European Apartment Rental Companies That Arent Airbnb

Airbnb has come to dominate the market for holiday apartment rentals across Europe. But despite its popularity, there are other options when it comes to finding your perfect vacation accommodation. Here are some other companies you may want to check out when looking to rent a holiday home in Europe next time you visit.

HomeAway

HomeAway is the biggest competitor to Airbnb in Europe. Launched 12 years ago, it has over two million properties listed across 190 countries. As a user you will need to pay a booking fee to the company (varying between four percent and 10 percent of the total), but in return you get 24/7 support and can opt to process your payment through them for added security.

9flats

Wimdu

Another rental company based on the sharing economy or peer-to-peer business model, Wimdu was launched in 2011 and has since attracted some 300,000 properties across 140 countries worldwide. Based out of Berlin, Wimdu claims to be Europe’s biggest platform for city apartments, with thousands of places to stay in Europe’s most attractive cities. All properties are subject to rigorous checks to ensure they are up to standard, and guests have access to 24/7 assistance with their booking.

VRBO

Vacation Rentals By Owners, more commonly referred to as VRBO, is in fact part of the HomeAway family, and has many of the exact same listings available. With the VRBO service you get the same quality checks and 24/7 assistance, but with a different style of web platform. Properties range from cozy city apartments to luxurious town houses and countryside homes and, just like on Airbnb, many of these are available for instant booking, meaning you don’t have to wait to hear back from your host.

FlipKey

FlipKey is owned by travel recommendation and rating giant TripAdvisor, and while it may not have as many property listings as some of the aforementioned companies, it offers similar services and quality controls as its competitors. Just like TripAdvisor, the FlipKey website operates with a system of guest reviews to rank properties listed on the websites. Users can then also check out highly-rated attractions close to their property via the TripAdvisor website to help plan their trip.

ClickStay

Formerly known as VillaRenters, ClickStay has changed its name to mark a shift of focus from large holiday homes to include apartments and smaller properties. However, many of the listings remain in popular seaside destinations such as Spain, Portugal, Turkey and Cyprus, and the website is mostly geared towards holiday rentals as opposed to business or city breaks. If you’re looking for something a little special or unique, ClickStay has some interesting properties to check out.

HolidayLettings

HolidayLettings was originally launched in Oxford, UK, in 1999, but has since grown and was recently acquired by TripAdvisor Rentals. So, just like FlipKey, HolidayLettings is powered by TripAdvisor Rentals and relies on a similar system of user ratings to rate and review properties. HolidayLettings has around 600,000 properties available in over 150 countries including many popular European destinations, and offers payment protection for all payments made via the HolidayLettings site.

Yearning for a European break now? Check out our guide to the top vacation rentals in Paris.

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