Spain – the name conjures up images of wild beauty of Andalucía, the excitement of bull fighting and the sunny beaches of Ibiza. It has always been and still is one of the favourite tourist destinations. If you are planning to visit this wonderful country, it is better that you go for rented holiday villas rather than booking a hotel room.

Why holiday villas are better than a hotel

If you are planning to stay for a long time, and you are with a group of friends/family members, then there are reasons galore as to why you should go for villas in Spain. A rented villa will give you more freedom and privacy while charging almost half of what a decent hotel charges exclusively for accommodation.

But that does not mean that you go and hire the first holiday villa that comes to your notice, whether online or in Spain itself. There are some guidelines and tips that will help you avoid a disastrous holiday.

Keep these 5 factors in mind while choosing holiday villas in Spain.

First and foremost, verify the location of the villa. Thanks to 'Google Map', it is now possible to see a whole city, its roads and main attraction without even setting foot in the place! So if you have narrowed down your choice to some select villas in Spain, look up 'Google Map' with their addresses. See where they are situated and what amenities and attractions are nearby. If you are visiting any of the fabulous beaches of Spain, find out how far the villas are from the nearest beach.

There are many instances of fraud where people have rented villas in Spain only to find that the villa does not exist at all! So to avoid that, it is better that you go through reputed sites that list holiday villas. Look up the website to attain physical addresses and telephone numbers of the villa owners and avoid those that do not provide one. Remember, going cheap is not always a good idea. So beware of sites that offer unbelievably low rates and do not ask for security deposits, even if you are a foreign tourist!

Be clear from the very beginning of what is included and what is not in the contract while you are hiring villas in Spain. Will there be a change of towels? Are the applications in kitchen free-of-charge? Is once-in-a-while housekeeping-on-demand included in the additional charges? - these are the questions that you should ask before hiring a villa in Spain.

Also be clear about the mode of payment. Any genuine owner of villas in Spain will insist on bank transfer or credit card payment. In both cases, the sellers are identifiable and so if there is any problem, you will know who to contact.

Lastly, while you are looking for villas in Spain, ask if the owner or the site that has the listed properties is offering a contact person on location or not. Despite perfect planning, things may get out of hand and in such cases, it is always better to know a local professional or individual to seek help from.

Spain has so many things to offer to her visitors that it is better that you go for a long holiday instead of a short trip. And in such a scenario, nothing is better than a rented holiday villa as a residential option in Spain.