The view from the AirBnb in Rome
With the exception of Amsterdam, our trip through Europe comprised of AirBnb accommodations. I’m not going to take a lot of time to talk about the different places we stayed, you can go and read my reviews on AirBnb’s site or message me if you want more information, but I would like to talk about the experience over all, since lodging was primarily my responsibility so I did a lot of research for each stop.
Price wise, since there were two of us, I almost always was able to find cheaper accommodations on AirBnb than a hostel – the other cost effective way to travel around Europe. Now in certain places this was because of location, not many people live in the touristy district where the hostels are, but in some stops, Toulouse for example, we were closer to the center of town than most of the hostels.
Like when looking at any accommodations, you have to take many things into account. One important thing that we discovered in Madrid is that you have to be sure that the host and you share a language. Apparently, the poster spoke/wrote to us in English, but they poster was not the host. Other things to think about are: location, amenities, room type (private room, whole house, or shared room) and the quality of the host. Weighing what is important to you, a choice can often easily be made.
For the most part our experiences with AirBnb were great. There were pros to all of the places we stayed and they almost always outweighed the cons. I also felt a lot more comfortable leaving my belongings because there is a mutual trust, the kind you don’t get at a hotel or hostel. The hosts open their homes to you, share their lives with you and want you to enjoy your time in their city. Most of the hosts have been guests themselves at one point or another and were happy to help in any way they could to make our stay comfortable.
For your next trip, I recommend checking out AirBnb as an option. Maybe, like we found in Amsterdam, a hotel or hostel is a better option because of location, price, or whatever reason but it can’t hurt to check out the site and see who might take you in and help guide you on your adventure.
Next time I'll talk a little about my time in Rome. Until then, Best Wishes & Happy Travels!