If you’re anything like me, traveling is an essential part of your life. For the longest time, I was under the impression that you could only travel to fabulous places if you had tons of money (wrong) and lots and lots of free time (double wrong). Traveling has become something that can be done by anyone, on any budget. Shortly after Thomas and I started dating, we were introduced to AirBnB, a website with thousands of places to stay when traveling. While some places are shared with the owner, some are entire homes for rent, and theres even some treehouse and other crazy places that you couldn’t even dream up. I am so glad we were introduced to AirBnB a few years ago, because it has allowed us to travel way more than we ever expected. After using AirBnB for the last four years, we have certainly learned some of the most important AirBnB do’s and don’ts.
Know what you want, and what you don’t want.
There are so many different things AirBnB has to offer. House, high rise, hut, and the list going on forever. While there are so many different kinds of homes you can rent, there are also different styles, entire home, private room and shared room. It’s all about what you are comfortable with. I usually go with “entire home” because I like my privacy, but if you’re down for kicking it with the owners of your place, try out the private room!
Understand how booking works.
It’s not confusing, really. There are two different styles of booking. You have Instant Book and Request to Book. Request to book is the only way AirBnB used to operate. You had to send a request to each host individually and sort of ask permission to stay at their place. This is still an option, and it works just as great as the other option, it just takes a little more time. Instant book is exactly what it sounds like. You see all the fees immediately, and you instantly book it, no requesting, no waiting. It’s all there for you!
Prioritize the amenities you desire.
We all know there are just some amenities you just can’t live without when traveling. For me, those things change every time I travel. In some places, I just have to have Wi-Fi, some place I just must have a washer and dryer (longer trips, duh). It all just depends on the trip. But when traveling to different places, you need different things. You can customize your “filters’ for every single trip you take, so prioritize accordingly.
Read the fine print.
Some AirBnB hosts have certain rules, some you may not like. Some like you to check out by 10am, and some could care less. But you won’t know until you read. All the information you could possibly need to know is listed on the listing page.
Don’t try to book too far in advance.
I’ve said it before, I’m a planner, and I usually try to have travel plans done months in advance. But with AirBnB this isn’t always beneficial. If you have your eye on a property for something such as Mardi Gras or The Super Bowl, but you think you can book more than 6-9 months out, think again. As expected they want to hike the prices for these events, so they can make more, but often times, hosts haven’t updated their calendars this far out. I would recommend booking no more than 6 months out with each AirBnB host.
Read reviews, but don’t let them be your deciding factor.
I am a firm believer in reading personal reviews. But some people are just awful, and will find a way to complain about anything. While 99% of reviews about places are fantastic, there is always someone who has to be a grouch. Don’t let the one bad review overpower the 87 good reviews.
Traveling soon? Be sure to check out AirBnB and use my AirBnB Discount to get $40 off of your first stay! I’d love to hear all about your travel experiences with AirBnB!
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