Vacationing with a Toddler

Searching for a vacation rental with a toddler in mind does not have to be hard, but it does require research, strategic game planning and applying the right search filters. Booking through sites like VRBO and Airbnb allows you and your family to have a bit more freedom compared to renting hotel rooms. There’s typically more space, separate bedrooms, a kitchen, yard space and washer and dryers.

Here are some tips and tricks we’ve gathered throughout our big adventure to help you find the perfect vacation rental while traveling with kids:

4+ Star Ratings

We’re going to start off with this one since it’s the first filter we add when starting our search. Hearing about other people’s experiences with the rental, owners and surrounding area is crucial. After a long day of traveling with a toddler, the last thing we want to deal with is a property that doesn’t match up with what we were promised.

Find a Family Friendly Rental

You can filter on VRBO and Airbnb for family-focused places (there is a check box for this). These will pull up options that are not only “okay” with kids staying there but can include things like pack-n-plays, highchairs and even bath toys. These save so much room when you don’t have to pack them in the car. 

Below is a list of places we’ve stayed and felt that they did a great job of supplying baby/toddler supplies:

If you find a place that doesn’t offer a pack-n-play, you can reach out to the owners and ask if they know of any rental companies in the area. We also saved some room in our car by buying this Toddler Air Mattress. Or we search for bunk beds and bring these inflatable bumpers to keep Luca from falling off the bed.

Convenient Location

We like to get a general feel for the area before we book anything. We will explore Google Maps and Yelp to figure out what the area is like. Are there restaurants close by? Is there an ice cream shop within walking distance?

Being in a more remote area is not a dealbreaker for us but it is nice to have options “close to home.” A ten to fifteen minute drive each way can add up with a hangry or sleepy toddler in tow.

For Beach Vacations:

On the beach vs off the beach. You really can’t go wrong, and it all depends on what kind of vacation you’re going for. Since most of our travels have come during the offseason, we wanted to play around with the two options. 

Beach Rentals: off the beach is best for budget

• If you have a toddler, try to find a place that’s around a 5-minute walk to the beach. Their little legs get tired and you’ll most likely be carrying them and all of their beach toys back to the house.
• Look for a place with a backyard oasis. Firepits, bbq pits, screened-in porches… try to maximize your living space with these outdoor amenities. 

• During the summer season, look for a pool on the property to cool off during days it’s too hot to be on the beach.

• During a January stay in Florida, it was more important for us to have extra space for the little guy to run around. We also knew that staying right on the beach would be a few degrees colder and windier. 

On the beach vacation rentals:

• This, of course, is a pricier option but for a short-term stay why not splurge for that view and convenience? 
• If we’re staying on the beach, we want a balcony or patio to fully enjoy it. Look for places that are furnished with tables and chairs so you can enjoy meals outside or sit and enjoy some coffee at sunrise or an adult beverage in the evenings.

• How many views of the water do you have inside the house? We love a wall full of windows so you can enjoy the view even if the weather is too hot or cold. 

Bonus add-ons. These all come in handy for beach day and save a lot of room when it comes to packing.

• Is a beach wagon included? 
• Are there beach toys and chairs?
  • If not, there are usually places around where you can rent beach chairs. You can pick up some cheap beach toys at the local grocery store or add it to a Target pickup.
• Beach towels

Extra Amenities at the vacation rental

There are good hosts and there are great hosts. We’ve been lucky to stay at a few fabulous places that go above and beyond to make sure we are comfortable. Always read the property descriptions and what’s included. We’ve been lucky to save on rentals for Kayaks and Bikes when booking a few properties that include them. This saved us hundreds of dollars and we were able to get outside and explore more.

How to find the best rental and perfect for what you need.

Here is a list of filters we apply when searching VRBO for 4-5 guests. We typically like to stay at single-family homes but we like to compare condos, townhomes, cottages and so on to make sure we are getting the best value.

• Bedrooms: 3 (One for us, Luca and the Brother-In-Law… a month is a long time so it’s important to have some space to get away)
• Bathrooms: 2 (this may be the most important filter)
• Free cancelation up until 30 days before the stay
• WiFi
• Washer/Dryer
• AC
• 4+ stars
• Children Welcome or Property Good for Families