Tripadvisor

Tripadvisor is most known for hotel ratings, but owing to its purchases of FlipKey and HolidayLettings, it now offers holiday rentals. (Because the sites share inventory, Googling Tripadvisor will bring up listings from both sites.) There are a lot of options for filtering postings based on price, number of bedrooms/bathrooms, distance from a landmark, and other variables. The site also allows you to sort your results by nine other factors, such as online booking, traveler rating, and the number of bedrooms.

There are a variety of properties available on the site, some of which may be paid for online and others that need direct contact with the owner. (The former is normally preferred, as using a credit card is the safest option—and you'll save money.)

On Tripadvisor, photo quality varies a lot from one listing to the next, but other vacation rental sites offer more consistent glossy photographs. Tripadvisor's listings, on the other hand, are often useful, featuring traveler ratings, house regulations, and owner biography. The costs and fees are clearly stated. However, unlike several other sites, this one does not make its cancellation terms as apparent as others. The site has a feature that allows you to send a message to the owner.

Best feature: Instead of the base cost, which is what most vacation rental sites display, the price on the listing results page is the total price you'll pay, including taxes and fees. Tripadvisor also shows the nightly rate as well as the overall price.

Website: www.tripadvisor.com