We have taken a few vacations over the last decade which really stood out in our minds, many of which involved staying in a rental home. One of those included a beautiful old home just a few blocks from Duval Street in Old Town Key West that allowed us to experience the city in the finest of ways – mixing into the chaos when we wanted to but stepping away from it all most of the time to enjoy a pool in our own back yard.

Another of our great experiences in a vacation home was in 2019 when we were considering a move to the Midwest. While visiting for a few days, we selected an Air BnB townhome in an area of the city we were considering moving to so we’d know if it was a side of town we’d feel comfortable in. It really helped us get to know the city better than a downtown hotel which was further away from living areas, and also more expensive to rent for the number of people were traveling with.

A Beautiful Florida House Near the Beach for Rent or Sale. Make a Great Rental Property

If you’re considering a vacation home on your next trip, either through a private rental company, a vacation specialist, or an online booking agent like Air BnB, there are plenty of benefits for traveling this way. And if you’ve never tried this way of travel before, here are a few reasons why you should give it a try.

1. Local Flavor – You will get to experience the city you are in like a local.
2. Privacy – Hotels can provide all sorts of conveniences like room service or elaborate pools. But many times, you just need a bit of peace and privacy. It’s nice to disappear to a place where you are unknown and you can go skinny dipping in your pool if you want to!
3. Conveniences of Home – Let’s face it – few of us like change. So if you can go on vacation without having to upset our whole life, it feels nice. it also feels nice to have all your laundry completed before you return home with washers & dryers in the homes (only sometimes of course) and all your needed cooking utensils on hand (should you choose to try out your cook skills).
4. Lower Food Budget – Eating out during every meal while on vacation gets costly QUICKLY. Cooking in your vacation home with a well-stocked kitchen is a much more economically friendly option after you’ve visited the local grocery store. You also have an opportunity to avoid minibar drink fees because you can purchase full-sized drinks to keep in the fridge.
5. More COVID Friendly – This is something new one has to take into consideration, but once a home has been cleaning (prior to your arrival) if you’re the only family in the home, you should have a low exposure risk IMO. I’m no doctor and I don’t pretend to be one, so dig deeper if you have concerns. But you can also bring your own sanitation supplies (and I have friends that did this long before COVID was a thing) and clean the place like the dickens to be extra safe.
6. Extended Vacations – This can be bad and good but many times staying in a home requires a longer minimum stay than a hotel. So you may find that larger homes or those in tourist destinations, like the Florida Keys, require you to stay a week or more.
7. Perfect for Larger Groups – If you’re in a group of 4 or less, you may find the rental costs for an entire home are higher than a hotel room or two. So you will need to consider the overall costs and may need to find another friend or couple to split the travel expenses with.

Have you stayed in a vacation home or Air BnB before? How was your experience? Would you recommend it to others? Share your thoughts below in the comments.