My Favorite Vacation Rentals Around the World
I stayed in my first Airbnb in London in 2014 and I’ve never looked back. However, 5 years later that first one it still is one of the best we’ve stayed in and no, it isn’t just because I was proposed to on the balcony there while overlooking the London skyline. 😉 Our host gave us easy check-in instructions, plenty of information about the apartment and London itself and left us snacks and a bottle of wine. Simple but awesome attributes of a vacation rental.
While I still stay in hotels I love being able to stay in vacation rentals for several reasons. One of the biggest pluses is that you can save money. More often than not, places you find on Airbnb or Vrbo are less expensive than hotels and you get the advantage of having a kitchen and washer/dryer if you want. The kitchen allows you to cook meals in (also saving money, plus it’s fun to find and experiment with local ingredients), stock your own drinks (again, saving money!) and even have a place to put the leftovers from the awesome restaurant you found. The washing machine is the key to packing light - if I’m staying for 2 weeks, I bring one week’s worth of clothes and wash them halfway through the trip. The location of the vacation rentals are usually in a more residential area of town as opposed to a super touristy section which allows you to see more of how the people of that city or country live. I also like the feeling of coming ‘home’ after a day of exploring as these days I’d much rather sit on the couch with a glass of wine to end the day as opposed to going to the city’s hottest nightclub. They are also great when you are staying with a group. You can find a 3 bedroom house for far cheaper than 3 separate hotel rooms and then you get to spend more time hanging out with your people - which is probably one of the main reasons you are going on the trip!
When I look for a vacation rental I will use the filters to narrow down what I want. In some big cities you can get super specific in all the little details. On Airbnb I’ll always look check ‘Entire Place’ meaning we won’t be sharing a room in someone’s house, the entire apartment/house will be ours. WiFi is another one I always check off when traveling overseas. If we are driving I will look for ‘Free Parking’ and if we are staying a long time, a washing machine. You can get super specific on the amenities a place has. I have never booked a place with zero reviews and I’m not sure if I’ll ever get the guts to. Not when there are so many other options online! Upon arrival a place will get my approval if it is as it was pictured and described. I also look for plenty of towels and bedding. If they have a hair dryer, that is an added bonus. In the kitchen I want it to have standard supplies so if we are cooking, we have everything we need to do so. I also love it when the host has added little touches (like a bottle of wine) as it makes the overall experience better.
I’ve compiled a list of my 11 favorite vacation rentals I have stayed in around the world below. To view the actual listing of the rental, just click on the city name!
London, England
While these aren’t in any particular order, I might as well start with my first ever Airbnb experience. Our flat in London was a one bedroom, one bath with a balcony overlooking the London skyline. There is a full on view of The Shard and to the right you can even see the top of Tower Bridge. Our host left a bottle of wine for us and had everything we could possibly need for our stay including wifi and a washing machine. The location was also fantastic. We were a short walk to the London Bridge underground stop that got us anywhere in London that we needed to be. We could also walk to London Bridge and the Thames and while a bit further, also Tower Bridge and the Tower of London.
The Shard and skyline views from the balcony of the London Airbnb
Wilmington, North Carolina
Wilmington is a fun town on the coast of North Carolina. Our Airbnb was downtown in the historic district in an old mansion and was broken down into four apartments. The location was fantastic. It was a block from the Cape Fear River and all of the shops, restaurants and bars downtown were within a mile. Free parking was also provided just outside the home allowing easy in and out to get to other sights outside of downtown - like Wrightsville Beach and the Atlantic Ocean. The apartment was a one bedroom, 1.5 bathroom. A living room and full kitchen were on the bottom floor along with a half bath. The second floor housed the bedroom and full bath. Off the bedroom was a small balcony to enjoy. We had a bottle of champagne waiting on us and had everything we needed for our weekend getaway.
Sunset over the Cape Fear River only a block away from the Wilmington Airbnb
Venazza, Cinque Terre, Italy
I will admit I saw the cover photo for this Airbnb and wanted to book it solely off that. Luckily it also had good reviews and what we needed for our two nights there so we booked it and the views were just as promised. Somewhere above the apartment along the trail people often photograph Vernazza - as we’ve been able to see the apartment’s balcony on dozens of photos on Instagram since staying. The apartment itself is very minimal. It has 2 beds and can sleep 4 but I’d really only recommend it for 2 people. When you walk in there is one bed and the little sitting/kitchenette area. You have to go downstairs to the one bathroom and this is where the other bed is. It’s really all one space (no doors except to the bathroom) and it doesn’t have central air, so it’s a bit muggy down there and not ideal for sleeping. However, for two people it was great especially when sitting out on the balcony enjoying the view of Vernazza and the Ligurian Sea. You do have to take a lot of stairs to get there (and there are just a lot in the area in general) but the stairs make the views worth it. Despite the stairs it’s not a long way to the small downtown area of Vernazza with plenty of shops and restaurants as well as access to the trails that connect the ‘Cinque Terre.’
Probably the best view I’ve ever had from an Airbnb overlooking the Ligurian Sea in Vernazza, Italy
Siena, Italy
Siena is a great town to stay in to have access to all of Tuscany. While we stayed there we took day trips to Florence and Montepulciano. Our draw to this particular Airbnb was the fact that it came with a guaranteed parking space as we had a rental car while in Italy. The apartment had one spacious bedroom and one bathroom with a full kitchen and washing machine. It was in the residential area of Siena and outside the old city walls and close to a grocery store. You could see the walls from the bedroom window but it was about a 20 minute walk to get there. Not super close but reasonable for what we were paying compared to staying inside.
Local cookies left by the host of our Siena, Italy Airbnb
Zurich, Switzerland
Our one bedroom, one bathroom Airbnb in Zurich was our home base in Switzerland for a week. It was in a good location and had everything we needed so it really did feel like home. We were close to restaurants and grocery stores but also a short walk to the tram. The tram got us just about anywhere in Zurich including the train station which then got us anywhere in Europe. We had a relaxing living room, full kitchen, washing machine and balcony. Switzerland is extremely expensive so it allowed us to save a lot of money on accommodations and eating/drinking out.
Residential views from our Zurich, Switzerland Airbnb
Seagrove Beach, Florida
This massive 10 bedroom house on Vrbo is obviously ideal for a big group. We stayed in it for our wedding and it was perfect for that. It had plenty of parking in the front of the house and was only a couple blocks from the public beach access. You could see the Gulf of Mexico from the upper deck of the house. In the back was a covered porch, patio, pool and sand volleyball court. The inside of the house is gorgeous even included an elevator to get your luggage up to the top floor! You could also walk or bike (via a bike path) into Seagrove along 30A where they have some great restaurants and bars. The city of Destin and Panama City Beach are both about a 20 minute drive away.
The pool area set up for our wedding at our Seagrove Beach, Florida Vrbo. Photo by Ashley Nichole Photography (www.AshleyNicholePhoto.com).
Lake Norman, Mooresville, North Carolina
Lake Norman is a hugely popular lake about an hour north of Charlotte. I had heard of it before because several NASCAR drivers live there. It’s also a lake without a hotel close by so if you want to stay ON the water, you need to find a vacation rental. So many of them are huge mansions with several bedrooms so it can be hard to find a small place for just my husband and I to get away - until we found this little Airbnb. It’s the upper level of a garage (the owner lives on the same property) but is a fully functioning, individual apartment. It has one bedroom, one bathroom and a full kitchen and living room. It has a balcony overlooking the lake and the owner allows access to his dock and kayaks. It’s in a quiet spot on the lake but only about a 15 minute drive to get into Mooresville where there are multiple grocery stores and restaurants.
View from the balcony of our Lake Norman Airbnb in Mooresville, North Carolina
St. Augustine, Florida
When I lived in Florida I was about an hour and a half from St Augustine so we rarely stayed the night. We decided to change that over my birthday weekend one year and found this Airbnb on the intercoastal and a short drive to the public parking at Crescent Beach on the Atlantic Ocean. The house had three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a full kitchen which was perfect for the large group that we had. The best part about the house though was the views of the intercoastal. The best way to enjoy them was on the screened in porch but they also had a dock where you could access your boat or kayaks. We saw dozens of birds and even manatees and dolphins off the dock! Downtown St. Augustine was a 15 minute drive and in between you pass dozens of shops, restaurants and grocery stores. Everything you may need is close by but once at the house, you feel relaxed and secluded.
Sunset over the intercoastal waterway from our Airbnb in St. Augustine, Florida
Rome, Italy
When we stayed in Rome we had hundreds of options on Airbnb so I really narrowed the filters down and ended up in an awesome apartment. I loved Rome and could have easily stayed in this apartment long term. It was clean and modern with a full kitchen and washing machine. Our host left us a bottle a wine and plenty of recommendations for places to eat in the residential area we were in. Despite not being in a touristy area we were only a 20 minute walk to the colosseum and a much shorter walk to the metro which got us anywhere in Rome including the airport.
Neighborhood views from our Airbnb in Rome, Italy
Lake James, Nebo, North Carolina
Lake James is is about an hour east of Asheville in the town of Nebo and definitely lesser known than Lake Norman. Unlike the above mentioned Airbnb on Lake Norman, this vacation rental is more secluded as it is about a 30 minute drive to either Marion or Morganton, which is your best bet for the closest grocery stores and multiple restaurants. However, once you have your groceries, you probably won’t want to leave the house because it’s stunning. It’s brand new and great for a large group. It has 4 bedrooms and a bunk room area spread out over two levels with plenty of space to stretch out. To enjoy the outdoors there is a fire pit, a screened in porch, a covered porch on both levels and lake access with a small beach down a somewhat steep meandering path. The huge kitchen and living room area looks like it was designed by Joanna Gaines. While you have direct lake access one of the cool things about renting this house is that it gives you access to Camp Lake James. It’s a short drive away but once you are there you have access to a pool, restaurant, bars and additional lake access where you get free use of paddle boards, kayaks and a swimming area!
The lake access from our vacation rental on Lake James in Nebo, North Carolina
Lake Como, Argegno, Italy
I love reading true travel memoirs and in preparation for our trip to Italy I came across “An Italian Home” by Paul Wright. It was his account of how he and his wife said goodbye to their everyday lives in England to move to Italy. I Googled him after I was done, something I don’t normally do, but was glad I did because I found out that they had a vacation rental on Lake Como! I normally prefer the vacation rentals where you just let yourself in via keypad and don’t have to talk to anyone (#introvert) but we really enjoyed getting to meet Paul and his wife. They gave us great information about the area and helped us plan our day trip into Switzerland! The apartment is in the small town or Argegno on Lake Como. It was a one bedroom, one bathroom with a kitchen and a small balcony with phenomenal lake views. The also provided a small parking space along the road just up from the apartment. Argegno is a very small town so if you want to cook, stop at a grocery store in a bigger town on the way in. If you prefer to eat out (which you should!) the apartment was short walk into town with several options for yummy Italian fare. In town was also where you could get the boat to take you all around Lake Como or the funicular up to Pigra for some expansive views of Lago di Como.
Lake Como from our vacation rental in Argegno, Italy