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It is not long now until my family and I will be heading over to Beijing for the Olympics. As I am a keen sports fan this is the ultimate holiday destination for me this year. As I love the Olympics I also enjoy going to the cities that have hosted past summer games.

So far I have visited Sydney, London, Paris, Tokyo, Atlanta, Los Angeles and Melbourne as past hosts. I think the coolest stadium was the one in Los Angeles. I also enjoy collecting Olympic memorabilia. I will be keen to see what pins and badges people have in Beijing.

This now leaves Mexico City, Athens, Barcelona, Seoul, Helsinki, Berlin, Munich, Montreal, St Louis, Stockholm, Antwerp, Moscow and Rome. I think that is the lot.

Out of all of the cities still on the to do list I think Barcelona is the number one that I want to visit next. I still remember the stunning scenery that was shown during the Olympic coverage back in 1992. The diving event was amazing. Seeing the divers perform with the city below looked spectacular. Also the architecture looked very interesting.

Looking ahead to a visit to Spain I have started some research. I came across a site that has Spain holiday lettings. It has a good range of accommodation choices. I like the look of some of the luxury apartments in Barcelona. One that caught my eye was a 6 bedroom Apartment in Barcelona.

It is probably out of my price range but I was thinking if I convinced a couple of my friends to share then what a great thing to do. You can have the benefits of a great apartment and enjoy the company of family and friends.

I wrote another post that talks about the benefits of vacation home rentals. It is a great way to save money on your accommodation costs.

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With summer almost here now is the time to plan your summer vacation.

If you are going away usually one of the main costs is accommodation. Staying in a hotel can be great as you get the room service and access to facilities. They all have either a restaurant in the facility or one nearby, reducing the driving time needed to find something to eat. They all generally also have high-priced vending machines for those late night snacks that everyone seems to want while they gather in one room around an undersized television.

As an alternative to hotel stay vacations you could go with a more relaxed atmosphere you will find on in a Vacation Home Rental. This option is likely to give you more comfort and more convenience. How does a Vegas vacation sound? You can take advantage of a Las Vegas vacation home rental and enjoy the benefits of a home stay still with access to the best that Vegas has to offer.

If you regularly go away with a group of friends or extended family the home holiday stay option can have many advantages. With the buying power of the group you could look at the luxury vacation home rentals market and live like a movie star for a week.

There are numerous advantages to staying in a vacation home rental, including finding one large enough for everyone in the vacation party and the privacy they can afford. Many of them will have private swimming pools and hot tubs, eliminating the need to share the water with strangers. They will usually have complete kitchen facilities where you can do your own cooking, removing the expense and hassle of eating out at restaurants throughout the trip. Another bonus if you want a snack while watching late night television, you do not have to worry about getting dressed and walk to the vending machines.

Many vacation home rental units have all the comforts at home, and a few more and many can be found big enough to house several families. Buy finding a vacation home rental unit that can sleep up to 16 or 20 people, more families can share the cost of the rent and food.

Some questions to ask the owner about Vacation Home Rentals

• Talk to the owners directly. That will not only establish them as responsive individuals, it will also humanize them for the renter
• Have specific questions. Know what you’re looking for in a vacation home rental and check that the house has those features. If the answer is vague or non-committal, keep on looking
• View the photos. Only consider rentals where you can see pictures of all the key rooms - each bedroom, kitchen and living room. Ask where and when the photos were taken and whether a zoom was used. That can make it look like the house in on the beach, rather than a block away
• Is there a credit card payment option. Then, if the property is not as represented, you can walk out on it and ask your credit card company not to pay for the rental

Families Gather For Fun And Privacy

Although having up to 20 people under one roof may seem a bit crowded, most vacation home rental units have plenty of space for everyone. Many include more than one television for watching movies or regular TV, allowing those with diverse interests to be entertained in the evening. For those with an early bedtime, they can fall asleep in their own bedroom, without others having to be quiet.

Sharing the food costs and cooking and cleaning duties can save a lot of money as well. There may be one night set aside for everyone to hit their favorite nearby restaurant, while the rest of the time they can share family-style meals. For example, if 20 people go out to a restaurant in a vacation community, at an average of $20 per person, they can spend $400 just on one meal.

Just the money you can save by cooking at home can be huge. When you compare the bill for just one night out at a restaurant with what you would spend on the shopping for a week of cooking at home it is huge. A week of shopping might come in at the same price for just one meal out if you have a large group.

As you can see there are many advantages of a Vacation Home Rental. There are websites dedicated to helping you find that perfect home rental option. Here are just a few.

http://www.vrbo.com/
Vacation Home Rentals

http://www.vacationrentals411.com/

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