NEWTON, Mass., June 26, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- TripAdvisor®, the world's largest travel site*, today announced the results of its TripIndex Vacation Rentals, revealing that Palm Springs, California and Orlando, Florida are the most affordable U.S. spots for vacation rental getaways this summer.

To view the multimedia assets associated with this release, please click: http://www.multivu.com/players/English/70425528-tripadvisor-reveals-best-u-s-value-destinations-summer-vacation-rentals

The TripIndex Vacation Rentals compares the price of a summer trip for a family of four in 15 popular vacation rental destinations throughout the U.S., including the combined average costs of a weeklong stay in a two-bedroom vacation rental property, a one-day bike rental, basic groceries, and dinner at a restaurant.

"For those traveling with family or a group, vacation rentals can be a great way to cut down on accommodation costs while enjoying some of the creature comforts of home," said Brooke Ferencsik, director of communications for TripAdvisor. "With sizzling summer temperatures in Palm Springs, the TripIndex reveals that travelers can discover cool prices in the desert for budget-friendly vacation rental stays."

Head South to Save This Summer  

• Palm Springs is the most affordable destination on the list with a total TripIndex cost of $1,256, but has a slightly more expensive weekly vacation rental rate ($1,035) than Orlando, the second most affordable spot (weekly rental, $1,022).
• Gatlinburg, Myrtle Beach and Sanibel Island round out the top five most affordable U.S. spots for vacation rentals, coming in with TripIndex totals of $1,399, $1,434, and $1,486 respectively.
• Four of the five least expensive destinations are located in the sunbaked Southeast and collectively feature an average price that is 27 percent below the TripIndex average.

Ritzy Rentals

• At a total cost of $3,661, Martha's Vineyard is the most expensive destination on the TripIndex; the famous island is nearly three times pricier than Palm Springs, the most affordable spot on the list.
• Nearly one-third cheaper than Martha's Vineyard, La Jolla is the second most expensive spot with a total TripIndex price tag of $2,497.
• Miami Beach, Maui and Chatham round out the top five priciest places for a summer rental respite, coming in at $2,465, $2,278 and $2,120, respectively.

TripAdvisor TripIndex Vacation Rentals:

To see the more than 600,000 vacation rentals worldwide listed on TripAdvisor, go to www.tripadvisor.com/rentals.

Methodology:

The destinations in this list are amongst the most popular spots for vacations rentals in the U.S., based on the number of vacation rental managers in each destination contacted by U.S. travelers on TripAdvisor.com.

Vacation rental prices indicate the average weekly cost of a two-bedroom vacation rental property as found on TripAdvisor, from July to September, 2014. Prices from more than 4,000 vacation rental properties were included in the calculations for this research.

Basic groceries indicate the average cost for the following items: one box of breakfast cereal, one gallon of milk, one dozen eggs, four chicken breasts and one bag of mixed vegetables. Costs were averaged from local grocery stores in each destination.

Dinner out indicates the average price for a family of four (two courses per person including a salad paired with a hamburger and fries, one house bottle wine and two soft drinks). The average price was calculated based on five to six mid-range restaurants in each destination.

Bike rental prices indicate the average cost for a one-day standard / hybrid bike rental for a family of four including two adult bikes and two child bikes. Costs were averaged from local bike rental shops in each destination.

About TripAdvisor
TripAdvisor^® is the world's largest travel site*, enabling travelers to plan and have the perfect trip. TripAdvisor offers trusted advice from real travelers and a wide variety of travel choices and planning features with seamless links to booking tools. TripAdvisor branded sites make up the largest travel community in the world, reaching nearly 260 million unique monthly visitors**, and more than 150 million reviews and opinions covering more than 4 million accommodations, restaurants and attractions. The sites operate in 41 countries worldwide, including China under daodao.com. TripAdvisor also includes TripAdvisor for Business, a dedicated division that provides the tourism industry access to millions of monthly TripAdvisor visitors.

TripAdvisor, Inc. (NASDAQ: TRIP) manages and operates websites under 23 other travel media brands: www.airfarewatchdog.com, www.bookingbuddy.com, www.cruisecritic.com, www.everytrail.com, www.familyvacationcritic.com, www.flipkey.com, www.gateguru.com, www.holidaylettings.co.uk, www.holidaywatchdog.com, www.independenttraveler.com, www.jetsetter.com, www.lafourchette.com, www.niumba.com,  www.onetime.com, www.oyster.com, www.seatguru.com, www.smartertravel.com, www.tingo.com, www.travelpod.com, www.tripbod.com, www.vacationhomerentals.com, www.virtualtourist.com, and www.kuxun.cn. 

*Source: comScore Media Metrix for TripAdvisor Sites, worldwide, Q1 2014

**Source: Google Analytics, average monthly unique users, Q1 2014; does not include traffic to daodao.com

To view the multimedia assets associated with this release, please click: http://www.multivu.com/players/English/70425528-tripadvisor-reveals-best-u-s-value-destinations-summer-vacation-rentals

SOURCE TripAdvisor