SD rental house for large group with kids?

May 11, 2012 7:35 AM

Please help find a beach rental in San Diego for 3 families with toddlers?

I don't even know where to start looking! Three (possibly 4) families, each with 1-2 kids (ages 1-4) looking for a beach house in San Diego in August this summer. Are there trusted sites that I should be checking, or can I craigslist this? Any personal recommendations? Which beach area should we be staying at? Our wishlist would be a 3-4 bedroom, with some parking space, wireless, and walking distance from a reasonably clean/safe beach. (Oh, and at least 2 bathrooms). Does that exist? Would it be easier to find in Santa Barbara?

We're all familiar with SD in general, but have always stayed in hotels or crashed with friends. The kids are the new, uncertain, element - we're now risk averse (and very very tired), and willing to pay for higher end luxuries, clean, safe, extra space, etc.

Thanks in advance!

posted by synapse to travel & transportation around San Diego, CA (7 answers total)

VRBO is your friend.
posted by k8t at 7:48 AM on May 11, 2012 [1 favorite]

Yeah, VRBO. If you want really quiet, there's a ton of vacation houses/condos/apartments in Carlsbad across the street from the beach, they'll all be on VRBO. You might consider getting two apartments in the same building, as 3-4 BR places are going to be on the steep side.

Carlsbad is super family-friendly (Legoland), and the stretch of beach I'm thinking of (I assume North Carlsbad SB) near Carlsbad Village is nicely sidewalked and stroller-friendly. Aside from Legoland, the Safari Park is not terribly far away either.
posted by Lyn Never at 7:58 AM on May 11, 2012

We rented a place from Vacation Rentals, I think in La Jolla or Del Mar. Ours had two bedrooms but it was in a condo complex about 100 yards from a beach. Easy drive to San Diego and about 30 minutes from Legoland.

This is the unit we rented, though it might not fit your needs as it's only two bedroom.

It was clean and safe, had parking and wireless.
posted by bondcliff at 8:01 AM on May 11, 2012

I'm in the beginning stages of planning something very similar, and VRBO has A LOT of places listed. I rented a condo in Maui through VRBO and it was very easy process and we were very satisfied.
posted by Big_B at 8:51 AM on May 11, 2012

VRBO is "vacation rentals by owner"; listings for San Diego.
posted by kirkaracha at 11:13 AM on May 11, 2012

Look at rentals in Mission Beach, too. My family rented a condo for a week in Mission Beach every summer when I was a kid, and I still have ridiculously vivid, fond memories of riding a bike up and down the boardwalk with my dad, building huge sand castles, and basically living/breathing the ocean air. There's a long row of rental condos all along the boardwalk that are right on the beach, and it's a ton of fun.
posted by booknerd at 1:00 PM on May 11, 2012

Oh, goodness, I'm marking the first VRBO answer as best, for future searchers, but the reinforcing views are really appreciated. Thanks so much for taking the time to answer.
posted by synapse at 1:44 PM on May 11, 2012