As summer nears we have been talking about where we’d like to take a family vacation this year. We try to do at least one a year if not more. So when I had the opportunity to participate in a sponsored post with HomeAway I knew I’d be a great fit!
In Hawaii earlier this year
We LOVE to travel especially now that we have a child since we know the benefits of creating fun traveling memories are endless. When it was just The Hubby and I we tended to stay in hotels or bed and breakfasts. However, now that we have The Love Nugget we’ve learned that the most practical way to travel with a family (at least for us) has been to rent a house. If you have kids you can relate to the amount of stuff that manages to fill your car when traveling.
Luggage, toys, pack-n-plays, bikes, food, pillows….. The list goes on and on. So staying in a hotel can often leave us cramped and uncomfortable. Which is one reason we often rent a house, apartment or condo for our family vacations.
(A vacation home we rented in Tahoe)
It allows us to spread out, gives the kids room to run around,
(Dads and kids playing at our house rented in Santa Cruz)
and the adults space to relax 
(Relaxing with friends at a home rented in Tahoe)
Another main reason is that we like to have the kitchen to cook our own meals.
(Enjoying breakfast on the patio in Santa Cruz last year)
It’s just so much easier with kiddos and saves a ton of money in the long run
When the planning stages begin I always head over to Home Away or VRBO (which is part of the HomeAway family).
(A home we rented in Healdsburg through VRBO)
Home Away is the leading vacation rental market place that offers a plethora of vacation rentals all around the world. It’s free and with so many options makes planning a comfortable vacation simple.
An aspect of HomeAway I love is how you can really pinpoint exactly what you are looking for through their searching filters.
So when we’re looking for a family friendly condo on the waterfont that’s pet friendly, kid friendly and includes a hot tub for the adults we can easily pinpoint exactly what homes have these criteria. This makes weeding out those home that don’t match what we need simple.
What’s fun now that The Love Nugget is older is including him in the vacation planning as well. Allowing him to browse the rental images and getting him excited about the adventure that lies ahead. I think if he had his choice he’d plan all our vacations in Hawaii on the beach but this article lists the top 4 things kids want on a vacation. AND if we let him choose by himself he’d probably pick one of the featured homes in this article…
While kids would pick them I think they would be pretty fun for the whole family!
Regardless of where we decide to go I’m looking forward to finding the perfect vacation rental using Home Away or VRBO that will allow us to enjoy a family trip and create lasting memories
If you’re looking to book any type of vacation this year (or whenever), make sure to check out Home Away to find a property that suites your needs. You can also enter to win a $5,000 Stay with the HomeAway Kidfluencers Contest!
This summer, HomeAway is empowering kidfluencers by giving them even more control over their family’s travel plans with a chance to win a $5,000 vacation rental stay to anywhere in the United States in 2015. To enter, travelers just need to create a 15 to 60-second video of their kids describing why their family should win a vacation from HomeAway. Upload the video to Instagram, YouTube or Vimeo, using the hashtag #HomeAwayVacation and complete the entry form at http://bit.ly/1c0IN33 before May 29, 2015. HomeAway will select 10 finalists that will be voted on by the public from June 8 to 12 to determine the winner. For more details on the contest, visithttp://bit.ly/1c0IN33.
Good luck to you!
QUESTIONS –
- Do you prefer to stay in a hotel or rental home when traveling with kids?
- How many family vacations do you take each year?
- Do you have any fun trips planned for this summer?
Disclaimer – This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of HomeAway.
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