Vacation Home Rentals Blog

If ignorance is bliss, so is falling off the face of the Earth.

No deadlines, no pressure. Just you and this New Zealand vacation home.

Can you see it? The same magical mountains trekked by Frodo and crew … close to fishing, skiing and white water rafting.

And just check out Spaview’s eight-person pool in full view of the countryside. There with your sweetheart or seven good-looking strangers, you’d have to feel as beautiful and sparkly as Liv Tyler’s ethereal character, Arwen.

Feel free to browse our listings for more vacation rentals, but know that one former renter described this place as “Heaven on Earth.”

Talk about a compliment.

Put down the Blackberry. Leave the laptop at home. No one will care if you Facebook status is five minutes old.

If that carpal tunnel has taught you anything, it’s that you need to learn how to rest.

Find yourself a nice little cabin like a Maine vacation home. Sit on the dock and watch the sunset. Fish. Read. Sleep.

If you absolutely insist on being active, don’t overexert yourself. Explore the beauty surrounding the vacation rental, from Green Lake to the 20 acres of woods surrounding the property.

There is no race here, no contest for better profile photos. Just stillness.

It’s exactly as it should be and exactly where you ought to be.

More specifically, give something away for free.

Yes, we’re talking to you vacation home owners. One night won’t hurt your bottom line that much, and in fact, may urge renters to book longer stays.

Take this Pacific Beach vacation rental, which is teasing us with two nights and a third free. The beauty, billed as a winter escape, sleeps nine guests for only $99 a night. Not even kidding. That’s a whole four-bedroom house–outdoor fire pit, gourmet kitchen, King Sleep Number Bed and all–for $22 a head (at full capacity assuming nine adults for two nights).

For bargain hunters, the package can’t be beat. You probably spent more on your last trip to the grocery store.

Better pounce on this deal before it expires on March 5 and don’t forget to mention that you found it on Check-In, Check-Out!

Maybe the last body of water you saw was the indoor pool at your gym.

Well it’s time you experience the real thing: The sparkling Caribbean, which begs for splash time while on winter break at this British Virgin Islands vacation home.

The luxurious estate, like many beach rentals in the area, is a playground for water sports, from snorkeling to kayaking. From the 30-foot seaside patio, launch 6 double sit-aboard kayaks, which come with the house.

All five bedrooms come with an outdoor shower–if you’re into cleansing in nature–and views of the stunning ocean. The home is within steps of four beaches on the coast of Virgin Gorda, a secluded escape studded with granite boulders and lush gardens.

“Nothing can be built taller than a palm tree on Virgin Gorda. There is no trash. There are no McDonald’s. Just beauty and wonderful Virgin Gordians to welcome you warmly.”

Sounds like paradise.

In the language of romance, nothing screams, “Let’s focus on us,” more than a weekend at a B&B.

This St. Martinsville, Louisiana vacation rental is in the heart of Cajun country on the grounds of historic Evangeline Oak, which inspired a poem by Henry Wadsworth-Longfellow. The Greek revival home–dubbed The Old Castillo Bed & Breakfast–sits under a cascade of moss next to the lazy Bayou Teche.

Listed on the National Register of Homes, the property is your gateway to that desperately needed time to reconnect away from the kids, the deadlines, the bills.

Inside, find all that you would expect from a vacation rental in the Deep South: hardwood floors, antique furniture, fireplaces and a large veranda for sipping your ice tea or curling up with a good book.

While everyday life isn’t the stuff of Longfellow poems, this place certainly feels like it.

Disney came up with a brilliant idea to boost its business: A free ticket on your birthday with valid ID.

Just fill out some paperwork at the will-call window of any park. (Feb. 29 babies, hit Disney World or Disneyland on Feb. 28 or March 1.)

After meeting Mickey and friends, chillax at this Davenport vacation townhouse (about 10 minutes away from Disney), where you’ll be winding down the lazy river or teaching your kids how to do underwater somersaults in the children’s pool. The Regal Palms just happens to be near a championship golf course, too, if perfecting your put is your thing. (To those who say golf isn’t by any stretch a kid’s sport, remember that Tiger Woods started working on that multimillion-dollar swing at age 2.)

This year, keep your all-business attitude in check. Whether you’re in an Orlando vacation home or Anaheim rental, parcel some time for play. Do a cannonball. Play some Foosball.

And don’t forget to get that picture with Minnie.

Happy New Year.

Hope last night’s celebration was as effervescent as your glass of Cristalino (which is what we were drinking, thank you very much).

In 2009, we won’t bore you with cliched resolutions to lose weight–that’s between you and your bathroom scale. What we will bring you: Seven days of vacation resolutions, because getting away is a proven formula for improving one’s outlook on life.

Need to better your golf game? A great reason to spend more time a Myrtle Beach vacation condo. Want to finally explore wine country? Whisk your wife away to a Napa vacation villa.

There’s no time like ‘09. So without further delay, the first resolution:

Be more spontaneous.

Apart from the initial planning, that’s what vacations are all about, right? In that spirit, we spun the veritable VacationHomeRentals.com globe and landed at this St. Maarten vacation home. The pool is prime for relaxation. Catch some rays while yachts and cruise ships sail by, then take the rental car that’s included in the reservation on a spin around Pelican Key.

For the best value, book for April 16 and on and save almost 50 percent off the winter price at $1,700 a week.

Now that’s a first resolution worthy of another toast.