Renting a villa can be the best option for your travels. Here are some things to think about before you rent.
Check out the area where you will be spending most of your time. This means knowing the towns, attractions, and areas you want to visit. Once you have that decided you can start looking for rentals. There are many sites available that will let you check out the interior, the exterior, the surrounding areas, nearby attractions, and even let you talk to the owners.
Check out Google Earth for street view. It may make a difference between what is said and what is real.
What size of a place do you need? What services do you need?
Read the reviews. Read the good ones and the bad ones. Don’t just concentrate on one or the other.
Talk to the owner, if possible. Sometimes that will be the deciding factor for me.
Read the contract…make sure they send you one! Make sure it includes your rental dates, what is covered, any amenities not included, cancellation policy, tipping, and whether there will be services that require a fee. If the site says it sleeps 4 to 6, what does that mean? How many bedrooms? What kind of beds? Does it say beach front, beach view, or close to the beach? What does that mean. Google Earth is a great help on this one. Close to the beach may mean six or even ten blocks away. What does gourmet kitchen really mean?
Pay with a secure method.
Consider buying travel insurance.