When you're going to another state or a foreign country for a short business trip, it's perfectly acceptable to have impersonal hotel accommodations so that you can be assured of utmost comfort. However, when it comes to personal vacations, don't you sometimes want to steer clear of the seemingly sterile environment of hotel rooms and stay somewhere homier? This is exactly what you will get to enjoy as you spend time at a rental cottage during one of your vacations.

Top Tips on Booking Cottage Vacations

Whether you're spending a long weekend with the entire family or planning an intimate escape with your loved one, the best way to get away from it all is by booking a cottage vacation.  Some of the options that you have include cottages which are near forests where you can hunt or camp; those which are near streams or lakes where you can fish; or simply a deep suburb where you can commune with nature and watch the sun rise or set.

Now, here are the top tips that you need to remember when planning a cottage vacation:
1.    Book your cottage vacation in advance.
If you plan to ditch sleeping and staying in a typical hotel room, you should definitely go for a cottage vacation. However, book your vacation way in advance. Surprisingly enough, the demand for vacation cottages for rent has increased because more and more individuals and families are realizing the benefits of this type of accommodations over checking into hotel rooms.

Unlike at hotels where you can book a room even at a last minute's notice, cottage accommodations are a bit harder to come by unless you book way in advance. So the minute that you decide on the date, length of stay and location, you should immediately book for a cottage vacation.

2.    Do your homework.
One of the biggest mistakes made by travelers or vacationers is not doing their homework when planning vacations. If you wish to have a cottage vacation, then you need to do some research about the area. Unlike hotels where everything will be available at your beck and call, cottage vacations are more back-to-basics. If you decide to rough it, then you may not need a lot of supplies while staying in the cottage for a vacation. However, if you are vacationing with your family, make sure that you have everything your need when packing your things up.

Research on the weather, the nearest sightseeing spots within the community, and find out where the best restaurants and watering holes are.

3.    Plan – or not plan – your vacation accordingly.
Although it wouldn't hurt to have a schedule for the activities that you can do within the duration of your cottage vacation, you also need to inject a sense of spontaneity in it. Learn which outdoor activities can fill your day, although you don't have to strictly follow a rigid schedule – just do things when you feel like doing them.
 
4.    Other tips to keep in mind.
Finally, be mindful of how you are consuming the resources on the cottage. Hotel owners may not mind if you keep the television on when nobody's watching because there's plenty of electricity or water supply to spare.  This is not the case with cottage owners, however. Use the supplies that you have wisely and treat other people's properties with respect.

There is probably no other experience that will match the grand time that you'll have during your cottage vacation – so it's definitely something worth trying as an alternative to booking your stay with hotels.