5 Unique and Economic Lodging Trends for Travelers
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As a family, we travel over 100 days per year. Through time, Sean, Jackson, Lucy, and I have witnessed some exciting trends in lodging. Although we primarily camp, there are times that we do not pull the camper and stay in other types of lodging accommodations. We have listed five travel trends that have grown in popularity throughout the last few years.
*I am going to use Panama City Beach, Florida, as a travel destination for different examples in this article.
Peer to Peer
Camper Rental with Outdoorsy
Outdoorsy, the largest peer to peer camper rental company in the United States, was founded because of one statistic- 16 million RV owners use their RVs for two weekends or less per year.
Many people would love to travel in a camper, but they simply do not have the time camp. When traveling time is limited, it is hard to justify the financial commitment of owning an RV.
With Outdoorsy, you can rent an RV and enjoy all the benefits of owning one, but for a rental rate.
Another aspect that makes Outdoorsy great is if you are thinking of purchasing a camper or RV, you can rent the model you are looking at to make sure that you love it first.
How Outdoorsy works…
1. Decide on your travel dates and which campground you would like to visit. Make your camping reservations.
2. Go to the Outdoorsy website (you can click this bar below).
3. Type the location you are visiting or the city in which you live (depending on where you want to pull the camper or RV from), and press enter.
4. Filter by the categories listed to find your perfect camper or RV.
5. Click on the camper or RV that you would like to rent and check its availability and mileage rates.
6. Message the owner for details, such as if they can drop the camper/RV off at a local campground. Check the reliability of the owner by clicking the reviews. Also, ask about set-up options if you do not want to tow the vehicle yourself.
By renting with Outdoorsy, you don’t have to worry about monthly RV payments, RV insurance, or general upkeep. All of this is included in your rental rate.
An interesting story… I contacted the owners of the properties that I featured because I don’t want a random stranger seeing their property highlighted on my blog without us asking permission to feature it. Amy, the owner of the Airstream, told me how she became affiliated with Outdoorsy and the story was so touching, I wanted to include it.
Hurricane Michael swept through Panama City and nearby towns on October 10, 2018. The destruction was massive. Amy was headed from Boca Raton to the Panama City Beach area for her anniversary on that day. However, her plans were altered due to the hurricane, and the campground where she was supposed to stay was entirely destroyed by the storm.
Amy wanted to help after the hurricane. She was in the first wave of disaster relief and offered her Airstream as housing to those who lost their homes.
Amy was happy to let storm victims stay in her camper. However, she was concerned about insurance. Amy started renting through Outdoorsy in order to ensure that her Airstream was covered. Citizens in the area were able to stay in her Airstream as they rebuilt their homes and their lives. A tow vehicle and pre-setup were options as well. Since the storm, Amy has continued her relationship with Outdoorsy, and she still offers the tow vehicle and campground setup if desired.
It’s stories like Amy’s that inspire our travels. I look forward to doing business with Amy and Outdoorsy down the road.
Last year, while visiting the Grand Canyon, we began counting the RVs traveling on State Route 64 from Williams to the southern rim. Within a 22-mile segment of road, we saw over 20 RVs and campers, many of them rentals… the amount blew my mind. Since that point, I have spoken to many people who told me that they actually fly to their destinations, pick up the RVs, and then lodge in their RVs while vacationing. Camper rentals are often much cheaper than lodging in a hotel.
I believe flying to a destination and renting an RV is genius. If you are renting a travel trailer or a fifth wheel, you can arrange for the owner to meet you at the campground to help you set up the RV. You don’t even need a tow vehicle.
OR
If you want to tour a particular region of the United States or Canada, you can fly to a specific city, rent an RV from there, and then travel the area without spending days of driving just to get to your initial destination.
On our vacations, we use the entire road trip as a destination. However, if you want to specifically tour a region, such as the wine country of California, it would make more sense to fly into San Francisco, rent an RV, and visit the Napa Valley region.
If you are interested in flying to your destination to pick up your RV, make the most of your time and money by joining the ATL Rewards Program (which is valid at many airports across the United States). Earn points for Uber, Lyfts, dining, and attractions each time you spend money at participating airports.
For this example, I checked, and the airport in Panama City (ECP) participates in the ATL Rewards Program. Say you fly from Atlanta (ATL) to Panama City (which is about a 45-minute flight). You can use your Uber or Lyft credits you have earned from the program to ride to the Panama City Beach RV Resort where your camper is waiting on you for the week. Using both Outdoorsy and ATL Rewards is just that simple.
If you are interested in ATL Rewards (and it only makes sense to get the most bang for your buck while vacationing), check out our article by clicking HERE. Sign up through our link and receive 250 points and begin your journey to earning travel perks.
VRBO
What Outdoorsy is for camper rentals, VRBO is for condominiums and vacation houses. VRBO stands for Vacation Rentals by Owner. With this company, owners advertise their vacation properties, and then consumers can choose their perfect lodging experience.
VRBO has over a million properties in 190 countries, so if a vacation property is what you are looking to find, this is definitely a great option.
How VRBO works…
- Visit the VRBO website and type in your destination.
2. Filter by the amenities you would like for your vacation. VRBO has a world-renowned filtering system that stands out above many of its competitors.
3. Find your ideal property and click enter. We personally like the VRBO rental www.vrbo.com/1310153 so I will use it as an example.
4. I always browse the pics first because the presentation of a property means A LOT to me. This property satisfies my wants and needs when staying in a condo.
5. View the amenities of the property.
6. Check the reviewer and the ratings.
7. Book your location and begin counting down the days until your vacation.
We have been using VRBO for years, and we have never found a property that wasn’t perfect for our family. This particular property in Panama City Beach is one of our all-time favorites. If you decide to visit, tell the owner that Brandi sent you!
Airbnb
Airbnb is a peer to peer program like VRBO, but it also has many differences. Airbnb has four million rental properties in over 191 countries. They typically have 100,000+ bookings each day. Whereas VRBO usually rents full properties, Airbnb also rents rooms, garages, and other spaces that you may find accommodating on your travels. Just as vacationers can leave reviews for their hosts, with Airbnb, the property owners can also leave reviews for their guests.
How Airbnb works…
1. View the website and fill in your destination, dates, and number of guests. Search the database.
2. Find a property of interest.
3. Browse the pictures. In this case, I chose a full apartment to view.
4. View the amenities of the property.
5. Check the reviewer and the ratings.
6. Book your location and begin counting down the days until your vacation.
Airbnb is famous for some of its unique and festive lodging options. It is a great choice for those looking for a quick weekend getaway or a summer vacation in another city, state, or country. Airbnb is vastly growing and it is a fantastic option for peer to peer travels.
Off the Beaten Path to Lodging
Although the following lodging options are not peer to peer, they are still economical and unique.
State Park Cottages
On a recent camping trip to Franklin Delano Roosevelt State Park in Pine Mountain, Georgia, our friends Jan and Drew visited and stayed in a cottage at the park.
Although I was a fan of state park lodging before this trip, after visiting the cottage, I was hooked.
There are so many parks throughout each state. Georgia, the state where we live, has 63 state parks, and many have lodging available.
Most parks have yurts, cabins, cottages, and even lodges that are more economical than traditional methods of lodging.
Another friend, Pam, stayed in a lakeside yurt at a local state park. Pam could not get over the niceness of the yurt. I definitely want to stay in one sometime!
Trains
Yes, I said it, trains. Trains are growing in popularity as economical ways to take both regional trips and cross-country journeys. One of the most popular train-based vacations is Vacations by Rail. With Vacations by Rail, you pick the number of days you would like to travel and your destination.
An all-inclusive itinerary is presented. All you must do is board your train and enjoy your vacation! Vacations by Rail offers seasonal tours, those with specific highlights along the way such as lakes and mountains, as well as tour type, including custom rail journeys and luxury trains.
Our family is all about unique, fun, and budget-friendly methods of traveling. Why stay somewhere traditional when you can stay somewhere remarkable at an economical price?
Do you have a unique yet economical lodging recommendation? We would love to hear from you. Please drop us a line in the comment section below!
