When it comes to booking a vacation home in South Lake Tahoe instead of a hotel for your travels, it can sometimes feel frustrating. We have all dealt with the following scenarios at one point or another: Photos online not matching the property in person. Finding the perfect property on sites like Airbnb or VRBO only to find out that the homeowner hasn’t updated the calendar and it is NOT actually available during your time frame. Or misleading details such as certain amenities not being located as close as the marketing remarks originally indicated. Booking vacation rentals in South Lake Tahoe is actually super easy if you choose the right resource. As long time, local South Lake Tahoe vacation rental experts, Lake Tahoe Getaways is here to make booking a vacation home in South Lake Tahoe a breeze! Here are some great tips for getting the job done so all you must do is show up and enjoy!
Start searching early. At this point in our adult lives, we know that searching for a vacation home in South Lake Tahoe TWO weeks before arrival probably is going to cost you. Whether in price, amenities or proximity. When you start searching months in advance, you guarantee you are going to get the best South Lake Tahoe vacation rental for your needs AND budget. A lot of property management companies will allow booking far in advance. Especially because we have some families who like to stay at the same South Lake Tahoe vacation rental at the same time, every year. If you have your eye on certain vacation rentals in South Lake Tahoe, give us a call and ask about how far in advance you can book!
Book directly through a management company. This allows you to avoid booking fees, which add extra costs to your bottom line. There are always going to be some additional costs that are associated with booking vacation rentals in South Lake Tahoe, this we already know. Things like taxes and cleaning fees are pretty common, but sites like VRBO, Airbnb and HomeAway charge additional booking fees which cuts into the budget of your stay.
Pick up the phone. If you started your search too late and you have cruised all the major sites, you may feel like you missed your opportunity to get what you are looking for. If a website isn’t yielding the results you are looking for, call us. There may be a property in limbo and we can put you next in line if the other party backs out. OR we may have a home that doesn’t match ALL your search parameters but could still be a good fit. There may be South Lake Tahoe vacation rentals that normally requires a week long stay, but the owners are flexible during the time frame you are interested in and we can make it work. You never know unless you call and ask!
Ask an expert if you have questions! There is nothing more annoying than expecting to walk outside and dip your toes in the water only to find out that the lake is actually 10 minutes away in a car….not outside your door. Also, what terms like “down the street”, “walking distance” and “across the street” may mean to one person, may be different for another. SURE you can walk to the lake from a lot of South Lake Tahoe vacation homes, but what do you have to do to get there? If you book a property thinking you can simply walk across the street only to find out you have to pass through a yard, cross a street through a business parking lot and cross a highway and ANOTHER parking lot to get to the beach, you may feel mislead. It is ok to clarify the proximity of desired amenities before you book. We’d rather have you happy and informed than upset and confused. If you have friends who live in the area, they may be able to give you the local 411, but you can ask us as well.
Speaking of which, if it seems TO good to be true…it may be. Listen, we know what it is like to fall in love with South Lake Tahoe vacation homes….we are in the business! A home may feature a luxurious spa like master suite with stunning lake views but if the price seems low for a sprawling mountain lodge, something may be amiss. You get what you pay for. So it may not be a great deal when you show up and realize that the normal amenities that usually come with a vacation property are missing and you need to go out and buy items you didn’t budget for. And then deal with figuring out how to get them home. OR you got scammed altogether. Booking through a reputable company prevents this nightmare from happening. Also, clarify details like check in/out. If you are getting in super late, specify that and plan accordingly. After a long day of travel, you want to get to your spot with ease, and we do too!
Now that you have some local, inside tips, the process should feel a lot less complicated. If you have questions, we are always available to provide answers and advice.
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