Imagine renting a villa in Cannes, a penthouse in Aspen, a beachfront property in the Caribbean. It's possible to rent beautiful homes in the most popular resort areas in the world, for prices ranging from a few thousand dollars a month up to six figures.

Picture spending the summer in a sunlit villa in the south of France, only a few minutes' walk from the bay of Cannes and the azure waters of the Mediterranean. This small resort town, with its restaurants, beaches, and stunning views, hosts the famed Cannes Film Festival every spring; even when the film festival is not running, the town draws many thousands of visitors a year. Rather than renting a hotel room for a hurried week-long vacation, why not spend a month and allow yourself to adapt to the slower, graceful rhythms of this cozy French town?

Or spend a season in the snow-covered Rocky Mountains, hitting the slopes of Aspen during the day and then cozying up aprs-ski to a great fire in a lavishly furnished penthouse. Choose one with several bedroom suites and invite your friends along for an extended vacation in one of the premier ski resorts in the world. These penthouse apartments routinely feature heated in-ground pools and hot tubs to add to the luxury, as well as superbly functional and modern kitchens so you'll truly feel at home during your stay.

Want to stick to warmer climates? Wintering in the Bahamas offers the warm waters of the Caribbean, easy living, and a friendly population. Rent a beachfront property on any of the islands and get to know the region on an intimate basis rather than as a hurried and harried tourist.

Can't afford a French villa, an Aspen penthouse, or a Bahamian cottage on your own? You may want to enlist a group of friends and divide the cost of the rental over the period of a month or two, and then work out a schedule for vacations; or, if there's room, try to accommodate everyone throughout the rental period. Of course, as the coordinator of this fantasy vacation you will want to wrangle as much time for yourself as possible.

If you're not sure where to find a great vacation rental half a world away, check with your travel agency, or with a real estate agency which specializes in seasonal rentals. Either a travel agent or an international real estate agent should be able to provide you with information, not only on the rental home and its amenities, but on the ins and outs of the local culture, availability of transportation and other necessities, and, in the instance of foreign locations, local and national regulations you need to know as you travel.

If you've got the time, forget that three-day cruise, or the five-countries-in-a-week package, and opt for a leisurely vacation which allows you to really connect with a region, makes friends with the locals, and make yourself at home.