Map of Virginia Beach

Choosing a vacation rental for your next getaway can be stressful because there’s a lot of pressure to pick the perfect place. After all, being picky is certainly understandable when you only get a few vacations per year. Nowadays there are dozens of ways to find vacation rentals, from the internet to word of mouth and everything in between. Unfortunately, having access to such a huge selection has a downside that becomes noticeable as the feeling of indecisiveness sets in.

Then there’s the fact that most of the vacation rentals listed online are commonly frequented by tourists, and there’s nothing really special about staying in a rental that everyone knows about. So, what if you want to go beyond the easily findable vacation rentals to the hidden gems of the area? Start with the five methods listed below and you should be off to a good start.

1. The Phone Book

We know, this sounds like an outdated suggestion, but believe it or not there are still some hidden gems to be found in the phone book. You have to realize that there a lot of people out there who own vacation rentals and aren’t up-to-date with the latest technology and advertising methods. In addition to calling the owners and managers of vacation rentals, it may also be worthwhile to call up a few vacation rental agencies in your area to see if an agent can help you locate something that fits your preferences.

2. Regional Newspaper Ads

This is yet another outdated form of advertisement that tends to attract hidden gems from time to time. Again, property owners that aren’t familiar with newer advertising methods might skip straight to placing a classified ad in the local newspaper. Thus, it may be worthwhile to look through the newspapers, classified ads, and other printed publications that are distributed in the area you’re planning to vacation in.

3. Craigslist and Other Online Classified Sites

Popular classified ad sites like Craigslist are a free and easy way for property owners to list their vacation rentals with no hassle, which is why you’ll often find rentals on these sites that aren’t listed offline. Airbnb is another site that specializes in listing vacation rentals around the world, and they also have an app for Android and iOS devices, in case you’re into browsing vacation rentals while on-the-go.

4. Use a Local Vacation Rental Listing Site

A lot of property owners aren’t the do-it-yourself type, so when they want to list their property as a vacation rental they don’t think to themselves Well I’ll just put it on Craigslist or in the newspaper. Instead, they think to themselves I need to enlist the help of vacation rental agency to get my property rented fast. For this reason local agencies tend to have access to a number of exclusive rentals that you won’t easily find through other searching methods. Thus, an even better way to use the internet to find hidden vacation rentals is to skip the nationwide sites we mentioned above and instead use the website of a local vacation rental listing company. For example, if you’re looking to visit Breckenridge, Colorado, inquiring with a local agency like Summit Vacations might be the best way to find exclusive vacation rentals.

5. Take a Cruise around the Area

Finally, if all else fails and you feel like there just has to be something better out there, try taking a joyride around the area and looking for signs. You could also visit some of the local attractions and restaurants and ask some of the locals if they know of any premium vacation rentals in the area. You might find that just asking around could help you stumble upon the hidden rental of your dreams.