VRBO has now long been one of the best alternative ways to find decent lodging options. Unlike Airbnb, the platform only allows users to rent out full homes or apartments. That means that you won’t be sharing the space that you rent with other people. This is not the only element, however, that makes the platform innovative. The company recently shared some of its data from previous years with Travel and Leisure. What they’re essentially doing is giving users a cheat sheet so they know when they should rent out an accommodation by to get the best deals.
A travel expert who regularly uses the platform also revealed some of the “hidden” ways to find lower prices on the site. Matching the search with popular rewards programs could see travelers spend even less money on a VRBO property. Here are some of the popular tips to find the best price, even on some of the busiest days of the year!
This year, Memorial Day weekend is on May 27. Unfortunately, most of the best deals on VRBO homes are gone by now. According to the travel expert, the book-by date for this holiday was April 15. Anyone who is still looking into travel plans for that weekend should really look to book as soon as possible, even though many of the top properties on the site for popular locations may already be booked!
Don’t worry if you’re late for Memorial Day; just don’t be late for the 4th of July booking! The book-by date for Independence Day is set to be May 17. These dates apply to some of the more popular destinations on the site. Within these holiday weekends, the places that tend to get more travelers include the Outer Banks in North Carolina, as well as Cape May, and Ocean City in New Jersey.
The final book-by date that was recently revealed was for Labor Day weekend. This year, Labor Day is going to take place on September 2nd. You want to decide where you want to travel rather early – at least if VRBO is going to be your go-to place for lodging. According to the recommendations, it’s going to be best to book a place by July 22. That’s a full month and change before the actual date that you’d be traveling on.
When it comes to airfare for domestic travel, those prices are going to peak from May to June this year. That’s another point that may be good to keep in mind when deciding which of the federal holidays you’re going to choose to go on vacation. If you miss any of these book by dates, this doesn’t mean that you’re going to find it hard to spot a good property. There are always decent last-minute deals available. On this site, in particular, they may just be harder to come by. Therefore, it makes sense to listen to the experts and plan some of your trips ahead, especially if you’re traveling with multiple family members or friends. Larger groups naturally benefit more from VRBO properties.