Picture this: it’s a hot summer day and you spot an ice cream stand in the distance. You choose a delicious creamsicle and hand the cashier a few bucks. ?
The cashier gives you back your change and gets the ice cream out of the freezer.
Then, the cashier shockingly takes a bite out of your popsicle as a ‘service fee.’ ? You would be pretty frustrated and definitely wouldn’t want to go back.
This is happening on dozens of vacation rental websites that charge exorbitant fees, taking a bite out of your trip. These fees are just for booking through their site and the actual cost of the vacation rental is far less than the total you’ll actually pay.
Many vacation rental travelers choose options like AirBnB because it’s easier than finding another vacation rental sites. However, there are several cons to using AirBnB for both the travelers and property owners.
We’re going to give you the 411 on a few vacation rental sites that are convenient and affordable alternatives to using AirBnB.
? More dollars in your pocket ?
We know it can be difficult to navigate the vast options out there and figure out where to begin when shopping for hotels, vacation rentals and everything in between.
So, we want to help you say goodbye to booking fees from companies that only care about making a quick buck. Tripz.com is on a mission to bridge the gap between owners and travelers. This is done by providing direct communication between the two, unlike AirBnB and other competitors.
Even better – there are no ridiculous booking fees – ever. The price you see on the site is the price you’ll pay.
Booking directly through the homeowner not only makes communication easier, but it saves time and money for both parties. This means better savings for travelers and more customers eager to stay in Tripz.com vacation rentals.
From a beach house in Mexico to a stunning vacation home in the mountains of Switzerland, the options are endless of Tripz.com. Homeowners who want to list their home on Tripz.com simply pay to advertise it on the site. They then have complete control and contact with guests.
Tripping.com is a top search engine for vacation rentals, with over 8 million properties in over 150,000 destinations, offering travelers with a wide variety of unique accommodations that are convenient and available for short and long-term stays.
Tripping.com has partnered with dozens of major hotshots in the vacation rental business, allowing users to easily compare vacation rentals across providers without searching forever for the perfect home away from home.
The San Francisco-based company is first vacation rental metasearch website to enable on-site booking, making it easier than ever to book a vacation rental. Even better, with close relations with major sites including HomeAway, VRBO, FlipKey, Housetrip and of course, Tripz.com, it’s the perfect place for users to browse by a variety of factors including price range, ratings, locations, and a long list of other awesome features and amenities.
If you’re looking for another vacation rental company that gives you direct access to owners and renters and no service fees, Florida Rentals By Owner is a great place to start — especially if you’re planning a trip to “The Sunshine State.”
From beachfront luxury vacation homes to Downtown Orlando stays, travelers can find any type of vacation rental on this easy to use site. Offering short stays and long-term Florida rentals, travelers can have incredible resort-style amenities like backyard beaches, home theaters, heated pools and hot tubs, hammocks, kayak launches, boat slips, fishing docks, indoor game rooms and more.
These amenities might sound cool, however, your wallet will also thank you. Florida Rentals By Owner never tacks on fees and communication between owner and traveler is completely open. Who’s ready for a weekend at the beach?
What to Avoid and Why
HomeAway is the parent of a variety of other sites like VRBO and VacationRentals.com. HomeAway charges a five percent commission to homeowners and a hefty service fee to travelers, much like AirBnB.
Vacation Rental By Owner, or VRBO, offers worldwide accommodations with property profiles that lay out bedrooms and bathrooms, reviews, photos, minimum stay requirements, amenities offered and availability.
Pricing-wise, vacation rentals are pretty close to equal with HomeAway—there are both paid and free-to-list options, with the free listings usually providing significantly less visibility and costing quite a bit more in the long run.
Like AirBnB, VRBO charges additional fees on top of the listing price seen. This can lead people to spending a lot more money than expected once finding their dream vacation rental.
One of the biggest downsides to AirBnB and even HomeAway and VRBO is that they have become so well-known that it has driven up cost and lowered availability. Many travelers don’t know that there are options like Tripz.com that have international vacation rentals without the fees of competitors.
The Bottom Line
The next time you’re thinking about booking a vacation rental, know that there are more affordable and accessible options out there as a substitute for AirBnB like Tripz.com and Florida Rental By Owners. Happy travels and we look forward to hearing about your vacation rental experience!
– Taylor Bishop – Travel Writer