Once you are out of school, family vacations change. You don't have scheduled breaks that determine your time off. With a full-time job, finding time for a family vacation can be difficult. My immediate family lives in four different cities. Coordinating a trip takes a lot of work and can cost a pretty penny. Plane tickets, meals and vacation activities, as well as a few hotel rooms to fit the whole family, can add up.

Due to the cost of multiple hotel rooms, my parents refuse to get more than one room. So, the five of us cram into a 300 square foot room for up to a week. I love my family but talk about a nightmare!

Ever since I started working in the travel industry, I have become the family travel agent. I always recommend we rent a vacation rental. I can't stress this enough; it is the BEST way to travel.

Vacation is supposed to be a time to relax and disconnect, but this can be difficult when sharing a small space with four other adults. HomeAway vacation rentals offer superior value over hotels, enabling my family to spend less and enjoy more space in a whole house. I can tell you from first hand experience that a kitchen and multiple bedrooms make a vacation so much more enjoyable.

We've used vacation rentals in Seattle, Austin, the Outer Banks and even abroad. My family is so in love with them that they now hate when we have to stay in a hotel when traveling with the whole crew.

Our last rental was in Fredericksburg, Texas. The 1870s cabin was a hidden gem and beyond adorable. We stayed there for three days and had the best time in the Texas Hill Country.

Check out more than 1 million vacation rentals on HomeAway.com and book a whole home for your next trip!!

Here are a few HomeAway vacation rentals I am dying to stay in one day!

Always, Maddi B.