Vacation Rental Guide

Looking for a home away from home for a week or more at one of New England's scenic destinations? The Internet can make your search for a springtime cottage, a slope-side ski chalet, a mountainview autumn cabin hideaway, or an oceanfront condo less time consuming.

Vacation rentals are a popular alternative to other New England lodging options, particularly for summer vacationers who want to get away from it all. Rentals--cottages, condos, cabins, chalets, lodges, and single- and multi-family houses--provide a level of seclusion and privacy that is impossible to achieve at a hotel, bed & breakfast or motor inn. Renting a home at your vacation destination also allows you to live more as a native than a tourist. And, if your rental accommodations come with a working kitchen, you just might be able to save substantially on the cost of vacation dining, particularly if you are traveling with children.

Keep in mind that most vacation rentals require a minimum stay of a week or more, though some are available for shorter periods during off-peak seasons. You'll also want to be sure to inquire about what is included with your rental--many properties require you to bring your own linens. Establish up front, too, when you can arrive and when you must vacate the property for the next renters.

What will you find among the listings in this guide to New England vacation rentals? Everything from a Little Red Schoolhouse that is now a vacation rental cottage in Connecticut, to a Log Cabin that sleeps eight in Maine, to a five-bedroom cottage situated within a working farm in Massachusetts, to a Colonial Farmhouse in New Hampshire, to a Victorian Apartment in Newport, Rhode Island, to a Vermont ski condo that can accommodate you and your 10 closest friends and even a cottage tucked away behind a stone castle in neighboring New York State.

You'll also find links to real estate agencies that specialize in vacation rentals that may be able to help you with your search and to directory sites where individual property owners advertise the availability of their rental units.

If you own a rental property in New England, feel free to post about its availability in the New England Forum.

Happy vacation home hunting!

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