People who had to cancel their vacation rental plans last year simply extended their reservations until this summer, booking up many homes in the most desirable waterfront locations before vacation season even began, according to Bob Deitrich, founder of TheVacationRentalExperts.com. He says two bedrooms that normally rented for around $2,200 are now booking for $4,200.
Prices are sky high for any homes still available, and if you’re not already sitting on a reservation, you might have limited options.
VRBO.com is the original online vacation home rental company, and their travel expert Melanie Fish says flexibility is going to be key for anyone who didn’t plan far in advance. “What I’m seeing is the really popular destinations being booked up earlier than they ever have before, and so if you haven’t made plans yet for a vacation you need to be flexible both with where you are going and when you are going.”
August or September might be better choices than the 4th of July.
Fish also adds a note for Texans making vacation home reservations now: “The homeowner sets their refund policies and we are entering the storm season, so you need to know under what circumstances you can cancel, whether you can get your money back, and really consider trip insurance.”
Homes along beachfronts and lakefronts are long gone for summer plans. But VRBO says there are some great land-locked possibilities. They list as the top 3 Tucson, Arizona; Branson, Missouri; and Moab, Utah.
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