The hardest part is getting everyone in the car.
It seems every vacation begins the same way. Short tempers. Cranky teenagers. Grumpy dad.
Although getting everyone ready and out the door for a family vacation can be a challenge, once the trip begins the real benefit of family togetherness begins to kick in. The two sisters may begin the morning grumbling about who the pink brush belongs to, but once the family of four takes their respective places in the van, everyone seems to settle down and find more patience for the week at one of the best vacation condo rentals on Myrtle Beach.
Dad drives, mom sits in the passenger seat with the map, the older sister stretches out in the back bench seat, and the younger sister arranges her books and prepares to start her summer reading assignment. And while both girls start the drive resting and listening to their music on their phones, a mere 30 miles into the trip they are sharing memories of past trips and crazy stories about the latest school year. Vacation condo rentals have always been a favorite family destination and this year is no exception. It takes work to get everything in place, but the resulting trip is worth the effort.
How many activities does your family have to opt out of to get a week away? How many show choir rehearsals does your high school daughter have to miss? How many days off work will your college daughter have to request? Can you convince your husband to turn off his email and voicemail for the week? Can you find someone to cover at the volunteer desk of the hospital?
Today?s families have a difficult time unplugging and removing themselves from the busyness of their daily schedules and work routines. Constantly connected to technology, they spend as much time communicating through social media as they do in face to face conversations. Reserving time at vacation condo rentals, however, allow families to disconnect from their devices and reconnect with each other.
Myrtle Beach oceanfront condos, for example, provide families beautiful surroundings at locations as varied as a two bedroom bungalow to a six bedroom house that sleeps 15. And while many families decide to eat out while on vacation, full size and well equipped kitchens provide the opportunity to both cook and dine in house.
In the past, hotels and motels may have been the only accommodations available to travelers. Today, however, 24% of leisure travelers indicate that they have stayed in a vacation home rental as an alternative to a traditional hotel or resort during the past two years. Another 23% indicate that they have stayed in a condominium resort.
Resort or condo style rentals provide many advantages, including:

• Laundry options. Especially when you are staying at a beach, the availability of a washer and dryer is important. Long days in the sun involve towels, swim suits, and beach blankets. And while you do not have to launder every item every day, it is nice to have the option.
• More square footage. Even the most patient family members tire of the small space of a hotel room. The largest suites still have a limited number of seating options and rooms to rest quietly after a long day swimming. Vacation condo rentals, on the other hand, offer families an opportunity to be together in large family rooms when they want, but also retreat to separate bedrooms, front porches and back patios.
• Affordability. Although beach condos and other vocational rentals may initially seem expensive, they are often more affordable that hotel and motel stays. When an extended family wants to vacation together, a large condo allows the price to be shared among two to three families.
• Eating options. As mentioned earlier, meal options are more varied in vacation rentals than in a hotel. While a suite style hotel may have a microwave and sink, they likely do not have all of the necessary kitchen essentials for preparing large meals. If you do not want to cook yourself, some condos provide chefs to prepare meals. In many cases, these home cooked meals, even though they are prepared by a professional cook, are still less expensive than taking an entire family out to a restaurant.