for any budget.

Posted: October 16th, 2008 under Vacation Homes, Vacation Rentals.
Comments: 1

When it comes to figuring out how to save money these days, we can use all of the help we can get.

In today’s USA Today, Laura Bly features “Budget Travel Sites to Keep You Out of the Red.” She mentions websites that can help travelers with airfares, accommodations, deals/strategies, getting around and dining.

The article is a must-read for anyone making holiday travel plans.

Posted: October 10th, 2008 under Travel.
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In Sunday’s New York Times, Practical Traveler columnist Michelle Higgins focused on vacation homes, offering readers insight into “Skirting the Pitfalls of Private Rentals.”

She writes: “So how do you avoid the pitfalls? First, figure out whom you want to rent from. The vacation rental market is divided into two basic segments: homes that are rented out directly by the owner and those run by a property management company.

“Professionally managed rentals, like most of the properties featured on Zonder.com, forGetaway.com and PickPackGo.com, promise a certain level of quality control since the homeowner pays the management company to inspect the home, clean it and handle any issues that arise—if a pipe bursts, for example, or the air-conditioner suddenly gives out. And most accept credit card payments, which affords an added layer of protection in case the transaction goes sour.”

When renting a vacation home, it’s important to understand whether a professional property manager or an absentee owner possibly living hundreds of miles away will be taking care of you and the home you are renting should the unexpected happen while you are staying there.

Posted: October 6th, 2008 under Vacation Homes, Vacation Rentals.
Comments: 1

About.com’s Travel with Kids editor and Family Vacations expert, Teresa Plowright, let everyone in on a little secret recently when she blogged about Disney World being free on your birthday. That’s right. Disney. FREE!

Of course, being a Mickey Mouse fan, I had to check it out, and sure enough, she was right. Disney is offering FREE admission on your birthday at Walt Disney World® Resort in Florida or Disneyland® Resort in California during 2009. The finer points of the offer require that you register for your free admission (for you or on behalf of a child) and have proof of birth date upon admission.

If you want to save even more during your Disney birthday celebration, consider renting an Orlando vacation home nearby.

Posted: October 1st, 2008 under Family Vacation, Vacation Homes, Vacation Rentals.
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