Helen, Georgia is small, but mighty: at just 2.1 square miles with 430 residents, this recreation of a Bavarian alpine village ranks third in tourism revenue for the state. The Chattahoochee River flows through town, passing beside restaurants, cabins and scenic campsites. A couple of streets over, you’ll find more than 200 specialty and import shops selling everything from quilts to wooden shoes. And of course, there’s plenty of German fare to gnosh on.
Cabins in Georgia (Photo: Bobafred via Flickr/ CC BY-NC-ND 2.0=
If ever there were a perfect place to rent a cozy cabin, it’s Helen. With its variety of mountain retreats, you can find cabins for a romantic getaway, a family weekend, or a pet-friendly place close to hiking trails. Cabins offer a truly private experience and can save money on cooking and expensive hotel amenities.
We compared several popular travel sites that book cabins in Helen based on the number of cabins available, customer service, pricing and other criteria. Here, we present our top three choices.
VRBO
Vrbo offers a larger selection of cabin rentals in Helen, making it our preferred booking option. Activate the “cabins” filter to see only private residences, most of which are located in quiet, wooded locales. Most cabins we found were located 5–17 miles from Helen’s city center, although there were a few options that are closer. We found everything from a 2-bedroom, 2-bath cabin that sleeps eight for less than $100/night to a 4-bedroom, 3-bath townhome that sleeps 14 for $300/night.
Vrbo has useful planning tools like trip boards, reviews and informative articles. The downside: while we did find some good deals for Helen cabin rentals on Vrbo, be aware: cleaning and service fees are often more than the price of a one night stay.
Booking.com
Overall, we found cabins are slightly more affordable on Booking.com than the runner-up site, and the instant confirmation feature scores it major points for ease of mind and convenience. We also like that a credit card is not required for booking. Like our top choice, however, most cabins have significant service and cleaning fees in addition to the price of the cabin. Activate the “Vacation Homes” filter to exclude hotels and only see cabins and private dwellings—while the selection is not as robust as some other sites, the lower prices can still save you a few bucks.
Pinnacle Cabin Rentals
With more than 50 cabins available for private rental, this locally-owned agency has an easily-searchable website with many pet-friendly options. Several are also within walking distance to local shops, restaurants and wineries. The staff is available after-hours and cabins are stocked with a starter set of guest products including soap, trash bags, paper towels and toilet paper. They can also help you prepare for a surprise celebration or special occasion prior to your arrival. Be sure to check out the “Specials” tab for last-minute discounts on 2-night stays, military discounts and repeat guest discounts.