Anyone use VRBO for vacation rentals?

[ObviouslyNotAGolfer]

Just found out about this site ( https://www.vrbo.com ), and we reserved a highly-rated, great looking, quiet vacation cottage in Sonoma County, surrounded by redwoods for cheap (120/night)!

Looking in Paris France (our destination for next year), we are seeing some really great flats starting around 120$/night--soooooooooooooo much cheaper than any hotel in that city.

Has anyone used VRBO? Any other Airbnb alternatives?

Experiences? Advice?

[southern granny]

We have used VRBO many times. Just a couple of weeks ago we stayed in Cape San Blas, Fl in a beach cottage we booked through VRBO.  We have another reservation later this year at Kentucky Lake.   We have never been disappointed.  However, we have never booked anything out of the country.  That would probably make me a little nervous.

[HBFIRE]

I've used both VRBO and AirBnB over the years (at least a dozen times).  Both good and bad experiences (more good).  I'd say both can be good, just have to be selective on choosing a good place based on reviews.  I have had a couple experiences where the place ended up being different than what I expected (misleading photos).  But overall I've been pleased with the savings.

When we went to Italy last year, my wife used AirBnB for all our accommodations, and it was very good all around (Venice, Tuscany, Rome).  In fact this was probably our best experience using either platform.  I'd imagine it would be similar for Paris.

[startingsmall]

I've used both VRBO and AirBnB over the years (at least a dozen times).  Both good and bad experiences (more good).  I'd say both can be good, just have to be selective on choosing a good place based on reviews.  I have had a couple experiences where the place ended up being different than what I expected (misleading photos).  But overall I've been pleased with the savings.

When we went to Italy last year, my wife used AirBnB for all our accommodations, and it was very good all around (Venice, Tuscany, Rome).  In fact this was probably our best experience using either platform.  I'd imagine it would be similar for Paris.

Glad to hear this. My husband and & I are in the very early stages of planning a trip to Italy and have been debating hotel vs AirBnB.

[Villanelle]

I've use both maybe 6-8 times total and never had a bad experience.  All but one of those were outside the US.  I read reviews carefully (know that some people are just complainers who will never be happy, so you have to read with a critical eye) and won't even consider a place that doesn't have more than a handful of reviews.  Also, asking questions is key, as is thinking things through.  If you are going to Southern Italy in July, you must have a/c (or at least *I* must have a/c!) so you need to remember to ask yourself that question and if it isn't listed, ask.  A property is unlikely to go out of the way to point out something that is a negative ("Lovely cottage in Sorrento with views of the ocean and no air conditioning!") so you have to be thorough. Corresponding wth the owner is also a great way to gauge his or her professionalism, too, so I try to come up with some relevant question to ask, even if it isn't 100% necessary, so I can get a feel for them. 

[Cranky]

I've used VRBO and it was fine, but I can't say that I thought it was "cheap".

[KBecks]

We've had good experiences with home rentals.  I'm trying Airbnb for the first time in June.

[Ocinfo]

Haven’t used VRBO but use AirBnB a lot for whole home rentals. This includes several US cities, Mexico, Italy, Germany, Austria, Poland, and Czech Republic. I have yet to have a bad experience. Main thing is to make sure your expectations are not the same as staying in a nice hotel. Some things will be much better (e.g., more personalized and often feels more like being a local) and other things often won’t (e.g., there probably won’t be a half dozen, soft towels in the bathroom). Outside of booking award nights at hotels, AirBnB made my travels significantly more affordable than staying in hotels and, for me, overall better.


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[big_slacker]

Yep, used it several times. Always been a great experience. Last time a house a few blocks from the beach in san diego.

[Laserjet3051]

yes, ive used vrbo several times, all worked out fantastic. BUT you have to do your due diligence for each and every property your evaluating. Not every property listed is a good deal or is not hiding something negative in the description. I'd recommend communicating with the property owner/manager extensively to allay any questions concerns you may have about a property BEFORE plunking down the deposit/payment. I always do this on vrbo.

[Fishindude]

Have used VRBO approx. 6 times for vacations with no issues.   Have typically rented lake homes or a place in the mountains.

[HBFIRE]

Glad to hear this. My husband and & I are in the very early stages of planning a trip to Italy and have been debating hotel vs AirBnB.

Yep, lots of good options in Italy.  We stayed in an amazing apartment in the Chianti countryside.  We took both of our mothers with us, so 4 of us.  Yes, not cheap, but for 4 people I thought it was quite the deal and an amazing location.  The place was quite large and gave everyone enough privacy.

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/1086137?eluid=0&euid=b42260f8-9d07-cb9e-9bce-0f6f20b1622f

Venice was more expensive, but still I consider a pretty good value for 4 people:

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/12695596?eluid=0&euid=915d99da-409a-fbdf-ea04-10904ec5715e

[HipGnosis]

yes, ive used vrbo several times, all worked out fantastic. BUT you have to do your due diligence for each and every property your evaluating. Not every property listed is a good deal or is not hiding something negative in the description. I'd recommend communicating with the property owner/manager extensively to allay any questions concerns you may have about a property BEFORE plunking down the deposit/payment. I always do this on vrbo.

Agreed

[ol1970]

Yep, we have used it probably 20 times domestic and international.  I love it!  $150/night for a 2 bed 2 bath condo with a 1500square foot balcony overlooking the Mediterranean in Nice was pretty damn cool I thought.  I see little reason to use hotels if you are staying for more than a day or two.

[chemistk]

I've only had good experiences with VRBO. I'm in the process of looking for a home for next year for a week, and the site makes it really intuitive. They can handle all payments if the owner wants, so you can pay by credit card instead of cash or check (which is how historically I've known vacation rentals to be handled).

One thing to understand: VRBO is owned by Homeway who in turn owns just about 90% of the large Vacation rental sites out there. Every other site of theirs is just a different colored skin of Homeaway with the same properties. The only other significant player out there is AirBnB.

[Shane]

Looking in Paris France (our destination for next year), we are seeing some really great flats starting around 120$/night--soooooooooooooo much cheaper than any hotel in that city.

Has anyone used VRBO? Any other Airbnb alternatives?

Experiences? Advice?

There's really no need to spend $120/night on a place in Paris, unless you need something really big & fancy. Right now, we're staying in a, not at all fancy but totally adequate, 1 bedroom apartment in the 16th Arrondissement in Paris for only US$900/month.  We stayed the entire month of March in a really nice 2 bedroom apartment in a great neighborhood in Athens for only US$700. Many apartments are listed both on Airbnb and VRBO. Some people seem to prefer VRBO. Personally, I like Airbnb better. YMMV.

[HBFIRE]

Looking in Paris France (our destination for next year), we are seeing some really great flats starting around 120$/night--soooooooooooooo much cheaper than any hotel in that city.

Has anyone used VRBO? Any other Airbnb alternatives?

Experiences? Advice?

There's really no need to spend $120/night on a place in Paris, unless you need something really big & fancy. Right now, we're staying in a, not at all fancy but totally adequate, 1 bedroom apartment in the 16th Arrondissement in Paris for only US$900/month.  We stayed the entire month of March in a really nice 2 bedroom apartment in a great neighborhood in Athens for only US$700. Many apartments are listed both on Airbnb and VRBO. Some people seem to prefer VRBO. Personally, I like Airbnb better. YMMV.

WOw, amazing -- didn't realize prices that low were possible there.  Now this is giving me some future travel plan ideas.

[wbranch]

yes, ive used vrbo several times, all worked out fantastic. BUT you have to do your due diligence for each and every property your evaluating. Not every property listed is a good deal or is not hiding something negative in the description. I'd recommend communicating with the property owner/manager extensively to allay any questions concerns you may have about a property BEFORE plunking down the deposit/payment. I always do this on vrbo.

Yes to this. My in-laws have a higher end ($400/night peak season) home rental on VRBO and they won't accept a deposit or payment until they have communicated with the potential renters. Sometimes only by email, but it usually ends up being phone calls. For full house rentals the owners usually have good guidebooks covering everything about the property including suggestions for things to checkout. It has worked well for them and they have quite a few reviews all 5 stars. 

[iluvzbeach]

We use HomeAway/VRBO and AirBnB all the time. Never had any issues, but we always do our research. Reviews are a must and you have to be able to read between the lines and pay attention to what isn’t said as much as what is said.

When my mom retired, she did an international gap year trip and we booked it all through these sites. She stayed a month (or more) in each place and her budget was $1500/month for lodging. Some places were way less (Croatia), some where way more (London), but it all averaged out. She stayed right in the heart of really great cities.

[rg422]

I highly recommend VRBO. We have rented houses via VRBO for family trips (usually 10-12 people) and have had an amazing experience. Also, it's a much cheaper alternative than renting multiple hotel rooms.

[Daisy]

I have used VRBO (now also associated with Homeaway) a lot of times with great success. I've barely used AirBnb since I have had such success with VRBO.

Most of my rentals have been in the United States.

One time, however, I rented a two bedroom townhouse in London and it was much cheaper than a hotel! I was travelling with a friend and we each wanted our own bed. The hotel options were tiny rooms with two twin beds and one bathroom. With the VRBO option, we each had our own room with a queen bed and our own bathroom. This was nice for a weeklong vacation. The hotel prices in London were ridiculously expensive. I can't remember what the price differential was, but it was a big difference.

[ObviouslyNotAGolfer]

Thanks for all the feedback. Yes, due diligence is important, but it is also important with hotels--especially when you're a peace and quiet and privacy fanatic like me.

In any case, I am amazed at the savings compared to hotels.

How do you get an apt in Paris for only 900 a month? Is there a separate listing for longer term stays? 

[Shane]

Thanks for all the feedback. Yes, due diligence is important, but it is also important with hotels--especially when you're a peace and quiet and privacy fanatic like me.

In any case, I am amazed at the savings compared to hotels.

How do you get an apt in Paris for only 900 a month? Is there a separate listing for longer term stays?

On Airbnb if you search for stays of 28 nights or more, it'll give you monthly rates. We tend to seek out rentals where the hosts offer big(ger) monthly discounts. We've rented several apartments on Airbnb for 40%-55% monthly discounts. Just searched rentals in Paris for a family of 3 for the whole month of June, and 100 apartments are showing up at <US$2000/month. The cheaper places tend to be a little outside of the city center where all the tourists congregate, but Paris has a great public transit system, which is relatively cheap and easy to use. Being outside of the real touristy areas often has the added benefit of being quieter. You also get more of a feel for what it's like to actually *live* in Paris, rather than just being a tourist.

[Prairie Gal]

I used VRBO before there even was Air BNB. The first time was 2005 for a trip to Paris, and it was a bit nerve wracking, but it all turned out fine. I've used both over the years many times with no major problems. One thing to consider is the cancellation policy. They vary.

[chasesfish]

I've only exclusively used VRBO, many times since I think 2008 was the first.  I've had two incredible experiencing in Hawaii with them.

The last time I used them I realized that most owners now list their property on both VRBO and AirBNB or exclusively on AirBNB.   AirBNB basically beat out VRBO to be #1 because they started by renting individual rooms, got very young travelers on their platform, and invested in affiliate marketing with coupon codes for new guests.

I think business schools will be able to write papers on how many things VRBO did wrong to loose when they were the first mover in this space.

[ducky19]

Booked two weeks in St. Croix coming up at the end of the month through Homeaway/VRBO - used them in the past and have never had a bad experience.

[Samuel]

We use HomeAway/VRBO and AirBnB all the time. Never had any issues, but we always do our research. Reviews are a must and you have to be able to read between the lines and pay attention to what isn’t said as much as what is said.

Yep, this. Read reviews and listings critically. My only AirBnB clunker was a new listing with only 2 reviews. Should have known better.

Other than that one experience I've had great results. I still dream of a certain hilltop suite in Montepulciano...

[honeybbq]

Use VRBO a couple times a year. Never any real problems.

Some suggestions:

Read the descriptions carefully:
 If you need a parking space, make sure it's included. A/C, hot tubs (ski trips), WiFi, make sure it's listed if it's desired.
Pictures are really important if there's a lot of people involved (e.g. on our ski trips we have 6 people or so with different needs -- like we don't want the kids in a loft because of the noise, etc).
Washer/Dryer if you are staying longer or have small kids

Also, read the instructions for when you leave. Some places you're supposed to start a load of laundry, take out the trash, etc. It's not a full service hotel.

[ObviouslyNotAGolfer]

On a business trip (someone else paying), I do like a full service hotel with modern rooms and a sleek lounge, but for vacation travel, it is actually kind of nice not to have to deal with housekeeping coming in every day. It's amazing how much extra those sorts of hotel amenities cost over just a vacation rental.

Staying off the beaten track is another great idea. When I go to London, I stay in Kew, which is a gorgeous, peaceful, and quiet neighborhood near enough to central London. (If you have 10 million pounds you miiiiight be able to make a tiny down payment on a tiny house there). In Berlin, check out Dahem-Dorf, a very similar arrangement. For San Francisco, Berkeley is a great alternative (not disclosing our ultra-private posh location there!! ;)

Now all I need is some cheap airfare to Paris (likely going about this time next year)--although I do want to fly on the AF A380, as I've never been on that plane before.

[HBFIRE]

Now all I need is some cheap airfare to Paris (likely going about this time next year)--although I do want to fly on the AF A380, as I've never been on that plane before.

Travel hacking!  Don't pay for flights. 

[living small]

We have, both US and in Europe. We leaned heavily on the reviews and used crime maps if we were unfamiliar with the cities to make sure we were in a reasonable spot.  We have had nothing but good experiences. Good luck!

[MMM98]

When using VRBO keep in mind a computer will respond to you acting as the owner.  Home away determined that it was quicker and insured a booking if VRBO communicates as if the computer is the owner.  For this reason I no longer use VRBO as a property owner.

[JimLahey]

My wife and I stayed in a cabin near Gatlinburg that we found on VRBO for our honeymoon. We had a great experience and it was cheaper than most hotels.

[carolina822]

I stayed in a lovely flat in Paris via Airbnb last year. It was about $50 US per night. It was not city center, but right across from a Metro station, so we could be in the middle of things in a matter of minutes. We had ended up getting there a couple of days earlier than planned, so had to get a hotel for the first two nights (also reasonable, right in town - I'm glad we got to have that experience too) and five nights at the Airbnb was the same as two in the hotel. As others have said, read the reviews and you should be fine.

I'm jealous - I didn't expect to love Paris quite as much as I did, and while I have other things on my itinerary before I start repeating, I would go back yesterday and stay there.

[cchrissyy]

VRBO (which is the same company as Homeaway and is now owned by expedia) is perfectly good and reputable company, but honestly Airbnb is eating their lunch.  From a guest perspective, the prices are lower on ABNB and the selection is bigger. I think VRBO now gets an older and more established clientele, the folks who have been booking vacation rentals since the internet existed and even before that, while ABNB gets the younger and wider market. Both are fine sites to find your next rental!

[Goldielocks]

I have used www.TUG2.net
Timeshare User Group -- look for the marketplace ads.

First used it in the 1990's before AirBnb was around and VRBO was small.
TUG2 has listings for good coverage for the the timeshare hot spots.  I find that more of the listings are for prime weeks with only half being super low discounts.

I think we had a week on the beach in Waikiki, HI for $650.  Large Bachelor with kitchen.
Rented a ski place for a week another time, etc.  Most places are rented for the annual owner dues amounts.