Florida Vacation Rentals -- A Great Way to Take in Spring Training

After taking in a few ballgames, relax in
an ocean front vacation rental.

Spring training's in full swing as teams get ready for the 2012 season, which opens April 4th with the World-Champion St. Louis Cardinals playing the newly renamed Miami Marlins in the Marlins new stadium. Florida, home of the Grapefruit League for spring training and offers plenty of great games in March. There are games virtually every day, but here are some of the upcoming weekend games and links to Florida vacationrentals  to help you plan your spring training vacation.

The 2011 season finished with an exciting WorldSeries in which the St. Louis Cardinals pulled out a memorable win in Game 6 versus the Texas Rangers, and went on to win the series in Game 7. The Cardinals lost one of their top players when Albert Pujols signed a free agent contract with the Los Angeles Angels. The Rangers, meanwhile, pieced up Yu Darvish, spending over $100 million to land the Japanese ace pitcher. Given that they couldn't get one out in the bottom of the 9th in their heartbreaking Game 6 loss, it might just be the best investment they could have made.

Other teams with questions are the Philadephia Phillies, which will need to keep Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins healthy in order to have some offense to support a strong pitching staff. In the American League East, the New York Yankees landed pitchers Michael Pineda and Hiroki Kuroda.

March 2-4

Saturday, March 3

Tampa Bay Rays vs. Minnesota Twins, Fort Myers, 1:05 pm

New York Yankees vs. Philadelphia Phillies, Clearwater, 1:05 pm

Sunday, March 4

Atlanta Braves vs. Detroit Tigers, Lakeland, 1:05 pm

Minnesota Twins vs Boston Red Sox, Fort Myers, 1:35 pm

March 9-11

Friday, March 9

Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Boston Red Sox, FortMyers, 7:05 pm

Saturday, March 10

St. Louis Cardinals vs. Miami Marlins, Jupiter, 1:05 pm

Houston Astros vs. Toronto Blue Jays, Dunedin, 1:05 pm

Sunday, March 11

New York Yankees vs. Minnesota Twins, Fort Myers, 1:05pm

http://www.perfectplaces.com/United_States/Florida/l_SW_Gulf_Coast/Fort_Myers_Beach-Vacation-Rentals.htm

March 16 - 18

Friday, March 16

Detroit Tigers vs. New York Mets, Port St.Lucie, 1:05 pm

Tampa Bay Rays vs Toronto Blue Jays, Dunedin, 1:05 pm

Saturday, March 17

Boston Red Sox vs Baltimore Orioles, Sarasota, 1:05 pm

Sunday, March 18

New York Mets vs. Houston Astros, Kissimmee, 1:05 pm

March 23 - 25

Friday, March 23

Detroit Tigers vs. Pittsburgh Pirates, Bradenton, 1:05 pm

Saturday, March 24

Boston Red Sox vs Miami Marlins, Jupiter, 1:05 pm

St. Louis Cardinals vs New York Mets, Port St.Lucie, 1:10 pm

Sunday, March 25

New York Mets vs. Washington Nationals, Viera, 1:05 pm

March 30 - April 1

Friday, March 30

Philadelphia Phillies vs New York Yankees, Tampa, 7:05 pm

Saturday, March 31

Boston Red Sox vs. Tampa Bay Rays, PortCharlotte, 1:05 pm

St. Louis Cardinals vs Washington Nationals, Viera, 1:05 pm

Sunday, April 1

Philadelphia Phillies vs Atlanta Braves, LakeBuena Vista, 1:05 pm

Games continue through April 4. Get a full schedule at FloridaGrapefruitLeague.com. Whether it's for spring break or just a quick weekend trip, book a vacation rental and enjoy some great spring baseball in Florida.

Exciting Easter Vacation Destinations

This week saw the start of Lent, which means it's about 40 days to the Easter Sunday (April 8). The holiday offers a long weekend that many people use for vacation. Whether you're looking for a religious or secular experience, there are plenty of places around the world that you can go to enjoy your Easter weekend.

Israel Vacation Rentals

Tel-Aviv rental's beach. Click photo to see property.

The Holy Land, as Christians refer to it, is always a popular destination for Holy Week and Easter itself. While finding hotels and some rentals in Jerusalem may be difficult, there are other areas of the country you can use as a base. Tel-Aviv, for example, is about an hour away from Jerusalem. You could use it as a base. Plus, it has the advantage of being on the coast.

Rome Vacation Rentals

If Israel and the Holy Land aren’t for you, then consider Rome, the seat of the Roman Catholic Church. Also, tradition holds that St. Peter was crucified in Rome. During Holy Week, Christians commemorate the last week of Jesus' life, culminating with the celebration of his resurrection on Easter Sunday. The week starts off with lively and colorful celebrations on Palm Sunday, when St. Peter's Square comes alive with a sea of green palm fronds. If you plan on attending Saturday night services in St. Peter's Square, be sure to get their hours in advance. Similar to Jerusalem, if you have trouble finding accommodations in Rome itself, consider staying just outside the city and traveling in for festivities.

View of the Collosseum in Rome.
Click photo to see property.

Spain Vacation Rentals

Spain is another heavily Catholic country. If you stay in Madrid, you can see the resurrection drums procession. Drummers in white robes gather on the city's grand Plaza Mayor Square on Easter Sunday, beating their drums and announcing Christ's resurrection. There are also other celebrations during Semana Santa (Holy Week) that have a more reverent tone, including the Passion of Christ. An advantage to spending Easter in Spain is that temperatures are moderate to warm, meaning you'll likely have great weather for your visit.

Netherlands Vacation Rentals

Relaxing in the Netherlands.
Click photo to see property.

If you're looking for more secular celebrations, try the Netherlands. Spring blooms of tulips and daffodils grace the country with color and beauty every spring. You'll find displays of spring flowers throughout the country. Easter Monday is also a holiday in the Netherlands.

Vienna Vacation Rentals

Vienna's Easter markets are a great place to find crafts and artistically decorated eggs, food, music and much more. The markets are active in March and April, and there's plenty of entertainment and activities for children. The most famous, and perhaps most romantic, is the Easter market at Schonbrunn Palace in Vienna. There's also the Old Vienna Easter market at the Freyung, a lovely square in the old city.

One thing to be aware of--in many countries, Easter Sunday is a significant holiday. Some services, such as public transportation or public buildings, may be limited or not available.

The Austria Alps--the Perfect Ski Vacation

Skiing in Austria is considered by many to be the best in the world. This alpine country has produced it share of Gold-medal Olympic skiers and is known for its natural beauty. Austrian ski schools are world-famous, and lessons in English and other languages are available. You'll find plenty of Austrian ski vacation rentals at PerfectPlaces.com and MountainSkiRentals.com.

A ski vacation in Austria more affordable than you might realize.  If you live on the east coast, a one-week ski trip to Austria is about the same as a trip to the Rockies. Certainly, if you're traveling from the central or western part of the United States airfare will be a bit more. But then again, how often will you ski Austria? It's a trip that will be well worth the relatively small extra cost.

Temperatures in Austria are very moderate. Daytime highs in the Alps are generally warmer than in the Rockies. The winds aren't as strong either. It's easy to check on ski conditions as you plan your trip by visiting sites such as OntheSnow.com.

Austria also features big vertical drops. A vertical drop is the difference in altitude between the highest lift-served point and the end of the run. A big vertical drop number will mean long runs and less crowded lifts. 

Austria ski resorts have runs for skiers of all skill levels, so whether you're a beginner or expert, you'll find a slope perfect for you.

The Austrian Alps are filled with quaint villages and cozy ski chateaus tucked in perfect mountain scenery. Austrian ski resorts offer family-friendly activities, snow-clad chalets, a variety of outstanding restaurants and an exciting nightlife.  Whether you're going for the skiing, snowboarding or apres ski, you're sure to have a great time during ski season in Austria. 

Tips for a Destination Wedding; Vacation Rental Options

Your destination wedding guests will appreciate
a relaxing vacation rental to call home.

Destination weddings are becoming more and more popular as brides and grooms seek out nuptials in exotic locations. Their reasons are varied, but many are looking for a unique way to have smaller, more intimate weddings. Vacation rentals are a great way to offer guests lodging at a destination wedding. A vacation rental will help family members enjoy their time together. The bride and groom can arrange for their own accommodations either with their family or in separate rentals. Plus, vacation rentals help build on the togetherness and intimacy of a destination wedding. Here are tips for planning a destination wedding, as well as some of the most popular locations.

Imagine getting married on a Hawaiian beach
next to the beautiful, blue Pacific Ocean.

Choose Your Location Carefully. Start with determining your tentative guest list. Consider how many people will really be able to make the trek. If you want grandparents to attend and they're in their 80s and not able to travel a great distance, you may need to opt for a location closer to home. Or, if you select a destination that requires multiple airline connections, you may find that not everyone has the time or money to make the trip. Conversely, it you select too small of a venue and your whole guest list decides to attend, you might have a seating problem. That romantic isolated beach won't be quite as romantic when it’s packed to capacity with guests.

Be sure to consider the weather in the location you select. Check sunset times, rainy and dry seasons, find out what the wind is like. This applies even if your wedding is going to be indoors. You don't want to plan your wedding during a monsoon season!

The location you select, if it's out of the United States, will have its own legal requirements for marriage. So be sure you and your fiancé have all the necessary documents.

Plan Far Ahead. Guests will need time to get passports, get time off work, find sitters for the kids and more. Remember, you're asking people to make travel plans. If your destination location is domestic, you'll have a little more leeway.

Verify Your Vendors. Thoroughly research all the caterers, florists, artists, wedding cake bakers, musicians, DJs and any other vendors you'll be hiring for your wedding. Get references and check them out. If the vendor is trustworthy, they'll be proud to share their references with you.

Detailed Directions. Don't assume you guests will know how to get to your destination wedding. Provide as detailed information as possible, down to the best airlines to use. For experienced travelers on your guest list, your detailed instructions will be a reassurance. For the less experienced, they could make the difference between getting to your wedding or not coming at all.

Gifts. It's common practice for couples holding destination weddings to insist on "no gifts." The presence of the guests is considered to be enough of a present.

Here are some popular locations for destination weddings that also have an ample number of vacation rentals available:

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

Florida Keys

St. Barts

Lake Tahoe

Hawaii

Europe

Benefits of Vacation Rentals

Escape with your family and friends to your own
private beach house in the Cayman Islands. Click
the photo to see more.

More and more people are staying in vacation rentals when traveling, and with good reason. Vacation rentals offer a better value than other types of lodging. No matter how many travelers in your group, you'll get more "bang for your buck." Here are just some of the benefits.

Live like a local. When you go on vacation to a beautiful paradise, you've probably asked the question, "I wonder what it would be like to live here." With a vacation rental, you can get an answer to that question. And you can experience an area at any price range you desire. Whether it's wonderfully upscale neighborhood or quaint home tucked away on a charming street, you can live like a local no matter where you visit. If you're the least bit interested in buying property in the areas you vacation, then vacation rentals are definitely the way to get to know an area.

Luxury all to yourself in Telluride.
Click photo to see more.

Group travel. If you're traveling with a large group of people (and that generally means groups of more than just two adults), then vacation rentals will be the better way to go. Everyone can share the costs. Or, if that's not an issue, then at least everyone can have their own room and enjoy a lot more privacy. Plus, your group will be able to stay up as late as you want, enjoying the amenities that come with your vacation rental. With a hotel, the more guests in your party, the more you'll pay. Vacation rentals will have a maximum number of guests allowed, but as long as you don't exceed that number, you won't be charged more. And if you have fewer, then everybody gets more space!

If you're traveling with children old enough to have their own rooms, you won't worry about them being in a hotel room all by themselves. A vacation rental will be more like your own home, where you can monitor their activities more closely.

You won't find a restaurant with a better
view or easier access to the beach.
Click on photo to see more.

Full kitchens. One of the biggest expenses and hassles you face when traveling is eating out. Let's not confuse this with a nice dinner at a 5-star restaurant. Breakfast, lunch, or quick dinner after a long day of activities not only adds up cost-wise, but they can stress you out. Ever try to get large group to agree on a place to eat (actually, we've all probably seen a family of three or four disagree on the best place to grab lunch). 

With a vacation rental, you can stock up on groceries everybody likes at the start of your trip, eat out when it's convenient for you, and still save money on your food bill. Plus, buying local produce and groceries gives you an authentic feel for the area you’re in, even down to the neighborhood. Many people who stay in vacation rentals plan on eating breakfast and lunch in their rental and dinner at a restaurant. Some like to eat lunch out, as that's a more affordable meal. The advantage a vacation rental gives you is choice--you're not always forced to eat hotel or restaurant food.

When it comes to beach vacation rentals,
it's hard to beat the Florida Panhandle.

Privacy. In a hotel, you're really a part of a community of strangers. You've got to put up with noisy guests, room service trays in the hall, sharing pools, hot tubs or game rooms and, of course, the dreaded mad dash to the ice machine in your pajamas. With a vacation rental, you have a lot more privacy. In a private vacation rental, the game rooms and entertainment centers are yours and yours alone. You can relax by your own private pool, take a dip in the hot tub at 2 am, and sleep in without worrying about a knock on your door from housekeeping. Even when you rent a condo, you have much more privacy than you would in a more public type of accommodation. Since a property consisting of condos is smaller than a hotel, the management and staff are attentive to your individual needs.

Choice. That brings us to our final benefit for this installment--choice. Whether you're looking for a lake rental, something in a neighborhood or town center, or one on the beach, you get exactly the type of accommodations you want. Hotels are built to make everybody happy and comfortable. A vacation rental is much more personal. You can select a rental with the kind of amenities you want. Perhaps no one in your group is a swimmer. Then you can forego the pool in favor of a larger game room or more space. With many vacation rentals, you can even have it all and use it at your discretion. The point is, you are in more control of your environment when you stay in a vacation rental.

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91% Increase in January Vacation Rental Bookings

Bookings at PerfectPlaces.com for vacation rentals increased 91% in January, versus last year during the same month. Perfect Places President Rick Haggart said the increase was most likely due to more people being comfortable with booking vacation rentals and improvements to the site's online booking process.

Haggart said that since vacation rentals have gained a loyal following of savvy travelers seeking the value and amenities only a vacation rental can provide. He said vacation rentals are becoming the preferred lodging choice for many travelers.

PerfectPlaces.com also improved its online booking process in 2011, which means these travelers had an easier time booking the vacation rentals they wanted.

Haggart said the improving travel market should continue to bode well for vacation rentals. He said that the 91% increase in bookings included a significant increase in the average booking amount and in the number of international destinations. However, most of the growth came from bookings made within the United States.

Read the rest of the press release here. 

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100 New Vacation Rentals in Pacific Beach, WA

Beach front! Relax on your porch and enjoy
spectacular ocean view.

We're excited to announce the addition of 100 new vacation rentals from Seabrook Cottage Rentals in Pacific Beach,Washington. These are immaculate and beautiful cottages located in a new coastal neighborhood. Pacific Beach is a beautiful community conveniently tucked between Olympic Rain Forest and the Pacific Ocean.

There's plenty to do and see whenever you visit. Enjoy long walks on the incredible two-mile long, wide-open beach, go clam digging, collect seashells and build a sandcastle. No matter what the season, you're sure to find plenty to do on the beach.

You can also hike on the Seabrook trails and enjoy the local natural beauty. There are soaring 200-foot tall cliffs nearby, as well as crystal clear Northwest rivers.

The Olympic Rain Forest is just 30 minutes away, but be sure to remember your camera so you can capture the breathtaking views. A little further away is Ruby Beach in Kalaloch, Washington. It's about 90 minutes away but is one of only six beaches where you can find sea stakes, tide pools and driftwood. It's well worth the trip. Roosevelt Beach is closer, and can accommodate vehicles (make sure you can drive yours in the sand).

If you're looking at vacationing in Ocean Shores, Westport or Long Beach, you'll find these vacation rentals conveniently located nearby. 

Marlowe Manor features a stunning ocean view.

Each Seabrook cottage is fully furnished with bedding, linens, towels, dishes, cookware, everything you need to make your stay enjoyable and convenient. You'll have your choice of oceanfront and ocean view rentals as well as cottages near parks. Many are pet friendly, and all are perfect for weekend getaways for two, whole-family vacations, reunions, business meetings, retreats and more. 

Seabrook's vacation rentals received a great honor recently when it was voted the Evening Magazine's Best Northwest Cabin Escape--just one more reason to make Seabrook your destination of choice for fun on the Northwest coast. There's so much to see and do at Seabrook.

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