From Wikitravel Shared

This article is a travel topic.

Holiday villas are an alternative to traditional hotels or hostel accomodation.

[edit] Outlines

When planning a trip or a holiday, after deciding the destination, one major decision is where to stay. The first thought may be a hotel, or if the budget is low, a hostel. In most tourist cities, you may find private apartments or villas that are available for short term rental. The usual rent is lower than hotels.

[edit] Advantages

Compared to hotel accomodation, a holliday villa is more like a home, gives more privacy, and is cheaper, and lets you cook yourself if you like. Rental holiday homes often have gardens and private pools. The kitchen is usually fully equipped and you are not restricted by any schedule.

[edit] Disadvantages

Holiday villas usually don't have private security guards. If there is a laundry service, it may be only once a week. The price may be good if you have several people, but higher than a hotel for only one or two.

[edit] Pay attention

When booking a villa, there may be many things you would like to pay attention to.

Many villa owners may require payment in advance 1-2 month before arrival. Be sure to check this, in order to be sure your booking doesn't get cancelled.

The price list may include a daily price plus: energy, heating, final cleaning, a security deposit or other taxes.

Be sure to check the check-in and check-out hours before arriving. Some owners may be flexible on check-out hours if the apartment is not rented the next night.

[edit] How to find holiday villas

Many home owners publish ads in national newspapers to advertise the villas. If you plan to travel in your country, this is one of the best & cheapest way to find accomodation. Just buy a classifieds newspaper and give some calls!

If you are planning to visit a different country, internet and google are your best friends! Many holiday property owners have build their own websites advertising accomodation and sometimes offering availability calendars and price lists. There are also some worldwide holiday villas operators, that offer villas in major cities from most of the countries. Many of them offer online availability calendar (updated 24/7), descriptions and pictures, online inquiry form, visitor's reviews and price calculator.