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Big D Digs

A pandemic-prompted remote-work trend has folks scouring the country for spacious, comfortable real estate, but with house prices at approximately stratospheric, the market favors the rich. There are ways, though, for the more fiscally limited to sample the dream, sans the commitment of a second-home mortgage. A big family or a group of traveling friends can land a Wi-Fi-enabled villa with surroundings so luxe that relaxing, playing, writing that romance novel, or even catching up on emails comes easier. The bright side to Dallas sprawl? Rural retreats, state parks, lakes, and rambling acreage is generally just minutes from uptown estates, city-center party scenes, museums, historical sites, sports venues, and world-famous restaurants. Upon surfing the surfeit of Dallas area vacation rentals, these offer the best of both worlds and the most room to spread one’s wings at per-person costs that, by far, beat the expense of posting up at a relatively cramped bourgeois hotel. 


Related: 30 Jaw-Dropping Yet Affordable Mansions for Rent Across the Country

Airbnb

Mediterranean Mansion

Sleeps 8 


The Mediterranean milieus of Morocco or Croatia may be out this season, but this palatial getaway with lofty domed ceilings and five fireplaces for optimal coziness is tucked inside a quiet gated neighborhood just a few convenient miles from Dallas-Fort Worth International airport.


Airbnb
VRBO

Cedar Hill House

Sleeps 16 


Guests determined to engage in fruitless Facebook arguments with distant relatives while traveling should at least do so from the comfort of a mansion nestled in a private neighborhood far from the noise, with an option to detach with a rom-com in the upstairs theater or soak in the jetted jacuzzi?


VRBO
VRBO

Grand Escape Villa

Sleeps 16 


Visitors want for nothing while watching movies on their choice of multiple Disney-and-Netflix-loaded 4K TVs or playing pool in the cheery game room of this North Dallas area Tuscan-style manse.

VRBO
VRBO

Luxe Lakeside

Sleeps 10 


Guests who come prepared with paddle boat, canoe, jet ski, or fishing rod will find fun and recreation exceedingly convenient — the sweeping four-bedroom estate is just a few steps from the shore of Lake Lewisville, a Dallas-area water-sport hotspot.

VRBO
VRBO

Newhouse Manor

Sleeps 18 


Reunions, fancy fishing trips, quality time with one’s horses — this sprawling estate pleases vacationing humans and equines alike, featuring a separate fenced-in yard and an open barn for stalling.


VRBO
VRBO

Pilot Point Palace

Sleeps 12


Watch movies on a 120-inch screen or the sunrise from a private balcony, warm aching muscles in a hot tub, or fish in a private pond without leaving the homestead.


VRBO
VRBO

Lavish Celina Ranch

Sleeps 16 


Without leaving the site, this property perchance meets the R&R-related desires of every weary traveler in the gang. From the ping pong-, foosball-, air hockey-, and double poker table-equipped game room to a fully appointed kitchen and outdoor dining area plus firepit, each lavishly rustic room of the 5,100-square-foot estate tempts one to stay and savor the amenities.

VRBO

Lavish Celina Ranch: More

Nevertheless, charming Downtown Celina, Texas, with its precious boutiques and bistros, located just outside the three-acre ranch, beckons. And downtown Dallas is but a half-hour jaunt.


Check prices and availability 

VRBO

Arlington Abode

Sleeps 18 


So baronial is this five-bedroom property that one guest chilling in the pool, dining al fresco on a covered patio, or snapping selfies in the pavilion won’t even hear the racket coming off the game room and its 14-foot shuffleboard, air hockey, big-screen TV, and poker tables.

VRBO
VRBO

Historic Oasis

Sleeps 18


While faithful to its historic neoclassical style, this mini-mansion in the heart of East Dallas offers all the modern amenities a wandering soul could desire — blazing-fast, high-capacity internet; outside kitchen aside a heated lagoon, waterfall, and heart-shaped spa; and an old-fashioned wood-burning fireplace, all just a block from brand-new public tennis and basketball courts.


VRBO
VRBO

Rooms in Rowlett

Sleeps 19 


Like a castle, near a nature preserve, close to both a small town and a big city — the welcoming, magnificent façade offers up a preview of the good things inside. Expensive hardwoods amid wainscoted walls take on natural brilliance let in by loads of ground-to-ceiling windows. A kitchen nook overlooks a far-as-eyes-can-see luscious lawn and an oasis that includes a colossal pool and firepit.


VRBO
VRBO

Blue Ridge Ranch

Sleeps 15


Cornhole, foosball, a playground for the kids, state-of-the-art outdoor speakers, or a soak in jetted bathtubs — it’s all possible here, with historic Downtown McKinney a 10-minute drive and Downtown Dallas about 40 minutes away.


VRBO
VRBO

Mansfield Mansion

Sleeps 16 


Situated on 10 acres in the Dallas suburb of Mansfield, this eye-popping three-story Victorian-style villa promises an outdoor pool, generously equipped game room, and nearby bike trails all amid rolling topography, sounds of nature, and not much else.


VRBO