Country Vacations & Resorts

It may seem like a lot of work to choose a vacation rental versus your standard hotel when planning a stay outside the US. Truth is, it does take a bit more planning, but the rewards are certainly worth the effort.

Thanks to the internet, most of the information you need to make the best decision is right there where you need it. A great example is My Favourite Holiday Cottages.

If you have plenty of advance time and are still not sure of a final destination, you can search a wide area of (in this case), England. You can then easily drill down until you find the exact accommodation you desire. Want to be near the coast? Have a traveling pet? Want to be in town – near the pub, or more rural – but hopefully within walking or biking distance of same pub? The information is there. If you have little time to plan, you are also in luck since so much detailed info is immediately available.

Selecting a vacation rental over a hotel is also a better way to experience the local lifestyle. Stay in a large hotel in the UK and you are quite likely to be surrounded by – Americans. Nothing wrong with that, except that if I am in the United Kingdom I’d like to meet its citizens and find out how they spend their days.

My first foray overseas did point out a surprise or two. As example, American travelers get a little confused over the “self-catering” mentioned on many overseas vacation rental listings. You can find a brief discussion on this topic on the Country Vacations & Resorts “You, Vacation Detective” page.

Putting the finishing touches on the first “UK Cottage of the Month.” It might prove to be your perfect UK destination…