Are you planning to take your family to Orlando to visit Disney World, Universal Studios and the other theme parks and attractions? If so then you need to find the accommodations that will enable you to enjoy your Orlando vacation in comfort. Before you go to your computer and start looking for “hotels in Orlando,” you should consider another option: renting a condo, home or villa for the duration of your stay in Orlando.

That’s right, you should rent a home and not a hotel room or hotel rooms. Many comfort conscious and even cost conscious visitors to Orlando find that a rental home or villa provides the best value for their money. Here are some of the reasons why they are making this choice:

Cost: If you are visiting Orlando with your whole family the cost of renting hotel rooms can really add up. Compare the price of several hotel rooms with a home or condo rental and you will see that it makes more sense to choose the home or condo rental.

Comfort: You don’t live your normal life in one room, so why do it on your vacation when you are trying to chill out and rid yourself of the stress that builds up during the year? In Orlando you can rent homes with three to seven bedrooms. In addition, these homes are fully equipped with heating/air conditioning, screened swimming pools, cable TV and music systems too. These vacation homes are truly homes-away-from-home.

Flexibility: When you are in hotel you have to heed the meal times or you might just miss your breakfast. You don’t have to worry about when you go to sleep or when you wake up when you have your own rental home, condo or villa. These homes have fully equipped kitchens and you can make your breakfast or snacks whenever you like.

Location: If you are visiting Orlando and are concentrating on some key attractions, such as Disney World, then you will want to be located as close as possible to your favorite spot. You can get rental homes that are well placed, near theme parks, restaurants and shopping areas, and this will save you time and allow you to get the most out of your vacation.

Service: The vacation rental industry in Orlando is sophisticated and provides great service. The homes are professionally cleaned before you enter and they are cleaned after you leave. You don’t have to worry about major housekeeping chores. On top of this some of the rental agencies will provide you with discount tickets to the theme parks of your choice. These tickets, which will allow you to skip the long lines for popular rides, can go a long way to making your vacation in Orlando truly enjoyable.

So, plan your Orlando vacation carefully, and when it comes to accommodations, opt for a rental condo, rental home or rental villa.

About the Author

Mark Whichard and his wife Susan are the proprietors of Orlando’s Finest Vacation Homes LLC and are experts in the field of Orlando vacation rentals with experience dating to 1998. Visit their website for more information.

 

Finding the right vehicle for your holiday can be a daunting prospect, with many choices and differing terminology. Review the options and discover the pitfalls in choosing a rental vehicle for independent travel through New Zealand.

With a myriad of labels used to describe vehicles for the independent traveller, such as Campervan, Camper, Motorhome, Motor Home, Winnebago, RV, Combi, Kombi, Class-A, Class-B and Class-C to name a few, choosing the right kind of vehicle can be confusing from the outset.

The common terms used in New Zealand are Camper or Campervan, Motorhome and Sleeper Van. Campers are vans that have been converted for independent travel and contain similar features to their larger cousin, the Motorhome. A Fiat Ducato or Ford Transit style of van is popular for these conversions and the finished product is a modern, easy to drive vehicle.

Motorhomes on the other hand have a cabin built on a van or light truck chassis. Typically constructed from fibre glass, with alluminium skin over plywood occasionally used, the cabin is wider than the chassis base making Motorhomes more spacious. Driving is reasonable straight forward and models available for rental only require a standard driver's licence.

Motorhomes and Campervans are self-contained and support you with the comforts of home, albeit miniaturised. Self-contained vehicles have a sink, hob or cooker, fridge, toilet and shower. The level of self-containment varies but there is a New Zealand Standard (NZS 5465:2001) developed by the New Zealand Motor Caravan Association (NZMCA), a body that represents private motorhome owners. The rental motorhome companies are starting to take their vehicle though the certification process and it is worthwhile enquiring about this as you research rental options. The essence of the self-containment standard states a vehicle must be designed to completely meet the ablutionary and sanitary needs of the occupants for at least three days, be equipped with water storage tanks for drinking and cooking and have waste water holding tanks.

A Sleeper Van is a Camper that does not meet the self-containment criteria. Beware that this definition is not industry wide and it is not uncommon for a Sleeper Van to be referred to as a Campervan, simply because the vehicle is a van rather than a car. Purpose built Sleeper Vans are frequently constructed from people movers, such as Toyota's offering, and from station wagons. Because of the type of vehicle used in construction it is uncommon to able to stand. Sleeper Vans can have some elements of self-containment, such as a cooker and small refrigerator allowing lunch or a light meal to be made while out on the road. Sleeper vans, like campers, are easy to drive.

What makes for the best independent traveller vehicle comes down to personal preference and a balance between cost, comfort and the type of holiday you're after.

Perhaps the best place to start is deciding where you want to overnight, as this impact on the type of vehicle that will be suitable and also affects your budget. There are four options for overnighting in New Zealand.

1) Native Parks – is a network of rural properties and businesses that welcome travellers. You can stay on these properties free of charge, meets the local people and see a bit of their lives. A great way to see NZ beyond the beautiful scenery and they are not crowded. There's a real mix of people involved from large wineries to small artist plus action and adventure like diving, limestone caving and horse trekking. You do need a self-contained motorhome/campervan. Check out http://www.nativeparks.co.nz/

2) Campgrounds – there are a large number of campground that follow a traditional format. In recent years the number of campgrounds has been in decline, so they can get very busy in peak season (Christmas they are at capacity through to the end of February), so it is advisable to book ahead. The following sites might help www.topparks.co.nz or www.familyparks.co.nz

3) DoC Campground (Department of Conservation) - typically have fewer facilities than other established campgrounds, so a self-contained motorhome / campervan would make life more comfortable. They are often in very scenic locations and cheaper than privately operated camping grounds. Same situation occurs after Christmas as with other campgrounds. See http://www.doc.govt.nz/Explore/003~Huts-Cabins-and-Campsites/Conservation-Campsites/index.asp

4) Free / Wild / Freedom camping - just parking up wherever. Rarely permitted in much of NZ, though you can get away with it if you're sensible. Rules on freedom camping vary from district to district. The Native Parks guidebook highlights what's permitted in each district. In general terms do not overnight in "No Camping" areas or near established camping grounds. It is advisable to be at least 10km from the urban boundary of any town or city. New Zealand is a pretty safe place but because wild camping is in public spaces you are exposed to some risk. To free camp a self-contain motorhome/camper is a must.

If you prefer staying in camping grounds, but don't want the hassle of a tent a Sleeper Van may be a good fit. Do bear in mind that an established camping ground costs between $30 - $40 NZD per night for a couple, so it is possible for a Sleeper Van to cost more than a self-contained vehicle with the use of some of the options above on the odd night. If you do want to get away from it all, or you're looking for more comfort, a self-contained vehicle will be the way to go.

Past the obvious vehicle rental costs things to consider are whether extra charges for one-way rentals apply, what the insurance options are and whether road user charges for diesel vehicles is included.

The easiest measure of comfort is size, though it is not the full story. There are many other considerations for comfort and again it comes down to personal preference. Do you need to make up the bed each night? Is there space to have some time out from your travelling companion(s)? Is there an awing to provide shade? How about appliances like microwave and air conditioning (NB power hungry appliances only work when the vehicle is connected to mains power)? These can be found in smaller vehicles so size shouldn't be the only criteria when it comes to measuring comfort. If you are tall do ask about the ceiling height.

So there are a number of things to consider when determining what will be the right vehicle for your holiday. As with any purchase it is worth seeking out a company that backs up their vehicle with service and professionalism. These won't be hard to find, but if you are looking for a starting point there are a few suggestions on the Native Parks website.

About the Author

Adrian Tonks is the founder and CEO of Native Parks (http://www.nativeparks.co.nz/) - a NZ business providing free overnighting sites for visitors touring New Zealand in rental campervans and motorhomes.