What to Consider When Selecting a Vacation Rental with Kids

Vacation rentals are essential for families, especially if you have multiple kids or travel with other family members. What do we look for in a vacation rental? While location is always important, we always look for other factors to ensure we will have a comfortable, safe and enjoyable vacation. Read on for what we look for when we book a vacation rental.

1. Location of Vacation Rental

Back in our budget travel days, location usually went by the wayside. If I was on my own or just with my husband, we didn’t mind a walk or a bus ride to get from point A to point B. But, add three kids, and our standards have changed! We are now willing to pay a premium for being more centrally located or intentionally located somewhere more remote if that is better suited for the trip. 

Being close to attractions, transportation, restaurants and parks is huge these days as we sometimes need to divide and conquer or just take a brief step out of the vacation rental with one kid. 

My recommendation is to bring up Google Maps and plot out a few of the places you want to visit (could be beaches, museums, parks, dining, etc) and then look at neighborhoods that give you good access to these areas. I also overlay this with safety information which I obtain from asking around or Googling “family friendly neighborhoods [city name]”.

2. Vacation Rental Sleeping Situation

Gone are the days of getting by with a single hotel room or a studio apartment. Even a one bedroom is pushing it. I need at least 2-3 bedrooms. I pay close attention to the following when looking at a vacation rental:

• How many bedrooms?
• How many beds?
• What size are the beds?
• Are any bedrooms en-suite?
• Where are the bedrooms located?

The first couple bullet points are pretty straightforward – we can sometimes put 2 kids together in a larger bed and the little one with us in a King-sized bed so I always look at the sizes to see if we can squeeze into a two bedroom unit (which usually yields more choice). 

If we are traveling with another family member, we try to have a bedroom en-suite for them so that is another thing we look for. Bedroom layout can also be key. Personally, I don’t love having the kids sleeping on a different level of the house so I will seek out a house with the rooms on one level or an option where my husband and I can split up and sleep in the same room as the kids so they are not too far in an unknown place.

Lastly, be sure to check the size beds. “King” beds in some places are not the same as what you might be used to in the United States.

3. Transportation/Parking

Transportation options and parking are essential to a vacation rental with kids. Tied to location, I like being close to a bus or train line to get around if we’re in a city center. If we have a car, finding a place with convenient parking is key. In some places, we’ve had a dedicated space and, in other places, we have had a lot or garage within the neighborhood. 

TIP: Ask your host or property manager about the size of the spots. We once had a teeny tiny spot in Ljubljana, Slovenia and our little SUV barely fit. Likewise, if you have a van in many places in Europe, it can be a very tight fit! Get the smallest car you’re able to use for your party/luggage if you have doubts about parking options.

Check out some family-friendly vacation rental options in this post.

4. Climate Control

I still vividly remember a summer trip to Austria with two young kids during a heat wave in Vienna. The place did not have any air conditioning or ceiling fans so it was just standing heat in our place. Since that experience, I will look for air conditioning as a must-have amenity in a warmer place. This may significantly limit your options but to ensure everyone gets sleep and is comfortable, it is worth narrowing down your choices a bit.

For vacation rentals in winter, we also make sure there is a reliable heat source. This is usually much more common. We have only had a few spots that were a tad chilly due to the heating source in relation to the rooms. In almost every case, the host of the vacation rental has had extra blankets for us to use.

5. Kid-Friendly Vacation Rental Perks

While I do love kid-centric vacation rental property sites like Kid & Coe, I still have had great luck finding family-friendly amenities on the mainstream sites. When I traveled with babies, any chance I could get to NOT pack something was gold – this included things like a crib/pack & play, high chair or booster seat, baby bath tub and, on occasion, a stroller! As my kids have gotten older, it still is nice to find a place with a bed rail, kid’s books and toys but not nearly as much of a necessity. 

TIP: Did you find the perfect property but it’s lacking on the baby gear front? Consider renting locally! Just Google “[city name] baby gear rental” and you should find big names like Cloud of Goods and BabyQuip as well as local offerings. Not finding anything? Contact a local babystore (ideally, locally-owned) and ask for recommendations.

6. Unique Amenity On-site (as a plus)

I love discovering cool properties around the globe – whether it is a hotel or a vacation rental. And the ones that usually move to the top of the list offer something that catches my eye as unique. This could be something like an arcade or game room, access to a pool or even a play structure in the yard.

In my 20s, I saw my accommodations solely as a place to sleep but now, as I have gotten older, I find myself spending more time in the hotel or vacation rental so it is worth spending that extra time looking at the offerings. Having a small yard or even a patio can make a world of difference with kids – you can grab take out, give the kids some room to explore and enjoy an evening.

What do you look for when you book a vacation rental?