How did people plan out their vacations before the internet? Nobody knows… At least that’s the impression you’d get from the newest generation of vacationers. Like so many other things, the internet has increased the ease and flexibility of finding a vacation destination, learning about it, and finally, booking a rental.

Learn about the area

There’s information online about every popular vacation destination. You may want to become acquainted with the area before booking your stay. This part of the process is helpful for picking a town for your vacation as well as planning possible activities for once you get there.

Search for a rental

Vacation rental directories are the easiest places to find a vacation home because they’re designed specifically for that purpose. You can browse listings by town, and usually run a search using the search feature. You should think about what’s most important to you. Vacation rentals can be sorted by price and the number of people the house can comfortably sleep. It sometimes pays to be flexible on the number of bedrooms you use in your search. For example, there might be a house that sleeps 7 people that’s cheaper than another that sleeps 6, and you wouldn’t necessarily want to filter it out just because it sleeps “too many” people for your group. You can also sometimes filter for specific amentities, such as wireless internet and air-conditioning.

Read descriptions

Each vacation rental home listing contains a description written by the owner, broker, or manager. Although the description might be biased (“Best vacation rental in the world!”), it usually contains a lot of useful tidbits about the property. Contained in the description are often answers to common vacationer questions, such as “How close is the house to the beach?” and “Do you allow pets?”

Check availability

Most vacation rental websites encourage homeowners to mark down which weeks their house is available. Owners mark down this information in an online “availability calendar.” Some owners don’t take advantage of this feature, but many owners keep their calendars up to date as the season progresses and their weeks fill up. The availability calendar allows you, the vacationer, to compare your desired vacation dates to the dates the house is available for renting.

Contact the owner

Once you’ve found a vacation rental you like, the next step is to contact the owner (or manager, in some cases). You can do this by clicking a link or button on the vacation rental listing page. You can ask the owner any questions you may have; this is the conversation that will eventually close the deal.

Submit payment

Homeowners tend to transact business in similar ways, but each individual owner may have a slightly different process. This is why it’s necessary to work out the details with her. Upon reaching an agreement, you’ll end up signing a lease and sending the owner a check. Then there’s nothing left to do but pack your bags and prepare to vacation!

The First Vacation Rental software offers a large number of different inputs, if you choose to fill them out, about your rental property.  Although the software allows you to describe your rental in great detail, the simple things are usually the ones that matter most.  One such field is the name of your property.

The highlighted area above is how your vacation rental name will appear on our listings page.

The Name Stands Out

When vacationers are browsing the listings on First Vacation Rental they will immediately notice the name because of its bold blue color and large font size.  Remember that your vacation rental listing is competing with 20 other listings on this page.  If you want vacationers to click your listing and learn more, your name had better be appealing to them.

Provide Information

One way to attract to renters is to let the name of your property provide them information they are looking for.  For example, one the most common questions our home owners receive in their inquiries is: “How close is your house to the beach?”  Every house on the Cape is pretty close to the beach, but not every vacationer knows that.  You can use your property name to show off just how close you are with a name like “Only 15 steps from the beach”.  When coming up with the name, think about what vacationers are looking for when selecting which home to rent.

Be Professional

It’s not hard to attract attention by using funny looking characters and typing in all caps.  If you named your home “~!~!!! CLICK HERE !!!~!~” everyone might see it, but probably no one would want to rent it.  Both you and your listing should look professional and respectable in order to gain the trust of renters.

Truthfulness is another important characteristic your property name should possess.  Do not claim your home is 15 steps from the beach if in fact it is a mile away.  Vacationers will eventually figure this out and dismiss your property.  If your home is a bit further from the beach, highlight some other great characteristic.

Experiment

You are not married to the name of your property on your listing.  Feel free to change it and experiment with it.  If you picked a name last year, but think maybe it’s time for a new name, then go for it.  You can keep changing your name until you find something that works.  There’s no perfect formula for naming your property, so you might need to try a few names before finding one that both describes your rental while also attracting the interest of vacationers.

Want Help? Let Us Know

If you want some help brainstorming some names, or just want to bounce a few ideas off us, then let us know.  Cape Cod vacation rentals are our specialty and we’d would love to hear your story and give you our best advice.

With all the outdoor beauty of Cape Cod, some may wonder why they should look for indoor activities. Keep in mind that even if it’s sunny today, rain in New England can always be around the corner. It’s good to have a few ideas for things to do on a rainy day. If you’re renting a home during the off-season (for example, in October or November), it may be too chilly to spend the day outside. Or maybe it’s summer and you just need a break from the blazing sun. Whatever the case may be, you have plenty of stuff to choose from.

Visit an art gallery

David Arsenault's "Just Passing By" is a painting from the Blue Heron Gallery.

Wellfleet is famous for its art galleries, such as the Blue Heron Gallery. (The Blue Heron Gallery is open from early May to October and closes in the off-season, like many other Cape Cod galleries.) Some artists display their work with a group of other artists, and some show it solo. Most of the art consists of paintings, encompassing a range of styles. A common theme is the natural surroundings of Cape Cod and the islands. Artists are inspired by the beauty of the sea.

Watch a movie

Feel like catching a flick? Wellfleet Cinemas shows recently released films just like any other movie theater. The parking lot next door hosts an old-fashioned drive-in movie experience during the summer. You might feel like picking up a video rental and taking it back to your house. Most Cape Cod vacation rental homes have DVD players, but be sure to check first.

See live music

A few venues in Wellfleet have live music, but you should check in advance because they don’t have performances every night. A few you can check out are the Beachcomber, The Juice, and Duck Creeke Tavern.

Play a board game

A rainy day could be the perfect time to challenge your friends or family to a game of Monopoly or Pictionary. If there are no games in your house, the widest selection can be found at Puzzle Me This in Provincetown, but there’s also a game store in Wellfleet center.

Plan your next outing

Now might be the time to check out pics and videos of all Wellfleet has to offer, and start planning your next adventure. There’s always tomorrow!

If you use a  real estate agent or property manager to lease your vacation property, an important function they perform is to shield you from being defrauded, or scammed.  One way they do this is they have the vacationer make payment to an agent, and then you receive your money from the agent.  If payment to the agent was fraudulent – stolen credit card, bounced check -  the agent suffers the loss, not you.

Another important function the agent performs is the screening of the prospective renter.  I’ll explain how to efficiently perform these 2 functions, but allow me first to mention:  Having an agent is a double-edged sword.  Whether it’s a Real Estate Agent or a Managing Agent, an agent has a fiduciary responsibility to represent your best interests.  This is good for you… as long as they don’t screw up. If they do anything bad in relation to your property,  you will be held responsible.  Examples include:

• The agent accepts a deposit for a week that’s not available
• The agent promised that the fireplace works, but it doesn’t
• The agent fails to inform you of an unsafe condition and someone gets hurt

Your agent is your legal representative.  Choose wisely. If you choose not to have an agent, you need to  learn how to screen prospects and qualify people. (I’ll share my ‘broker’s secrets’ with you in another blog entry.)  If you don’t use an agent, here’s a few things you should know…

Bad checks,  phony money orders, and stolen credit cards

Stolen credit cards being used to pay for vacation rentals: I haven’t heard of specific cases of this happening, but I’d bet it does.  The last I checked, MasterCard, Visa,  and American Express do not process “rent” payments.  They do process fees, commissions, and of course, hotel room stays.  If you are interested in accepting credit cards, there are various places to go on the web. PayPal is an easy way to receive payment online by credit card. (PayPal is owned by eBay.)  To enable a vacationer to pay you using a credit card, you need a PayPal account.  Read their terms and conditions carefully.  I’ve heard  merchants’ claims of being “cheated” by PayPal.  For example, what happens in the case that a vacationer uses a stolen credit card?

There is a bank money order scam that goes like this:  You receive an inquiry that includes a request for the “total deposit” due or the “total payment” due, or something like that– a  how-much-should-I-send-you question.  ”Hmmm…” you should be thinking.  ”Isn’t the price listed?”  The inquiry doesn’t mention anything specific to your property.  That’s because it was mass mailed to property owners.  Odd - they didn’t ask any questions about the rental.  Just ‘how much should I send you.’

What happens next is you get a money order for some amount more than the amount you requested.  An explanation is given as to why this was done. You deposit the money order, and the vacationer requests a refund of the excess, which you’re happy to do.  Then your bank notifies you they’ve debited your account for the amount of the money order.  The money order was fake.  But you don’t receive the notification from your bank until possibly 4 weeks have gone by.  Same as a bounced check.

This is why it’s important to make sure full payment is received and deposited at least a month before check-in.  And if you receive, or are told you will receive,  a payment in excess of the amount due,  someone is attempting to scam you.  You can bank on it.

If you’re vacationing in Wellfleet or passing through the town, you might want to find some good nighttime activities. Like the rest of Cape Cod, Wellfleet experiences a huge influx of vacationers in the summer. When people think of Wellfleet (and all the other towns on the Cape), they think mostly of outdoor activities because the area has so much natural beauty. But what activities are there for after the sun has set? As it turns out, plenty.

1. Visit an art exhibit

Wellfleet is known for its art galleries. On some Saturday nights, new exhibits open. Check around the art galleries.

2. Listen to live music

The Beachcomber is a restaurant and bar right on Cahoon Hollow Beach that periodically has live music performances. Duck Creeke Tavern has jazz on some nights. The Juice sometimes brings in live music acts as well.

3. See a play

The Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater (W.H.A.T.) puts on shows regularly, even in the off-season.

This photograph of W.H.A.T. just after sunset was taken by Jaime Martorano.

4. Get a drink

Winslow’s Tavern is a classy joint that serves food and has a bar. The Bombshelter is a dimly lit “sports bar” with a pool table, foosball table, and dartboard. It’s located below the Bookstore Restaurant and open until 1 am.

5. Watch a drive-in movie

The Wellfleet Drive-in is an old-fashioned drive-in movie theater that plays a double feature. (Read more about the drive-in.) There’s also a regular movie theater nearby with frequent showtimes.

6. Go stargazing

On a clear night, the sky over Cape Cod is a breathtaking sight to behold. Far from the city lights, you should be able to see constellations, planets, and stars like never before.

Cape Cod Canal Bike Trail

This fall I had the opportunity to take a day trip down to Cape Cod to bike the canal trail.  Being an avid cyclist, I couldn’t pass up the chance.

The Cape Cod Canal Bike Path is very short, about 7 miles each way, so a there-and-back trip is only 14 miles.  While on my ride I did notice some other bikers, but a majority of the people on the trail were walkers and sightseers.  With not too many moving vehicles, the bike path is well-suited for beginners.  I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this path to an experienced cyclist, but I would definitely recommend the bike way to beginners and families.

The Cape Cod Canal Bike Path is probably the most well kept bike trail I’ve ever been on.  I didn’t once see a divot or hole in the trail.  Not only is it well-maintained, but as far as bike paths go it’s easily one of the better ones for riding.  The lanes are wide the whole way– they never get narrow.  There’s plenty of room, which is one of the reasons I think this trail is perfect for families.  There are some small inclines here and there, but it’s certainly not hilly.  It’s also extremely easy to access, with large parking lots at both ends.  Although there are paths along both sides of the canal, it’s difficult (nearly impossible) to cross to the other side.

The trail was fairly empty when I went in September.  Crowded paths are one of the few things that can ruin any biking experience.  I’d expect the pathway to fill up during the summer and on the weekends, but the wide lanes should make any crowd easy to deal with.

Bridge Along the Trail

One of my favorite things about this path is that it’s completely removed from all traffic.  Not only that, but the scenery is great.  At all times you are right alongside the canal, so you can stop at any point and watch a number of ships (everything from large oil tankers to small yachts) pass through the canal.  If you complete the entire trail you’ll ride under two bridges, which are both very impressive.  At one end of the trail there’s a big jetty, and you get a great view of the ocean.  As far as visual scenery goes, this trail has it all.

I recommend this trail to anyone looking for a relaxed, family-oriented Cape Cod biking experience.

Drive-in movie theaters are places to watch movies on the big screen while sitting in your car. They started in the 1930s and reached peak popularity in the 50s and 60s. Today, they are rare. There’s a drive-in theater in the town of Wellfleet, which is near the tip of Cape Cod in Massachusetts. It was built in 1957 and still operates today.

Theater layout

The Wellfleet Drive-in is essentially a very large parking lot with a gigantic projection screen at the far end. Cars park between the yellow lines with their windshields facing the screen. Movie-goers purchase tickets at the entrance to the parking lot. A concession stand is located in a small building on the right-hand side of the lot.

Movies shown

The Wellfleet Drive-in shows recently released films. However, based on experience, if a film has just been released, there’s a good chance it won’t be playing here yet. (A better bet for newly released flicks is the indoor movie theater, located nearby.) The Drive-in shows a double feature: two films back to back, with a short intermission in between. The first movie is geared more towards children.

Getting there

The drive-in is right off Route 6 in Wellfleet, in between Eastham and South Wellfleet. If you’re coming from the south it will be on your left. Bring cash, because they don’t accept credit or debit cards. The box office opens at 6:30 pm. It’s closed from mid-September to late April.

Rules

A ticket must be purchased at the entrance for each person, like at a regular movie theater. Using car horns is prohibited, as is barbecuing on the lot. Oversize vehicles such as minivans and SUVs must park in a designated area during the summer– ask the box office for specifics.

Hearing the movie

After parking, turn your key to the accessory position. Keep your headlights off when your car is stationary to avoid disturbing other movie-goers. To hear the sound of the movie, you have two options: For the best quality sound, tune your car radio to the local broadcast station, FM 89.3. (You may want to adjust the bass and treble knobs for best results.) There are also portable speakers hanging on posts next to every parking spot that you can pull into your car through an open car window. These mono speakers are very old and have a tinny sound.

Alternative seating option

On a warm night, it can be nice to get out of your car and watch the movie under the starry sky. Kids especially tend to enjoy the novelty of this experience. If you’re planning to do this, bring along beach chairs in your trunk. Bug spray might also be a good idea.

The Bookstore Restaurant is my favorite place to eat in Wellfleet, MA. Here are my reasons:

10. Boating possibilities. Before you dine, check out the various seafaring services at the pier. The Naviator, for example, offers half day fishing trips. I’ve gone on these 3 times – everyone lucks out with the fishing and kids have a blast. There are longer fishing excursions at the pier, and boat rentals. Check out the vessels, talk to the captains, and make plans to go to sea.

9. It’s not on Route 6.

8. The bookstore. Yes, there’s a bookstore at the Bookstore Restaurant. It’s around to the side where the parking is. There’s some weird and interesting stuff there.

7. The salads. My wife gets the Caesar lightly dressed – and she’s very fussy about ceasar salads. I get the green salad with the house dressing, which they make with cranberries. Did you know that cranberries grow in Cape Cod bogs?

6. It’s next to Wellfleet Pier. The Pier was recently renovated and armored with stone rivetments. There’s some nice architecture, a few fishing boats, and a foot path that takes 10 minutes to walk.

5. You can order Wellfleet’s world famous oysters and watch the man with the thick rubber gloves expertly crack them open. These oysters are “farm fresh” from the water you’re looking out on.

4. Mayo Beach is right across the road. How many restaurants are right across from a beach?

3. The swordfish. I’ve had the Bookstore’s swordfish so many times, and it’s never once come overcooked. Always cooked just right. I know I should get the cod – it’s local – but their swordfish… it’s like biting into a juicy steak.

2. It’s in Wellfleet, and Wellfleet is the coolest place on Cape Cod.

1. The view. Whether you’re on the outdoor patio, the porch, inside on the first floor, or inside on the second floor, you’ll have a view of the ocean. (Actually it’s the bay. But a bay is part of the ocean isn’t it? ACTUALLY, you’ll be looking south, at Wellfleet Harbor.)

Bonus reason 1: Art. A new art gallery recently opened a few houses away in the previously abandonded barn across from Mac’s Seafood.

Bonus reason 2: If it’s raining outside, vinyl curtains roll down to keep you dry while preserving the ambience.

Bon appetit.

Wellfleet isn’t a big, crowded city. Even in summer, when vacationers pour into all the towns of Cape Cod, you won’t have much trouble if you’re seeking solitude in a quiet place. But where should you go if you’re looking for a busier kind of atmosphere, the kind of place where people tend to gather?

Mayo Beach

During the day you can head to Mayo Beach, which is popular due to its natural beauty and convenient location next to the Pier. It’s frequented by families and retirees. In fact, all the Wellfleet beaches attract a fair share of people during the summer.

Flea Market

The Wellfleet Flea Market brings together a diverse group of people looking to shop for unusual items and good bargains.

Beachcomber

The Beachcomber is a bar and restaurant located right on Cahoon Hollow Beach. You might see a few young professionals at the bar, plus there are always people eating in the restaurant at dinner time.

Bombshelter

The Bombshelter Pub is unique because it’s open year-round. For this reason, it attracts a mix that includes Wellfleet locals as well as vacationers. People convene to play table games or throw back a glass of brew.

Check out more restaurants and beaches in Wellfleet, MA.

Using Search Engines to Your Advantage

First Vacation Rental receives a lot of its traffic from Google.  In fact, about 70% of our new visitors come directly from Google searches.  These visitors are potential vacationers searching for a rental on the Cape, usually near a popular Wellfleet destination such as a beach or pond.

Our most popular searches include the following terms:

• Wellfleet vacation rentals
• Indian Neck Beach
• Bound Brook Island

How to Get These Vacationers to Your Listing

The easiest way to get these searching vacationers to your listing is to provide them with information they might be searching for.  If your rental is on a beach, provide information about that beach.  The First Vacation Rental listing service gives you a lengthy description field to write anything you want about your rental and the surrounding area.

Here are some guidelines on how to use the description field to effectively lure internet searchers:

1. Include a couple of sentences that describe the popular destinations that are close to your rental.  Beaches, town centers, and any activities for kids are great topics to write about.  Remember to include how far these destinations are from your rental with terms like ‘walking distance’ or ‘short drive’.  Vacationers may be searching for these terms in Google, Yahoo, or Bing as they look for a summer vacation rental. As an added benefit, the more information you provide to vacationers to pique their interest, the more likely they will be to inquire about your listing.
2. Write as much as you can about your property.  A few sentences describing the property’s location in Wellfleet and how beautiful Wellfleet and Cape Cod are in the summer months will go a long way in driving traffic.  Search engines love text, so the more you write about your property, the higher your listing will appear in their search results.
3. Like most Cape Cod property owners, you’ve probably vacationed on the Cape a few times.  And over the years, you may have learned helpful tips about the area surrounding your rental.  It’s a good idea be to pass that information along to any vacationers who are browsing your listing.  List your favorite restaurants and shops in town.  Provide any insights you have about parking at the popular beaches that vacationers need to drive to.  Remember, you’re an expert when it comes to the area around your property, and vacationers will find your advice very valuable.

But Don’t Overdo It

Providing information on the area immediately surrounding your rental is a great idea, but describing every destination on Cape Cod is just too much.  There’s no need to list all the beaches in your town– set a limit of 4 or 5 destinations to talk about.  Also, try to stick to destinations that you’re familiar with and can really give great advice about.

Let Us Help

First Vacation Rental has a lot of experience when it comes to writing content about Wellfleet and Cape Cod.  Feel free to bounce ideas off us, or have us review your listing page or help you write a description about your property.