A hotel is a hotel – and can be the same in Houston, Hong Kong, or Halifax. Think about booking a vacation rental, instead – to really feel a part of Newport Beach! Vacation rentals can also save you money – your extended family or friends can share the home – a great savings over the cost of a hotel stay. Save your restaurant dining for the evenings, have an adventure shopping in local markets, and cook at home to save even more!

You’ll find multiple sites online where you can easily compare amenities, locations, and prices. When investigating your rental, look for bargains in the off-season – in Newport Beach this means January – March. Once you’ve decided when to travel, ask yourself – and the homeowner or manager – the following questions:

Location – get a good idea of exactly where the home is. Ask for pictures showing the area surrounding the rental, too. How close are the neighbors? How far away are the closest shops and restaurants? Ask to see its location on a local map, too.

Vacation Rentals Newport Beach

Transportation – will you need to rent a car or is public transportation readily available? Bedrooms – how many and how many beds are available? Bathrooms – how many? Furniture – is the home fully furnished – including outdoor furniture, if applicable?

Ambiance – Is it quiet and private? Amenities – such as a swimming pool, Jacuzzi, Cable TV, DVD player, stereo, telephone or cell phone, Internet, air conditioning, mosquito screens, etc.

Lighting – I like to read in bed, are there bedside lamps?

Guest services – is there maid service, pool maintenance, gardener, laundry service, garbage collection etc? Are there luxury services available, such as in–home massage, beauty services, private chefs, etc?

Medical care – in case of emergencies, is there a clinic or doctor on call?

The welcome you receive upon your arrival is equally important. A good property management company or landlord will be at the home to greet you, give you keys, and show you through the home. They should also be available 24/7 should any problems arise. Will they stock the fridge for you in case you are arriving late in the day? They should be able to help plan tours, give info on the best restaurants, sites of interest, etc.

Doing some planning ahead of time will help ensure the very best experience in your Newport Beach vacation home!

Tags: booking a vacation, newport beach, Newport Beach Vacation, restaurant, vacation rentals, Vacation Rentals Newport Beach

Related posts

• Things To Do On Your Newport Beach Vacation (0)
• Plan Your Newport Beach Vacation (0)
• Newport Beach Vacation Rentals (0)
• Visit Balboa Beach On Your Newport Beach Vacation (0)
• Newport Beach Vacation: The Wedge (0)

Whether you’re visiting California, Hawaii, Mexico, or some other surfing hot spot, you might decide to try your hand at this exciting sport. All of these locations have surf camps that will give you the opportunity to learn the sport under the instruction of a trained surfing instructor. It is important to find a surf camp that is reputable and safe, and offers you the level of instruction you or your family need. To find the best surf camp for your trip, you should take the five following factors into account:

1. Location And Price Of The Surf Camp.

The location and price of the surf camp are two practical things to consider. Depending on where you are vacationing, some surf camps are located within the busy tourist area. In fact, some hotels will even host their own camps, while other surf facilities are along popular beaches, with others operating in less populated areas.

The price of a surf camp can vary depending on what level of lesson(s) you want, how long the lessons last, who is giving the lessons, and the cost of equipment rental, if not included in the fee. Surf camps can range anywhere from $60 per student to over $500+ per student, depending on what level of instruction you select, lesson structure, and length of camp (day or overnight).

2. How Long The Surf Camp Has Been In Operation.

Some surf camps appear one day and seem to disappear then next. This is seen quite a bit in popular and unregulated tourist beach locations. You should find out how long the camp has been in operation, and its track record. Avoid any surf camps that are not well established. In the U.S., you can locate surf camps by state and county at surfcampsearch.com, and get information on camper staff ratios, age groups, counselor information, and any accreditation by certifying organizations, such as the American Camp Association or YMCA. An example of one camp in the Newport Beach, California area is the Newport Surf School, which is a well- established camp with history, testimonials, and private lessons.

3. The Experience Of The Surf Camp Instructors/Counselors.
Just like anything else, you should find out how much experience the surf camps instructors have in actual surfing and teaching. You want to avoid camps that have young or inexperienced surf instructors. Just because someone knows how to surf does not make them a good instructor. All instructors should know ocean safety guidelines, and water rescue procedures.

4. Safety Rating Of The Surf Camp.

Another important factor to consider is the safety rating of the surf camp. If you can, call the camp facility, and talk with their customer service representative to find out about their safety procedures and requirements, what type of life jackets or personal flotation devices are available, and if the staff and instructors are trained in basic first aid and CPR. If you have children who want to participate, you should find out if they offer classes with other children in similar age groups, or provide one on one instruction. For new surfers, it is usually recommended to take some private classes so you can learn the proper techniques directly from a certified instructor.

5. The Surf Camp Reviews and Feedback.

Some of the best ways to find out about the performance of a surf camp is to ask your hotel concierge, check with the Better Business Bureau, look at online review sites such as Yelp.com or yahoo.local.com, or talk with people who live in the area. You can even find local surfers on the beaches in the area who will give you their recommendations. This is one of most direct ways to get a good referral since the local surfers will know the best surf schools, and surfing instructors.

About The Author:
Jane Warren is a water sports enthusiast who participates in swimming, diving, boating, sailing, waterski tubing, and just about anything else related to those sports. She spends 6 months of the year at the beach in Grand Cayman, or other natural water locations. During that time, Jane has plenty of opportunity to enjoy the water, and always has plenty of friends and family who visit, and want to be out on the boat, riding around or being more active!

Out of this love of water sports, Jane developed the website TowableTubesDirect.com where she provides information and reviews on water sports equipment including towable tubes, skis, kayaks, wakeboards, and water trampolines. Some of the brands she has reviewed include Sportsstuff, Airhead, Aquaglide, and Rave Sports. One of the most popular boat ski tubes this season is the Big Slice, a great tube for 2 riders, of all ages.

Tags: beaches, California, camper, hot spot, hotels, Newport, newport beach, newport beach california, Newport Beach Vacation, surf camp, surf camps, surf school, tourist area, visiting california

Related posts

• Oceanfront Vacation in Newport Beach (0)
• Newport Beach Motels (0)
• Corona del Mar Beach (0)
• Getting To Newport Beach By Air (0)
• Newport Beach Vacation – Balboa Pier (0)

Lucky you if you will be visiting Newport Beach soon. That is the land of the lovely temperate climate there in those zip codes 92658, 92659, 92660, 92661, 92662, and 92663. (I’d take one of those zip codes for my address any day! Newport Beach is like a magical Camelot.)

Before you leave, pack wisely. If you will be visiting the famous beaches of North Star, Little Corona del Mar, or China Cove, be sure to remember your swimsuit and beach towel.

If packing for a shopping excursion, you can either choose the dress for success look (dress shoes or heeled sandals), or plan for a shopping marathon (sport shoes or tennis shoes). You will have your choice of shopping centers. Fashion Island is an icon, so that would be a good one for your to-do list. If you have time, you could also go to Bayside Center, Westcliff Plaza, Lido Village, Newport Hills, or Harbor View. You might also really enjoy shopping on Balboa Island and in Corona del Mar.

If you are traveling to Newport Beach because your boss wants to transfer you, bring some bags of money in your suitcase, too. Since it’s paradise, there is a price tag attached– over a million dollars for condos, and over $2.1M for a single family detached home. Even rentals are more than $1,500 per month.

Which airport you fly into for your Newport Beach visit will be your choice. You might get a cheaper fare flying into LAX, but oh the traffic! Los Angeles International is 34.5 miles away, but it could be slow-going to get down to Orange County after arrival. Other L.A. area airport options include Long Beach, Ontario, and Burbank.

Another possibility is to fly to an airport further away, and then make the drive into Newport Beach part of your visit. Las Vegas sounds like it’s far away from the California coast, but it’s really only 231.5 miles. Even scenic Santa Barbara is only 122.9 miles of a drive after arrival towards the south. Palm Springs might be another choice, particularly if you want to play golf there first. San Diego is an excellent choice, as you can then drive the 74.9 miles north to Newport Beach.

By far the most convenient option is to arrive only 4.8 miles away at the Orange County Airport. Be careful as you board your plane to California. Sometimes they’ll say your flight is leaving for Santa Ana, sometimes they’ll say John Wayne Airport, and sometimes they’ll say Orange County or SNA. It’s all the same place.

If you are renting a car for your visit, beware. Some rental companies have offices in the terminal and some car rental firms are off-site. If you are a smart shopper, you can get your car from one of the in-terminal companies at no added cost. From the baggage area, walk through on the same level to where the rental companies are. This is a beautifully tiled area with large tan tiles. Atop a grand foundation of tiles you will see the statue of the Duke himself, John Wayne. (This is a great spot for a photo!)

Now, in order to get to your rental vehicle, you will have to cross the street and go to the parking garage. Wow- check it out– the street crossing has audio as well as visual “walk” and “don’t walk” instructions. This is fantastic if you are visually impaired.

The adventure of getting to your rental car continues on the other side of the street. You have to go down the elevator to the lower level. This is where the chaos begins. It’s a noisy, densely packed area of several rental companies. When you exit in your rental vehicle, just go very slowly, as you may be asked to make your way through tight spaces with sharp turns.

As you leave the airport on Airport Way, you may be taking MacArthur Blvd next– watch out! If your Mapquest directions say to turn right on MacArthur, be sure to do that. There are two lanes of traffic that go off to the left there; it would be easy to follow the crowd and end up miles and miles and miles from the beach! If this happens to you, simply turn around. Retrace your way back to the airport and you will now be going in the proper direction.

The nice thing about the Newport area, is that everything is relatively close once you arrive. In no time at all, you will be at your hotel enjoying the best of California weather and scenery. Have fun!

Tags: Balboa, balboa island, California, california coast, Corona Del, corona del mar, Fashion Island, Newport, newport area, newport beach, Newport Beach Vacation, newport hills, orange county

Related posts

• Beachfront Property in Newport Beach (0)
• Visit Balboa Beach On Your Newport Beach Vacation (0)
• Newport Beach Vacation – Balboa Pier (0)
• Newport Beach Homes (0)
• Newport Beach Food And Wine Festival (2)