Traveling with kids: vacation home rentals

Finding good accommodation at a reasonable price is a big part of planning a family holiday. When you're traveling with kids, it's nice to have access to some amenities that make your life easier: dishwasher, a washing machine and dryer, and a kitchen equipped with fridge, microwave and stove can improve your quality of life if you have small children along.

View from our rented condo in Maui, a couple of years ago.

Hotels are one option of course, and there are some great family-oriented hotels all over the world. Another option is to rent a home, meaning a condo or house, as your vacation accommodation. I have had great experiences in hotels, but I still prefer the vacation home rental. There are three main reasons for this:

• Size - A vacation home is usually roomier than a hotel room, and that's nice if you have one or more kids in tow. I know my kids can feel a bit confined in a hotel room, so more space is definitely a plus.
• Amenities - Usually a vacation home has pretty much the same amenities you have at home, including TV, couches, more than one bedroom, a kitchen, washer and dryer, and so on. That makes the kids feel more at ease, and it helps make the vacation go smoother for the adults as well. When you have young kids especially, being able to cook a meal at home, even a simple one, can be a lot more relaxing than having go out for dinner every night.
• Value - For the price you pay, I've found that you often get more for your money when renting a vacation home than when paying for hotel accommodation. A good family-oriented hotel definitely has its perks (as I found out when we went to Gran Canaria last year), but renting is often a better deal in my experience.

There is a wealth of companies that can help you find a vacation rental home, wherever you're going in the world. Here are some of them. Check out my Pinterest page for more ideas and tips!

• VRBO (Vacation Rentals By Owner)
• FHBO (Furnished Housing By Owner)
• Homeaway
• Owners Direct
• Evolve Vacation Rental Network
• Vacation Home Rentals
• FlipKey
• New York Habitat (specializes in NY, Paris, London and South of France)
• Discover Vacation Homes
• Room for 5 (specializes in accommodation for families of 5 or more)
• Rent and Play Vacations