On HomeAway, you can import calendars from other websites that support the iCal format like Google. iCalendar is a file format that allows users to create and share electronic calendars. The
iCalendar format is supported by many companies and programs. 

The importing feature enables you to have a single-calendar view for all your reservations, seasonal events, holidays and more. This will help you prevent a double booking, and enable you to see opportunities to increase your rates to make more money.

Import external calendar
  1. Log in to your account.
  2. Click Calendar.
  3. Select the correct property.
  4. Click the Import/Export Calendar icon.
  5. Click Import Calendar.
  6. Give the calendar a name.
  7. Select a color to represent the calendar.
  8. Enter the calendar URL.
  9. Select whether the calendar will block availability. (Note: in order to block availability, the event must span at least one night.)
  10. Click Import Calendar.
Currently, you can only import five additional calendars. The calendar may take up to 24 hours to update.

An imported calendar may not block dates on the public (listing page) calendar. Many common programs, such as Google Calendar, iCal, or Outlook, are designed to allow users to enter a variety of events, personal and otherwise, that are not necessarily meant to block availability in order for a guest to book. The data is fed in such a way that there is no way of distinguishing the difference between a personal appointment and a reservation. You will get a message that "Calendars imported from this site will not block availability" to advise of this. You will still be able to see the imported calendar on your Dashboard, but you may then need to manually create reservations or block dates on your HomeAway calendar to make sure the calendars match up.

Remove External Calendar
  1. Log in to your account.
  2. Click Calendar.
  3. Select the correct property.
  4. Click the Import/Export icon.
  5. Click the name of the calendar.
  6. Click Remove.
  7. In the pop-up, click Remove.
From this screen, you can also change the name or color of the calendar.

Non-blocking events
Besides reservation calendars, you should also import calendars with non-blocking events such as holidays or local events to help you when setting your rates. These calendars are not shown to travelers. Calendars are available on websites such as www.icalshare.com or by conducting a web search for keywords such as “iCal US holidays” or “iCal event calendar Austin Texas.”

To add a calendar from iCalShare, follow the instructions below.
  1. Go to www.icalshare.com.
  2. Find the calendar you would like to add.
  3. Right click on the blue Subscribe to Calendar button.
  4. Click Copy Link Address.
  5. In your HomeAway calendar, click the Import/Export Calendar icon.
  6. Click Import Calendar.
  7. Give the calendar a name.
  8. Select a color to represent the calendar.
  9. In the URL field, right click and Paste.
  10. Change webcal:// to http:// in the URL.
  11. Select Do not show this calendar to travelers.
  12. Click Import Calendar.

Having trouble finding the URL to the calendar? This article may be able to assist you.