We've been away from home for exactly 10 weeks and have spent only one night in a hotel. We've slept the rest of our nights in 10 Airbnb apartments (and one overnight train!) I think that should give us enough street cred to offer some advice about having a great experience with Airbnb.
So here's our collective wisdom:
1. Assume that what you see is what you'll get. If you look closely at photos and notice that there are lots of the homeowner's possessions in the photos, expect that their family photos, clothes, shampoo, and the rest will be there when you arrive. If you think that might bother you, then ask the owner before you book. Interestingly, it bothered Andrew and me less than the kids to be living among someone else's possessions.
2. Trust the reviews. Unless you can see an Airbnb in person before booking, only book a place with at least 4-5 positive reviews. Airbnb reviews are left by other travelers and we've found that we've agreed generally with the reviews. If one or two people says the place is a bit less than clean, then we've found dust in the corners. If someone has said it was the most charming house they've ever stayed in, then we've generally found the place to be charming, too. Trust reviews over nicely staged photos.
3. Try to rent people's own homes. Look at how many places your host has listed - there are a number of hosts that really are more like temporary housing landlords who have 4 or more listings within the same city. We found the places rented out by these "landlord-hosts" tend to be more generic and have a less homey feeling. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but the homes we've rented that are actually a person's real house are just more comfortable and have higher quality kitchens, more comfortable beds, and the hosts are more interested in helping you to have a wonderful stay.
4. Rent for a week or more, if possible. Most Airbnb's offer weekly and monthly discounts, sometimes quite substantial ones. You may find that it's cheaper to set up a homebase for a week and take day trips or even an overnight at another place than to move around frequently. This especially goes for long-term travel where moving from place to place is draining, but even if you have limited time, each time you move you waste time getting settled. Also, if you're staying for several weeks or longer ask for an additional discount. It can't hurt and sometimes you'll save a bit more.
5. Consider arranging your itinerary around a great Airbnb. If you have the flexibility, consider setting a bunch of parameters in a wide geographic location and see what Airbnbs are available. Our favorite Airbnb to date was on a canal in a small town in the Scottish Argyle region. We weren't planning on going to Cairbaan, but had delightful experience staying in a gem of a lockkeeper's house and exploring a wonderful little section of Scotland that hadn't been on our radar.
We have had good to great experiences staying at Airbnb's for the last 10 weeks and know now how to choose among postings to find amazing places to stay. If this has sparked your wanderlust and you want to give Airbnb a try, here's a link that will give both you and us a $35 credit: Airbnb Discount Code
Happy Airbnb'ing!
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| Our favorite little lockkeeper's house in Cairnbaan, Scotland. |
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