Villa Rental: A Great Vacation Alternative

by: Randy Zlobec

You may not have heard about the possibility of renting your own private villa when you go on vacation. Available all over the world, these vacation rental homes are standalone homes featuring such luxuries as main service, private pools, and even your own private chef. Because you can share the cost of the villa rental among the people who are staying there, villas don't have to be expensive. They can even cost less than a standard hotel room, provided you choose the right villa and visit in the right season.

All travel destinations have a high season and a low season. In this case, "high" and "low"; refer to the amount of traffic that comes to the destination at that time. When there are a lot of travelers going to a given location, the cost of renting villas and hotel rooms goes up. However, in the low season, you can get an excellent discount on your villa rental. By planning carefully, you can get great deals on a luxury villa that would otherwise be out of your price range.

If you want to experience private luxury, a villa is a great choice. You won't have to deal with running into other guests and sharing spaces the way you'd have to in an ordinary hotel. For the period of your rental, the whole villa is yours. Also called "private island rentals," and "holiday lets," villas allow you to enjoy yourself without the press of people getting in the way. Villa rentals come in a wide variety of price ranges from as little as $350 per week. Most of us will be renting villas on the lower end, since the most luxurious ones are normally occupied by celebrities.

Remember that it's important to get trip insurance when you stay at a rented villa. You may have to put 20% to 50% of the rental cost down in advance. Trip insurance will repay you this amount, should weather or other factors prevent you from fulfilling your vacation plans. A villa is a great investment, but you wouldn't want to lose the money you've put into due to unforeseen problems.

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