Someone once shared with me a story about booking a vacation apartment during a vacation in Paris. This apartment seemed perfect, a charming 17th century building situated in the heart of Paris. This guest, however, had many complaints about the street noise, building structure, and the noisy stairwell. My agency received emails every day about this living conditions.

Truthfully, a vacation apartment is not for everyone.

Be mindful of your personal preferences before renting a vacation apartment. If the gurgling from a 400 year old fountain will disturb you, or the slightest malfunction will ruin your day, review the following steps carefully before booking a vacation rental.

Step 1: Consider choosing a rental in a region where the dollar has value. With the pound increasing and the constant fluctuation of the Euro, now is the time to look past Europe and consider traveling within the United States, Belize, Mexico or Costa Rica.

Step 2: If you have your heart set on a particular, and popular, destination, be sure to book your vacation far in advance. This may be anywhere around 6 to 12 months, depending on the location and season you choose to travel in. With limited supply, you will want to ensure that you will be among those perusing the streets of Paris.

Step 3: Take time to learn and understand the culture of your desired destination, as you may find that you can live without certain amenities while on vacation. Air conditioning in Hawaii is a great idea, but in Paris or Umbria, you may find yourself wanting to live without. Finding your perfect rental is possible as long as you know what you want.

Step 4: Take time to understand the terms of your rental. Is it all-inclusive, and what does that include? Is there private pool or beach access? Are airport transfers, mid service, personal concierge service included? Be sure to ask, or you may be in for a surprise.

Step 5: Rentals with a household staff may be particularly desirable for you, especially if you don’t want to spend vacation time with household duties with unfamiliar appliances. The cost for a household staff will be considerably lower in Brazil or the Caribbean than in Provence or Tuscany. This is due to the fact labor costs are lower. Rentals that include a butler or chef are always the best value.

Step 6: Look at rentals that allow you to check in any day of the week. Rentals that insist you check in/check out on Saturday or Sunday prevent you from securing the best airfares.

Step 7: Work with rental agencies that directly represent the owners of the property. It can be frustrating when the agency you choose to work with must jump through hoops to talk to the property owners. Agencies that specialize in one location usually deal directly with the owners, while agencies that have portfolios in many destinations work with property management agencies before the owner.

Step 8: Be sure to keep realistic expectations about your vacation property. Remember many of them are villas or apartments, so expect neighbors, street noise, and other distractions. If you don’t want to deal with any of these, consider booking a hotel room.

Step 9: Keep in mind that the idea of luxury in Europe varies greatly from that of America. Luxury may refer to the location of the home rather than the linens that cover the bed.

Step 10:
Most rentals may charge you differently if you do not plan on staying for at least a week. Some agencies will have you pay for 7 nights, while others may charge you a 3 night rental with a penalty. These booking policies are not universal, so be sure to check from agency to agency to find what fits you.