Why Book Direct & Everything You Need to Plan Your First Coast Trip
An honest look at what booking direct saves you and gets you, plus our policies in plain language and how to get to each of our five coastal markets.
Booking directly with the company that actually manages the home is never more expensive than a booking platform, and it usually gets you more: a lower or equal price, clear policies you can read before you pay, and a local team that answers the phone. Here’s the honest breakdown of what booking direct means with Casago First Coast, plus everything you need to plan the trip.
Why Book Direct?
| Booking direct with Casago | Booking through a platform | |
| Price | Our rate. No added guest service fee. | Vrbo adds a ~6–15% guest service fee; Airbnb’s 15.5% host fee is built into the price you see. |
| Who you’re talking to | Our local First Coast team, 7 days a week, 24/7 for emergencies | A platform help center, then the host |
| Policies | Cancellation, pets, check-in stated clearly before you pay | Vary by listing; platform rules layered on top |
| Flexibility | Need to shift dates? Call us — we can often help | Bound by the platform’s change rules |
| The home | Same professionally managed home, same standards, same guarantees | Same home |
The math is simple: the home is the same either way, so the only question is who you’d rather have on the other end of the phone and whether you’d like to keep the fee.
| A note on honesty
You’ll see other sites claim you “save 14%” by booking direct instead of on Airbnb. That was true under Airbnb’s old split fee. Airbnb moved most listings to a single 15.5% host-paid fee in late 2025, so the guest no longer sees a separate line item — the cost is in the price. We’d rather tell you exactly how it works than lean on a number that’s out of date. |
Plan Your Trip
Cancellation policy & travel insurance
Your home’s exact cancellation terms are displayed at checkout before payment and confirmed in your booking email — they vary by home and season, so please read them. We offer optional travel insurance at the time of booking; for a beach trip in a hurricane-prone region, we recommend it. If plans change, call our team first.
Pet policy
Pet-friendly homes are marked in search and state their pet fee and any limits. Please book a pet-friendly home if you’re traveling with one; pets in non-pet homes are subject to fees and may end a stay. Many of our beaches have specific dog rules — see our pet-friendly guide for each market.
Check-in & arrival
Check-in and check-out times are on each listing and in your arrival email. Most homes use smart locks with a personal code sent before you arrive, so there’s no key pickup. If anything about arrival isn’t right, our local team is available seven days a week and 24/7 for emergencies.
Transparent pricing
The total you see at checkout is the total you pay: nightly rate, cleaning fee, applicable taxes, and any pet fee or optional insurance, itemized. No surprise fees appear after booking.
Getting Here, Market by Market
Getting to St. Augustine
About an hour south of Jacksonville International (JAX) via I-95, and roughly 1.5–2 hours from Orlando (MCO). If you’re staying downtown for Nights of Lights or a historic-district trip, plan to park once and walk; if you’re at St. Augustine Beach or Vilano, a car is handy for beach days.
Getting to Amelia Island
Roughly 45 minutes from JAX — one of the easiest airport-to-beach drives in Florida. Take I-95 north to A1A/FL-200 east and you’re in Fernandina Beach. A car is useful for exploring the island, Fort Clinch, and day trips to Cumberland Island (ferry from St. Marys, GA).
Getting to Palm Coast & Flagler Beach
About 1.5 hours south of JAX, roughly an hour from Daytona Beach, and 1.5–2 hours from Orlando via I-4 and I-95. Palm Coast is car-friendly and spread out; plan to drive to Flagler Beach, the Hammock, and Washington Oaks Gardens State Park.
Getting to Jacksonville Beach
The closest market to the airport: roughly 30–40 minutes from JAX via I-295 and Butler Blvd (FL-202). Jacksonville Beach, Neptune Beach, and Atlantic Beach are walkable beach towns once you arrive, with the Beaches Town Center a short stroll for many homes.
Getting to St. Simons Island
About 1.5 hours north of JAX and roughly 1.5 hours south of Savannah (SAV) via I-95 to the F.J. Torras Causeway. Brunswick Golden Isles Airport (BQK) is 20 minutes away for regional flights. The island is bike-friendly; the Pier Village and East Beach are easy to reach from most homes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is it cheaper to book a vacation rental direct instead of on Airbnb or Vrbo?
A: Often, yes, and it is never more expensive. Vrbo adds a guest service fee of roughly 6-15% on top of the rental price, which you skip entirely when booking direct. Airbnb now charges the host a 15.5% fee that is built into the price you see, so a direct rate can be lower when the manager passes those savings through. Beyond price, booking direct with Casago First Coast gives you a local team, clearer policies, and a direct line if anything comes up.
Q: What is Casago First Coast's cancellation policy?
A: Our cancellation terms are shown clearly at checkout before you pay, and they vary by home and by season. We also offer optional travel insurance at booking so a cancellation for a covered reason does not cost you the trip. If you need to change dates, call us: because you booked direct, we can often work with you in ways a platform cannot.
Q: Are Casago First Coast rentals pet-friendly?
A: Many are. Homes that welcome pets are marked pet-friendly in our search, and each listing states the pet fee, any size or number limits, and house rules. Please book a pet-friendly home if you're bringing a pet - undisclosed pets in a non-pet home are subject to fees and may affect your stay.
Q: What time is check-in and how do I get into the home?
A: Check-in and check-out times are listed on each home and confirmed in your arrival email. Most homes use smart locks with a personal code sent before arrival, so there's no key pickup and no office visit. Our local team is available seven days a week and 24/7 for emergencies if anything about arrival isn't right.
Q: How far is each Casago First Coast market from the airport?
A: Jacksonville International Airport (JAX) is the main gateway: roughly 30-40 minutes to Jacksonville Beach, about 45 minutes to Amelia Island, about an hour to St. Augustine, roughly 1.5 hours to Palm Coast, and about 1.5 hours to St. Simons Island. St. Simons is also about 1.5 hours from Savannah, and Palm Coast is roughly an hour from Daytona Beach and 1.5-2 hours from Orlando.
Book Direct. Keep the Fee. Reach a Real Team.
The same professionally managed home, at our rate, with a local team on the phone. That’s the whole pitch.
