Rentals are a way to cut city vacation costs

By Ed Perkins
Tribune Media Services
Published June 11, 2006

If you think that a "vacation rental" means a condo on Maui, a cottage in Wisconsin, a "villa" in the Caribbean or a farmhouse in Tuscany, think again. A short-term apartment rental can be a very attractive alternative to a hotel when you want to stay in the center of a big city.

City or country, a rental almost always enjoys some distinct advantages over a conventional hotel:

- Extra space and comfort. In a one-bedroom apartment, a couple can spread out much more comfortably than in a hotel; a two-bedroom apartment can comfortably accommodate two couples with plenty of living space.

- Lower per-person cost. A couple can cut costs in half by sharing a one-bedroom unit with another couple (provided one couple sleeps in the sofabed usually found in the living area), or they can knock 33 percent off by sharing a two-bedroom apartment among three couples.

- Lower meal costs. You can cut quite a bit out of your travel budget by fixing your own breakfasts and by fixing at least some of your lunches and dinners in the apartment's kitchen.

Of course, vacation rentals have some drawbacks too. Usually, they provide no daily housekeeping, although you can sometimes arrange it by paying extra.

In New York, one rental specialist is Gamut Realty (www.gamutnyc.com).

In London, two are Coach House Vacation Rentals (www.chslondon.com/vr) and Home From Home (www.homefromhome.co.uk).

My "favorites" file includes a bunch of online agencies that specialize in Paris, including Chez Vous (www.chezvous.com), Home-Rental-Finder (www.home-rental-finder.com), France for Rent (www.franceforrent.com), Locaflat (www.locaflat.com), Panache (www.panacherental.com) and Paris Sejour (www.psryourhomeinparis.com).

Disclaimer: In this and other reports, I discuss Web sites that post what appear to be attractive listings. Although I'm happy to identify them, I can't personally vouch for them. Whenever you deal with an online agency you don't know, take the usual precautions, including buying with a credit card.