Save with Condo Rentals

For stays of more than a few nights in one place, renting a condominium apartment is often less costly than staying in a hotel, and usually has the advantage of being more spacious. You save by being able to make your own meals, and sometimes do your own laundry too.
A Website that offers condo and home rentals in North America, Europe and a few other places is www.vrbo.com, and it has been recommended by several friends. The acronym stands for Vacation Rentals by Owner, so all the offerings are owned by indivuduals, not corporations. I recently checked for rentals in two European cities, London and Berlin. London is notoriously pricey, and vrbo's offerings are not cheap there either. The lowest priced weekly rental I could find listed in West Central London was 665 pounds per week for a very cute studio that appeared to be in a laneway (a converted garage, perhaps?) For not a lot more money, you could stay at the Lancaster Gate Hotel in the same area for a week. In Berlin I couldn't find much in the center for less than 60 euros a night. Last time I stayed in a hotel there, I paid about that for a small room and a big breakfast, but that was several years ago.
I mentioned to one person who recommended vrbo.com that I found the prices somewhat high, but she countered that she had, a few years ago, rented a nice place in Puerta Vuellarta, Mexico for only $500 per month.
For single travellers and couples, the savings with apartment rentals may not be huge, but they can be for big families or groups of friends. This past holiday season I stayed in a beautiful waterfront condo in Clearwater Beach FL that could have slept 10 people, and even had its own laundry room. For 10 people, the cost would have come down to less than $10 per night per person. I arranged that through another Website I have used several times, www.florida-beachrentals.com. This is a very user-friendly site that enables you to check what is available on the dates of your visit. The people who manage the company are also welcoming and professional, and available to fix anything that goes wrong in a rental.