My sweet cousin absolutely adores traveling. Every year, she and her family go on multiple vacations. Recently, my cousin and her daughter vacationed in the Dominican Republic. Almost immediately after her beach trip, my adventurous relative and her husband traveled to Paris. Would you like to visit a foreign country for the first time this year? Consider hiring an experienced travel agent to help you plan a vacation you’ll be talking about for years to come. On this blog, I hope you will discover the benefits of consulting with a travel agent before traveling abroad for the first time. Enjoy!
Peer-to-peer vacation services have become exceptionally popular as an affordable alternative to hotels and motels. These peer-to-peer rentals are generally rented through a third-party site and form an agreement between the renter and the landlord. But though they can be cheaper than traditional hotels, there are some downsides involved.
Hosts Can Cancel at Any Time
When using peer-to-peer vacation rentals, there's no guarantee that the property will actually be available. Though you will be able to get a refund if the host cancels close to your departure date, that might not help you; when your host cancels, you might find that there's no longer a place available to rent. Because of this, you need to be very cautious when planning -- especially if there is an upcoming event in the area you're going to.
Rooms May Be Shared
It's very important for you to look at peer-to-peer listings carefully. Most of them are not for an independent house or apartment but instead for a single room within that apartment. In fact, some may not be rooms at all; some of the "room shares" are actually just a bed in a shared room or studio. If privacy is important to you, this could prove to be problematic.
Rates Tend to be Inconsistent
Because individuals set the rates on their own, they may not necessarily be the most affordable in the area -- especially if you're considering motels as well as hotels. Peer-to-peer renting requires a significant amount of comparison shopping, because you can't just assume that the rate that you're getting is a reasonable or representative rate.
Rentals May Be in an Inconvenient Place
For the most part, most people who are traveling are going to be in the heart of the city. Peer-to-peer rentals tend to be in entirely different areas, such as residential areas. For some trips, this might not be a big deal; if you're renting a car, you may be fine. But if you are relying upon public transportation or are on a tight schedule, a peer-to-peer rental may be too far away.
Though peer-to-peer vacation services may seem like a great deal, they do represent a trade off. If you're traveling on a budget, they may be a viable option -- you'll just have to be very aware of the above disadvantages. An alternative may be to consult with hotels in the area and determine whether there may be any discounted rates available.
Share