apartment rentals

We have used them at least a half-dozen times, all with results that varied from very satisfactory to excellent. I would give them a slight preference to VRBO's simply because the listing service has a vested interest in maintaining a decent reputation, whereas VRBO is all independent. Many of the listings on HomeAway are also listed with other services. And they are also sometimes listed independently as well. So if there is some sort of identifying feature like the title "Seascape Apartment in Sorrento" on the HomeAway service, try doing a google search for that same title and see if the same listing on another web site comes up. Different versions of the same listing often have additional information or a photo from a different angle, etc. Emailing the owner and asking if they have a private web site and/or more information is often very effective as well. So far we have used maybe about 15 different apartments in a dozen different countries and have never been "burned".

I think they are one and the same now business-wise. I have rented from HomeAway.co.uk and HomeAway.com probably a half dozen times and VRBO.com 2-3 times a year and have yet to have a problem. BUT, do due diligence and make sure you check out reviews and google any names and addresses you get. So far I have not had any issues but it doesn't mean they aren't out there. If you have a few places in mind, I'd ask on TripAdvisor or here if you can't find anything on a search engine. I have rented 3 newly listed homes in the past 2 years and have had no issues other than being the first to discover the heat doesn't work, no hair dryer, etc. Best of luck!

HomeAway owns VRBO. They bought them a few years ago.

Thanks. I did find one listing from VRBO on HomeAway and wondered abt it...........as always, RS travelers are in the know.

Hello, we have booked our accomodations for next summer, all apartments in 4 different locations. I used a variety of different booking sites after putting in ALOT of hours surfing through them all! We ended up booking on Flipkey (tripadvisor) for one, Airbnb for 2 (great sight to book with) and an independent sight for the fourth. Each sight is different, just do your homework. Alot of apartments are cross-listed. Pick out keywords, name of apartment or special features, and you can usually find alot of vrbo or homeaway listings on another sight (great for getting a variety of reviews and comparison pricing for your length of stay). I found an apartment in Paris I really liked on an broker sight, and with a little creativity in my search, ended up finding the owners listing for the apartment and saved over $150.00 on the weekly rental price by not using the broker. Good luck!

I also found several apartments listed on different sites with different prices!
Do a little or a lot of research and you may find better prices! Happy Travels!!