How to Sync Airbnb and VRBO Calendars to Prevent Double Bookings
If you list on both Airbnb and VRBO, keeping availability in sync is the single most important thing you can do to avoid double bookings. This guide walks through the exact steps to combine both calendars into one feed.
Why Airbnb-VRBO sync matters
Both Airbnb and VRBO offer built-in iCal import/export, but each platform refreshes on its own schedule. During the gap between syncs, a date booked on one platform still shows as available on the other. That gap is where double bookings happen.
By combining both feeds into a single URL and importing that URL back into each platform, you reduce the number of separate sync paths and give each platform the most complete picture of your availability.
How much does this actually help?
Instead of Airbnb pulling from VRBO directly (one sync path), both platforms pull from a single combined feed that includes all sources. This means a booking on Airbnb is visible to VRBO as soon as VRBO fetches the combined feed - no waiting for a second hop.Step-by-step: sync Airbnb and VRBO calendars
- 1
Export your Airbnb iCal URL
Open your Airbnb listing and go to the Calendar tab.
Click Availability settings (or the gear icon), scroll to Connect calendars, and click Export Calendar.
Copy the URL. It will look something like:
https://www.airbnb.com/calendar/ical/12345678.ics?s=abc123... - 2
Export your VRBO iCal URL
Go to your VRBO property dashboard, open Calendar, then Calendar settings.
Find the iCal export section and copy the URL provided.
- 3
Combine feeds with iCalendar Sync
Go to icalendarsync.com and paste both URLs into the sync tool. Click generate sync url.
The tool merges both feeds and returns one permanent export URL.
- 4
Import the combined URL into each platform
In Airbnb: go to Calendar > Connect calendars > Import calendar. Paste the combined URL.
In VRBO: go to Calendar settings > Import calendar. Paste the same combined URL.
Both platforms now pull from one feed that includes all your blocked dates.
What the combined feed gives you
- Both platforms see each other's bookings through one URL
- Fewer sync hops means faster availability updates
- Works with Booking.com, Google Calendar, and any iCal-compatible tool
- The combined URL is permanent and free
- No account or software installation required
Limitations to keep in mind
iCal sync only handles date availability. It does not sync pricing, guest messages, listing content, or cancellation status. For that, you need a full channel manager or PMS.
Sync speed depends on how frequently each platform fetches the iCal URL. Airbnb tends to refresh every few hours, while VRBO can take up to 24 hours. There is no way to force a platform to fetch more often from your end.
Same-day bookings are riskier
Because of sync delays, same-day or next-day bookings carry higher double-booking risk. Consider adding advance notice requirements on your listings (e.g. 1-day minimum notice) to give syncs time to propagate.Adding Booking.com to the mix
The same process works for Booking.com. Log into the Extranet, go to Calendar & Pricing > Sync calendars, copy the iCal export link, and add it as a third source in the sync tool. Your combined URL will include all three platforms.
The free tool supports up to 3 iCal sources per feed. For more sources, custom date blocking, and an embeddable availability calendar widget, check out RentalBeam.
Going further: sync visibility with RentalBeam
The free sync tool handles the fundamentals well. For hosts who want to see exactly what is happening with each calendar source, RentalBeam adds visibility and control that iCal alone cannot provide.
Calendar Sync Dashboard
A unified view of all iCal sources with Healthy, Stale, or Error status and exact last-sync timestamps.
Export Access Tracking
See when Airbnb, VRBO, or Google Calendar last fetched your export URL, including access counts and fetcher identity.
Selective iCal Export
Choose which sources, custom blocked dates, and bookings to include in each export feed.
Custom Date Blocking
Block owner stays or maintenance windows with labels and colors. These override any imported feed data.
RentalBeam also includes an embeddable availability calendar widget for your property website, and a Pro-tier direct booking form with configurable pricing, fees, and discount rules.