For most summer vacationers, the main thing is that there is water for bathing.

We give tips and in the photo show whet the appetite for private happiness on the Balearic island.

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Germans are holiday home fans

We love vacation in the holiday home. And the Germans love Mallorca. So it makes sense to enjoy the most beautiful weeks of the year in a private atmosphere on the Balearic island instead of in a hotel. But should it be a finca, holiday apartment or casita? To find your way through the flood of offers, we have put together a few booking tips.

Agree on important points in writing

First of all, it has to be clarified who is coming and then the house search can be filtered accordingly. Does the house have to be suitable for children and does a pool have to be appropriately secured, for example? There are now homeowners who secure pools with a fence for toddlers. If there are allergy sufferers or people with physical limitations, it is important to find a housing complex that may be suitable for the disabled. If a trip is planned in the summer, it also makes sense to look for accommodation with air conditioning. And the most important thing: Before booking the four walls on time, vacationers should carefully check the provider’s conditions. Tobias Wann, Senior Regional Director Central Europe at "Fewo-direct" advises that down payments should not exceed 50 percent of the total rental price. Furthermore, according to the Regional Director, the landlord should send a written agreement containing arrival and departure times as well as payment and cancellation deadlines. In 2007, the Balearic Tourism Authority approved the "ETV"-Seal lifted from the baptism. All holiday homes that are rented out to tourists must attach this sticker visibly to the wall of the house. In advance, they were assessed by the authorities in terms of cleaning and on-site support.

Clarify linen change and key handover

In the case of a holiday apartment without a car, as is the case with Mallorca, guests should check the basic equipment of the property. Are towels and bed linen included for an extra charge when renting? In the case of a longer stay, a change of linen should also be bookable. The time of renting and handing over the apartment is also important – ideally, this should match the transfer and flight times. It is unfavorable to have to wait half a day at the airport when fully packed because you had to hand in the keys early in the morning. Speaking of transfers: a rental car is almost inevitable when renting a holiday home on Mallorca. In the summer months, bus traffic on the island is brisk, but not every place is served.

Island locations to choose from

If you don’t always want to drive to the beach by car on vacation, you should choose a house in the north, south or east. The west alone with the Sierra de Tramuntana mountain range is not so suitable for lovers of flatly accessible bays. Otherwise, however, the choice is large: whether the sandy beaches of Alcudia in the north, Cala d ‘Or or Cala Fguera in the south or rather Cala Millor in the east of the island, you are spoiled for choice. Accommodation in the interior of the island, for example with a private pool, can also have its advantages. Here the weekly markets of Inca and Sineu entice you to go shopping. "High quality objects are in demand" says Elke Stapel from Las Islas Reisen, a holiday home broker for Mallorca and the Canary Islands. "Jacuzzi, sauna, six rooms, six bathrooms – it’s going great" so the expert. Their customers place great value on individuality. Bungalow complexes for which it is not clear where the customer will be booked in, however, are not wanted, reports Stapel, who has around 700 properties in her portfolio.

Not every holiday apartment is a finca

When describing the houses, the providers are often quite individual. Finca in the strict sense of the word means a country house or farmhouse with an attached outdoor area. Some providers also have agrotourism fincas on offer. These are former manor houses that were built before 1960. For an agrotourism license, at least 25,000 square meters of land is required on Mallorca. The term casita again means a small house. Originally this could be a stable or something similar that was converted into a weekend house for families and later rented out. Whatever you decide on, guests should not exceed the maximum number of receipts: This not only leads to trouble with the provider, the house blessing on vacation can otherwise quickly go wrong.

Vacation home vacations are more popular than ever. Whether it is a large family, a couple on a romantic trip or a vacation with friends, more and more vacationers are booking a holiday home for the most beautiful days of the year. See unusual holiday home suggestions for the coming summer in our photo show.

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For most summer vacationers, the main thing is that there is water for bathing. A tip from TUI Wolters that is absolutely close to water is the floating houses in Lausitz (weekly price: from 728 euros for four people, www.tui-ferienhaus.de).

The Baltic Sea and North Sea are particularly popular

The Baltic Sea is particularly popular with families. Holiday home provider Interchalet has a wide range of houses close to the beach, such as a holiday home for six people with a garden and sauna in the idyllic seaside resort of Nienhagen (weekly price: from 560 euros, www.interchalet.de). Malte Koerth from Belvilla recommends the Zeeland region to beach holidaymakers, especially the small holiday home "DE Heksenketel". The house is located in a wooded natural area, the lake of Veere is only 200 meters, the North Sea beach of Vrouwenpolder five kilometers away (weekly price: from 452 euros for four people, www.belvilla.de).

Germany’s favorite destination for holiday home vacationers

"Germany is booming and remains the most popular travel destination" confirms Janka Schelb, Head of Purchasing at TUI Wolters. The Baltic Sea region in particular is right at the top of the vacationer’s wish list. Schelb’s tip for families: A comfortably furnished thatched-roof house in Zirchow with a sauna and fireplace just 100 meters from the Achterwasser in the Usedom Nature Park (weekly price: from 653 euros for six people, www.tui-ferienhaus.de).

Live like God in France

France is right at the top of the popularity list among holiday home vacationers. Especially the Côte d’Azur and Aquitaine, in the south-west of France, are popular holiday home destinations for families who are looking for something special, says Stefanie Härpfer, Sales Director for indian women for marriage Germany at France specialist Pierre et Vacances. Her tip: a week in a Studio Select for four people at the Cap Esterel resort on the Côte d’Azur (price: from 710 euros, www.pierreetvacances.de). The holiday home provider Novasol is the front runner in the range of pool houses in France. There are over 1000 holiday homes with their own swimming pool to choose from. The holiday homes in Provence, Languedoc, Côte d’Azur as well as along the Loire, in Normandy and on the Atlantic coast are particularly numerous (www.novasol.de).

Dolce Vita in Italy

Tuscany is and remains a classic when it comes to holiday home happiness – Novasol has 1,600 domiciles in Tuscany alone. A holiday home in Castiglione d’Orcia near Siena costs from 697 euros for seven people (www.novasol.de). But it doesn’t always have to be Florence, Siena & Be co. The northern Italian seas such as Lake Garda or Lake Maggiore are becoming increasingly popular. Belvilla spokesman Koerth recommends the holiday home on Lake Maggiore "Villa Vezzo" with a large garden. One week costs 798 euros for six people (www.belvilla.de).

Germany likes to go on vacation with a dog

According to a study by the online holiday home specialist E-domizil, around 28 percent of their customers take their pets with them on vacation. The most popular travel companion is the dog. Germany is the most popular country for a vacation with pets. Croatia and Italy are also very popular with animal owners. Animal lovers can find around 150,000 dog-friendly accommodations on the website www.e-domizil.de/urlaub-mit-hund.

The main thing is extraordinary

It can be something special: Extraordinary accommodations are becoming increasingly popular. The tree houses at Center Parc Bispinger Heide are so well booked that more houses of this type are planned for the Bois aux Daims Park in France, reports Sales Director in Germany, Stefanie Härpfer (price for a tree house from Monday to Friday from 879 euros, www. centerparcs.de). At TUI Wolters, vacationers looking for a slightly different type of overnight stay can purchase a circus wagon in the lavender fields of Provence (weekly price: from 529 euros) or a 120 square meter windmill with six bedrooms in Ledzin on the Polish Baltic coast (weekly price: from 629 euros, www.tui-ferienhaus.de).

Big, bigger, castle

Large families and groups on tour: Belvilla spokesman Malte Koerth confirms the trend towards large houses with six or ten people or more. His favorite tip: the holiday home "waterfall" in Tyrol, which can be rented for ten people from 861 euros per week. Almost half of the holidaymakers also book houses for six or more people with Interhome. your "more regal" Tip located in the middle of vineyards: The 800 square meter Chateau Clos Tonerre with twelve rooms, sauna, steam bath, swimming pool, fitness room and in-house bicycles with which you can explore the dreamy city of Mercurey, only a few kilometers away (weekly price: from 4477 euros, www .interhome.de).

Scandinavian nature experience

Denmark, Norway and Sweden are the classics in the range of holiday home experts Novasol. He currently has more than 10,000 holiday homes in Scandinavia on offer – from Bullerbü houses to luxurious beach villas. The focus is on the pure experience of nature "Back to nature"- Holiday homes in Norway and Sweden (weekly price holiday home Lyngdal / Vatland, Norway from 440 euros for six people). Environmentally conscious vacationers are of the "Low energy houses" in Denmark enthusiastic (weekly price holiday home Listed, 669 euros for eight people, www.novasol.de).

Photo show: unusual vacation homes

Vacation homes in southern Europe are particularly popular

"Southern Europe grew the most this year – especially Croatia and Spain between 20 and 30 percent. The demand for Greece almost doubled " reports Kai-Uwe Finger, Managing Director Novasol Germany. For Croatia, for example, he recommends the Ploce-Kremeno holiday home in Croatia, a former aristocratic residence with a large terrace with a view of the sea and an outdoor pool (weekly price: from 959 euros for eight people, www.novasol.de). As with Novasol, TUI Wolters Greece is also the winner of the season. Here is a novelty in Karousades on Corfu: 200 square meters of living space, swimming pool and enough space for up to eight people (weekly price: from 1772 euros, www.tui-ferienhaus.de).

So that the family vacation is successful, you should make sure that you make your holiday apartment child-friendly. There are numerous dangers lurking in holiday accommodation. Read here what you can do to create a child-friendly environment.

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Clarify equipment before booking

It shouldn’t be too tight in the holiday apartment, especially if there are several children. Make sure you have enough rooms so that everyone has enough space for themselves. It is also important to clarify whether a cot is available so that, ideally, you do not have to take it with you.