Modern travelers are seeking alternatives to traditional hotel rooms and suites. One of the best alternatives is vacation rentals. Typically, these services offer more space and features in the same hotel accommodation segment. Moreover, unlike most hotels, these accommodation options are available in less sprawling neighborhoods, making them perfect to enjoy the peace and some cherished alone time.

Whether you’re on a casual getaway or on a well-planned vacation in your home country or to some foreign land, there are several vacation rental options to benefit from.

Here is a list of 6 of the best vacation rentals services that you can use to book your next vacation accommodation:

HomeAway

With the focus on providing traditional vacation homes to its clients, HomeAway is excellent for travelers looking to benefit from vacation rentals by owner directly. It enlists over 315,000 offerings worldwide on its website. Out of these, about 183,500 properties are available in European countries, especially France and Spain. One-third of its offerings are available in its home country, i.e., the United States.

There are several search filters, ranging from price to ratings, to narrow your rental options. Depending on different owners offering their traditional rental spaces on HomeAway, clients need to deposit an amount varying anywhere from 10 to 50 percent of the total accommodation fees. A few top-notch properties available for rent at HomeAway require full payment to be made at least eight weeks before the check-in.

Airbnb

Flaunting a listing of over 200,000 options in over 25,000 cities around the world in 192 countries, Airbnb allows travelers to directly bag vacation rentals by owner. The service offers a wide variety of accommodation, varying from several-acre properties complemented with pools and vineyards to mere single bedrooms. Airbnb allows you to seek the best rental by means of amenities, price, property type, and other search parameters.

With a deliberate focus on New York City, San Francisco, and Paris, Airbnb is the ideal option for those looking to spend a vacation on the coasts of the United States or in the lively lands of Western Europe. The online marketplace and hospitality service provides support for making payments through Paypal in addition to its usual acceptance of credit cards. Moreover, it protects clients against fraudulent offerings by means of a 24-hour release period.

FlipKey

FlipKey offers over 150,000 vacation rentals around the world in over 7,000 cities. The online service offers most listings for Brazil, Europe, Mexico, and the United States. FlipKey is immensely preferred for rentals in Florida, Italy, and Rio de Janeiro. In actual, FlipKey is an endeavor of the immensely popular travel and restaurant reviews provider, TripAdvisor.

FlipKey allows seekers to check potential options in terms of available deals, property type, price, and others. The online hospitality service allows clients to make multiple selections and draw comparisons amongst them using the My Pick feature. Unlike its competitors, FlipKey doesn’t charge a booking fee. In addition, there are many payment options available, ranging from credit card to Paypal.

iStopOver

Founded in 2009, iStopOver is a Toronto-based organization aimed at providing inexpensive accommodations for grand-size events to the likes of Comic-Con and the Olympics. The online service offers a wide variety of offerings in over 16,000 cities around the world. Guests can search suitable accommodation options through destination, privacy, and other search filters. An additional 10 percent service fee on top of the accommodation rent is required.

iStopOver offers a “Wise Ask!” option to clients. It allows sending a list of all preferences of a guest to all available hosts at a specific location. The online hospitality service allows a number of payment options, making it easier for guests to pay and enjoy the best vacation rental offers.

CouchSurfing

Catering to over 15 million clients in over 90,000 cities around the world, the social networking and hospitality service CouchSurfing is one of the leading names in vacation rentals. In addition to providing impeccable accommodation services, CouchSurfing has a reputation for offering scrumptious meals and enthralling fun and adventure activities.

The online service works on a trust-building system. The users of CouchSurfing are divided into two primary groups, surfers (accommodation seekers), and hosts (accommodation providers). Members can vouch (recommend) other members. Guests need to request for a couch or a meet-up with hosts to get vacation rentals by owner on CouchSurfing.

VRBO

Owned by the same owner as that of the HomeAway, VRBO offers over 190,000 rentals worldwide, with most of them in the US. Following in the footsteps of HomeAway, VRBO allows guests to contact the host directly. It is a great option for those looking for vacation rental properties in the United States.

To protect guests from frauds, VRBO offers a feature known as the Carefree Rental Guarantee. It can cost anywhere, ranging from $49 to a few hundred dollars, depending on the overall purchase. The feature protects payment of $10,000 or more against double booked, foreclosed, and misrepresented accommodations.