We all look forward to our annual vacation, a time to kick back, relax, and forget about the everyday world. However, there’s usually weeks’ worth of preparation put into planning for your getaway, even if it is as simple as renting a cottage. Questions like “lakefront or forest?”, “do I need to bring propane for the BBQ?”, “mom, where’s the Frisbee?”, are enough to warrant setting aside three vacation days to simply recover from the effort of getting there.
If you are wondering whether this is normal, we can hazard a “yes”. If you ask whether it should be normal, you will receive a resounding “NO”. Planning a vacation should be fun and easy, full of exciting possibilities, not a drudging chore.
Finding the perfect vacation accommodation is usually half the struggle since there are so many variables to consider. From cost, to location, to the actual rooms, it seems like one could spend hours online and on the phone maximizing the options for something which seems “ideal” but you aren’t really sure of until you check in.
If you want to make the best use of your planning time and start enjoying your vacation the moment it starts, follow this process to easy vacation accommodation booking:
- Consider Your Party
Before you even head towards the computer, consider who you are vacationing with. Will it just be you and your significant other? Is it a large group of friends looking to bond over an adventure? Or is it a family trip for the books? Who your company is will partially dictate the type of accommodation you will be looking for, whether it’s a full house rental, a romantic B&B, or a cosmopolitan hotel downtown.
- Plan the Budget
The budget can be a great (though sometimes unpleasant) way to limit your accommodation options. Decide how much of your total travel budget you can dedicate to where you are staying, and then divide it by the number of days you are away for a daily spending average. For some this will mean searching for listings in Turks and Caicos, the most beautiful place to rent a luxury villa for an unforgettable holiday, while for others that might mean a stylish AirBnB in a trendy district in Toronto.
- Define Your Needs
Everyone expects different things from their vacation accommodation. Some can’t fully relax without a deep soak tub, while others need to feel at home and have access to a kitchen. Get together with your vacation party and decide on what you “need” and what you “want”. This way it’s much quicker to find something which satisfies all the needs and then you can choose between the ones that also cover the greatest number of “wants”.
- Ask for Recommendations
If you are looking for the perfect child-friendly ocean-side resort in Mexico, or are looking for the best roof-top pool in New Orleans, sometimes it’s as easy as asking around. Reach out to your colleagues, friends, family members, and travel buddies for advice. Chances are that you will have a more similar taste to your friends than you will to those random strangers leaving reviews on the internet. Sometimes a personal recommendation might even lead to a discount if brought up at the time of reservation. It’s worth a try!
Once you go through these four steps, you are very close to finding the ideal vacation spot for you. Instead of scrolling through websites for hours looking for something to pop out at you, take control of the situation so that you can get to your “paradise” sooner and with less stress.
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