Sydney Accommodation: Finding A Vacation Rental

Sydney Harbor + Harbor Bridge

I'll be traveling to Sydney with my boys (but without my husband) in November. We'll be meeting a new family member - LittleL, who was born in July - for the first time. We were able to take advantage of Quantas' sale earlier this year to pick up flights at a fairly reasonable price (~$600 each). I didn't start looking for somewhere to stay in Sydney until this month and now that I finally have somewhere I can share my experience.

Vacation Rentals In General
I'm a huge fan of staying in vacation rentals when I travel with my family. It's proven to be a good way for us find holiday accommodation which is more suitable for a family than a standard hotel room. We usually opt for a one or two bedroom property with a kitchen so we can have separated sleeping spaces (so everyone gets a better night's sleep) and we can eat in rather than having to pay restaurant prices for every meal. I've been able to find well-appointed properties with per-night rates similar to three or four star hotels in many locations world-wide.

Vacation Rentals in Sydney
For our trip to Sydney, I started my search with two constraints: the cost couldn't be more than $150 - $200 per night and a property in Balmain - which is the neighborhood where my sister lives - would be ideal. Surprisingly, HomeAway.com, Vrbo.com and Rentalo.com had little or no inventory which met these criteria. In this situation, I find that the next best thing to do is to look for a local (to your destination) property rental company. The trick here is to find one for which you can find sufficient additional evidence showing that the company is a reliable entity from whom to rent. In this case, I found an Australian company, Rent-A-Home, which has a large selection of properties all over Australia. I've written before about tips for finding vacation rental accommodation. The Rent-A-Home website and the property listings fulfilled all my criteria for clearly written property descriptions, full amenity listings, plenty of photos, customer reviews of properties and a responsive administrative staff.

Booking Problems
Booking an actual property became an issue. As the New York Times reported last week, many American travelers are finding that it's not so easy to use your credit card overseas any more. My experience with this booking highlighted a different aspect of using a U.S. credit card for a purchase in another country. When I tried to pay Rent-A-Home the deposit on my chosen property, my visa card was rejected multiple times. After the first time, head-slapping myself for stupidity, I called the bank. I verified to them that the charge wasn't fraudulent and they said that Rent-A-Home should be OK to re-process the charge. It was denied again. This was very frustrating. I wondered if I would be having the same experience if the merchant name was a well-known hotel chain?

I decided to try another credit card. I logged on to my account with American Express and used their handy-dandy secure message center to send an email to Amex customer service informing them of my travel plans and the need to place a charge in AUD$ to book accommodation. I received a response within a day and attempted to pay Rent-A-Home again. This time the charge was processed immediately.

Sydney River View

Sydney Accommodation Cost
We'll be staying in a two-bedroom apartment across the harbor from Sydney's Central Business District. We have spectacular views of the harbor (top photo in this post) and of the river (above). The cost? USD$175 per night. The added benefits? We'll be right next to the new Ballast Point Park and a couple of blocks from the harbor ferry terminal. The ferry ride into downtown Sydney is seven minutes. Now that all the details are (finally, painfully) sorted out, I can start getting excited

If you have any suggestions for must-see attractions or activities in Sydney, leave a comment below.

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October 4th being National Trails Day in Ireland we took ourselves off to Glendalough, Co Wicklow to support this worthwhile event and to give the Small Boy more practice in his new backpack. We chose Glendalough because it ticks a number of boxes for walking/hiking with an infant. For one thing It is an easy commute from Dublin, so there's no real interruption to sleeping schedules if your infant takes a nap en route. There is ample parking as well as good baby-changing/diapering facilities in the Visitors Centre. The trails are also well marked with plenty of rest areas and benches for quick pit-stops and feeds. Finally, though some trails ascend the hills either side of the lakes you can, if you are feeling less energetic, just walk the paths between the two lakes and admire the views.

Glendalough History

Glendalough which derives its name from the Gaelic, Gleann Da Lough or Glen of the two lakes, is one of my favourite places because it is beautiful in any weather and because it is rich in geography, history, myth and legend. The valley was carved out by glaciers during the last Ice Age with the two lakes emerging when the ice eventually thawed. It boasts one of Ireland’s earliest Christian monastic settlements built in the 6th Century by St. Kevin about whom there are a host of legends, not least that he lived as a hermit in a cave above the lakes, was pursued by a blue eyed woman called Kathleen and lived to be 120! The remains of the monastic city are nonetheless impressive, and include a 30 meter round tower, priests’ house and “cathedral”.

Favorite Hike At Glendalough

For our National Trails Day walk, we stuck to the lake paths and wandered around the shores of the upper lake for a while before the Small Boy started to let us know he had had enough. For those with older children used to walking, our favourite hike is the 5k Glendalough Miners Walk. This is a popular trail which loops around from the upper car park past the deserted miners settlement. Not only has this trail the best views back down over the two lakes and the monastic city there is also a herd of wild deer which we’ve been lucky enough to see from time to time! Like what you've read? Subscribe for updates via RSS, Email, follow me on Twitter. Photo credits: mattandkim Add a comment

I love my junk mail at this time of the year. It seems like every day there's another glossy photo of mountains and powder with promises of deals and bargains - all of which I read in detail. Hey, a girl can dream, can't she? Seriously though, the deluge of ski-themed junk mail did make me realize that I owe it to other folks who are interested in family skiing to share some of the cost-saving strategies I've been using to get my family out on the slopes without completely breaking the bank. Gear Skiing is an expensive sport. Skis, boots, poles and bindings for just one child can make a hefty dent in any family's budget. I've saved a fortune by using ski swaps. In the Seattle area, the best of the bunch is the Newport Ski and Snowboard Swap held annually at Newport High School (Nov 13-14, 2009, Fri 5pm-9pm & Sat 8am-6pm). Much of the gear on sale comes from individuals or families but local ski shops also participate and provide most of the technical sales assistance. Online classifieds and stores which sell or trade used gear are also a good source. I've used craigslist and PlayItAgainSports. If you're in Utah, you can check out the awesome winter gear section on the Snow List classifieds. Your munchkins will be champion grumblers rather than champion skiers if they're cold on the slopes. Layers of warm undies and fleece under insulated, waterproof outwear are a must. There are great deals available right now in the Sale + Clearance section on REI.com - and if you're a member, they'll even give you more money off (20%) with the member's only Fall Coupon Sale. Lands' End is another good source for reasonably-priced winter clothing. (You can get brand-name, gently-used outerwear at ski swaps, but understandably size selection can be hit-or-miss). Finally, October is a great time to check out ski shops in your area for sales of last season's gear and ex-rental equipment. In the Seattle area, I've had success with Seattle Ski and Snowboard and Sturtevants. If you're buying for an older child and expect to use the gear with younger siblings, this is option may be best for you.

Lift Tickets and Passes Now is the time to snag early season deals on ski lift tickets. Sales of annual passes for many resorts are heavily discounted if purchased before October 31st with savings still available through Thanksgiving. Similar deals are common on multi-day passes and vacation packages if you book early also. For example, Washington state and Canada residents can pre-purchase lift tickets for Whistler Blackcomb at a 30% discount until November 23rd. If you're thinking of California, there's deals on packages at Mammoth and The Village At Squaw Valley (which, btw, has an awesome mountain village feel and great family skiing). Accommodation If you're traveling to ski, accommodation at resorts can be pricey especially during winter vacations. If there's a resort you're interested in visiting this season, check out their website now and see if you can sign up for a newsletter or special offer emails. I have consistently found this a reliable source for worthwhile offers. If you've rented a house or condo from an individual during a prior season and you plan to return to the same resort this year, contact the owner and ask about discounts for returning visitors. I realize that some of my fair-weather friends think I'm more than a little nutty about winter sports. But hey, who wouldn't want one of these:

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