Packlate.com keeps a lid on vacation rental costs

The economy has kept domestic airline and hotel prices down, and now Packlate.com is helping keep a lid on vacation rental costs.

What’s hot: Prices of available properties decrease the closer you get to their dates of availability. Because Packlate specializes in last-minute bookings, travelers can watch price changes on several properties before they commit. Join the site — membership is free — and get the address of the rental too. Packlate launched in January with a focus on ski towns in the Rockies, but it plans to expand to Florida within four months. I particularly liked the Google map that compared locations of available rentals plus offered such extras as local coffee shops and restaurants.

What’s not: Be careful of the final cost. When you click from the search results page to the single property page, you can view the full price. Sometimes, the taxes and fees (which vary from property to property) can pack quite a punch. But it’s easy to log into the site and ask Packlate a question. The small company often answers questions within the hour, a far cry from e-mailing property managers and wondering when or whether you’ll hear back.