This one bedroom apartment in the Palermo Hollywood area of Buenos Aires goes for $580 per week via Oasis Collections, and has a private terrace with city views (Courtesy Courtesy Oasis Collections )

In our hot off the presses May/June 2012 issue (find it on newsstands now!), we investigate the growing domestic vacation rentals market, parsing the differences between some of the biggest players on the American scene and weighing the benefits of springing for a whole house instead of a hotel room. And while there’s a lot to be said for going with one of the big guys Airbnb.com . Wyndham Rentals . FlipKey . and the HomeAway empire (which includes HomeAway.com . VRBO.com . and VacationRentals.com ), there’s a whole world of niche web sites catering to all kinds of travelers. Here are just a few of the specialized sites to consult if you want someone else to do the filtering for you.

For savvy snowbirds

What they list: Nearly 1,000 beach houses, condos, and cabins in Florida, Alabama, Tennessee, and North and South Carolina.

For outdoorsy adventurers

What they list: Private backyards (mostly in the U.K. France, and Belgium) where you can pitch a tent for pennies (or nothing at all) per night.

For Down Under devotees

What they list: More than a thousand homes of all shapes and sizes throughout Australia and New Zealand.

For Hawaii habitués

What they list: Swanky properties many with pools, porches, and ocean views on all the Hawaiian islands.

For friendly Francophiles

What they list: Apartment rentals in Paris, along with B , cooking classes, and opportunities to attend a dinner in a French family's home.

For old fashioned romantics

What they list: Historic properties in Great Britain, from a five room, medieval manor house in Devon to a two bedroom stone Skipper's Cottage in Cornwall.

For south bound design lovers

What they list: High end apartments in Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Uruguay all outfitted with stylish interiors and located in happening neighborhoods.

For city slickers

What they list: Urban chic apartments in London and New York, each one vetted personally by the site's owners.

For die hard deal seekers

What they list: Deeply discounted timeshare sublets in Mexico, Florida, and Las Vegas.

For ski trippers

What they list: Professionally managed rentals in America's top ski destinations (think Jackson Hole, Park City, and Aspen), plus a few beachy spots, too.

For enthusiasts of all stripes

What they list: Luxury villas you can search by theme say, wine regions, tennis trips, kid friendly destinations, or celebrity magnets with or without a destination (the Caribbean, U.S. Europe) in mind.

For living like a local all over the world

What they list: Private rooms or whole apartments rented by their owners; like Airbnb.com, but with a more international slant.

For Tuscan sun worshippers

What they list: Seaside villas, Tuscan farmhouses, and Florence apartments hand picked by Val D'Orcia agriturismo owner Andrea Giurato.

Do you have any favorite vacation rentals sites? Share them in the comments!

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