Today I’m going to share some of my top tips for booking with AirBnB. if you are new to these, you need to no that AirBnB is an online marketplace or let say platform that normally connects travelers with hosts who want to rent out spare rooms or entire homes, where you can find some pretty unique properties!
My first experience with using AirBnB was back in 2015 in Hungary and I hit the road from Austria.
The whole concept of accommodation-sharing sites was just starting to pick up, and I slowly found ourselves transitioning from staying in guesthouses, hostels and hotels to staying in properties that offered more space, better prices and put us in residential neighborhoods.
Years past and I have booked with AirBnB to stay in unique properties Sweden ,Norway, Germany a trendy attic apartment in Krakow, and many more! After booking over 60+ properties to date, I have also learned many things or two about finding the ideal space when booking with AirBnB, so here are my few tips to get you started.
My tips for booking with AirBnB
1) Make your booking in advance
Firstly, if you want to end up in a great AirBnB, you need to book in advance!
This sounds like an no no piece of advice, but great listings get booked in the first place and even more so if it in high season or if there’s a special event or festival taking place in that particular city. The further in advance you book early, the better the options you’ll have.
I normally book my AirBnB as soon as I have my travel dates set and transportation confirmed. If I’m travelling to a popular destination during high season, I normally book months in advance.
2) Always check what type of property you’re booking
AirBnB has different types of properties and this is something that you need to check very carefully when booking a place.
You can choose from:
An Entire place –you will have the whole home to yourself
A Private room – you will have your own bedroom but shared common spaces like the kitchen, living room and dining area
A Shared room – where you’ll be sleeping in a common area like a living room
An Hotel room – a new option for boutique hotels and hostels listing their properties via AirBnB
As you can see, forgetting to tick the type of property you want can be the difference between having your own private apartment or potentially sharing a place with the owner.
I always like to tick the ‘entire place’ box before I even start my search and double-check before I hit ‘book’.
3) always use additional filters for best result choose must-have amenities
Another question you need to ask yourself, is what are the essentials needed to make this an enjoyable good stay?
Check for
WiFi access to stay on top of your work?
more than one bathroom for your group?
a washer to do laundry during your stay?
AC so you don’t melt in the summer heat?
a heater so you don’t freeze during your winter trip?
I was surprised with numbers of rooms and apartments that has no central heating when I did my first European winter trip. Well, I was freezing! Now I know to tick off the ‘heater’ box when I do my searches instead of taking that for granted.
If there’s an amenity that’s an absolute must for you and your group, tick that box under ‘more filters’ and make sure you’re only considering properties that have what you need.
4) always use map to browse through neighbourhoods
When I travel to a new city, I like to research the best neighbourhoods to stay in for visits. For me, that means a location with easy access to public transportation, within walking distance to some eateries, and not too far from the city’s attractions.
Once I have an idea of where in the city I want to be, I’ll search for AirBnB properties in those neighbourhoods.
When booking with AirBnB, you can make use of the map to browse properties that are in your preferred neighbourhoods. As you zoom in to a specific area on the map, more listings will appear, so it’s worth taking your time with this.
Airbnb room with desk and couch
To be continued…..