Last-minute trip? See what’s available

Do you prefer the comfort of a vacation rental over a hotel room? Is your schedule flexible, and are you curious about different destinations? If you’re nodding your head yes, bookmark LicketyTrip.com.

What’s hot: LicketyTrip.com shows vacation rentals that are available this week or next. That’s great, because other vacation rental sites make you dig into the property page and test various dates for availability. That can be very time-consuming. Sure, you have a smaller pool to choose from with this simple last-minute booking tool, but it feels more like an insider’s short list than an empty database. Destinations include the United States (with the most listings), Europe, Mexico, the Caribbean, Asia, Africa, Canada and elsewhere.

What’s not: Last-minute deals are promoted heavily on the site, but it’s hard to compare prices, let alone or find out whether the rental you’re interested in is on sale. When I looked at individual property listings, I didn’t see an area for rates or even a range of rates. The only way to find out is to contact the owner using an online form. Sometimes a phone number is available too.

-- Jen Leo